Flooding across northern Illinois continues to be a threat after severe storms rolled through the state on Friday night.

The village of Lena, in far northwestern Illinois, was closed off to traffic after reports of a tornado caused damage.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office issued a news release saying the storm caused extensive damage, but no known injuries or fatalities.

The release says numerous roadways are obstructed by debris, and hazardous conditions persist due to downed power lines, compromised structures, and scattered debris fields.

Access to the Village of Lena is restricted while cleanup continues. Entry is limited to residents, emergency responders, utility personnel, and individuals with a verified, legitimate need to be in the area.

The National Weather Service is expected to conduct a formal damage survey to determine the official cause, track, and rating of the storm.

FAQS

• Where can I find current Warnings and Watches where I live? You can find them here.
  
• How do I find preliminary storm damage reports from the National Weather Service? You will find them here.
  
• Where have people lost power? Check out the updated ComEd Outage Map here.

In southern Wisconsin, emergency crews are responding Saturday morning to flooding and debris.

The Illinois House has passed a bill requiring high schools to provide the opportunity to register eligible students to vote.

The bill, which would take effect in the 2026-27 school year, is in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson who died in February. To offset some of the potential cost, non-profits are allowed to support schools when registering students to vote. The bill sets no penalties if a school does not follow the law.

The measure passed with some bipartisan support [77-24], but a majority of Republicans voted against the bill because they are concerned about partisan influence on students registering to vote.

Republican state Rep. Bill Hauter, representing an area between Peoria, Bloomington-Normal and Decatur, opposed the bill. He said parents need to be involved in the process, and it is an unfunded mandate.

Hauter said the decision should be left to schools on whether they want to prioritize registering students to vote.

“The school should be teaching kids math and reading and all these other things, history, and maybe that would be part of it, voter registration for those who are age appropriate. But lets the schools make that decision,” he said, adding he also is concerned about what he described as liberal schools influencing students to vote for more liberal candidates.

“Is it going to dissolve into a very partisan activity where certain classes that are very liberal or left leaning will say, 'Oh, we're going to make sure that we not only teach very left wing ideology, but we're going to make sure they're registered to vote and that they vote a certain way,'” Hauter said.

Illinois does not require people to declare a party affiliation when registering to vote.

Republican state Rep. Jason Bunting, representing a rural area stretching from McLean County to the suburbs of Chicago, supported the bill, saying it's a non-partisan issue and that every student should have the opportunity to register to vote.

Bunting said when he was in high school, his school helped him register to vote and was surprised to learn his daughter did not get that same opportunity.

“We've got to get these young Americans involved in this process, right off the bat, so they take, they have ownership to what's taking place with elected officials," Bunting said.

He said it's important that students get involved at an early age to prepare them to lead the country in the future and have their voices heard.

“We don't want an electorate out there that's not going out to vote, that's not having their opinions, either in a primary or general election," Bunting said. "We need to make sure we get as many people out there to vote as we possibly can, to drive this country in the right direction.”

Bunting said he understands the concerns of his fellow lawmakers, but voting is one of the most sacred acts in the U.S. that people should participate in as soon as they are eligible.

Democrats supported the bill to expand civic engagement in honor of Jackson.

Democratic state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, representing Peoria, supported the bill, saying it makes the process of registering to vote easier.

“With more resources, I hope more young people will continue to vote and ensure their voices are heard in our community and beyond,” said Gordon-Booth, adding students should have this opportunity because of what Jackson and other civil rights advocates represent.

Democratic state Rep. Sharon Chung, representing Bloomington-Normal, also supported the bill, saying it continues what some schools already have started and gets more people civically engaged.

The bill now goes to the Senate for a vote.

House votes

(R) Jason Bunting — Yes

(D) Sharon Chung — Yes

(R) Regan Deering — No

(D) Jehan Gordon-Booth — Yes

(R) Bill Hauter — No

(R) Ryan Spain — Yes

(R) Dennis Tipsword — No

(R) Travis Weaver — No

President Abraham Lincoln was killed 161 years ago this week. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, shot Lincoln as he and First Lady Mary Lincoln watched a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. On the 150th anniversary of the tragic event, the late author James Swanson told Renee Montagne what happened. On this episode, we revisit a pivotal moment in American history and travel to the scene of the crime.

Also:

* Trump Administration efforts to help farmers bring in foreign guest workers are gaining criticism.

