Her bullying came amid the Internal Revenue Service’s notorious targeting of conservative nonprofits; Wisconsin’s probe of GOP donors; Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s intimidation of donors to the American Legislative Exchange Council; and a campaign of harassment against donors who supported California’s Prop 8.

The Illinois State Board of Education introduced framework for the literacy plan in January. This law will ensure schools are not limited by their vendors.

Howard Tullman, general managing partner for G2T3V, LLC and for the Chicago High Tech Investors, LLC: “The message and the bottom line are pretty simple. The hapless and the half-hearted are happy to hang around as long as you’re stupid enough to have them. When piety and political correctness are prioritized over performance, it’s the doers and the highly valued talent that leave the firm and the DEI do-rights, the do-nothings, and the dregs that remain.”

Today’s opportunity is being teed up by a coalition of hard-left organizations called March on the DNC 2024. They are determined to bring their demands to the Chicago convention. They don’t like “Genocide Joe” because they consider him the war’s enabler. But here’s the kicker. They don’t see Ms. Harris as any different. In a statement headlined, “We’re still marching for Palestine at the DNC.”

Insurance policies in Illinois are also required to cover abortions and pregnancy-ending medications.

A combined 319 salaried workers at John Deere World Headquarters in Moline and John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline were among the mass, permanent layoffs of nonproduction workers last week by the Moline-based global equipment maker.

“The fact that J. B. Pritzker is being discussed as a potential vice president of the United States is a sign of just how dangerously close the American republic is to an all-out coup.”

There’s a growing push to expand nuclear energy at the federal and international level, but as aging nuclear plants around the country look toward the future, spent fuel is just one of the potential roadblocks.

Taking away guns from people served with domestic violence orders of protection would be a lot of work. “There aren’t enough sworn officers to carry out what’s being asked here,” Pritzker said.

In the survey, conducted by Emerson College, which looked at voters in the five largest swing states, Pritzker emerged as the least-preferred candidate in all except one, Wisconsin, where he was second-last.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential running mate for Kamala Harris, told ABC’s “This Week” that Donald Trump and JD Vance are “just weird,” citing an obviously made-up story about J.D. Vance having an unnatural interest in couches that has been circulating on Twitter this week.

“No one who has witnessed the last few days can doubt the power of the Democratic culture-media machine, a formidable force honed by holding power for 12 of the last 16 years and made up of headline writers, news analysts, Hollywood rainmakers, opinion columnists, TikTokers, influencers, social media meisters and late-night talk-show hosts that ramped up so fast and with such overwhelming and unified force that it propelled Donald Trump’s ill-prepared hair halfway down the Mar-a-Lago fairway.”

In the meantime, Democrats rule Illinois without challenge, thanks to their own political sophistication and considerable help from the GOP.

In the latest economic development deal from Pritzker’s development-friendly administration, PsiQuantum is set to receive $200 million in tax breaks and other incentives through several state programs, including $92 million from the state’s Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity Act, or MICRO.

Illinois is trying to position itself as a center for new technologies from electric vehicles and batteries to quantum computing. The Democratic National Convention taking place in Chicago from Aug. 19-22 will allow Pritzker to showcase his political achievements, including bringing the convention to the third-largest US city.

PsiQuantum on Wednesday announced a far-reaching partnership with the State of Illinois, Cook County, and the City of Chicago to build the first US-based utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer at the former US Steel South Works property in the City of Chicago.

Illinois and DARPA just announced an ambitious $500 million quantum computing campus in Chicago–with PsiQuantum at the center.

The latest in the twists and turns.

The experiment included 3,000 lower-income Americans aged 21 to 40, drawn from 19 counties in the Dallas and Chicago areas. The upshot of this experiment is a reduction in work effort that, as the authors put it, “does not appear offset by other productive activities.”

Chicago “journalists” would no doubt be champing at the bit for the opportunity to work their magic on a national stage: If they can do it to Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois, why can’t they do it across the nation?

Video of the Tuesday CNN interview is here with Pritzker comments on other matters, including blaming Republicans for border crisis.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced that unemployment increased to 5 percent. The May revised unemployment rate was 4.9 percent. The national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in June, up slightly from the previous month. The number of unemployed workers in the state was 327,900, up over 3 percent from the prior month, and up nearly 19 percent over the same month one year ago.

