Illinois Public Media News

The Champaign City Council voted Tuesday night to not repeal a policy that allows landlords to discriminate against people with certain criminal records. The three-hour study session meeting included a presentation of a City Council report on the issue, followed by public comment from more than 20 area residents.

Illinois' new governor delivered on a top campaign promise Tuesday by signing legislation that makes the state the 11th to legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use and the second to approve it through the Legislature rather than the ballot box.

Last week, President Trump announced deportation raids across the country. But then he said he’d wait for two weeks. We check in with immigrant rights groups here in Illinois about how they’ve been handling all of this news. Plus, last year riders took nearly 40 million trips on electric scooters. Now Chicago has launched a pilot program on the city’s west side.

Low-income college students in Illinois got some good news Monday. The state's Monetary Award Program — which provides MAP grants to help pay for tuition — will be able to give more grants with more money, thanks to the largest appropriation in the fund’s history.

Hundreds of Champaign residents have signed a petition asking the City Council to repeal a measure they say discriminates against people with a criminal record. The policy allows landlords to deny housing to people with certain prior convictions, unless they’ve been out of prison for 5 years.