Afternoon Briefing: Illinois House fail to pass convicted youth resentencing bill

Good afternoon, Chicago.

In a surprising loss for criminal justice reform advocates, Democrats were unable to pass legislation providing more resentencing options for people in prison convicted of committing crimes when they were under 21.

The bill not only was a setback for advocates but also underscored a political divide between progressives and moderates within the Democratic Party, which has a supermajority in the House. The measure sponsored by Chicago Democratic state Rep. Theresa Mah was defeated late yesterday 51-49 — 11 votes short of passage as several Democrats, including from the suburbs and downstate, either voted against the bill or did not vote at all.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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Laura Bernstein gestures after speaking in the public participation segment of a Deerfield Public Schools District 109 Board of Education meeting at Caruso Middle School, April 10, 2025, in Deerfield. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

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