(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers are addressing a growing form of cyberbullying in schools involving artificial intelligence. The House passed House Bill 299 that would amend the Illinois school code to include sexually explicit digital depictions of students under the definition of cyberbullying. State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, said the images generated by AI could have lasting effects on a young person. “These deepfakes and nudes can have devastating consequences,” said Rohr. “They are used to harass, to humiliate and to bully young women.” A high-profile case of AI-generat ..read more

(The Center Square) – A Chicago South Side committeeman is set to make history at the Illinois Republican State Convention this weekend. Devin Jones says he is the first delegate to the state GOP convention to come from a majority-Black ward in Chicago. “It’s a testament to the outreach that some of us have been doing about being intentional as far as welcoming Black citizens of Chicago into the party,” Jones said. Jones is the Republican committeeman for the 18th Ward, encompassing parts of the city’s South and Southwest Sides. He said this is a real accomplishment for Republicans in Chicago ..read more

Union opposes prison plan AFSCME Council 31, the union representing Illinois’ prison workers, has released a report opposing the Illinois Department of Corrections’ proposal to relocate the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln. In March, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and IDOC announced plans to rebuild the women’s prison. The report states that the plan would likely displace hundreds of workers. Water rate hike reviewed The Citizens Utility Board is claiming Illinois American Water Company’s proposed $152 million rate hike would pad the pockets of company executives and shareholders, while the company sa ..read more

(The Center Square) – House Bill 4293, which originally dealt with penalties for sex offenders in the massage therapy industry, was gutted and replaced with a bill regulating cannabinoids from hemp. State Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Westchester, said, in a Senate executive committee hearing, that hemp producers cross a line when they synthesize hemp to create Delta 8 and Delta 9. Advocates argue that consumers are beings deceived when it comes to THC levels in synthetic hemp products. Lightford said hemp producers aren't licensed and they are participating in illegal activity. "They are not lic ..read more

(The Center Square) - Amid concessions to pro-Palestinian protesters on its campus and financial support from Qatar, the president of Northwestern University Michael Schill admitted his college has "an antisemitism problem." Schill was one of a handful of university presidents who were called before the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on Education and the Workforce to testify on Thursday. "Northwestern University, like many universities, has an antisemitism problem," Schill said, according to a statement released by the committee. "Doing all I can to protect our Jewish students from a ..read more

Campus protesters arraigned Seven demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza on the campus of Illinois State University made court appearances. All seven pleaded not guilty to a count of criminal trespass to state land and a school building. The protestors had met with the ISU president at his office. They allegedly remained in the office until the building closed and were removed by campus police. Contractor sues tollway A construction company claims the Illinois Tollway fired them from a project last week without explanation, so now they have filed a lawsuit. WBBM reports the tollway hired Jud ..read more

(The Center Square) – A measure allowing minors from out-of-state to come to Illinois and apply for public funds to get an abortion through the state’s Family Planning Program is now ready to be sent to the governor. State Sen. Senator Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, sponsored House Bill 5239 in the Senate and said the bill will allow minors to apply on their own behalf for financial aid for the taxpayer funded Family Planning Program. "It also grants a private right of action to any person whose information is improperly shared or against any state or local entity that assists in imposing civil ..read more

(The Center Square) – Illinois public schools are one step closer to universal mental health screenings for students. The Illinois House passed Senate Bill 726 which directs the Illinois State Board of Education to assess school districts' readiness for universal mental health screening of students. The measure passed the Senate unanimously earlier this month. “We are in a children's mental health crisis,” said state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, the bill’s House sponsor. “I, others in this chamber and the executive branch leaders believe that we have to be thoughtful and systematic in our ..read more

(The Center Square) – During debate about a bill bringing state statute in line with federal statute, an Illinois state legislator couldn’t give her personal definition of the term “opposite sex.” State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, carried Senate Bill 3351 Thursday. The measure amends the Subsidized Housing Joint Occupancy Act providing that an elderly parent with an adult child with disabilities of the opposite sex “shall not be required to occupy subsidized housing with only one bedroom.” “We want to give people dignity and this is a way to align the state of Illinois with federal ..read more

Stellantis layoffs announced The United Auto Workers report 130 employees at the Stellantis facility in Belvidere will be laid off this week. The announcement comes as the automaker, which has an agreement to reopen the plant, announced the layoffs in March. A Stellantis spokesperson called the layoffs temporary, but gave no return to work date. Inhaler cost regulations approved A measure heading to the governor will cap the monthly cost of prescription inhalers at $25 for people with health insurance plans regulated by the state of Illinois. Typical costs for people with asthma and other lung ..read more