Alex Degman
Alex Degman covers Illinois state government for Illinois Public Radio.
Degman (which is actually what most people call him instead of ‘Alex’) reported from Springfield professionally from 2011 to 2015, preceded by Tri States Public Radio in Macomb (2009-2011) and followed by KMOX in St. Louis (2015-2022). Even in those non statehouse specific roles, he became a go to person for many things Illinois state government related.
Degman is a native of north suburban Northbrook and graduated from Glenbrook North High School in 2004, that’s where he caught the radio bug that never really went away. He graduated from Western Illinois University in 2008, which is where he caught the news bug that didn’t go away. Degman got his Master of Arts in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield in 2009, where he caught the “reporting on Illinois public policy bug” that… well, you know.
Outside of work, Degman enjoys slowly working on the 1864 Lincoln-era home he purchased in Springfield’s Enos Park neighborhood (no, there aren’t ghosts that knew President Lincoln, much to his disappointment), attempting to cook, exploring local places to support and raising Louie, a black lab mix that is a handful and a half. Louie formed Degman’s unintentional tradition of naming his black labs after Venezuelan White Sox players: Louie is named after Luis Aparicio, the late Ozzie was named after Ozzie Guillen.
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The former deputy is accused of first degree murder in the death of Sonya Massey. -
Durbin, 80, was already facing calls to step aside when his term ends. Now many progressives are turning up the heat. As for his plans, Durbin has only said he will make a decision "soon." -
The state's majority party is considering ways to strengthen laws ahead of Trump's potential policy changes. -
A billionaire who backs progressive policies, Pritzker remarks tonight could enhance his national recognition and sharpen his critiques of Trump -
Lawmakers had a tentative deal Friday on a spending plan, paving the way for the spring session to end as early as this weekend.
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U.S. Rep. Mike Bost declared victory at about 9:41 p.m., and Bailey conceded 15 minutes later. And Democratic U.S. Reps. Sean Casten and Bill Foster held onto their suburban congressional seats after facing progressive challengers who tried to veer them further to the left on key issues. -
The Republican primary in the state’s most conservative congressional district is between two candidates who were endorsed by former President Donald Trump in separate races two years ago. -
It's now illegal to sell or manufacture assault weapons in Illinois after a ban went into effect Jan. 1. But the vast majority of permit-holding Illinois gun owners aren't complying with the new law.
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The department’s budget is growing as new leadership is being recruited. Advocates hope those changes signal more improvements to come. -
The program sunsets at the end of 2023.