* While protein is all the rage, we examine how much you really need.

* People in Illinois prisons say college programs have been life-changing for them. But when they get out, university admissions policies can make going back to school a challenge.

* Employees in one Illinois city recently had specialized training to spot cases of human trafficking.

* We talk with a transgender individual on why they chose central Illinois to call home.

* Charlie Schlenker introduces us to a typewriter poet.

* This Week in Illinois History recalls the Donner Party, which left Springfield and headed west, only to become a cautionary tale.

* Emily Hays reports 20 years after Chief Illiniwek was retired, the University of Illinois has yet to declare a replacement mascot.

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House on Thursday approved the latest version of a bill that would require school boards to prohibit public school students from using their cellphones in the classroom.

Senate Bill 2427, sponsored by Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, passed 102-3, with one present vote. It would require Illinois school districts to adopt policies by the 2027-28 school year banning the use of wireless communication devices like cellphones, tablets, laptops and gaming devices during school time.

“The research is clear: This constant source of distraction is lowering their academic progress, increasing anxiety, depression and cyber bullying, and inhibiting face-to-face communication at a critical time when youth are developing their social skills,” Mussman said.

An earlier version passed the Senate last year, but the process “was slowed down to allow more time for thoughtful discussion,” Mussman said, which resulted in “a stronger bill.”

Under the new language, the prohibition would be bell-to-bell for elementary and middle school students, but the legislation leaves discretion for school districts to allow high school students to use their devices during lunch and breaks.

The bill also includes carveouts for students with medical needs, who are caregivers for family members, and who need their phone for English translation services. School officials can also permit device use if it’s for educational purposes.

Because the House amended the bill, it will need another vote in the Senate. Gov. JB Pritzker has been pushing for such a ban for two years.

Human composting

Lawmakers are taking another stab at passing legislation to allow human composting as a burial option.

House Bill 5425 would establish a lengthy series of regulations for composting human bodies that cemeteries, crematories and other funeral service providers must follow.

"This is a process that can help to alleviates some of the environmental concerns as it is net carbon neutral using one-eighth the energy of cremation and no harsh chemicals like things that we do in embalming,” Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, said.

The bill has struggled to move forward in Springfield despite years of debate on the issue. But despite new changes to the proposal this year, the bill is still opposed by the Catholic Church, Cemetery and Funeral Home Association and comptroller’s office — which enforces cemetery regulations in Illinois.

The latest amendment to the bill shifted sole responsibility for regulations to the comptroller rather than the Department of Public Health.

"It’s not the same as overseeing a cemetery or a columbarium or anything of that sort,” said Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, adding it “relies solely on good behavior ... without oversight.”

The bill passed the House on a 64-36 vote and goes for another try in the Senate.

Nonprofit investment fund

The House and Senate both passed versions of a bill to authorize the state treasurer to set up and operate an investment fund that would manage the deposits of nonprofit corporations.

The idea is an initiative of State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, who has said the fund would offer higher rates of return than banks offer through standard checking or savings accounts and greater liquidity than long-term investment funds.

Lawmakers passed similar legislation in 2025, but Pritzker vetoed it, saying such a fund could be used to benefit extremist groups that organize as nonprofit corporations.

The two bills moving through the General Assembly this year — House Bill 5045 and Senate Bill 2968 — contain language that excludes organizations that are barred from receiving state or federal contracts or grants. The bills also limit participation to groups organized for specific purposes such as labor organizations, legal aid services, food pantries, neighborhood development, affordable housing or education.

Even with those changes, the bills drew opposition from the banking industry, which views the program as a form of government competition with private business. But supporters of the bill argued it would fill a need that the banking industry is not currently meeting.

“Some of these banks will not even provide loans, let alone investment opportunities, to these small entities because they just don’t have enough money for them to where it would make sense,” Rita Mayfield, D-Gurnee, the bill’s chief House sponsor, said during floor debate.

The House bill passed 69-32, with one member voting “present.” The Senate version passed 41-16.

Each bill now goes to the other chamber for consideration.

Abortion medical records

The House on Thursday passed House Bill 5295 that would create the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act and automatically segregate abortion-related services and treatment from digital medical records. Access to those records would be restricted for out-of-state entities. The bill is an initiative from the governor’s office.

