Lawmakers have yet to create any legislation based on the report, but say this is the perfect time to act. “We can’t afford to wait,” said State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid. “AI is here and its impact will only continue to grow. We have an opportunity to shape its future, but that requires us to act decisively and boldly.”

Nicor Gas has filed a $309 million rate hike proposal with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). As Nicor’s fifth request in the past decade, the rate hike would go down as the largest in Illinois history.

Under Senate Bill 130, the pension systems for legislators, state employees, university employees, teachers and judges would be prohibited from investing in any fossil fuel companies or their affiliates. Pension systems would be required to complete divestment in fossil fuel companies by 2030 but would be prohibited from making any new investments in them once the bill is signed by the governor.

Overall, Marquis Energy, a private company, contributed $248,000 to state lawmakers last year, most of which went to Illinois’ four most powerful legislative leaders. But last year’s contributions are just the latest in a decade-long effort by Marquis Energy and its CEO to shape policy at the Illinois statehouse. Since 2008, the company has spent $1.2 million on state lawmaker campaigns.

Only 30 percent of Illinois fourth graders met National Assessment of Educational Progress proficiency standards in reading. That marks a drop of nearly 3 percentage points since the previous national assessment in 2022, and a nearly four-point change since the last national assessment before the pandemic-era school closures.

Pritzker: “The federal government provides a large portion of overall spending that occurs in not only Illinois but every state . . . maybe 30% to 40% of all funding. We’re doing our best to put together a budget that is balanced and think about contingencies that we might have to have because of what we think might be coming from the Trump administration.”

“You want terrified? Think of (Gov. JB) Pritzker’s face when Tom Homan puts the leg irons on him. Because Pritzker and (Mayor Brandon) Johnson are thwarting the law. And the Marxist left pretends they’re all about the law, except when they break the law in pursuit of Marxist politics.”

“Really great careers and really great benefits sound fantastic, but remember that unemployment in Illinois is 5.2 percent, the third-highest in the U.S. Without robust private-sector growth, it’s incredibly hard to justify a growing, highly compensated public sector. The rest of us pay for those great benefits, and most of us full-timers are clocking more than 37.5 hours a week.”

The Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union have a history of denying parents options and opposing school choice. Now with the introduction of a potential federal tax-credit scholarship program, teachers unions are again opposing any parent’s ability to make decisions about their children’s educations.

State lawmakers earmarked $50 million for after-school programs in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which took effect July 1. More than six months later, that money has yet to reach those programs.

Introducing a bill to repeal the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act serves as a hedge against opponents of the law losing their lawsuit to overturn it. Several organizations representing banks and credit unions filed the lawsuit in August. In December, a federal judge issued an injunction placing a temporary hold on the law, which was scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2025.

Illinois lawmakers are happy a federal judge halted President Trump’s federal funding freeze Tuesday, but they aren’t relying on the temporary injunction. “We don’t know what the impact on our budget will be,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “This is only a temporary restraint.”

An organization that helps citizens obtain public records is demanding State of Illinois and county officials release details on how many and which illegal aliens with immigration detainers are currently in their custody.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey were most outspoken about Senate Democrats needing to stay unified against some of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, a few of which have seen bipartisan support, according to the person familiar with the call who was granted anonymity to describe a private conversation.

Law professor Jonathan Turley: “Many states and cities have reaffirmed that they will oppose any deportation efforts, including another recent chest-pounding interview by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.”

With ongoing litigation of Gotion plans to build an electric vehicle battery factory, the company has ceased public communications. Gotion has battery factories planned for Michigan and Illinois.

“Besides Medicaid, we had Head Start being affected, we had Meals on Wheels and we had food stamps,” U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said. “Every program you could think of was affected recklessly.”

“Though we welcome this opportunity to highlight what’s great about the Hoosier State, Indiana didn’t dream this scenario up. Illinois residents are voting at the ballot box and quite literally with their feet to leave a state they feel no longer represents or serves them.”

We need to be swift and bold in our defense of our community,” Congressman Chuy Garcia said. “What is very evident is that people are exercising their rights and that has much to do with the fact that the numbers are nowhere where they expected.” Nationally, ICE reports that it has arrested more than 5,000 people since the efforts began last week.

Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the message by posting an image of himself purchasing a hot dog at a famous Chicago hot dog stand – the Wieners Circle. “I salute @The WienerCircle, not Nazis.”, he wrote.