“It’s one thing to express your support for a friend. It’s another thing to use your platform as a government official to prejudge a case before it’s played out. Before all the facts are known,” said Roy, who was featured in the Fox Nation documentary “Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax.”

The Chicago Teachers Union has spread $1.3 million around Springfield, with nearly 3 of every 4 Democrats receiving campaign cash and nearly half of them from outside Chicago. About half of all sitting state lawmakers received CTU money between 2010 and July 23, 2024.

Some say the southern Illinois boundary line should be changed so that eight downstate counties can become part of Missouri. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul disagrees.

The alleged threat against state Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, came just days after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on July 13.

Rep. Terra Costa Howard, the chair of the Adoption and Child Welfare Committee in the Illinois House, called for action following a Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica investigation, which revealed little accountability for parents who pull their kids from school and then fail to ensure they receive an education.

Efforts to recruit police officers from Illinois to other states continue, but a Chicago police representative says there are things Illinois should do to keep them.

Note: That’s despite multiple other reports, such as here, saying Pritzker is being vetted by Harris for the VP slot.

The shooting prompted first-degree murder charges against former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson.

Conservative-leaning independents might find Pritzker palatable because of his business ties. It is no secret that Republicans love a rich white dude. The economy is a big factor in everyone’s decision this election, and Pritzker may have the economic chops to collect votes in November. His supporters in the state brag about how he “stabilized Illinois’ finances,” balanced the budget, and “helped get the state back on its feet.” These accomplishments will sit very well with those worried about the financial state of the nation.

Illinois’ two U.S. senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, also endorsed Harris on Monday. As of Monday morning, all of Illinois’ congressional Democrats had pledged to support Harris.

Sonya Massey’s last words were: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” followed by “I’m sorry,” as Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson put his hand on his 9 mm pistol and threatened to shoot her in the face. Seconds later, he did.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the measure into law last week. House Bill 5457 provides that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may not revoke, suspend, or take any other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action against a license or permit issued under the law based solely upon an immigration violation.

“It isn’t Donald Trump who is an existential threat to our democracy. It’s Barack Obama…. It’s classic ward-boss tactics…. I’ve known Mr. Obama since 1995. We both grew up in Chicago politics. We understand how it works—with the bosses over the people. Mr. Obama learned the lessons well. And what he just did to Mr. Biden is what political bosses have been doing in Chicago since the 1871 fire—selections masquerading as elections.”

As Illinois seeks to end federal court oversight of its disability services, an independent court monitor says the state continues to fall short of promises made 13 years ago to allow people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live outside of institutions.

At the convention, Biden will be saluted for his presidential, vice presidential and Senate legacy. When Biden delivers his keynote address, one convention veteran said, he will get a lengthy standing ovation and be treated as a hero.“We have so many reasons to love Joe Biden,” Harris said when she visited the Delaware campaign headquarters on Monday afternoon. If elected, Harris, who is Black and Asian American, would be the country’s

Out of 90 Midwestern metropolitan areas, Illinois has four in the bottom 10 for new housing per capita in 2023. Housing affordability is directly linked to getting units built.

Here are data snapshots of Illinois communities and schools. See how well your tax dollars are performing in your city, county or school compared to others.

Members of the Illinois delegation to the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago are being urged by the state party to “hold back from reacting publicly” as top Democrats scramble to either rally around the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris or hold a competitive primary.

One state Democratic source, said they were told Pritzker would issue a statement about his political future on Monday and that they expected the second-term Illinois governor “would be running for something.”

“If the party eschewed Biden’s endorsement of Harris or anointed Pritzker as the vice presidential nominee, Pritzker could offer certain advantages. Democrats would have a potential nominee with a proven track record in Illinois that closely aligns with the national party’s priorities.”

Democrats in the two contested state legislative races in East Central Illinois enjoy large fundraising advantages over their GOP opponents less than four months before Election Day.

CPS made a mistake when it put temporary federal pandemic aid into its permanent spending base. Now, the money’s running out. A bailout seems unlikely.

