“Talk about failing up. Stacy Davis Gates, the Chicago Teachers Union president who has presided over the educational failures of Chicago public schools, has been elected to lead the Illinois Federation of Teachers. Here we have in a single event the problem that is ruining Illinois.”

The Chicago mayor accused President Donald Trump of wanting a ‘Civil War’ rematch during a No Kings protest. Mayor Brandon Johnson ignited the crowd on Saturday by telling liberals to be ‘ready to defend this democracy’ and to be ‘ready to fight fascism.’ ‘Are you prepared to destroy authoritarianism once and for all? We’ll let the world hear you, no kings!’ he said

“The past decade may rank as one of the worst in the history of American education.” The “Mississippi miracle” should force a reckoning in less successful states and, ideally, a good deal of imitation. But for Democrats, who pride themselves on belonging to the party of education, these results may be awkward to process. Not only are the southern states that are registering the greatest improvements in learning run by Republicans, but also their teachers are among the least unionized in the country. And

“This is wokeism on steroids,” said Corry Bliss, a Republican strategist who advises House and Senate candidates. “I think it will be used in almost any race.” Few Democrats have broken from their party’s progressive base when it comes to transgender rights. Rahm Emanuel, who is considering a 2028 presidential bid, is one of the exceptions.

Illinois lawmakers urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker to join a new federal school scholarship tax credit program, saying the state “cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.”

“Pritzker’s high-roller gambling proclivities seem to mirror the same reckless abandon he brings to managing Illinois’ finances. Just as he shrugs off the odds in a Las Vegas casino, he’s been gambling with taxpayers’ money here at home — spending billions the state doesn’t have, driving up debt, and doubling down on failed let-wing schemes.”

“There is no way Pritzker made $1.4 million playing blackjack on one trip to Las Vegas. It’s statistically and mathematically impossible.”

He attributed a tight schedule to being partly responsible for ending up ahead.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-post-image aligncenter" style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" src="https://i0.wp.com/capitolnewsillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/251016-GOP-GOV-CANDIDATES-JN.jpg?resize=1140%2C570&quality=89&ssl=1" alt="Darren Bailey, Ted Dabrowski and James Mendrick." width="560" height="280" data-full-width="1140" data-full-height="738" data-attachment-id="86128" data-permalink="https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/dabrowski-sets-fundraising-bar-at-1-5m-in-gop-primary-for-governor/251016-gop-gov-candidates-jn/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/capitolnewsillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/251016-GOP-GOV-CANDIDATES-JN.jpg?fit=1140%2C738&quality=89&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1140,738" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="251016 GOP GOV CANDIDATES-JN" data-image-description="<p>Darren Bailey, Ted Dabrowski and James Mendrick.</p> " data-image-caption="<p>The Republican candidates for governor who are leading the fundraising race include former state Sen. Darren Bailey, conservative researcher Ted Dabrowski and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick. (Capitol News Illinois photos and illustration by Jerry

In a new interview, the Illinois governor lets loose on the president’s decision to send troops to Chicago.

In an interview with SiriusXM host Zerlina Maxwell, the Democrat said Trump’s allies “benefit from him having those diminished capacities” and may be laying groundwork for military involvement in the 2026 midterms, comparing the moves to Germany in the 1930s.

The GOP nominee from four years ago, Darren Bailey, placed a distant third.

Pritzker: “This advancement will make rail systems nationwide more reliable, more efficient, and more resilient – all while solidifying Illinois leadership in the industry and creating jobs in our communities.”

In Chicago, ICE agents involved in a collision while apprehending a suspect were falsely accused of misconduct after viral photos distorted the truth. The media ran with the narrative without fact-checking, and the Chicago Police Department reportedly sent a commander to ensure officers followed the directive not to assist.

As part of a string of recent lawsuits seeking to enforce the 1996 law, President Trump’s Department of Justice recently sued the state of Illinois, which offers illegal immigrants comprehensive access to in-state tuition. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is fighting the lawsuit.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit granted the Trump administration’s request for an administrative stay in part, meaning the president is allowed to federalize the National Guard in Illinois. The appeals court, however, denied the administration’s request to be able to deploy the National Guard. Unless further ordered by the court to do so, troops do not need to return to their home states, the order also reads.

Full report from Governors Office of Management and Budget linked here.

Hegseth responds: “Governor, you might try a pushup or two… (In the meantime, our troops will do the job you refuse to do.)”

“If they can reach a cease fire agreement in Gaza of all places, can’t our leaders somehow craft a deal to end the deepening war over Chicago immigration raids?”

JB Pritzker, Brandon Johnson and Tammy Duckwoth cited.

“Let’s be clear: Neither Pritzker nor Newsom deserves to win even a single swing state in 2028 with their respective records. Most average Americans would wonder how they’ve even won reelection in their states.”

The president and Illinois governor have had a tense relationship their entire political careers.

Pritzker’s remarks come just one week after he said it was dangerous for the Trump Administration to label Democrats as “fascists.”

A lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul underscores the risks to Chicago’s economy and finances. Among the areas where the deployments may harm Chicago finances are tourism and hospitality, core planks of the city’s economy and significant revenue sources for Chicago; police overtime costs; and investor perceptions of a downward slide, even if such perceptions aren’t rooted in reality.

Pritzker’s open and obvious attempts to frustrate federal law enforcement, promoting and protecting obstruction by protestors, flirts dangerously with insurrection. Not since segregationists defied federal civil rights laws have we seen anything like this.

Lawsuit is the latest escalation between the administration and Democratic-led states.

Richard Porter: “The governor wants Illinois to go to the mat to protect illegal immigrants from being deported and prevent the feds from fighting violent crime in Chicago. To champion his misguided priorities, Pritzker is willing to sacrifice federal dollars and increased jobs, while ensuring Illinois residents will pay higher taxes. Think about that. It’s slightly less stupid than going to war to protect slavery.”

Progressivism isn’t just an ideology; it’s also becoming a mental health condition. Take Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s recent denunciation of “White House senior aides” for “sowing fear, intimidation and division” by, among other things, calling Democrats “fascists.”Given not just his party’s but his own frequent use of such rhetoric – comparing ICE agents to Nazis who disappear immigrants and vowing that Republicans “cannot know a moment of peace” – the jaw-dropping irony of his complaint was lost on no one, except, apparently, Pritzker and his allies. It raises the question: How did he think he could get away with this?

Pritzker’s widely heralded budget directive has no teeth and he has pulled this stunt often before, even as the budget soared.

Duckworth: “If anybody is targeting anyone, it is out of control ICE agents targeting, again, zip-tying children, throwing reporters onto the ground, separating children from their mothers, trying to convince schools to turn over kids from public schools. They are raging through the streets of Chicago, trying to intimidate everyday, ordinary citizens, or just trying to go to school and go to work. That’s not acceptable…. They took money away from law enforcement officers, child prevention effort- violence against children prevention efforts. They- they’ve literally, this president, has defunded the police. She went on, as shown in the <span style="text-decoration:

Governor J.B. Pritzker has publicly dismissed a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) account of a violent confrontation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents near a facility in Broadview, a Chicago suburb, calling the description “propaganda.”

After giving millions of dollars to Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s unsuccessful 2022 campaign, megadonor Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest is backing a different candidate in the 2026 contest. When asked about the prevalence of big donations to Dabrowski’s campaign, DuPage County Republican Party Chair Kevin Coyne said the candidate’s former employer, Wirepoints, is “very, very popular” among Republicans in the business world.

Illinois elections are broken — with roughly half of legislative races uncontested after politicians drew maps to lock in power. Now, two political veterans, one a Democrat and one a Republican, think they’ve found a way to fix it.

“This is a public building. The Village of Broadview receives at least $1 million in federal funding every year. This is how JB Pritzker and his cronies treat our law enforcement. Absolutely shameful.”

The good news is there are textbook approaches available to guide the design of this needed tax reform that would simultaneously eliminate the structural deficit and more fairly impose tax burden on people. The bad news is it’s always difficult to generate the political will required to get tax reform, no matter how needed, passed into law.

Gov. JB Pritzker said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “should no longer be able to step foot” in Illinois without accountability “for the Trump Administration’s gross misconduct” amid reports she’ll be here Friday.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Friday she and her staff were denied entry to a government building in Broadview, IL where they attempted to stop for a “bathroom break” as federal agents clashed with protesters outside a nearby immigration facility.

During a more than four hour virtual hearing Thursday, the Illinois Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee heard an amendment to a sweeping energy bill that focuses on renewables. State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said wind, solar and battery storage isn’t going to cut it.

