“Of course, Chicago is where the vast majority of these NGOs are located. Most of these NGOs started out as non-profits raising funds on their own. But, now many of them receive the majority of their funding from state taxpayers.”

Illinois Fifth District Justice Mark M. Boie took Illinois’ Democratic lawmakers and the state Supreme Court to task in a special concurring opinion tacked on to a decision otherwise disposing of a lingering state court legal challenge to Illinois’ law banning so-called assault weapons. “The Illinois Legislature’s disregard for constitutional procedure is alarming in and of itself, made more so by the fact that the (gun ban law) directly impacts the fundamental right to keep and bear arms,” Boie wrote.

Each school district will need to allow for exceptions in cases of emergencies, such as school shootings. Teachers would also be allowed to incorporate cell phones for educational purposes. “The schools must allow exceptions for the management of a student’s healthcare, to fulfill an IEP or a 504 plan, or when the device is used for translation services for students who are second language learners,” said Rep. Michelle Mussman.

One visitor summing up their experience wrote, “I would like to point out that when I got my Top Secret Security Clearance for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, it wasn’t this painful!”

More than 1,100 people filed in support of the measure. More than 5,500 filed in opposition.

“The dystopian vision of Illinois that Secretary Noem outlined today bore no resemblance to the communities we represent here today,” Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said.

The lawsuit over pandemic-related education money is one of more than a dozen multistate suits Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined, in combination with other Democratic state attorneys general, challenging actions Trump has taken since being sworn in for a second term Jan. 20.

Illinois imposes the nation’s third-highest corporate income tax rate. Because businesses can relocate more easily than individuals, high tax rates often give them incentives to move, taking jobs and tax revenue with them.

“This legislation would block direct sales from EV manufacturers who have received substantial financial investments from legacy automakers — known as ‘common entities.’ This would prevent independent EV manufacturers from selling cars except through dealer networks with which they have no relationship. If legislators capitulate to large dealership groups by enacting this bill into law, progress toward a secure and prosperous electric transportation future will be stifled.”

The study comes as Illinois lawmakers negotiate a state budget in which Gov. JB Pritzker did not include the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program. Illinois currently insures around 40,000 people who don’t have legal status in the U.S. or don’t otherwise qualify for comprehensive public health insurance, such as Medicaid and Medicare.

He said, in part, “Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump’s lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance.”

“This governor has bragged about Illinois being a firewall against President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, and it is very clear that he has violating the Constitution of the United States because it is a federal law that the federal government and the president set and enforce immigration policies,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said.

Illinois’ imports from China represent 19 percent of its total imports, worth $41.4 billion last year. Even though Illinois trades more with Canada than China, Chinese imports “account for an even bigger slice of Illinois’ economy at 19 percent of GDP, showing how states with smaller overall trade volumes can still be highly trade-dependent relative to their economic size,” the report states.

During the past five years, SNAP participation in Illinois has grown by 10.25 percent, with more than 170,000 additional residents relying on food assistance in 2025 compared to 2020. This indicates persistent economic challenges and underscores the need for policies to strengthen the state’s workforce and support long-term growth.

While her visit was not expected to focus on the big change for travelers, Alexi Giannoulias issued a statement, saying Noem’s messaging around Real ID sparked “pure panic among residents. … Instead of flying across the country to perform campaign-style political stunts designed to traumatize people and promote herself, she should do her damn job.”

An Illinois law that would automatically initiate massive cuts to Medicaid funding could derail health care in the state if threatened federal cuts to the program come to pass. If Illinois were to repeal the trigger law, and then fund the ACA Expansion beneficiaries at the lower traditional Medicaid percentage of 51% to keep these individuals covered, it would cost $3.2 billion annually — money the state simply does not have

As Harvard Corporation’s senior fellow, Penny Pritzker stands at the center of the most consequential battle between a school and the U.S. government in more than half a century.

For Noem’s arrival in Springfield Wednesday morning, Pritzker’s office advised reporters, “Secretary Noem has often been spotted on television cosplaying law enforcement officers, so media are invited to capture her latest costume upon arrival.” Noem is expected to talk about what she calls the failures of sanctuary city policies.

Richard Porter, former National Committeeman to the RNC from Illinois: “Pritzker’s lies in the cause of his ambition to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president are more outrageous – and more perilous – than Smollett’s lies to make himself a civil rights icon.”

“Every Illinoisan deserves dignity, privacy, and the freedom to live without fear of surveillance or discrimination,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “As Donald Trump and DOGE threaten these freedoms, we are taking steps to ensure that our state remains a leader in protecting the rights of individuals with autism and all people with disabilities.”