Illinois Republican Reps. Mike Bost, Darin LaHood and Mary E. Miller are among those cited as climate deniers in a new analysis. Many of the 123 lawmakers in the group have pocketed big sums in “anti-climate money.”

In each of the six R’s critical to economic development — roads, rails, rivers, runways, routers (technology) and research — Illinois is among the top states in the nation. And it’s smack dab in the middle of the world’s largest economy. Illinois should be an economic powerhouse.

“Listen, I love this party because sometimes we air our dirty laundry with one another and it gets into the press of these fine people,” the new Illinois Republican chair added, referring to reporters in the room. “But we need to say, ‘You know, let’s give that person the benefit of a new fresh day.’ And that’s how we will win elections here in Illinois.”

“Donald Trump is a convicted felon, liable for sexual assault, and a congenital liar. He is a man who remains wholly unfit for the office of the presidency, both in temperament and character. His attacks on the most vulnerable and on the middle class demand that we come together to defeat him in November.”

Democrats had planned daily press conferences to highlight “the grave danger that Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans pose to our democracy, our rights and our livelihoods.” But with images of the shooting still fresh in the voters’ minds, they’re opting to let President Biden lead their response.

“Democrats, let’s not be scared of what’s next,” the Illinois governor said. “I promise you, we’re going to be OK.”

The $61 billion-a-year company has been slammed for sponsoring a Pride event for kids as young as three, and encouraging staff to use ‘preferred pronouns’ as it tries to become more ‘inclusive.’

In the heart of Illinois, a revolution is underway. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has established itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), driving transformative advancements across industries and paving the way for a future where AI redefines what is possible.

The Treasury Department issued a new proposal Monday to expand the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.’ (CFIUS) ability to prevent certain foreign-linked companies from buying up land near U.S. military installations inside the country. The proposed rule would stonewall both Cnano USA and Gotion Inc., two separate subsidiaries of Chinese-based companies that planned to buy land and build plants close to

Democratic Party divisions are all over the airwaves these days, but will they spill into the streets? That’s the hope of left-wing groups planning a “summer of resistance” to culminate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.

The United States plans to broaden oversight of foreigners’ property transactions on sites close to military installations, the Treasury Department said on Monday, as concerns involving Chinese land purchases grow. Among the proposed sites to be added are Camp Grayling in Michigan – some 160km (100 miles) from where Chinese electric vehicle battery-maker Gotion plans to build a facility. Note: Gotion’s facility in Michigan is planned to supply parts to Gotion’s highly controversial planned factory in Manteno, Illinois.

“…but he added he would withhold judgment until hearing from colleagues.”

“The June 16 article by [Wirepoints’] Mark Glennon revealed his appalling ignorance of the most serious problem the planet faces, climate change.” Note: the referenced article is here: Greenflation is Making Everything More Expensive.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker urged President Joe Biden to re-pitch himself to Americans following his disastrous performance at a presidential debate. Pritzker’s name has been floated as a possible candidate to replace Biden,

Clear Choice, a super PAC that has also challenged Kennedy’s petitions in New York and North Carolina, filed objections with the Illinois State Board of Elections on Monday, the deadline to object.

As the aftermath of the first 2024 presidential debate settles, The Chicago Tribune, based in the host city for the Democratic National Convention, is pleading for President Biden to drop out of the race.

Some residents are livid that police made no arrests when people protesting the Israel-Hamas war showed up at the residence of U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider around 2:45 a.m.

It’s the “Landlord Retaliation Act” — a measure designed to protect renters who complain about unsafe or unsanitary conditions from being evicted or non-renewed. As HB4768, it overwhelmingly passed both houses of the legislature last month, and is now on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker could soon enact a bill pro-life advocates say will infringe on Illinois employers’ and pregnancy resource centers’ rights. The bill aims to prohibit employers or others from discriminating against women who have abortions or intend to have an abortion.

But researchers say despite new 75-county data trove, it’s still too early to judge bail reform law.

Many people still view a college degree as a requirement into the workforce and toward future prosperity. The data beg to differ.

