The Illinois Republican Party’s top brass says it’s optimistic about its chances in 2020. Officials rallied the base Thursday at the Illinois State Fair.

Reaction is coming in from lawmakers representing all corners of the state as it pertains to the vote to avoid another government shutdown as well as President Trump's announcement Friday to declare a national emergency to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

During a conference call with reporters Saturday, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) said 6 years of government funding for a children's health insurance program (CHIP) should have been enough to encourage bipartisan support, though it did not get that in either chamber.

The Republican State Convention held in Peoria over the weekend produced a platform that retains a committment to traditional marriage; meanwhile party leaders called for unity behind the November ticket, while rarely mentioning presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

LaHood, a Republican from Peoria, says an immediate next step is hiring local staff: