(WASHINGTON, D.C.) The U.S. Supreme Court has announced it will not immediately review Illinois’ assault weapons ban, leaving the law in place, at least until challenges to the law have been fully heard in lower courts. The high court’s decision yesterday came in a batch of orders issued Tuesday morning, one day after the court released the final opinions from its 2023-2024 session. Most of the orders dealt with petitions for cases to be heard when the U.S. Supreme Court’s next session which begins in October later this year.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois State Police has announced nearly two dozen police agencies across the state will share in $1.5 million to conduct enforcement details against people barred from having a firearm. The work will focus on those who are subject to firearm restraining orders, clear & present danger reports, or received a criminal conviction, among other reasons. Two-thirds of the money goes to agencies in Chicago & Cook County.
(SPRINGFIELD) About $51 million in federal tax funds are coming back to the state for the Illinois Fermentation & Agriculture Biomanufacturing Tech Hub. The U.S. Economic Development Administration says the grant will leverage the state’s leading production of raw agricultural materials to develop sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based products. The University of Illinois’s bioprocessing research facility in Urbana will house the Hub.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Housing Development Authority wants to remind folks that free assistance is available to overcome the financial barriers to owning a home. The agency currently offers up to $10,000 to help individuals, families, Veterans, and others to purchase a home. Launched in 2018, the IHDA Access Mortgage programs are open to both first-time & repeat homeowners. Eligibility for a mortgage is based on the borrower’s credit profile, household income, and the purchase price of the home. Go to ihda.org for more.