“Among the Democrats’ bench of potential candidates who didn’t participate in the 2020 primaries, a group of governors stand out — California’s Gavin Newsom, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro and Maryland’s Wes Moore.”

JB Pritzker included here, as in many similar articles.

Includes full statement from Pritzker.

“We’re not prosecuting and we’re actually handcuffing the police when it comes to doing their job, whether it’s we’re not doing foot chases, we’re not doing car chases, we’ve got the [end of cash bail statewide], which is allowing more criminals to be out on the streets,” Dabrowski told The Center Square.

Newly released Chicago Police records indicate Chicago Public Schools’ top security official denied detectives access to school video surveillance footage at a high school where a former student shot four others and that the school’s principal discouraged a witness from cooperating with homicide investigators the afternoon of the shooting.

Speaker Welch asserts lawmakers have sweeping and nearly unchallengeable powers to change ballot access rules whenever and however they like.

Despite an increase in funding for wind farm operators, wind production was down in 2023. According to the Energy Information Administration, last year saw record highs in installed wind capacity and subsidies, but production is falling in Illinois and around the country

Amid a Moody’s report describing Illinois as a below average performer in job and income growth, the governor is set to sign legislation opponents say will open business owners up to frivolous lawsuits. House Bill 2161 is now on the governor’s desk. The bill seeks to prevent discrimination by an employer based on an employee’s family responsibilities.

A group of health and environmental organizations are asking a state quasi-judicial body to ban the sale of all new gas-powered cars and a large percentage of diesel trucks by 2035 after failing to sell Gov. J.B. Pritzker on the idea.

Delia Ramirez of Illinois, another member of the Squad who won her race in 2022, said Bowman’s loss should be a rallying cry for those on the left wing.

The Supreme Court found that a crucial federal bribery law aimed at state and local officials does not also criminalize after-the-fact rewards known as “gratuities.” Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who authored the majority opinion, accused prosecutors of trying to turn the law into “a vague and unfair trap for 19 million state and local officials.”

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday gave final approval to a plan to bolster the state’s tech industry, including an incentives package – backed by $500 million in the state budget – aimed at making Illinois the nation’s leader in quantum computing.

Much of the debate over the bill in the legislature focused on the cost of launching a new state agency. Lawmakers appropriated $14 million in the upcoming fiscal year for initial startup costs, which include such things as hiring executive staff and opening new office space. But administration officials were reluctant to provide estimates of how much the new agency would cost annually once it’s fully operational, and whether those administrative costs would outweigh what the state is spending currently.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a measure expanding a slew of tax credits for things like electric vehicle manufacturers, quantum computing, filmmakers and more.

Family members said 51-year-old Michael Broadway, who recently earned a college degree while incarcerated, died from asthma, which was made worse by the conditions in the facility.

Summertime before an election is when the politicians in Illinois start cutting ribbons and issuing press statements about all the taxpayer money they are handing out for special projects. This year is no exception with Gov. Pritzker announcing millions in grants to various public and private entities.

In Illinois, the disparities between students across income levels provide a clear picture of whether the state is empowering the poor through public education. Things do not look good.

Only 2% of Americans who follow the success sequence are in poverty, compared to 11.5% of Americans. Family formation, the third and fourth steps on the success sequence, are extremely important because family stability and structure have profound impacts on economic and social mobility.

“In Illinois, we’re implementing our comprehensive data-driven plan to improve our response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and amplify the effectiveness of State, County, and City investments,” said Governor JB Pritzker in a statement. “The additional temporary shelters will ensure that shelter capacity and wraparound services remain accessible to asylum seeker families as they transition out of our system of care and on to independence.”

As Second Amendment rights advocates and Illinois state officials alike await word from the U.S. Supreme Court on the possible fate of Illinois’ ban on so-called “assault weapons,” Cook County’s government is headed to a showdown before a federal appeals panel over whether its “assault weapons” ban ordinance can survive under the Second Amendment and prior Supreme Court rulings.

While he supported the measure, state Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, worried it will add to the size of state government. “As H.L. Mencken said, ‘the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed and clamoring for safety by creating a series of hobgoblins most of them imaginary,” Reick said.