:We think it’s worth reflecting on superintendent pay in light of how much regular taxpayers in that district earn, as well as the property tax burden they’re forced to shoulder.:

On Friday, Vought in a post on X wrote, ”$2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects–specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project–have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.” More info to come soon from @USDOT, Vought added, referring

A comprehensive look at legal gambling in the State of Illinois. In FY 2025, the State’s share of tax revenues from wagering in Illinois totaled $2.234 billion, a 6.8% increase over FY 2024 levels.

Largest-ever plan covers roads, bridges, waterways, airports, transit and more.

After Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the biggest infrastructure spending plan in state history, a transportation policy director says Illinois taxpayers are not getting great returns on their investments.

“It’s probably six weeks ago when I got up early one morning and Cindy [his wife] came in the office at five before I left for work, and I just told her, I said, ‘Cindy, I got this burning in my heart. I just can’t walk away from it.’ I’m one of those people that I don’t want to leave any stone unturned.

Dan Proft interviews Ted Dabrowski on recent gains and how to win statewide.

Democratic attorneys general from 21 jurisdictions sued the Trump administration Wednesday for denying federal funds to help victims of violent crimes who are illegal immigrants.

And Pritzker’s diagnosis came just as we learned that Biden needed a palm card with pictures to recognize Pritzker and other key Democrats.

“You can’t relentlessly call your political enemies ‘Nazis’, ‘fascists,’ and ‘tyrants’ without giving license to homicidal leftists to do what they do best: Attack their perceived existential threats…. American politics is a tinder box right now, and leftists like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker keep striking matches.”

A ticking bomb that Illinois’s political establishment is content to see explode.

When the Obama Foundation snagged a sweetheart deal to build its beleaguered Obama Presidential Center in a Chicago public park, it pledged to create a $470 million reserve fund to spare taxpayers should the project ever go belly up. But new tax filings show the foundation has only deposited $1 million into the fund and has not added to it in years, with critics saying the empty promise could potentially leave Chicagoans on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars.

A state lawmaker who also serves as a police officer says the recent stabbing of non-police first responders in Champaign underscores his criticism of a new state law. The Illinois Community Emergency Services and Support Act, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2021, limits police presence unless violence or criminal activity is anticipated.

Chicago has long been one of the top markets for data centers, but it’s losing ground because of fears that BIPA could leave AI companies vulnerable to costly class-action lawsuits If they gather or use biometric information without consent in operating or training their software. The shift threatens Chicago’s status and could cost it thousands of jobs and billions in investment at a time when construction activity is weakening.

Miller also criticized policies Democrats implement in public schools and attempts to interfere with home schooling, and criticized Illinois rescinding parental notification of minor children getting abortions.

Conservative downstate framer Darren Bailey on Thursday kicked off another bid for Illinois governor with the same theme: Fire Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “People just can’t afford to live and work here. Pritzker has caused all that, and I think we’re going to bring the cure,” Bailey said. WGN’s video report here.

“In my decades of service, I have never witnessed such a reckless campaign targeting federal law enforcement officers,” said Weitzel. “The Chicago Sun-Times’ public portal mapping ICE operations and soliciting citizen photos crosses the line from journalism into doxing. This endangers agents and undermines public safety.”

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski held a press conference Wednesday outside the ICE facility in Broadview. Dabrowski spoke on how, if elected, his first call of duty is to repeal sanctuary city status across Illinois.

Pritzker’s meddling in the Republican primary worked beautifully for him four years ago. History rhymes, they say. Are Bailey and Pritzker about to prove it?

“I believe that one of the reasons Donald Trump wants to send troops into American cities is because he wants to be able to take control of the 2026 elections,” Pritzker said.

A viral video showing an Illinois Democratic congressional candidate being shoved to the ground during an anti-ICE protest in suburban Chicago has sparked online debate, with people on the left expressing outrage toward ICE and conservatives placing blame squarely on the protesters disrupting law enforcement operations.

The Department of Homeland Security has escalated its clash with so-called sanctuary states this week, warning California, New York, and Illinois in letters obtained by CBS News that refusal to honor immigration detainers could trigger federal legal action.

Illinois governor and obvious presidential candidate JB Pritzker said that ABC’s decision was “an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand.” But Kimmel’s show wasn’t suspended because of Trump, Carr or the Big Bad Wolf. Kimmel’s ratings were in steep decline already, and ABC would have surely looked past the blunder if there was any sense that he could still generate an audience.

The Broadview ICE processing facility has become a flashpoint for clashes between protesters wanting to see the building shut down and federal agents doing their jobs. It is also regularly drawing politicians and others running for office.

The Trump administration flexed its new authority over U.S. Steel, blocking the company’s plan to shut down production at an Illinois plant this fall.

“Despite Illinois’ agreement to the 2013 SEC cease-and-desist order, aspects of Governor Pritzker’s public statements may warrant further scrutiny to determine whether the state is providing accurate, complete, and non-misleading information regarding its pension obligations and funding practices.”

Dabrowski recently appeared on “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk about his main concerns for the State of Illinois as he prepares for the primary in March 2026. Hoping to secure the Republican nomination, Dabrowski spoke about taxes, immigration, the SAFE-T Act, education, and more.

“The case for Pritzker is easy to make.” However, in a podcast setting, Pritzker “was an amiable but not especially compelling guest. The coin of the realm on such shows is small-talk riffing and discursive, big-ideas bullshitting, and he excelled at neither. He does not have the podcast juice, or at least does not have it yet.”

He couldn’t care less about what he has said before.

Wisconsin will be home to the largest number of GPUs under one roof. One facility is in Mount Pleasant and the other in Racine, both close to the Illinois border.

During his monologue on Monday, Kimmel said: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

What Pritzker didn’t say was his own budget included misleading claims about state pension obligations being “fully funded.” Such statements may well violate a “Cease and Desist” order issued in 2013 by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) due to Illinois’s history of chronic misrepresentations of its massive unfunded state pension obligations.

Dabrowski: “Gov. Pritzker is not telling the truth. He is denying his own words, words that Illinoisans heard for themselves.”

Illinois television reporter Beni Rae Harmony has resigned after being suspended for delivering an emotion on-air tribute to Charlie Kirk.

Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat with a reputation for taking charge of energy and climate change legislation, will step down at the end of his current term.

Panelists include Wirepoints founder Mark Glennon, Collin Corbett, State Rep. John Cabello, and Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak.

This past weekend, members of the State Freedom Caucus—a network of outspoken fiscal and social conservative lawmakers who pressure Republican leadership in their states—gathered for their annual summit. Some hailed from deep-red states such as Missouri, South Carolina, and Wyoming, but others came from Democrat-dominated states, such as Maryland and Illinois, where advancing conservative legislation is often all but impossible.

“A disgracefully ill-timed comment” by Pritzker” — Washington Post editorial

“Zeus is the Democratic Party of Illinois and Prometheus is young buck Kevin D. Ryan, a United States Marine Corp veteran, teacher, Oxford and Georgetown graduate, who is running in the Democratic primary for the Illinois Senate.” When he returned from Afghanistan he left his teaching job to study at the University of Oxford. “I earned a graduate degree in diplomacy that took me to assignments across Europe, The Pentagon, and the U.S .Treasury Department including an assignment working directly for the commanding general of the Marine Corps.” And oh yeah, while he

And from a statement by The Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern (CAAN); CAAN “is shocked but not surprised by revelations from the Middle East Forum (MEF): Northwestern University currently employs Ibrahim Abusharif, a professor who co-founded and served as treasurer of the Quranic Literacy Institute — a group a federal jury found liable for laundering over $1 million to Hamas, with a $156 million judgment in the Boim terrorism financing case. Abusharif teaches the mandatory “Doha Seminar” for all American exchange students at Northwestern’s Qatar campus. Further, House testimony released last week confirmed Northwestern has extended Gaza professor

The school board votes down his payday loan for pension costs.

“[Northwestern President] Schill’s agreement stands as a monument to the lunacy that governed college campuses across the nation during that moment, which included coddling protesters and failing to protect students from blatant antisemitism.”

Changes to multiple laws in Illinois, including the elimination of fact-finding conferences under the Illinois Human Rights Act, changes to the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act, Equal Pay Act, and Family Military Leave Act, which can be accessed here, changes to the Employee Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act, and creation of a new law, the Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act.

After touring the Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago on Friday, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said they gained some clarity but are still largely in the dark on details of President Donald Trump’s plan to use the base for an immigration roundup over the next month.

Democrats question why they are underperforming with young men. If only Republicans had a serious candidate for governor to speak out on these issues… For a Republican perspective, joining Collin Corbett on Smoke-Filled Room this week, along with Cor’s political experts Michael Butler and Chris Jackowiak, are former State Representative Dan Caulkins and policy expert Carolyn Schofield.

Shooting victims in Chicago are just collateral damage in JB Pritzker’s quest for the White House.

