Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois House approves student cell phone ban

Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois House approves student cell phone ban

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – The Illinois House has approved a bill banning students from using cell phones during the school day.

Senate Bill 2427 passed after a floor amendment was added on Thursday, with 102 votes in favor and only three opposed.

The measure now goes back to the Senate for concurrence.

SMALL BIZ OPTIMISM DECLINES

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 3 points in March to 95.8, below the 52-year average of 98.0.

The last time the index fell below its historical average was April 2025.

The NFIB Uncertainty Index rose 4 points to 92, well above its historical average of 68.

NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley said Illinois legislators must tamp down on proposals that would impose new costs and legal liabilities on Main Street businesses.

TEXAS MAN GETS 23-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR CRYPTO SCAM

A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a Houston, Texas man to 23 years in prison for orchestrating a cryptocurrency scam that bilked nearly 1,000 investors out of more than $20 million.

Robert Dunlap, 55, was also ordered to pay restitution to his victim investors. Prosecutors say Dunlap claimed the Meta-1 Coin was backed by billions of dollars in art and gold, and many victims lost all their savings.

FREEDOM CAUCUS: ABOLISH EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMISSION

Following reporting by The Center Square and testimony before a House committee this week, the Illinois Freedom Caucus is calling for the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion to be abolished.

State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said in a statement that the commission is doing the opposite of what it was created to do, and the taxpayers have paid millions of dollars for failure.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Med school dean questioned over antisemitism, DEI

Med school dean questioned over antisemitism, DEI

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Squarre) – The interim dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine testified before Congress that the school...
Illinois Quick Hits: Unemployment holds at 5.1% in Illinois

Illinois Quick Hits: Unemployment holds at 5.1% in Illinois

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Illinois Department of Employment Security says...
Ammons pleads not guilty, wants to delay House investigation

Ammons pleads not guilty, wants to delay House investigation

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) — Illinois State Rep. Carrol Ammons, federally indicted on multiple charges of wire fraud, pleaded not guilty in...
Advocate calls for stronger IDOC oversight after payroll fraud guilty plea

Advocate calls for stronger IDOC oversight after payroll fraud guilty plea

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Calls for stronger oversight of the Illinois Department of Corrections are growing after a former department...
Illinois Quick Hits: FAFSA applications rise with increase in state taxpayer funding

Illinois Quick Hits: FAFSA applications rise with increase in state taxpayer funding

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – According to the National College Attainment Network’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid Tracker for the Class...
Appeals court: Chicago’s ‘climate disinformation’ case belongs in Cook County

Appeals court: Chicago’s ‘climate disinformation’ case belongs in Cook County

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court says a lawsuit brought by the city of Chicago, seeking to extract a potentially massive...
Bipartisan bill would force vote before Social Security cuts hit

Bipartisan bill would force vote before Social Security cuts hit

By Brett Rowland | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would fast-track a floor vote on Social Security's looming...
Court OKs $45M verdict in talc asbestos case, including $30M for ‘reduced lifespan’

Court OKs $45M verdict in talc asbestos case, including $30M for ‘reduced lifespan’

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square (Legal Newsline) - An Illinois appeals court has thrown open a new avenue for personal injury lawyers and others to claim potentially...
Taxpayers to fund $424.9M soccer stadium infrastructure

Taxpayers to fund $424.9M soccer stadium infrastructure

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago Fire may be building their own soccer stadium, but city taxpayers will be on the...
Illinois Quick Hits: Benton pulls name from ballot after resignation

Illinois Quick Hits: Benton pulls name from ballot after resignation

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Former state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, who resigned from his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives...

Everyday Economics: Inflation may have peaked. That does not mean the Fed is ready to cut

By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged last month, but its latest projections showed a committee that is increasingly divided over what comes next. The...
Zillow analyst names culprit of flat home sales, high housing prices

Zillow analyst names culprit of flat home sales, high housing prices

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Home sales are increasing slightly and mortgage costs are dropping across the nation, a new Zillow report reveals. Yet both the price of sold homes...
Senate to vote to confirm Blanche, other key nominations next week

Senate to vote to confirm Blanche, other key nominations next week

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Both chambers of Congress will return to Capitol Hill this week after more than a week away for the July 4 recess, and the Senate...
Sen. Lindsey Graham dies after sudden illness

Sen. Lindsey Graham dies after sudden illness

By J.D. DavidsonThe Center Square South Carolina U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s strongest allies in the U.S. Senate and a former presidential candidate, died Saturday night...
Healthcare leaders urge caution in fraud enforcement

Healthcare leaders urge caution in fraud enforcement

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square As healthcare affordability continues to persist as a top concern for voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the Trump administration has pursued Medicare and...