“Here in Illinois we believe that people should be safe to receive the care that they choose to receive and therefore we want to help keep that information concealed and only released with their consent to providers outside of the state,” Canty, the bill’s sponsor, said.

She acknowledged that abortion care is criminalized or stigmatized in other states, and that patients might be treated differently if providers know about those prior diagnoses or treatments.

The information is not deleted or expunged, only restricted, and the bill gives patients the freedom to reveal any information they wish.

Republicans objected to the bill and questioned whether abortion-related information would be necessary for future treatment.

Canty said doctors from other states that have similar legislation assured her that specific information about abortion-related care is not needed.

The bill also applies to diagnoses and treatment of gender dysphoria.

The measure passed 73-34 along party lines.

Bereavement leave

A bill from Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, seeks to extend the type and length of bereavement leave for all employees.

House Bill 5208 would give employees at businesses with less than 50 employees the right to up to five days of unpaid bereavement leave within 12 months of the death of an immediate family member or a pregnancy or adoption-related event. Individuals who work for employers of more than 50 people are entitled to take up to 10 days.

The bill also removes a provision requiring employees to provide documentation of the loss, although employers may still ask for it. It also adds a provision for leave after the loss of a child — in that event, employers of less than 50 people are to give up to three work weeks; 50 to 250 employees up to six weeks; and more than 250 up to 12 weeks.

Finally, the bill would allow all employees up to three days of unpaid leave to make arrangements for or to attend the funeral of any person.

The bill faced scrutiny from business organizations like the National Federation of Independent Business and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, who were concerned about the fiscal impact, particularly to small businesses.

It passed 80-26 along party lines and will now head to the Senate.

Speed control devices

Illinois lawmakers are considering giving drivers who have their license suspended for speeding an alternative by requiring them to use a speed control device.

“Speeding is a factor in nearly half of all deadly crashes and the risk of fatality increases as speed increases,” bill sponsor Rep. Marti Deuter, D-Elmhurst, said. “And we know that the primary penalty for extreme or repeat speeders, which is license suspension or revocation, doesn’t work.”

Under House Bill 4948, drivers who have their license suspended following two infractions within 12 months for speeding 26 mph or more over the speed limit would qualify to apply for a permit with the secretary of state’s office to join the program. If approved, they’d have to pay a $30 monthly fee to have the device installed in their car, which would prevent a driver’s vehicle from surpassing the speed limit. Drivers would be required to use the device for six months after their first suspension, one year after their second suspension and two years after three or more suspensions.

The bill caused some consternation for some lawmakers who worried about disproportionate impacts on people of color.

“I have serious concerns,” said Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago. “I think we all know from an anecdotal perspective that it’s mostly Black and brown individuals who are stopped by law enforcement. So by default, I think we’re often most likely to be the individuals who are caught up with what your bill is ... aiming to enforce.”

Tarver ultimately voted for the bill, which passed the House 77-24, with one lawmaker voting present. It now goes to the Senate.

Assault investigations

House Bill 4394 would require law enforcement agencies with officers of more than one sex or gender to inform victims of sexual assault or abuse that they can request that their interview is given by an officer of a specific sex or gender, when one is available. This includes law enforcement offices, hospitals or other health care facilities.

If the requested officer is not available, the victim may consent to be interviewed by someone else, reschedule the interview or cancel it. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, passed unanimously and now heads to the Senate.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

This article first appeared on Capitol News Illinois and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Welcome to Poetically Yours. Poetically Yours showcases poems by northern Illinois poets. This week's poet is Judy Cummings.

Cummings works as a tutor at Spectrum Progressive School and teaches privately on Zoom, where she helps students of all ages.

She is a member of the Illinois State Poetry Society and Poets & Patrons. Her work has been published in the "Sunflowers Rising: Poets for Peace," proceeds from which benefit children orphaned due to war.  Here’s her poem "To All That Remains":

Child, pluck courage from what's wild,
from dandelion roots, deep to survive icy winters,
from a robin's roundelay, spirited to sing before sunrise
from a wolf's howl, steadfast to protect its pack.

Gather good from listening
to old-growth forests, free-flowing rivers,
whispering willows, to all that remains
unbroken, unbounded, untamed.

While grown-ups wander mall-to-mall,
heads bowed to cell screens, all
praying to an unseen god,
you, child, must collect courage.