On the governor’s desk and ready to be signed is Senate Bill 1400, which seeks to improve discipline procedures by creating statewide guidelines for school districts.

The EV maker reported a loss of $1.45 billion during the first quarter of this year, as it retooled its plant in Normal, Illinois, to launch updated versions of its R1T pickup and R1S SUV EVs ahead of its next-generation vehicles in 2026.

Chicago’s poverty rate stands at 17.2%, higher than before America launched a war on poverty in the 1960’s. Why? One key factor is the perverse incentives created by “benefits cliffs.”

Critical Race Theory and systemic racism in education are going to a whole new level in Illinois. In fact, under a proposed new scheme supposedly aimed at fighting alleged “disparities” in higher learning, people with darker complexions (or lower grades) will literally be worth more than those with lighter skin.

“The Chicago Police Department has been and continues to prepare for the upcoming Democratic National Convention since Chicago was announced as the host city a year ago. Our training has been heavily focused on responding to large-scale First Amendment activity,” the department told NBC Chicago in a statement Monday. “As always, we will protect those exercising their constitutional rights, as well as those who are working, living, and visiting in the areas of the demonstrations. When orders to disperse are given for public safety reasons, we will seek voluntary compliance first consistent with the Department’s First Amendment Rights policy. Those

Illinois’ average in-state tuition to public universities is among the highest in the nation. Getting an education is crucial to escaping poverty, putting Illinoisans at a great disadvantage.

A federal jury convicted Burke on 13 corruption counts after hearing allegations that the longest-serving City Council member in Chicago history with a 54-year tenure had used his power to win private law business from developers. The corruption schemes occurred in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Democrats are, of course, delighted to now control what has become a one-party state, and they could not resist the opportunity to gloat over the GOP’s latest self-inflicted wound.

Republicans are pouncing on the failures of so-called progressive policies, and let’s hope the GOP can force Democrats to move to the center for the sake of rescuing some of America’s great cities. Republicans are trying to win elections, but win or lose they will have performed a public service if they can force their opponents to prioritize public safety and prosperity in our country’s urban centers. There is also a breakdown of civilized behavior.

Pandemic fraud is shaping up to be the biggest financial scam in U.S. history. Of the $5 trillion in relief that former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden authorized, hundreds of billions are believed to have been ripped off. The pandemic’s first year was especially bad, with an estimated 20% of every dollar paid out going to criminals.

Pritzker’s predilection is so striking that he drew national attention from The New York Times.

In 2022, chronic absenteeism in Chicago Public Schools jumped to 44.6%, almost doubling from the 2018 rate of 23%, state data show. Statewide, it was 16.8% in 2018, jumping to 29.8% in 2022. More than 125,000 CPS students last year met the definition of chronically absent.

In 2022-23, about 36% of public school teachers in Illinois were absent at least 10 times. That’s up from just 26% in 2018-19. For Chicago Public Schools, the numbers are even more alarming. Forty-three percent of teachers missed at least 10 days.

“It is unbearable to me that the rights my mother, and so many women like her, fought to obtain and protect are now being ripped away from a new generation of women. I am terrified that this new and dangerous landscape will open the door to taking other rights away from women and girls.”

Driving that trend is the collapse of America’s birthrate since the 2008-09 financial crisis…. But how likely is it that superintendents and school boards in the cities and inner-ring suburbs, where most of the underenrolled schools are, will follow this advice? We can get an idea by looking at communities such as Houston, Chicago, Denver and Columbus, Ohio, which face the greatest declines in student enrollment and the largest budget crises as a result.

The idea that minorities can’t succeed in the United States today not only encourages defeatism but is also untrue. Data on legal immigrants from Latin America and Africa reveal that many outperform native-born Americans from their demographic group, and other figures reveal non-white groups’ increasing economic success. Politicians need to muster the courage to say that family breakdown is a major cause of minority communities’ economic and crime troubles.

Despite Chicago’s many challenges, Mayor Johnson is optimistic about its ability to stage a convention that will showcase what he sees as best about both the city and the Democratic Party. “Chicago was chosen to have the starring role because of our commitment to Democratic values,” Johnson said.