There was no Labor Day holiday for Chicago criminals, who murdered nine people and wounded another 51; most (if not all) were black or brown people with names and stories we will never know.

Chicago’s chronic crime problem belongs to Mr. Pritzker and Mr. Johnson, the country’s worst mayor. Mr. Trump can’t duplicate there or elsewhere what he’s doing in D.C., because there’s no place in America that is like the nation’s federal capital.

Panelists on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Tuesday called for Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to work with President Donald Trump to stop crime in his state after more violence occurred in Chicago.

“This is a moment for me to try to persuade people that the way I look at things are more appropriate,” Dabrowski continued. “I dream of an Illinois that’s competing in the top five—competing with Tennessee and the Carolinas and Texas for growth and opportunity, and our governor doesn’t think that way.”

“Chicagoans have always come together to ensure the story of our great city is not driven by fear but by strength, and we are committed to do it once again to defy the president’s unprecedented and unwarranted action.”

“Bailey isn’t palatable to most regular folks, especially in the Chicago area he loves to trash. No serious candidate can win the job of governing Illinois if they isolate our largest regional voting base.”

He also called the idea “an attack on the American people.”

“Tribunals, trials, punishment, prison, and the running to ground and defunding of the entire Trump syndicate” are needed, and Pritzker is the candidate bold enough to call for that.

In the interview, Bailey indicated he would announce his decision on the governor’s race “probably a few weeks” from now, as he continues to evaluate the political landscape and potential opposition to Pritzker’s bid for a third term.

“It’s unclear whether Pritzker has ever visited here. What is clear, however, is that anyone seeking the presidency cannot rely solely on places like Chicago to carry them. More importantly, they must demonstrate a willingness, like Shapiro does, to show up in communities where they may not win a single vote, and to listen and learn from those voters.”

Jackson Potter, the vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union who is among the organizers, told that organizer May Day Strong teamed up with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) to “bring a Labor Day that’s representative and reflective of best parts of our tradition.”

Bond proceeds will fund accelerated pension payments and major capital projects.

Democrats are turning to governors for a shot in the arm, at a time when their party has been rudderless and looking for leadership.

The uplifting story of Chicago Hope Academy. Learn what it’s doing for families on the West Side of the Windy City…the worst neighborhood in America. Across the country, parents, educators, and concerned citizens join forces to create innovative, loving, and effective models of true education…and those efforts deserve a fair share of the massive tax dollars we already spend on education.

More than most Americans, Chicagoans really lived the full arc of decline from Obama’s election in 2008 until the end of his term, and right into the present day.

“Since becoming U.S. Attorney, my office has charged nearly $2 billion in health care fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct that has stretched across the country, and even transnationally,”US Attorney Boutros said in a statement. “The newly created Healthcare Fraud Section that I’ve launched will bring greater focus, efficiency, and impact to our efforts in this important program area, which often involves the exploitation of patients through unnecessary and/or unsafe medical tests and procedures.”

Illinois’ pension mess has outlasted governors of both parties and decades of half-measures. Pritzker may not be able to solve it outright, but without clearer signs of real progress, the state’s future — and his own — will remain weighed down.

Preliminary data indicates continued growth into 2024 and a decrease in 2025.

“Thanks to a roaring stock market and a massive increase in taxpayer funding, Illinois is making progress in taming the unfunded pension liability monster that has haunted state finances for a generation.”

Certain state and local government issuers and their attorneys have something to ponder in the wake of a recent Department of Justice announcement: What inclusion on an updated list of sanctuary jurisdictions requires from a disclosure perspective. Illinois, Cook County and Chicago are all on that list.

The companies said Raoul’s use of the lawyers violates their due process rights under the U.S. Constitution because it delegates state authority to private parties with a financial stake in the outcome. They also argue the Illinois Constitution requires officers of the state’s executive branch to be compensated with state salaries.

“Ameren blamed this solar farm wreckage…. The stupid generation thinks they are saving the world. When your power goes out – know who to blame.”

The bill reads that “a student who is an Illinois resident and who is not otherwise eligible for federal financial aid, including, but not limited to, a transgender student who is disqualified for failure to register for selective service or a noncitizen student who has not obtained lawful permanent residence, shall be eligible for financial aid and benefits.”

U of Chicago business school Prof. Ira Weiss: “I say this with deep respect and admiration: It’s time for Gov. JB Pritzker to pass the torch.”

A law signed last week will mandate Illinois employers allow nursing mothers time to pump breast milk while on the clock.

Illinois will fully take over operation of its health insurance marketplace in 2026, moving away from the federal Healthcare.gov platform and rebranding as the state-run Get Covered Illinois exchange.

Forest Romm and Kevin Waldman, researchers in clinical and applied psychology, studied students at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan on their political beliefs, asking, “Have you ever pretended to hold more progressive views than you truly endorse to succeed socially or academically? “An astounding 88 percent said yes,” Romm and Waldman report.

“Not enough people realize it, but Illinois is a mess that will only get messier absent changes as seismic as they are unlikely.”

The law is effective immediately and is enforced by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), which may impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

In Illinois, Trump has one of the lowest approval ratings in the country, according to an Aug. 12 update from Morning Consult, which gathers polls over the course of three months to get a look at state-level data among registered voters. Just 43% of Illinois voters approve of Trump’s performance, while 54% disapprove.

Pritzker: “To the pundits and the critics about what direction the National Democratic Party needs to go, I say, take a look at Illinois Democrats. Yes, winning elections is partly about messaging and strategy, but it’s mostly about values and delivering on them. And our values are exactly where they ought to be.”

“Start with the raw numbers. Between 2020 and 2024, California (-1,465,116), New York (-966,209) and Illinois (-418,056) lost the population equivalent of Kansas to other states. Texas (747,730) and Florida (872,722) gained the equivalent of West Virginia. Utah, Idaho, Arizona and North Carolina also experienced a rush of newcomers.”

Phil Melin of Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse told The Center Square last month that SB 328 would open Illinois courts to cases with out-of-state plaintiffs and defendants. The American Tort Reform Association’s Legislative HeatCheck Report released last month gave Illinois the

“If you live in Illinois and are pursuing higher education, you should have access to the same opportunities as your peers,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago), who introduced the bill.

Benefit programs in Illinois punish people for hard work. An estimated 710,000 Illinoisans have intentionally held themselves back financially to avoid losing government benefits.

Speaking to a joint meeting of the Illinois party’s state central committee and county chairs, Abraham George pointed to the fact that Donald Trump won 43.5% of the vote in Illinois in the 2024 presidential election. “That’s not a blue state anymore. That’s a purple state,” George said. “This state can flip to a Republican pretty fast.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s law banning utility shutoffs during extreme heat and cold is sparking concerns over rising electric bills across Illinois.

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Inside Politics,” CNN Senior Political and Global Affairs Commentator, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, former Obama Chief of Staff, and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged that Illinois is a heavily gerrymandered state and admitted “I have participated in it” but argued that it’s different from Texas because “it was done exactly when the Census data was done, not mid-cycle, not mid-game.”

Rep. Miller is expected to reintroduce her bill on Friday, called the Parents Opt-In Protection Act, Breitbart News has learned exclusively. The bill would require prior written consent from a parent or guardian, or from the student if the student is an adult or an emancipated minor, before a school could administer a survey about a student’s sensitive personal information.

The signing comes after the Federal Emergency Management Agency joined at least three other federal agencies in canceling contracts with unions to comply with President Trump’s March executive order that stripped many federal workers of union protections.

Judge Scott Larson said in a Wednesday ruling that Paxton had “failed to present a legal basis for the court to obtain subject matter jurisdiction over this cause of action, this court is without jurisdiction to grant petitioner’s emergency motion to rule on pleadings.

“Ted Dabrowski, the president of Wirepoints, a site that comments on Illinois’ economy, said he’ll be making an announcement soon about a run for governor.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation that he says will protect workers, but a small business advocate says small towns and Main Streets will suffer.

“And the dangerous thing with that is that [Mayor Brandon Johnson] has been telling them to never assist. So even when ICE would need more police officers because they’re under attack, they’re being assaulted, maybe they’re being battered. He’s directed his police department to not cooperate, which is unheard of. I’ve actually never heard of that.”

Democratic Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez, who previously said she is a Guatemalan first before an American, described U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a “terrorist organization” at an

But Pritzker vetoed that effort last year when sponsored by Republican Sue Rezin.

With a video montage showcasing the state’s Democratic elected officials as Star Wars heroes fighting President Donald Trump – portrayed as Darth Vader – party leaders unofficially kicked off the 2026 campaign. That was part of an annual Democratic County Chairs’ Association breakfast in Springfield attended by more than 2,000 people before Gov. JB Pritzker held the governor’s traditional campaign rally at the Illinois State Fair.

