In a memo, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, led by President Stacy Davis Gates, said it has “serious concerns about the impact” the bill could have. “Proposed mega-project legislation, if not done correctly, could create long-term uncertainty for school districts,” the union wrote, adding, “The legislation risks shifting additional property tax burden onto residents in and around a mega-project.”

The Liberty Justice Center brought the legal challenge alongside multiple small business owners, and released the Tariff Equity Refund Resource for America, or TERRA, to guide small businesses through the refund process. A spokesperson said there are a number of steps companies must take to get their money back.

Gov. JB Pritzker Monday again called the planned troop deployment a “reckless and illegal abuse of power,” adding that he was “grateful to the court for siding with our communities and slowing the erosion of our democratic norms.”

The referendum’s exact language has not been publicly detailed, but similar measures in other municipalities, like Bloomington and Peoria, have asked voters to weigh in on whether local governments should align with or oppose Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)-related policies. The debate has also raised broader questions about local decision-making, including the role of student populations in shaping policy outcomes in college communities.

House Bill 5737 would fund the Home for Good program through state agencies starting in 2027, with the Illinois Housing Development Authority supporting housing development and rental subsidies, and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority funding services like case management.

Sen. Graciela Guzmán is the sponsor for SB3277, giving one-time $600 payments to families who lose SNAP funding due to the new work requirements, as well as SB3167, which would extend eligibility of Illinois’s Victims of Trafficking, Torture and other Serious Crimes program to certain immigrants if they are not eligible for SNAP benefits due to H.R. 1’s new citizenship or immigration status requirements.

Missouri legalized recreational marijuana 2023 with a state tax rate of 6 percent, one of the lowest in the country, tempting Illinois consumers to cross the border. Illinois cannabis taxes range from 10 percent to 25 percent.

The Illinois House passed a bill April 8 that would exempt teachers who take on extra classes and extracurricular work from a state pension penalty that has cost some school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars. State Rep. Steve Reick sees the bill as chipping away at limitations placed on school districts to prevent salary spiking and out-of-control pension costs.

Attorney Mertes said a meeting with the the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts last week revealed that of the 200 people summoned: 60 people are confirmed dead; 27 people are reportedly 100 years or older; and 52 people are reportedly 90 years or older, including one person who is 116 years old. Among those summoned is Mertes’s own mother, who died in 2006. No one younger than 42 was summoned.