“This is about ending risk-free speculation,” state Sen. Willie Preston said. “We should not have a system where families lose generational wealth while investors are guaranteed profits.”

Jim Dey: “A member of the legislative committee of the State’s Attorney’s Association, (Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia) Rietz is among those pressing for changes. She wants to broaden ‘the detention net,’ in other words, to expand the list of offenses where detention is permitted. Rietz also wants to permit judges to detain individuals who were previously released but violated their release terms.”

“Illinois’ Q3 growth ranked 29th in the nation and 10th in the Midwest, making it clear the state is largely riding broader national growth rather than outperforming because of local vigor.”

“Politically, it’s imperative that the state not be seen as giving the billionaire Bears ownership a taxpayer-funded stadium. If they can give themselves enough cover, then maybe they might possibly find enough votes for this. But it’s still a straight uphill climb even after Indiana has begun putting its cards on the table.”

Under state law, these chairs would have eventually been auctioned off or destroyed had Illinois lawmakers not had the foresight to pass a 2014 law allowing the secretary of the senate to donate objects used by Obama to museums or the presidential museum. “Basically, I think it would be a good idea for us to donate the furniture we have from former Sen. Obama to the presidential library rather than sell his seat. Someone tried that, and it didn’t work out so well for him,” then-Democratic Senate President John Cullerton, said at the time.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis appears to have replaced a prior case brought by anti-ICE activists and journalists with a new one, after keeping the prior case alive just long enough to allow her to also claim the authority to preside over a new, more sweeping lawsuit brought by Illinois Democrats who are seeking to win a court order essentially shutting down ICE’s current operations statewide.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is calling to abolish ICE, while Gov. JB Pritzker is calling for a stop of funding for the agency.

Other states, like Texas and New York, have similar laws for veterans traveling on toll roads.