You must seek wisdom in places unpeopled,
Forests roamed by foxes,
Seas skimmed by dolphins,
Clouds brushed by condors.

Hold to that raw, restless, rebellious part of your self,
to that wide wildness of the human heart
which will find no peace save in Nature —
that Nature may save you.

Copy Edited by Eryn Lent

A House committee got an overview this week of how data centers are driving up energy demand and threatening potential shortfalls in the second of three planned hearings on the matter.

The fundamental issue is that data centers have created a sudden and massive spike in demand for electricity, and Illinois doesn’t yet have the supply to accommodate it.

“There is more demand pending in the customer connection queue than they traditionally had on the system, period. So that gives you some sense of the magnitude of the challenge that we're facing,” Brian Granahan, director of the Illinois Power Agency, told the House Executive Committee.

Representatives from Ameren and Commonwealth Edison, Illinois’ major electric supply companies, said a majority, though not all, of the large load projects in their queues are data centers, and the expected demand will be significant.

“If all the projects in our pipeline come to be and they all reach their maximum, requested demand will more than double our system peak it took us 120 years to achieve, roughly by 2040,” said Max Leichtman, the director of economic and workforce development at ComEd.

However, he said that projected load will come online over time and likely be in place by 2040 or 2045.

“I think that's important and valuable from the utilities planning perspective because it allows us to build in stages and evaluate,” Leichtman said.

Brad Tietz, Midwest director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition, said data centers are becoming more energy efficient because the technology is still developing.

State is taking some steps to increase supply

Because Illinois has struggled to get more electricity generation to the grid, Granahan said provisions from the 2025 Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, or CRGA, will be crucial to support this new demand. That law gives the IPA more authority to pursue generation.

“Then there's a number of other initiatives from CRGA that either reduce demands, like energy efficiency programs or otherwise make better use of something like rooftop solar or virtual power plant program, and budget changes that allow us to have more latitude to pursue additional generation,” he said.

House Leader Robyn Gabel asked if the state has the tools to build more energy supply.

Granahan said that while IPA is assessing whether the deadline for closing gas and coal plants is viable. It’s also assessing the regulatory and legal barriers for new nuclear power following Gov. JB Pritzker’s executive order aimed at spurring nuclear development after CRGA ended a longstanding moratorium on new plant construction.

But any new supply options would take time to implement.

New wind and solar farms take roughly three to four years to come online after a contract is signed and the state is unlikely to invest in new natural gas production, Granahan said.

The CRGA also creates new “virtual power plant” programs. That program allows homes and businesses with solar panels or wind turbines to pool energy together, acting “virtually” like a power plant despite not physically existing as one. The idea is that the energy stored in residential and business batteries can be contributed to the grid during peak hours. Homes and businesses who contribute to the grid will be paid for their energy.

“The things that can be stood up more quickly tend to be more diffuse solutions,” he said. “And that's why the virtual power plant program is really important because we can stand up these things at smaller scale and manage peak demand through something like rooftop solar coupled with onsite batteries.”

A key provision of the POWER Act, the main proposal for regulating data centers, is a requirement that data center companies invest in renewable energy to power their facilities.

According to advocates, the main incentive of that requirement is that those companies will be allowed to come online faster and potentially beat their competitors.

Data centers also have major monetary costs

Sarah Moskowitz, the director of Citizens Utility Board said the POWER Act’s requirement that data centers be put in their own rate class is another important cost-control measure.

“If the growth continues, we're seeing estimates that in the next 24 years, the costs of serving these facilities could reach between $24 and $37 billion here in the state of Illinois for up to $70 a month in a typical bill,” she said.

To help mitigate costs for customers, Leichtman said ComEd designs rate structures so the customers with high demands are not charged with customers who have smaller demands.

In March, the Illinois Commerce Commission allowed ComEd to increase the amount of money it charges large-load project developers looking to pull from the state’s electric grid.

Eric Whitfield, the director of economic development for Ameren, said his company is looking to do something similar, though it already has some consumer protections.

“Large-load projects do not move forward unless detailed engineering reviews confirm the system can serve them safely,” he said. If a large customer needs new or upgraded infrastructure, Whitfield said, Ameren also requires them to pay for it.

A complicating factor when it comes to price is that Illinois is part of a network of regional transmission organizations, which sets the wholesale price of electricity.

