Too often people think of jury service as a hassle and a financial burden, rather than an empowering way to participate in justice. Some courts are trying to fix that and, in the process, make it easier to diversify their jury pools.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) have announced the completion of a new report, Illinois Materials Management and Recycling Opportunities. Following the Materials Management Advisory Committee’s (MMAC) report to the General Assembly in 2021, the Illinois EPA commissioned the ISTC at the University of Illinois to conduct a 2-year study of large volume recyclables that would provide information regarding recycling and diversion efforts in Illinois as well as barriers and opportunities for further diversion.

Get Covered Illinois joined 18 other state-based health insurance marketplaces to issue a joint letter to congressional leaders emphasizing the value to Americans of the enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of this year. The letter, coordinated by the National Academy of State Health Policy (NAHSP), urges Congress to take action to extend the credits, citing their critical role in helping Americans afford health coverage. A record 24 million Americans, nearly 466,000 of whom are Illinoisans, enrolled in healthcare plans through the marketplaces for Plan Year 2025.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) announced $8 million for improvements to Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site in Menard County, the popular recreated log village where young Abraham Lincoln lived for six formative years from 1831 to 1837. The funding, made possible by Governor JB Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois?capital?plan, will be used to repair up to 23 log village buildings and update the outdoor theater.

Governor JB Pritzker has declared March 19, 2025, as Illinois Agriculture Trade Day in recognition of the enormous positive contribution agriculture trade makes to the state’s economy, farmers, and communities. Illinois Agriculture Trade Day honors Illinois’ farmers, producers and related agricultural businesses and the role they play in feeding the world.