Beginning Jan. 1, a new Illinois law cracks down on predatory towing by letting the Illinois Commerce Commission impound unregistered trucks and suspend plates tied to unpaid fines.

The national Educational Choice for Children Act creates a federal tax-credit scholarship program for both public and private school students to help boost them academically. Here are seven reasons why Illinois should opt into the program.

“To be crystal clear, this person was in this country illegally,” Rep. Andrew Chesney said. “He was a multiple criminal offender with domestics and felony DUIs. And our local law enforcement is unable to communicate with federal authorities to remove people like this from our state and our country. It’s a direct result of the policy we have passed in Springfield.”

“Imagine what Illinois’ most famous son — President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican — might think of what his state has become. Maybe it’s time to change the state slogan from “Land of Lincoln” to ‘Prairie of Poor Tax Design.'”

“For Pritzker, the penalty was merely being denounced as a hypocrite, which rarely bothers politicians playing to the extreme parts of their parties. While Pritzker proclaimed that the Texas Democrats would remain safe under his protection in Illinois, the media just shrugged when the resistance collapsed and they returned home to collect their frozen salaries.”

The campaign’s website is linked here.

“Mr. Pritzker’s presidential ambitions could use a review of the soft-on-crime policies that set the Land of Lincoln up as a Trump target for its failure to preserve law and order.”

Illinois Democrats brought some of their biggest names to Springfield Tuesday to call attention to the massive cuts that will take effect in the coming years for programs that benefit low-income communities.

More students in Illinois would be considered proficient on the state’s annual math and reading tests under a proposal to change cut scores, which the Illinois State Board of Education is set to vote on Wednesday.

With the addition of two manufacturing lines to assemble EV batteries and commercial chargers, Gotion will have five production lines in operation in Manteno, Chen Li, president of Gotion Americas, tells Crain’s. Another line, which makes residential and consumer energy-storage products for applications such as solar, started in April.

The state performed poorly across key areas, including failing to get a clean review from an independent auditor, giving a distorted picture of its true financial health and missing the deadline to publish its annual report within 100 days of the fiscal year ending.

Education officials in Illinois expect to see a marked increase this year in the percentage of students classified as proficient in reading, writing and math…. That’s not because of any change in the way schools are teaching or how well students are learning, but rather a change in the way the state reports scores on the annual assessments students are given in those core subjects.

“Over the past month, thousands of Illinois families opened their July utility bills and got hit with a wave of sticker shock — some bills doubled, others tripled. And while Governor Pritzker offers excuses and vague promises of future reform, working families are left to absorb the consequences of his failed energy policy.”

The legislation mandates that applicants disclose personnel files from all previous departments when applying for new policing positions.

“If Mr. Pritzker wants to lead his party on protecting democracy, he can prove his care for voters’ interests by ending a practice that rigs the calendar instead of the maps. Having all Illinois elections in November during federal-election years would raise turnout, broaden representation and cost the left nothing in Chicago—where Democrats win 80% of municipal races.”

Illinois lost 218 businesses to other states in 2023, part of an acceleration to triple the rate of what losses were before the pandemic. When adjusted for population, Illinois ranked No. 2 for the most business losses

JB Pritzker on Monday likened President Donald Trump’s call for possible National Guard troops occupying Chicago to when the Nazi Party in Germany “tore down a constitutional republic” in the 1930s.

“This isn’t conspiracy theory or speculation; it’s a documented fact, exposed in a 2012 ProPublica article that laid bare how Obama’s early power base in Chicago wasn’t built on genuine grassroots support, but on the calculated lines of a rigged district…. John Corrigan, the Democrat who helped draw the map alongside Obama, revealed the scheme in an interview with the New Yorker back in 2008.” That New Yorker article says, “The partisan redistricting of Illinois may have been the most important event

Vance: “If California has crazy gerrymanders, Illinois has crazy gerrymanders, New York has crazy gerrymanders, what it does is, it actually suppresses the will of the people in states like Indiana.”

“So let’s recap. Pritzker had just declared gerrymandering a threat to democracy. He followed up by making a joke of his own unparalleled gerrymandering.”

While Gov. JB Pritzker last week repeatedly said he and his allies in the General Assembly might pursue gerrymandering Illinois’ congressional districts to benefit Democratic candidates even more than they already are, legislators on both sides of the aisle doubt it’ll happen. They don’t question Pritzker’s desire to wrest congressional power from Republicans to counter the GOP’s effort to build its House majority by redrawing district maps in Texas. They just don’t think it’s possible to widen the Democrat’s 14-3 majority in Illinois’ congressional delegation through mapmaking.

Democratic strategist Julian Epstein: “I think they don’t have the moral authority, and there’s a lot of pearl-clutching going on… “The Democrats don’t have clean hands here. You look at states like Massachusetts, New Jersey[…] Illinois, California, and Democrats have effectively gerrymandered Republicans out of existence.”

Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said he hoped lawmakers would pass plans to help lower utility costs before the end of session. Halbrook told reporters Thursday that the General Assembly needs to develop energy policies that prioritize consumers instead of special interests.

A new Illinois law requiring annual mental health screenings for public school students is drawing backlash from parents, policy experts and lawmakers who warn the policy may overstep boundaries and wrongly label children.

The absence of timely reports creates fertile ground for financial mismanagement, hidden deficits, or creative accounting to go unnoticed for years. Without current data, lawmakers, analysts, and citizens are forced to make decisions based on outdated or incomplete information. This undermines sound budgeting, masks potential risks, and erodes public trust in the state’s ability to manage its finances responsibly.

“Our map is absurd. From an Illinois point of view, this is great because it shines a spotlight on the absurd gerrymander here,” Porter said. “For JB Pritzker to be talking as if redistricting for political purposes is a bad thing, you’re like, hello? It’s like an arsonist decrying arson. It’s absurd.”

A new poll conducted by M3 Strategies on behalf of the Illinois Policy Institute reveals that Gov. Pritzker is nowunderwaterwith Illinois general election voters. The reason? While hes focused on building a national profile and appealing to far-left primary voters, hes alienating the very people who elected him governor.

“The mayor never once called me or, as far as I know, any legislators to oppose that bill or ask for any changes in that bill. When a municipality that’s affected by some piece of legislation doesn’t speak up about it, opposing it, then how can people know that the mayor opposes it? … What I know is that we have helped the Chicago police get fairness in their contract.”

“There’s national speculation Pritzker would run for president in 2028, but his Illinois numbers do not bode well for his appeal on the national stage. The reasons Illinoisans are concerned about him are increasingly obvious. In the same poll, 60 percent of voters said high taxes were the most important issue facing the state.”

“Democrats’ hypocrisy is worthy of Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy.’”

Pritzker presided over a congressional redistricting in Illinois in 2021 that received an “F” for its partisanship from gerrymander.princeton.edu, a website that specializes in tracing gerrymandering across the nation.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker portrayed his party as the victim of conniving pols and pledged to respond in kind. Yet, it was Pritzker who approved the redistricting that guaranteed that, while Republicans represent almost half of the voters, they will receive less than twenty percent of the congressional seats.

When Democratic lawmakers from Texas arrived in Chicago early this week fleeing a congressional redistricting vote back home, they touched down on some of the most gerrymandered soil in the nation.

“Texas Democrats have fled to Illinois to escape having to vote in Austin on the Republican plan to gerrymander the Lone Star State’s Congressional district map. The destination is amusing since no one knows more about partisan gerrymanders than Illinois Democrats.”

The congresswoman — who represents segments of Chicago and its suburbs — further accused the U.S. of being “addicted to war,” and prioritizing “imperialism, militarization, conquest,

Corey DeAngelis: The school-choice movement just scored a historic win. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a federal tax-credit program that allows Americans to donate to organizations providing K-12 private school scholarships around the U.S. This initiative will give more parents access to schools that best fit their children’s needs. But there’s a catch: Governors must opt in to allow their states’ families to access this scholarship funding.

In a remarkable Friday afternoon news dump, at the end of last week Gov. JB Pritzker signed a controversial pension bill that will increase pension benefits for many Chicago policemen and firefighters….This is a really bad outcome for Chicago. As a result of this change, the future liabilities of the police and fire pension funds have risen significantly.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed pension legislation that will put Chicago on the hook for an additional $60 million in its fiscal 2026 budget, rising to $750 million in 2055, for a total of $11 billion over the next 30 years.

Jonathan Turley: “Illinois has long been a sanctuary state, but this is getting ridiculous….The self-professed champions of democracy are fleeing to avoid a democratic vote by the duly elected representatives of the public…. Seeking sanctuary in Illinois raises the question of who you are being protected from in refusing to allow democratic votes in your state.”

