Illinois quick hits: Illinois House speaker's son to attend private school; AFSCME workers set strike date at Illinois State University; IDOT urges public to avoid distracted driving

Illinois quick hits: Illinois House speaker’s son to attend private school; AFSCME workers set strike date at Illinois State University; IDOT urges public to avoid distracted driving

April 6, 2026/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Illinois House speaker’s son to attend private school

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, says his son will attend a Catholic high school. Welch announced in a social media post on Saturday that his son, Tyler, is taking his talents to Nazareth Academy. When asked by The Center Square in December about school choice legislation, the speaker said he promised to call a bill for a vote if 60 Democrats would support it.

AFSCME workers set strike date at Illinois State University

A group of Illinois State University employees say they may walk off the job as soon as Wednesday. AFSCME Local 1110 members voted to authorize a strike last week. According to a statement on the union’s website, workers are “fed up with the administration’s refusal to agree to fair wages.”

IDOT urges public to avoid distracted driving

The Illinois Department of Transportation says more law enforcement officers will be on the lookout during April for texting, social media use, video viewing and other forms of distracted driving. IDOT says 253 people died and 28,271 people were injured in crashes involving distractions between 2020 and 2024 in Illinois.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Parents' rights advocates hail SCOTUS ruling against secret gender transitions

Parents’ rights advocates hail SCOTUS ruling against secret gender transitions

By Tate MillerThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Mirabelli v. Olson deciding against California’s law that allowed for gender transitions of school children without parental knowledge has...
Critics warn Illinois bill could lead to government overreach in newborn care

Critics warn Illinois bill could lead to government overreach in newborn care

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Family Institute is raising concerns over a proposed bill that would offer voluntary home...
Veteran suicide rate remains high despite spending millions

Veteran suicide rate remains high despite spending millions

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Veterans die by suicide at roughly twice the civilian rate, despite the Department of Veterans Affairs spending more than $500 million a year to address...
BlackRock summit to focus on workforce needed for U.S. infrastructure boom

BlackRock summit to focus on workforce needed for U.S. infrastructure boom

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square A coalition of government officials, corporate executives, and labor leaders is gathering in Washington next week to address what many see as the biggest obstacle...
Debate grows as states consider teacher strike bans

Debate grows as states consider teacher strike bans

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Many states are considering new policies affecting teachers’ ability to strike or participate in protests, and education officials and labor advocates continue to debate the...
American gasoline prices increase most in one week since 2020

American gasoline prices increase most in one week since 2020

By Alton WallaceThe Center Square American gasoline prices continued to rise on Friday and are up the most of any week since 2022. Iran widened attacks on energy-producing countries near...
Presidents, governor honor late civil rights leader Jackson; mayor says tax the rich

Presidents, governor honor late civil rights leader Jackson; mayor says tax the rich

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Former President Barack Obama said his path to the White House was laid by late civil rights...
Illinois Quick Hits: Rockford sex abuse suspect arrested

Illinois Quick Hits: Rockford sex abuse suspect arrested

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois State Police say a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children led to...
Lawmakers concerned over taxpayer burden of Iran conflict

Lawmakers concerned over taxpayer burden of Iran conflict

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square As U.S. military operations in Iran continue with no end in sight, lawmakers are debating whether to authorize billions in taxpayer money for the Pentagon....
Pritzker pushes back on Megaproject tax concerns

Pritzker pushes back on Megaproject tax concerns

By Sean Reed | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushed back on the idea that proposed legislation, dubbed the “Megaprojects Bill,”...
Measles spreads across some Southwestern states

Measles spreads across some Southwestern states

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square The area along the Arizona and Utah border is continuing to see the measles outbreak that started in August, and California and Colorado have seen...
EXCLUSIVE: Inside one Michigan town's fight against solar expansion

EXCLUSIVE: Inside one Michigan town’s fight against solar expansion

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square In Fayette Township in southwest Michigan, a series of utility-scale solar projects has drawn hundreds of residents to local meetings and sparked a grassroots campaign...
Trump demands unconditional surrender from Iran, mentions regime change

Trump demands unconditional surrender from Iran, mentions regime change

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square President Donald Trump has said he will accept nothing less from Iran than unconditional surrender, according to a social media post on Friday morning. “There...
Illinois pols react to Homeland Security secretary’s exit, reassignment

Illinois pols react to Homeland Security secretary’s exit, reassignment

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A member of Congress from Illinois says it is not enough for President Donald Trump to fire...
Illinois quick hits: Appeals court vacates use of force injunction; Charges filed for possession of sex abuse materials; Gas prices keep rising

Illinois quick hits: Appeals court vacates use of force injunction; Charges filed for possession of sex abuse materials; Gas prices keep rising

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Appeals court vacates use of force injunction The Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has vacated U.S. District Court Judge Sara...