WATCH: GOP governor candidates forum highlights; Pritzker talks taxes increase, Bears
January 20, 2026/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square’s Greg Bishop provides highlights from Monday evening’s Illinois State Rifle Association Republican gubernatorial candidates forum at GAT Guns in East Dundee. The entire forum can be viewed here.
Bishop also airs some of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s news conference after signing the Clean Slate Act into law where the governor talked about criminal justice reform, taxing millionaires and the ongoing question of where the Chicago Bears will land a new stadium deal.
Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted.
Latest News Stories
Peotone Park District Rings in NYE Early With Family-Friendly Noon Year’s Eve
By Andrea Arens Families looking for a festive, and bedtime-friendly way to ring in the New Year can head to Peotone High School on Dec. 31, where the Peotone Park...
New Lenox Used Car Dealership Approved with Conditions
Will County Board Meeting | December 18, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Board approved a special use permit allowing a used car dealership to operate in an industrial park...
Lincoln-Way Officials Warn of $400,000 State Funding Shortfall
Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Meeting | December 18, 2025 Article Summary: Assistant Superintendent Michael Duback informed the Board of Education of a significant reduction in state funding due...
Peotone Defense Smothers Momence in 43-7 Victory
PEOTONE — Fueled by a suffocating defensive effort that produced 28 steals, the Peotone Blue Devils dominated from the opening tip on [Day of Week], cruising to a 43-7 victory over...
County Board Approves Women’s Residential Treatment Center in Joliet
Will County Board Meeting | December 18, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Board unanimously approved zoning changes to allow the Existential Counselor Society to open a women’s residential treatment...
Cold Shooting Plagues Peotone in 26-15 Loss to Richards
PEOTONE — In a game defined by defensive intensity and offensive struggles, the Peotone Blue Devils could not overcome a difficult shooting night, falling to Richards 26-15. The Blue Devils’...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board for December 18, 2025
Will County Board Meeting | December 18, 2025 The Will County Board held its regular meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, focusing heavily on land use, transportation infrastructure, and public...
2025 illegal entries in Texas: Nearly half the gotaways reported in previous years
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square In President Donald Trump’s first year in office, illegal border crossers in one year in Texas totaled nearly half of gotaways reported in previous years...
Nashville speaker maker plans to move overseas to avoid tariffs
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The owner of a storied Nashville speaker company says he'll pay lower taxes by moving overseas, rather than trying to build in the U.S. It's...
Supreme Court could redefine 14th Amendment application
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court will decide a case in 2026 challenging President Donald Trump’s authority to end birthright citizenship. Trump v. Barbara challenges Trump’s executive...
Missouri year in review: capital gains eliminated, Medicaid increased
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square In 2025, Missouri lawmakers passed legislation to eliminate its capital gains tax, phase out the state income tax and expand Medicaid legislation. The Club for...
2025 in review: Historic border security actions taken by Trump
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump issued multiple executive orders, followed by multiple policy changes, that in one...
Free speech under fire nearly 300 times in 2025 on campus
By Tate MillerThe Center Square Two hundred seventy-four incidents involving interference to free speech have taken place so far on college campuses in 2025, according to FIRE data, an increase...