They’re fond of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as well as Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, if somewhat more skeptical either can claim a nomination and general election. Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer is well-liked, especially among the other women governors, but there are doubts she’ll run for president. And former Rhode Island Governor-turned-Commerce-Secretary Gina Raimondo has her admirers.

Illinois and Nevada have not even issued their reports for the previous fiscal year (FYE 6/30/23)—meaning they are over a year behind in providing audited financial information to taxpayers, policymakers, and the public.

As Pritzker expanded the size and cost of government – boosting taxes $1,237 per Illinoisan – the relative security offered by the rainy-day fund shrank. That’s a real threat to programs Illinoisans rely on during extreme economic downturns.

PMI’s event represents another example of taxpayer dollars going toward nonprofitsinvolved in leftist

How did two of the billionaire heirs to the Hyatt hotel fortune turned politicians get obsessed with a technology so complex that even the tech-savviest struggle to comprehend it? A little bit of hometown pride and a lot of optimism.

“The belief that good governance can be engineered—that there’s a correct way to govern, some set of magical processes that, if followed, will achieve optimal results—is what led cities to outsource core functions to consultants and nonprofits in the first place. And replacing one bloated public-private technocracy with a slightly more efficient public-private technocracy doesn’t solve this fundamental problem.”

“Aye, aye, aye.”

A little-noticed provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” forces blue states and cities to make a tough choice: Comply with federal immigration law or lose federal money for criminal justice aid. Sen. Dick Durbin, ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, argued that “Putting unnecessary stipulations on this funding is harmful and unproductive.” “Blocking funds for this purpose,” Durbin continued, “totally misses the mark.”

Nearly 375 workers in government agencies across Illinois engaged in misconduct related to the federal Paycheck Protection Program, a long-running investigation by the state executive inspector general’s office has found.

Pritzker is one of several governors Democrats are checking for 2028. California’s Gavin Newsom, Minnesota’s Tim Walz, Maryland’s Wes Moore and Kentucky’s Andy Beshear are other notables visiting annual state party conventions

“These state Democrats have the morals of a tomcat,” Illinois Freedom Caucus Chair Chris Miller tells Axios. “They will lie to the public, just like the last map that they drew. They said it was the fairest map that’s ever been drawn in Illinois. It’s laughable.”

The deduction for state and local taxes will increase to $40,000 from $10,000, which could mean significant savings on federal income taxes for 2025. Illinois, which has among the highest property taxes in the nation, was one of the states hardest hit when the SALT deduction was capped at $10,000 in 2017.

“Citizens are already seeing the electricity price increases because of these failed policies.”

Readers marvel at what possible strategy could motivate Springfield’s fiscal malpractice.

In years past at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, search committees received weekly updates on the demographic makeup of applicant pools, along with specific diversity goals for each department. If semifinalist or finalist pools were deficient in diversity, administrators could delay or block the search, records show. Redacted emails among UIUC administrators discuss solutions to inadequate diversity, including adding previously rejected minority candidates back into the shortlist or finalist pools.

During his remarks Monday night, Pritzker conceded these federal changes have put state and national climate goals at risk. Yet he maintained that Illinois has retained its ability to lead the Midwest in climate policy, emphasizing the importance of

The statewide Realtors group plans to spend about half a million dollars warning suburban residents that Springfield might increase real estate transfer taxes statewide as a source of funding for the Chicago Transit Authority.

As business groups in Illinois and beyond await Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision on whether to veto new legislation which could open Illinois’ courts to a flood of out-of-state lawsuits, Illinois’ powerful trial lawyers have also mounted a marketing blitz of their own downplaying the warnings about harm to the state and its economy in a bid to persuade Illinois’ billionaire progressive governor to sign the measure into law.

“Absolutely shameful: The GOP’s rescission bill rips $9 billion from foreign aid, NPR, and PBS. Millions worldwide: Afghan kids, Haitian families, Pakistani women…will lose food, medicine, hope. This isn’t fiscal responsibility, it’s cruelty and moral failure,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson posted.

According to two new reports by Construction Coverage, Illinois ranked 48th out of 50 U.S. states for new home construction last year while leading the nation in construction worker pay.

Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Legal Reform: At a time of significant economic uncertainty, the last thing Illinois needs is to discourage businesses from setting up shop in the Prairie State.

All cryptocurrency operators could soon be required to register with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. One proposal could set transaction limits, a maximum withdrawal fee and create a live customer service portal. The other legislation would require operators to be transparent about the risks involved with their products, services and virtual currency by providing disclosures to customers.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker led a group of 17 governors to ask Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to release the nearly $6.8 billion being withheld from schools across the U.S.

Once operational, CN’s logistics hub in Grundy County will create an estimated 6,500 permanent jobs ranging from warehouse managers and freight coordinators to IT specialists and maintenance crews. These are jobs that support families and strengthen the middle class — right in our backyard.

In Chicago, the teachers’ union voted on anti-Israel resolutions and posted on social media that, “Zionists are not welcome.”

New federal legislation created a school-choice program that poses a headache for elected Democrats. It provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for individual taxpayers who donate up to $1,700 annually to “scholarship granting organizations,” but states have to opt in. It’s a tough dilemma. Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro has indicated limited support for school choice, while Illinois’s JB Pritzker and Kentucky’s Andy Beshear have been dead set against it.

Illinois, ranked least transparent, has not issued its 2023 state financial report and its 2022 report received a disclaimer of opinion.

“Governor Pritzker’s statements are factually incorrect. State Farm does not shift costs between states, and we have provided information to the Illinois Department of Insurance to demonstrate this fact. Our Illinois rates reflect Illinois-specific claims and risks,” the company said.

After two weeks of consideration, State Rep. Dan Ugaste, a Geneva Republican, has decided not to make a run for Illinois governor, but to seek a fifth term instead.

Christian Maxwell, a Republican running for Illinois’ 1st Congressional District, said Democrats are fearmongering and rural hospitals will get support in the federal legislation.

See Wirepoints’ column here on the this press release.

New federal bill scales back tax incentives for certain types of energy like wind and solar. Before the bill’s enactment, Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned that will lead to clean energy job losses and will mean higher consumer costs. “We’re not going to be

Illinois leads the nation with a cost-of-living-adjusted median annual wage of $79,328. Chicago also leads among the largest metro areas at $80,248.

Known as Grain Belt Express, the $11 billion line would carry electricity produced by wind farms in Kansas across Missouri and Illinois all the way to Indiana.But on Tuesday, the Missouri attorney general, Andrew Bailey, a Republican, opened an investigation into Grain Belt Express and requested that the state’s Public Service Commission reconsider its approval.

Rivian Automotive Inc., which is subsidized by the State of Illinois, produced about half as many electric vehicles as Wall Street expected in the second quarter prior to the launch of 2026 model year vehicles later this month.

“As Illinois maps out its energy future under Gov. Pritzker, it’s at a clear fork in the road that will impact so many families for years to come: pursue an affordable, popular and balanced energy policy that includes natural gas, working with renewables and nuclear, as it does today; or follow the risky path of Northeast states that are now seeing spiking power bills and higher potential for blackouts. As Democratic governors there rethink their anti-natural gas posture, Illinois should learn from their mistakes and promote a balanced plan that Democrats nationally can build on.”

A lawsuit is alleging Gotion, a battery company with ties to China building a subsidized factory in Illinois, called non-Chinese staff “foreigners,” using unauthorized Chinese workers on B-1 visas, and flying in a Chinese lawyer who’s unlicensed in the US to advise on bringing in more illegal hires.

Illinois lost over 56,000 people last year to net domestic migration.

From New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the big cities that are led by Democrats are dying. And the Democrats who lived there know this. It presses down upon them.

“Are we better off as a state than we were in 2018? Governmentally, yes. Of course. I would never want to revert to the state governments we had during the first 18 years of this century. Could we as a state be much better? Absolutely. And it’s time to try. But that requires some concrete plans.”

Following a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday, siding with parents in opting out their children from school curriculum with LGBTQ storybooks, Illinois political leaders are sounding off.

Illinois political leaders are sounding off on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling curbing nationwide injunctions over executive orders restricting birthright citizenship.

Pritzker said he believed his inclusion in the national conversation is good for Illinois. “When I ran for governor in the first place in 2017 and 2018, never, never could I have imagined that anybody would talk about me as the potential vice-presidential nominee or as a candidate for president of the United States,” Pritzker said

Pritzker: “Stripping birthright citizenship from people born in this country goes against rights guaranteed in the Constitution. We must stand against unconstitutional actions and stand up for the fundamental rights granted to people in the United States of America.”

