CHICAGO — An Illinois teenager who fell ill with a lung disease after vaping for over a year sued a leading e-cigarette maker on Friday, accusing it of deliberately marketing to young people and sending the message that vaping is cool.

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ chief fiscal officer has a “clear duty” to pay lost wages to all members of the General Assembly affected by two statutes a Cook County judge ruled were unconstitutional, the attorney for two former Democratic state senators wrote in a court filing.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week said he would reject a settlement agreement with opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma under its reported current terms and announced a lawsuit against several other opioid manufacturers.

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools will overhaul how it handles sexual abuse complaints after a federal investigation found “tragic and inexcusable” problems following student complaints, the U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD – The state commission that oversees charter schools is set to be abolished next year while its powers and duties will be transferred to the Illinois State Board of Education.

SPRINGFIELD – A Sangamon County Circuit Court judge this week declined to hear a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of two of the state’s general obligation bond issuances, but the lead plaintiff in the case has vowed to appeal.

SPRINGFIELD – The state of Illinois ran up a deficit of more than $7.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018. But as bad as that sounds, it was only about half as bad as the $14.6 billion deficit amassed the year before.

CHICAGO — The troubling scene inside the dingy Chicago apartment seems real: dangling exposed wires, open pill bottles near a sleeping baby and a kitchen strewn with dog feces and cockroaches.

SPRINGFIELD — It is unclear what effect the decision by Illinois’ three family planning organizations to decline millions of federal grant dollars will have on associated clinics in the state.

SPRINGFIELD – Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Republican sponsors of a bill he vetoed Tuesday announced they will continue to work on legislation aimed at clarifying the state’s school code as it pertains to BB guns, air-powered guns and other similar weapons.

SPRINGFIELD — An investigation into the “workplace culture” of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office found his former chief of staff contributed to a culture of bullying pervasive throughout the Capitol system.

PEORIA — Saying the juvenile court system simply wasn’t the right place for a 14-year-old boy accused of murder, a Peoria County judge opted to move the matter to the adult court.

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed more than 50 bills last week and has about one week remaining to sign the final 167 of the 599 total bills sent to him by the General Assembly this year.

SPRINGFIELD – Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker celebrated a pair of new laws Monday that expand the state’s medical marijuana program, including one that gives students more options for taking the drug at school.

CHICAGO — The new chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board said Thursday he has no illusions about how tough of a job lies ahead.

By JERRY NOWICKI

CHICAGO – Officials from several public universities in Illinois told a panel of state lawmakers Thursday they do not believe there is widespread abuse of court-ordered guardianships that have enabled some students from wealthy backgrounds to obtain need-based student financial aid.

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ top attorney is asking American video streaming services to avoid showing tobacco products in shows and movies to young viewers.

SPRINGFIELD — State Sen. Tom Cullerton was replaced as chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, a move that came four days after he was indicted on federal charges of embezzling money from a labor union.

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois compared favorably to other states in a report by a national advocacy group evaluating cancer reduction policies in all but one area — funding for its cessation program.

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday that people applying for Medicaid benefits in Illinois will see those applications processed more quickly, and health care providers will be paid more promptly, under a comprehensive reform bill now signed into law.

CHICAGO — An Illinois state senator has been indicted on federal charges that he took more than $250,000 in salary and benefits over a three-year period from the Teamsters while doing little or no work, prosecutors announced Friday.

SPRINGFIELD — Foreign language teachers in Illinois are being asked to update the way they teach those courses starting in the upcoming school year by putting more emphasis on world cultures and how to use languages across different academic disciplines.

By JERRY NOWICKI

SPRINGFIELD — Lack of affordable housing impacts many facets of family life — access to education and health care, for example — for Illinoisans throughout the state, Sen. Mattie Hunter and Rep. Delia Ramirez said.

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his first veto on Friday, striking down a bill that would have prohibited the state from applying for federal waivers from the Affordable Care Act in order to reduce protections or coverage offered through the state employee group health insurance program.

DANVILLE – With casino proposals due next week and "so many other things" on the city’s plate right now, Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said a decision on how the city will address the new recreational marijuana law is on the back burner right now.

SPRINGFIELD – Licensed foster homes in Illinois will likely have to comply with a host of new rules starting later this year, including strict vaccination and no-smoking policies, as well as rules governing kitchens, bathrooms, swimming pools and transportation.

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed two bills into law aimed at protecting immigrant children, just as the Trump administration announced plans to expand the use of “expedited removals” to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants in the country.

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois residents could be eligible for up to $20,000 in compensation for damages they suffered as a result of a massive data breach at the credit-reporting bureau Equifax under terms of a proposed global settlement announced Monday.

SPRINGFIELD – The president and CEO of Land of Lincoln Goodwill resigned Thursday, two days after backtracking on a plan to lay off several disabled employees.