State Week

As the calendar moves into October, the election is just a handful of weeks away. New polling results this week continue to show incumbent Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker with a solid lead over Republican challenger Darren Bailey.

Our panel offers a primer on the law, how it came about and what it will do. We also examine the GOP messaging that surrounds the law and how Democrats have failed to fully explain the changes to the public.

A new investigative collaboration between Capitol News Illinois, Lee Enterprises Midwest and ProPublica has found hundreds of reports of abuse inside the Choate Mental Health and Development Center in Anna, Illinois.

Darren Bailey received a $1 million contribution to his campaign from conservative businessman Richard Uihlein. But a new poll also shows Bailey and other GOP candidates running statewide way behind their Democratic opponents. We talk about it and contests for the Illinois Supreme Court.

The candidates for Illinois governor and U.S. Senate each discussed renewable energy at a agriculture roundtable event this week. Illinois has made strides toward cleaner energy, but even supporters admit it will take time. Meanwhile, Republicans warn the state is trying to move too quickly at a cost to residents.

The past week saw both Democrats and Republicans host their annual party events during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

Another week brought more scrutiny to social media messages from Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey and his wife, Cindy. Some of what has come to light attacks Islam, LGBTQ rights and more. This follows the candidate doubling down on previous remarks that compared abortion to the Holocaust. Meanwhile, a judge issued a contempt order for another agency in the Pritzker administration. This one is critical of healthcare offered to those incarcerated in state prisons.

A Facebook video from 2017 has resurfaced in this year's race for Illinois governor. Republican nominee Darren Bailey was discussing abortion in the video and compared it to lives lost due to Nazi atrocities. We discuss the political fallout.

Our panel discusses a fight for chairmanship of the Democratic Party of Illinois, Google's plans for the Thompson Center and efforts to bring a major political convention to the state.