“The teachers unions, led by figures like Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) president Stacy Davis Gates, believe they own your children, and they’re not shy about admitting it. Their fierce resistance to school choice and their brazen claims over the minds of America’s youth reveal a chilling agenda.”

“Really, Gov. Pritznocchio?”

There are many, of course, who argue Chicago recently went through its own version of what New York City just experienced. But NYC, given its size and prominence, is generating political shockwaves far exceeding the reaction when Brandon Johnson pulled off his own surprise win in 2023.

“Today, as public schools continue to lose students and public trust, leaders such as Pritzker are not just tolerating failure – they are celebrating it. Instead of pushing for accountability, high standards and greater educational opportunity, they are covering up failure and strengthening the destructive monopoly of teachers unions – all while calling it progress.”

Illinois drivers face another gas tax hike July 1, despite already paying the nation’s second-highest rates. Starting July 1, Illinois drivers will see the state gas tax rise to 48.3 cents per gallon—up 1.3 cents from last year—as part of an automatic inflation adjustment that keeps Illinois among the nation’s most heavily taxed states at the pump.

Text of speech linked here.

Democratic incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker officially announced his run for a third term as the state’s chief executive Thursday with a campaign video vowing “to protect our progress and continue solving the problems we face” — namely those imposed on Illinois by President Donald Trump, according to the billionaire Democrat.

The average retired career state employee in Illinois was paid $93,558 in pension benefits last year. That’s $24,538 more than the average Illinoisan working to pay for those retirees

On July 1, the state will raise taxes on short-term rentals, sports wagering, telecommunications, tobacco and vaping products. Illinois will lower tax rebates for electric vehicle purchases. New tax rules also will impact businesses in the current tax year.

“Fewer young people coming up in the pipeline that take jobs and pay taxes. Our workforce is shrinking,” Dabrowski told The Center Square. “Wow. We better dramatically change our policies and flip the dynamics of our state, or we’re going to be in massive trouble.”

Among the large metros, Birmingham and Phoenix pay the smallest percentage of their home value in property taxes. Homeowners in these metros each have an effective tax rate of 0.48%, ahead of Las Vegas and Denver at 0.50%. Conversely, the highest rates are in Buffalo (2.11%), Chicago (2.08%), and Cleveland (1.74%).

“If you don’t want your kids learning social studies, U.S. history from people who hate our country, if you don’t want them learning from people who think your children belong to them then you should be empowered to make different choices,” Empower Illinois’ Jonathan Greenberg told The Center Square Tuesday.

An advocate for the Illinois business community says lawsuit-challenged legislation approved by the General Assembly could cost the state dearly.

Over the past 10 years, women have held fewer than one in 10 construction jobs.

Although hemp legislation has stalled in the Illinois General Assembly, a move to prohibit intoxicating hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products advanced in Congress this week.

A new abortion business in Chicago is now committing “all-trimester” abortions, and said it will carry them out for “any reason” up to 34 weeks — despite state law allegedly restricting abortion after “viability.”

The 33-page document outlines 2025 legislative activity and the chamber’s engagement in seven core areas: employment, energy, environment, healthcare, infrastructure, tax and technology.

“With so many ideas for how Illinois should be run and so little attention to the cost, there is little surprise Illinois set a new record for spending with the fiscal year 2026 budget: $55.2 billion.”

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday to make a series of changes to the Prisoner Review Board after it released a man who would go on to commit murder, leading to intense scrutiny in Springfield.

After SB 19 was signed by Pritzker Friday, McClure and state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, released a joint statement saying the enactment of the bill is driven by the governor to keep activists happy rather than prioritize the safety of constituents.

An attempt by the U.S. Department of Transportation to withhold infrastructure funding to states resisting the Trump administration’s immigration restrictions has been thwarted by a federal judge.The states listed as plaintiffs opposing what’s been dubbed the “Duffy Directive” include California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Wisconsin as well as Nevada and Vermont, which have Republican governors.

Illinois government employees who unsuccessfully challenged the state’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates on religious grounds failed to convince the US Supreme Court to take a look at their dispute Monday.

The former Chicago mayor is considering a run for president in which he could face Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, along with other prominent Democrats.

Opinion of this Forbes columnist: “Illinois lawmakers appear to be considering a revival of the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax—an idea that was first floated in 2019 but proved dead on arrival. Instead of recoiling from it as ‘just another tax,’ perhaps we should ask a more interesting question: what if the VMT tax is exactly what is needed to internalize the actual cost of road usage—not only in Illinois, but nationwide?”

“If you had any interaction with a state legislator since the shootings, you know this horrific crime has struck many of them at their very core.”

Pritzker: “At my request, federal authorities, @ILStatePolice, and local law enforcement have kept me updated on any potential physical and cyber threats to the homeland that could affect Illinois. We will remain vigilant and publicly communicate if there are related incidents or concerns.”

Neil Bluhm seems to want more than everything is revenge against two of the country’s biggest sports betting and online casino companies. His grudge against FanDuel and DraftKings has lasted for at least a decade, driven millions of dollars in political donations, and found validation from another of Illinois’ wealthiest men. Over the past five years, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has helped turn Bluhm’s personal vendetta into a nine-figure revenue stream for the state.

Many of those last-day bills saw the text replaced with new, entirely unrelated language. They were not quick reads, so what are the chances lawmakers fully read, much less understood, what they were voting on? Plus, the practice violates the Illinois Constitution, but state courts have given lawmakers a wink and a nod to continue the practices.

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a push from two Illinois toy companies asking for a quick decision on the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling affirming Tennessee legislation that restricts gender-affirming care for minors is likely to have ripple effects in states with strong protections of transgender health like Illinois, which will be asked to take on more out-of-state patients.

“If the governor doesn’t veto this measure, he’ll undo much of the work he and his economic development partners have done to attract new investment to the Land of Lincoln. Because the message SB 328 sends to businesses everywhere is loud and clear: Do business here and expose your company to a new, unfair and potentially costly risk.

Pritzker “believes that healthcare is a right and we should protect the most vulnerable,” but that “passing a balanced budget required the difficult decision that reflects the reality of Trump and Republicans tanking our national economy and attempting to strip away healthcare,” a spokesman for the governor said. Illinois began extending health insurance to undocumented people in 2020, starting with seniors aged 65 and older and by 2023 it was covering adults aged 42 and up. In 2023, enrollment reached nearly 69,800, or double what originally projected, according to the state’s auditor general. Spending from 2021 to 2023, was $897.6

From boardrooms to classrooms, Juneteenth now feels fraught.

Newsom, Hochul, Pritzker and Walz are all too typical of sanctuary state governors. They couldn’t care less about the will of their constituents—the vast majority of whom favor Trump’s border policies and mass deportation of illegal immigrants. But the sanctuary state confederates insist on repeating the rhetoric and pursuing the policies that cost them the 2024 election. They shout, “Trump is a dictator,” believe that “non-citizen” is a synonym for “Democrat voter” and openly embrace political violence. They are no less dangerous than their Nineteenth Century forebears.

For decades, Northwestern celebrated—and relied on—its growing pot of government funding. Now it’s a liability. The sudden collapse of the once-symbiotic relationship between the federal government and higher education is torpedoing a half-century-old university business model and upending how science is done.

Greg Bishop talks with former state Rep. Jeanne Ives about her efforts to highlight a billion Illinois tax dollars being sent to non-government organizations. Ives has a new webpage on this matter here at DogeIL.com.

“People are sick and tired of the sanctuary city policies, and they’re sick and tired of the crime that is being committed by illegal migrants who shouldn’t be here. But they’re welcomed into the city of Chicago and other parts of the state under these policies,” LaHood remarked.

The 2026 budget package which includes corporate tax changes that will significantly impact multinational corporations and domestic corporations operating in multiple states, including Illinois.

Last-minute changes approved by Illinois lawmakers in the waning days of the session will cost Chicago taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in their first year and billions over time by giving some police officers and firefighters more lucrative pensions.

Stellantis still plans to reopen its shuttered assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, but it has canceled its plans to bring in a new electric vehicle battery facility and parts hub to the state, Matt Frantzen, president of UAW Local 1268, said in an email to Automotive Dive.

Gov. JB Pritzker said that under Hitler’s rule in Nazi Germany, Jews also became known as immigrants: “They were attacked as if they were outsiders. … It was a democracy before Hitler took power. It took 53 days to rub out a constitutional republic in Germany and to turn it into a dictatorship that can happen anywhere, and it can happen here in the United States.”

Just last week, when the Illinois General Assembly passed a record-setting $55.2 billion budget for 2026, the legislation was so rushed that even bill sponsors seemed unclear on the exact amount taxpayers would be asked to pay. They rubber-stamped another year of spending that follows a familiar fiscal playbook: spend more and hand Illinois residents and businesses the bill.

