CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Democrats have unveiled updated congressional maps that propose a second Latino-leaning Chicago-area district and could mean primary matchups for Democratic incumbents in the suburbs and Republican incumbents downstate. Democrats, who control state government and redistricting in Illinois, released the revised maps Saturday evening. The maps come weeks after their first draft…
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Democrats are getting pushback on new congressional district boundaries they proposed last week — and not just from Republicans who stand to lose U.S. House seats under the plan. Democrats who contol state government and redistricting in Illinois are expected to approve new maps as soon as next week. While it’s…
WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. The legislation averts one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators have blocked a bill to keep the U.S. government funded and allow borrowing. But Democrats determined to avoid a federal shutdown say they will try again this week. All this as Democrats also press ahead on President Joe Biden’s big domestic policy agenda. The tangled efforts Monday are not necessarily…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois has new legislative maps that will be used for elections over the next decade. Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved the maps Friday despite concerns from Black and Latino voters and other groups that they weren’t able to weigh in on the boundaries and won’t be fairly represented by them. It was…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dental work for Medicare recipients. An end to sky’s-the-limit pricing on prescription drugs. Coverage for low-income people locked out of Medicaid because of political battles. Those are just some of the changes to health care that Democrats want to achieve with President Joe Biden’s massive “Build Back Better” plan. For the nearly…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The bipartisan infrastructure deal senators brokered with President Joe Biden is hanging by a thread. Senators are struggling to reach a compromise over how to pay for nearly $1 trillion in public works spending. Tensions are rising as Republicans prepare to block Wednesday’s procedural vote with a filibuster, saying they need more…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri legislative committee has held a hearing on how race and racism is taught in schools without hearing from any Black Missourians. No Black parents, teachers or scholars testified Monday to the Joint Committee on Education during the invite-only hearing on critical race theory. Critical race theory is a…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressuring lawmakers to reach agreement by next week on a pair of massive domestic spending measures. The New York Democrat says he is scheduling a procedural vote for Wednesday to begin debate on a still-evolving bipartisan infrastructure bill. Senators from both parties have struggled to reach…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have taken a major step toward meeting President Joe Biden’s proposals for massive spending on government programs for climate change, health care, family services and more. Lawmakers reached an agreement Tuesday night to pour $3.5 trillion over the next decade into Biden’s proposals. Included is money to expand Medicare coverage…