“We have to look beyond Illinois, but we have to start with our policies here,” Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said. “The bottom line is the cost increase should be isolated to the cost causers. And so how to make that happen is the challenge.”

The final data center hearing, focused on water, will be on Wednesday, April 22.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

This article first appeared on Capitol News Illinois and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

After a vote in the Illinois House on a key part of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s pension relief plan in 2016, Barbara Flynn Currie did something not often seen in these times of divided, dysfunctional government. She crossed the aisle and shook hands with the three Republican lawmakers who broke ranks with the GOP and voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a measure deferring police and fire pension payments.

That was Currie, 85, who died Thursday. She not only represented her Hyde Park district in Springfield for 40 years — 20 as majority leader and the first woman to hold that role in the Illinois General Assembly — she was a tireless promoter of active, engaged, effective government.

“Last night we lost a giant,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, posted on his Facebook page Friday. “Barbara Flynn Currie was more than a leader — she was a trailblazer who opened doors for generations of women in the Illinois House, many of whom continue her legacy today. ... She set the standard for what it means to serve with purpose. Her impact will be felt for generations.”

Her district encompassed Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore and Kenwood, and she was a vigorous proponent of liberal causes, such as prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace, reforming school funding and offering all-day kindergarten. She spearheaded a compromise on welfare reform and helped extend state contracts to minority- and female-owned businesses.

In 2009, she chaired the special 21-member bipartisan committee that recommended the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

”We stand here today because of the perfidy of one man: Rod Blagojevich,” said Currie. “To overturn the results of an election is not something that should be undertaken lightly.”

Every member of the Illinois House and Senate, save one, voted to impeach.

With women making up a record 32% of state legislatures across the country, it might be difficult to remember the male world that Currie entered. When she was elected in 1978, fewer than 11% of Springfield lawmakers were women. When she announced her retirement in 2017, that figure was more than a third, and in 2025 the Illinois Legislature was 42% female.

Then-House Speaker Michael Madigan’s decision to name her as majority leader in 1997 was unexpected: Downstate Democrats felt they had a hereditary right to the position, didn’t like the powerful post to pass to a Chicagoan, a woman, and perhaps worst of all, a liberal. Women across the spectrum saw it as a milestone.

”Republican women gave me flowers,” Currie later recalled. “Secretaries and staff in the Capitol were thrilled. One of my girlfriends nearly ran her car off the road. The depth of excitement was really quite thrilling.”

Still, some of Currie’s supporters looked askance at her playing ball with Madigan.

”To them, Currie was a sellout for taking the appointment from the hated machine politician Madigan,” Rich Miller of Capitol Fax wrote. “It never occurred to most of them that Currie’s new position would give their viewpoints an important new seat at the grown-ups table.”

Among the causes she promoted were gun control and abolishing the death penalty.

Barbara Flynn was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, the daughter of Francis and Elsie Flynn. When she was 7, her family moved to the South Side, where she attended St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School and the University of Chicago Lab High School. Her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father taught social work at the University of Chicago, where she studied before dropping out to marry David Park Currie in 1960. Eventually she returned and received her bachelor’s degree in 1968 and master’s degree in 1973, both in political science.

She worked as vice president for the Chicago League of Women Voters from 1965 to 1969. Later, she taught government at DePaul University and was an assistant study director at the National Opinion Research Center.

Currie was elected to the Illinois General Assembly’s 24th District in 1978; her district changed to the 26th District in 1983 and the 25th in 1993.

“Barbara Currie has tackled many, many complex issues with a keen intellect, fairness and balance,” Madigan said when she announced her retirement in 2017, opting to not seek reelection in 2018.

Her husband, a revered legal scholar and teacher, died in 2007.

Survivors include two children, Stephen and Margaret, and four grandchildren.

The Illinois State Board of Elections on Friday said a complaint filed against Normal Town Council member Kathleen Lorenz failed to reach the burden of proof that she broke campaign finance laws in her 2025 run for mayor.

Seven of eight board members voted to dismiss the claim, which was filed by Ben Matthews. Member Jack Vrett abstained.

At issue was whether Lorenz knowingly accepted campaign contributions alleged to have been funneled through the McLean County Republican Party. Matthews worked on the campaign of Lorenz's opponent, incumbent Mayor Chris Koos, who won re-election.