In the closing hours of the Illinois General Assembly’s spring session, Senate President Don Harmon tried to pass legislation that would have wiped clean a potential multimillion-dollar fine against his political campaign committee for violating election finance laws he championed years ago. Harmon’s move came against the backdrop of the former Illinois House speaker’s upcoming sentencing for corruption and abuse of power and almost instantly created a bipartisan legislative controversy that resulted in the bill never getting called for a vote.

Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) said it was “deeply disturbing” that a Sikh delivered a prayer in the House chamber on Friday — after apparently mistaking him for a Muslim man.

Rauner: “State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders recently proposed that Illinois lower its state assessment standards to ‘provide us with more accurate data.’
Lowering the standards doesn’t make the scores more accurate. It sends the wrong signal to students and creates misinformation for parents and educators that results in more students falling through the cracks. “

Illinois ranked 40th in overall score, 41st in economic activity, 26th on innovation potential and dead last on economic health. Wallethub used three economic categories including economic activity, economic health and innovation potential, then applied 28 relevant metrics, running everything from GDP growth, start-up activity and share of jobs in high-tech industries.

Illinois has 63.8% fewer homes listed for sale than it had in the last pre-Covid year, 2019. One Connecticut was worse, losing 72.9% of its inventory.

The Illinois General Assembly passed a $55.2 billion budget but sent nothing to Gov. JB Pritzker on public transit before its legislative session ended this weekend, pushing Chicago-area transit agencies closer to the fiscal cliff.

Wall Street is left wondering if other states will follow Illinois’ lead and try and plug their budget deficits by either adopting or increasing online sports gambling taxes. Both chambers of Illinois’ state legislature passed a budget that includes a tax of 25 cents per wager on the first 20 million online sports bets made each fiscal year, rising to 50 cents per bet after.

Illinois Democrats introduced what a leading budgeteer described as a $55 billion budget Friday evening ahead of a Saturday deadline to pass the fiscal year 2026 spending plan. The 3,363-page spending proposal was unveiled after 6 p.m. At the time the Senate’s lead budget negotiator, Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, briefed reporters on the plan; an exact proposal for raising about $1 billion

The budget is the most expensive spending plan for taxpayers in state history and includes a $2.5 billion supplemental for the current fiscal year.

Despite clear warnings, the People’s Republic of China, with help from the Biden administration, Democratic governors, and members of Congress, has established footholds in America’s emerging electric vehicle battery sector. Gotion, a company with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party, has begun building plants in Michigan and Illinois despite strong local pushback.

Rahm Emanuel, never humble about his political skills, is trying to accomplish something that seems far-fetched even for him: push his Democratic Party—rooted in the identity politics of the left—to the center.

“In states like Illinois, where two Democratic members of Congress are running for an open Senate seat, they’re going to have to run defending a vote that would have increased taxes significantly.”

Since Floyd’s murder, the intersection of 38th and Chicago has become a sacred space. Two iconic murals were painted at the site, including a blue-and-yellow tribute on the side of the Cup Foods where Floyd was accused of spending a counterfeit $20 bill, prompting the fatal police response. The community installed a raised-fist sculpture at the center of the intersection and headstones engraved with the names of Black people killed by police.

Proposals to expand gambling further to allow internet casinos may be stalling in Illinois with the end of spring legislative session approaching. But one legislator says anything is possible.

The allegedly discriminatory scholarships include the African-American Achievement Scholarship, the Black Undergrad Education Scholarship, the Hispanic-American Fund, the SIUC Minority Scholarship Fund and the Inspiring Women Scholarship.

Proposals to expand gambling further to allow internet casinos may be stalling in Illinois with the end of spring legislative session approaching. But one legislator says anything is possible.

At a time when Democratic insiders have never been more distrusted, the ultimate Democratic insider thinks he can be president in 2028.

“Despite these clear warnings, the People’s Republic of China, with help from the Biden administration, Democratic governors, and members of Congress, has established footholds in America’s emerging electric vehicle battery sector. Gotion, a company with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party, has begun building plants in Michigan and Illinois despite strong local pushback…. As a first step, the Senate must mandate no U.S. tax credits to any PRC-affiliated companies. None.”

The city’s recommended contribution is nearly three-fourths of the police department’s current payroll. The city’s situation is similar to towns all across the state. Illinois law controls the terms of police pensions.

Nearly two years after the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action, an Illinois medical school admits black and Hispanic students with lower average MCAT scores and GPAs than the average scores of white and Asian students it rejects, according to data shared with The Daily Wire.

This migration didn’t happen by accident. It was driven by specific policy choices. States such as Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina and Texas have aggressively courted manufacturers by promising business-friendly policy environments. You can see this on several different fronts. Florida, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina, all built more housing per capita than all of Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, New York and Massachusetts.

Macomb, Illinois, is at the heart of a new Rust Belt: Across the U.S., colleges are faltering and so are the once booming towns around them. Enrollment is down at many of the nation’s public colleges and universities, widening the gap between high-profile campuses and struggling schools. Starting next year, there will be fewer high-school graduates for the foreseeable

“Sixty-five percent of its spending was on political activities and lobbying,” Smith told The Center Square.

A Kankakee County judge ruled on May 14 that most claims in a lawsuit filed by Concerned Citizens of Manteno against Gotion Inc. and the Village of Manteno can proceed. The ruling is seen as a significant step in the legal battle over Gotion’s proposed battery plant and its potential use of toxic chemicals.

Fuyao is making a $400 million expansion in Illinois. According to Made In China Journal, the company is also heavily embedded with Chinese Communist Party members. The journal reports that “over 70 percent of Party members occupy key positions in the management or technical leadership, including 22 senior executives.”

Pritzker funneled millions of state tax dollars to non-profits like “Centro de Trabajores Unidos,” which train illegal aliens on ways to avoid capture by federal immigration agents, and how to frustrate federal immigration courts. Last year, Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature approved seven state grants totaling $4 million for the organization, nearly four times its entire $1.1 million 2022 budget.

Pritzker, Durbin and others initially emphasized that the Lion Electric factory, located in a leased 900,000-square-foot building at 3835 Youngs Road, was the first auto assembly plant to open in the Chicago area in more than 50 years.

Said Gov. JB Pritzker, “With this investment of more than $31.5 million–supported by state incentives–Damera will expand into our state and create 90 new full-time jobs.” Lion Electric, which opened a plant in Joliet to build electric school buses, recently filed for bankruptcy.

The Democratic contest for an Illinois Senate seat is shaping up as a test of the political power of Gov. JB Pritzker over a primary field of candidates who enter the race with deep animosity for one another and skepticism about the governor’s influence.

“The results from expanded choice should be enough to protect it from political attacks, but the opponents never sleep. The key to choice success in the long run is letting the money follow the child no matter the school, public or private. Indiana has taken another step toward that ideal.”

“News of the battery plant cancellation comes as a setback in Illinois’ objectives to become an electric vehicle manufacturing and supply hub.”

Republican members of Michigan’s congressional delegation noted they had asked Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to move on the project after the delay.

“The coup de grâce was the extraordinary April 27 speech by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a man known more as a liberal than a radical but now sounding like Bernie Sanders on steroids.”

“Somehow we can follow some laws and we don’t have to follow other laws, but who’s accountable for this?” Abraham said. “You talk about this due process … Katie didn’t get any due process.”

“The Stellantis and Lion setbacks also raise serious questions for the Pritzker administration. Are EVs the golden ticket the state once thought they were? And, if not, where else should the state’s economic development cheerleaders look for the next wave of much-needed growth?”

Plans by Stellantis for a battery factory and a regional parts hub in Belvidere are off the table, a United Auto Workers official says. The maker of Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles still plans to build a midsize pickup truck at Belvidere in two years, which would employ about 1,500 workers, as announced in January. But the $3.2 billion battery plant and a much larger regional parts hub are no longer part of the plan, UAW Vice President Kevin Gotinsky told Crain’s sister brand Automotive News. Local officials have been hearing the same thing, says state Rep. Dave Vella, who

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.

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.”

Municipal Tier Two pensions include local police officers, firefighters and municipal employees. These pension systems differ substantially from the state’s pensions, which include the teachers and state employees. Unlike the state pension systems, the municipal pension systems already meet or exceed federal safe harbor standards for the Social Security exemption. Consequently, legislative action should be targeted to account for the nuances of Illinois’ complex pension landscape. As the state and municipal pensions are distinct systems, reforms to Tier Two should also be distinct to protect taxpayers from paying the price of unnecessary changes. Tier Two issues within the state systems

Ultimately, Illinois is among the most heavily taxed and least equitable states in the nation — and that is no accident. Punishing tax burdens, broken criminal justice policies, worsening corruption, and an anti-business climate will continue to drive out tens of thousands of taxpayers each year. Mass, subsidized migration nor constantly attacking Trump, whether deserved or not, is no substitute for effective policies and responsible governance.

A small business advocate says a paid leave proposal in the Illinois Senate would be a direct tax on workers and employers. State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, proposed creating the Division of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Illinois Department of Labor with Senate Bill 2413.

The Illinois House Ethics and Elections Committee heard heated testimony over the potential impact of the proposal on Illinois voters and its impact on voters’ ability to vote.

The targets are the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and, by extension, PBS television network, NPR and 1,500 broadcast outlets across the country, including Chicago’s WBEZ and WTTW. Chicago Public Media owns WBEZ and the Sun-Times.

“In Illinois, Medicaid covers 3.5 million people — or 27.5% — of the state’s population. Better yet, the feds subsidize around 69% of Medicaid’s costs, which frees up state-level revenue to cover other core services like education.”

Today the Liberty Justice Center celebrates a significant victory in Glennon v. Johnson after Bally’s Corporation announced a revised public offering for its Chicago casino project that no longer illegal discriminates on the basis of race or gender. In a new securities filing dated April 22, Bally’s finally removed the requirement that purchasers be either a woman or minority. This success now means that the project is open to the people of Chicago without regard to race or sex.

By imposing confusing rules during the employment verification process and threatening employers with penalties if they do not comply, SB0508 discourages and complicates the use of E-Verify and Form I-9 inspection requirements. E-Verify allows any U.S. employer to electronically confirm the employment eligibility of newly hired employees and Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals.

HB 4045 and its companion bill in the Senate would allow anyone who knowingly manufactures, sells, offers to sell, purchases, receives, manufactures, imports, or transfers a “convertible pistol” to be charged with unlawful possession of a weapon; a class 4 felony in the state punishable by a minimum of one year in prison and up to three years behind bars and a $25,000 fine.

“If a Democratic leader today tells voters that the party just needs to tweak its messaging and strategy, he is also telling them that they don’t have to reexamine their beliefs on the border, and woke, and crime, and other issues on which the party embraces minority views. So, Pritzker was telling the New Hampshire crowd: You don’t have to change a thing — just fight, fight, fight. Some Democrats really like that.”

“Yet another failing governor of a struggling state is creating media excitement with promises of partisan belligerence” — JB Pritzker…. “Outside of the Pritzker household, who looks at Illinois governance as a template? The governor presides over a low-growth, high-unemployment state. The Land of Lincoln’s heavy tax burden would be even heavier if Illinois voters had not thwarted Gov. Pritzker’s effort to rewrite the state’s constitution.”

John Atkinson, Chairman of Intersect Illinois: “Gov. JB Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois is officially on the map as a national leader for business expansion and relocation.”

In addition to targeting federal funding, Trump’s administration has brought lawsuits against Chicago and New York for policies that limit local law-enforcement cooperation with federal immigration officials and, in some cases, block housing of immigration detainees in local jails. The Justice Department argues federal law overrides the city and state when it comes to immigration.

“Stop tearing down the Constitution in the name of my ancestors. Do not claim that your authoritarian power grabs are about antisemitism. When you destroy social justice, you are disparaging the very foundation of Judaism,” said Pritzker.

By actuary Mary Pat Campbell.

In a fiery address to New Hampshire Democrats on Sunday night, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker condemned what he described as President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs” while also blasting the “do-nothing” Democrats in his party — stating it is “time to fight everywhere, all at once.”

2024, a total of 10 police officers were killed in the line of duty in Illinois.

Radicals transformed the Chicago Teachers Union and hope to do the same to the Big Apple’s.

“The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin of Illinois, said Wednesday he’ll retire after the 2026 elections, and how the party replaces him could suggest whether it has learned from its drubbing in November. Mr. Durbin is no moderate, yet Illinois Democrats in the age of Trump II could also be in the mood for a more combative leftism, in the style of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.”

Illinois not in top ten.

Kathy Salvi, chair of the Illinois Republican Party, said there’s an “audible groan” from Illinois residents whenever his name is mentioned. “He is hugely unpopular here in Illinois and that’s because we see him for who he is,” Salvi told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “He’s got a soft launch of his presidential bid in New Hampshire that just proves Illinois has just been a stepping stone for him to advance his personal ambition while we’re settled here with the heavy effect of his administration’s failed policies.”

Trump’s inaugural committee reported Sunday night that it had raised $1 million from Gotion, the Chinese business that Republicans had repeatedly attacked over its plans to construct EV battery plants in Michigan and Illinois.

Billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is one of the top Democrats being watched as the party searches for a way out of the political wilderness

Several states are promising to resist the Trump administration’s effort to root out divisive diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from schools.

“Take New Buffalo, Michigan, for example….”

Taxpayers are paying nearly $1,600 more than they were just seven years ago and getting fewer of the services they expect or that improve the quality of life in Illinois. Still, the Illinois budget expands.

The Illinois Senate has passed legislation to expand freedom-of-the-press protections for public media on college campuses, despite concerns about lawsuit immunity.

Lake, Kendall, Macon, Rock Island, Winnebago and Will Counties in Illinois all among the top ten nationally.

In a letter to the university community, Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Barris and President Michael Schill said while Northwestern hasn’t yet received official notice that federal funding has been pulled but have received stop-work orders on about 100 federal grants for scientific research.

“They attacked me when I was down,” Trump said. “Now I’m doing great again and it’s my turn. I always said, the first time I got back on my feet, the Pritzkers would be the first people I’d go after.”

Davis said he is the primary promoter of Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs) a designation for about 75 schools including in Illinois, Chicago State University, Olive-Harvey College, Kennedy King College, Malcolm X College, South Suburban College, and Robert Morris University Illinois formerly Robert Morris College. The schools with the PBI designation must have a 40 percent Black enrollment with an equal percent low-income status.

The next time Illinois state lawmakers want to restrict corrupting influences, they should look at public sector unions. The problem is, they already blocked themselves and future politicians from ever controlling their friends in government unions.

Raoul: “Our economy, our rights and freedoms as citizens and residents, our lives and livelihoods are all protected by the fair and unbiased application of the law. I will not sit by silently as the president bullies and retaliates against law firms for representing clients who are politically disfavored or vulnerable. President Trump’s actions are an affront to the rule of law, and I urge all members of the legal community to stand strong in support of our colleagues in the face of these unconstitutional attacks.”

Illinois-based Liberty Justice Center: “No one person should have the power to impose taxes that have such vast global economic consequences. The Constitution gives the power to set tax rates—including tariffs—to Congress, not the President.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Sunday used his first-ever appearance on Fox News to take his criticisms of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs to the network’s conservative-leaning audience, labeling the Republican administration’s levies on imports “taxes on working families.” Pritzker also forecasted a “big recession” because of the tariffs.

U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood and Suzan DelBene, along with 114 bipartisan cosponsors, have introduced NAHB-supported legislation that will improve the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and allow builders to increase production of badly needed affordable rental housing.

“(It) is plain on the face of the Committee’s demands that it is not trying to investigate antisemitism,” the professors wrote in the lawsuit. “Instead, it is illegally singling out viewpoints and causes that it disagrees with for punishment.” The filed complaint is here.

“It’s the rank hypocrisy of it all that’s most infuriating. What the bill is supposed to address for homeschooling — truancy, abuse, educational neglect and poor accountability – are the very matters Illinois lawmakers ignore for public schools. That failure is central to why educational outcomes have plummeted.”

In Illinois, two bills before the General Assembly, HB 3350 and SB 3727, aim to keep big pharma from cutting hospitals, clinics and pharmacies out of the federal discount program. The proposals are nearly identical to bills in other states that have either passed or are in the middle of debate.

“To understand the radicalism and destructive force of the public media, Chicago may be the best place to look, for no one knows the machinations of the angry beating heart of public media ideologues more than the hardworking police and prosecutors in Chicago.”

Republican political operatives “call it like it is” on Tuesday’s election results: “Center-right candidates got demolished on Tuesday night while the Democrats walked away as the ultimate winners. Former red areas like DuPage County and Barrington Township went blue while center-right mayors in Orland Park, Aurora, and Rock Island lost (among many others). No matter how it’s spun, this is a big deal and bad for Republicans.” Video here.

Funding included two grants totaling $500,000 from the llinois Department of Human Services for “administrative services associated with violence prevention programs, youth employment programs, and operational expenses,” a single grant of $500,000 “from the State Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Fund” through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority “for administrative costs.” CTC received five additional grants totaling $500,000 from the “Build Illinois Bond Fund” through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity “for costs associated with building renovations” and “for costs associated with infrastructure improvements.”