Elections board hearing officer Jordan Andrew recommended the dismissal, which was accepted by the board in joint meeting in Chicago and Springfield on Friday morning.

Andrew’s recommendation said Lorenz’s public statements to the media and on Facebook didn’t equate to illegal action on her part. Matthews’ argument focused almost entirely on social media statements and WGLT reporting after Lorenz admitted to accepting $28,000 from an anonymous donor passed through the McLean County GOP.

In an interview, Lorenz’s attorney, Ross Secler, said his client's statements were a “clumsy way of trying to distance herself” from the MAGA movement based on WGLT’s report on campaign endorsements connecting Lorenz to the Republican Party.

In the wake of that endorsement, Koos’ campaign, for which Matthews assisted with graphic design, released an advertisement depicting Lorenz surrounded by money bags and wearing a red MAGA hat.

In an interview with WGLT after the vote, Matthews said he thought it was important to hold Lorenz accountable for what she said in public and that he was disappointed in the decision.

“I thought it was important to call that out and to challenge that, and to hold them accountable for that,” Matthews said. “I think the fact that the board has decided, in this case, the way they have, kind of gives it an official stamp of approval.”

Matthews said the decision could allow other candidates to use the same methods as Lorenz to get large donations that they could not have gotten directly from that individual.

Matthews said he is not going to appeal the decision because he had the opportunity to have a public hearing and that "the result is the result.”

Matthews said even though he was disappointed in the decision, the process of the hearing was still important.

“I was able to bring to light the difference between what Ms. Lorenz said a year ago and what she's saying now,” Matthews said. “It's all now in front of the public, and they get to make up their own minds."

Matthews said it will be up to the public to decide on if Lorenz should remain in public office if she decides to run for any public office again. She is currently an elected member of the Normal Town Council.

Lorenz attended Friday’s hearing in Chicago with Secler. She declined to answer any questions of a WGLT reporter.

Secler said in hindsight, Lorenz would have probably thought more about how she phrased public comments, but he characterized the complaint as “the opposite of sour grapes” given Koos’ victory.

“He won, and they’re still trying to go after her for even trying to make an attempt at him,” he said.

Secler said Lorenz made numerous attempt to settle the case, “which Mr. Matthews rejected.”

“I think Mr. Matthews had a legitimate concern. He’s made certain points based on legitimate meaning,” he said.

“I don’t know if it was just to punish her. Maybe.”

A federal appellate court ordered former Commonwealth Edison CEO Ann Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain, two members of the ComEd4, released this week and given new trials.

The decision comes nearly three years after their convictions on charges that involved what prosecutors called a bribery scheme involving ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. They argued those working for Commonwealth Edison hired people Madigan recommended in exchange for him helping with favorable legislation.

Attorneys for Madigan have also appealed his conviction.

We talk about the latest developments in the cases and remember the late House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, who died Thursday. A trailblazer, she spent 40 years in the Illinois legislature.

Host Sean Crawford is joined by Professor Emeritus Charlie Wheeler and retired Chicago Tribune reporter Ray Long, author of "The House That Madigan Built."

13 WREX meteorologist John Jurgens discusses a rainy April and the possibility of strong storms that could sweep across northern Illinois Friday afternoon and evening.

Listen to the full weather forecast from Jurgens at the link above.

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On a new Teachers' Lounge, it's Tina Hardy! She's the coordinator for the Center of Accessibility and Neurodiversity at Illinois Valley Community College.

Basically, it's her job to make college accessible for students who need extra accommodations. That could mean more time to complete a test if a student has a physical impairment that affects writing. It could also mean helping students use software to record lectures and take notes.

The laws change quite a bit when students with disabilities move from high school to college, so Hardy helps students make that transition.

We talk about the winding journey that led her to teaching and the important conversations she has with students about why learning can feel hard — and how she guides them toward the tools and strategies that help them thrive.

SHOW NOTES

Educator(s) in this episode:

Tina Hardy

Stories featured in this episode:

Why several northern Illinois schools are cutting staff and reckoning with multi-million-dollar budget deficits

Music: Our show's theme music is from the northern Illinois-based band Kindoves, featuring the songs "Popn," "Origins" and "Quiche." You can find more of their music on their SoundCloud page. You can also listen to the episode of WNIJ's Sessions from Studio A where they were featured.

Teachers! People who know teachers! People with stories about teachers! Send us an email and be part of the show!

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