A project aimed at keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes could be in jeopardy if Illinois doesn’t meet a fast-approaching deadline to release federal funds.

Although merchants have long advocated for this change, banking and payment industry representatives argue that it imposes an undue hardship by forcing them to process certain components of transactions without compensation.

Harris has partnered with two men who run an insurance brokerage, even though Harris is chair of the Illinois Senate’s Insurance Committee. The committee oversees legislation affecting the multibillion-dollar insurance industry in the state.

Many residents who live next to the park oppose the plan, fearing construction of a casino or even a hotel would draw more tourists and lead to a larger, more congested community.

“It’s a loophole in one respect for getting out of penalties for engaging in coordination. But it also makes it difficult for candidates and independent expenditure committees to know what they’re supposed to do and what they’re not supposed to do,” said veteran election law attorney Ed Mullen.

“Pediatric clinicians, in particular, have a unique opportunity to incorporate crucial conversations about race and racism into clinical visits…. Consensus was reached on the necessity for pediatric clinicians to have a thorough understanding of the systemic nature of racism and the importance of both learning from patients and addressing intersectionality during these conversations.”

Mike Barry, who has been outspoken against the Gotion lithium battery factory in Manteno, was recently dismissed as athletic director of the Manteno Wildcats football program. Many residents suspect retaliation for his opposition to the Gotion plant.

Legislation is advancing to block the Department of Homeland Security from buying batteries from Chinese suppliers, including Gotion, which is building a battery plant in Manteno, IL subsidized by $536 million from the state.

Rates of violence and aggression against educators are high — and in many cases have risen from pre-COVID-19 levels — leading teachers to suffer mental health consequences and to consider quitting the profession. A new study led by DePaul University psychologist Susan Dvorak McMahon reveals the extent of the problem across our nation’s schools as well as recommendations for the field.

A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor.

Presumably in response to Gov. JB Pritzker’s insults (linked here), Donald Trump posted to TruthSocial and reposted to X: “Sloppy JB Pritzker, the Rotund Governor from the once great State of Illinois, who makes Chris Christie look like a male model, and whose family wanted him out of the business because he was so pathetic at helping them run it, has presided over the destruction and disintegration of Illinois at levels never seen before in any State. Crime is rampant and people are, sadly, fleeing Illinois.”

Can state police track drivers everywhere they go via hundreds of license plate cameras? A new lawsuit says that Illinois’ widespread use of such cameras—called automatic license plate readers (ALPRs)—violates the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches because it breaches citizens’ reasonable expectations of privacy.

A greater share of Chicago area Republicans cast their ballots by mail in March compared to the 2022 primary, but they were still vastly outpaced by Democrats in using a voting system that has become increasingly popular.

Unlike other top surrogates who have followed Mr. Biden’s lead and kept the focus on Mr. Trump’s policies rather than his conviction, Mr. Pritzker has blazed his own trail of Trump insults — to great cheers from fellow Democrats who are hungry to attack.

“Comptroller Susana Mendoza struck the correct note of skepticism about the governor’s record-setting spending plan. The extent to which her moderate comments were flatly rejected as unworthy of concern shows how little interest there is in restraining government’s uncontrollable impulse to spend.”

Mary Pat Campbell is an actuary who comments on taxes, pensions and population.

Based on 2021 estimates from the Pew Research Center based on calculations using U.S. Census Bureau data: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois had the largest unauthorized immigrant populations in 2021.

“As companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party receive billions of taxpayer dollars in federal and state subsidies, we have an obligation to ensure they abide by federal law and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act [UFPLA],” said LaHood.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 10 other attorneys general are joining the chorus advocating to increase oversight of private-equity health care transactions.

Gotion, a battery company slated to build a factory in Manteno, IL subsidized by the state, should be added immediately to an import ban list, the lawmakers said in two letters sent to the Biden administration, which are scheduled to be released publicly on Thursday.

Even more moderate Illinois Republicans who don’t support the former president said they were “troubled” by the case that resulted in a conviction on 34 felony counts in New York.

“Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch gave added meaning to the phrase “winning ugly” during Wednesday’s early morning hours. I’ve never seen anything like it, so let’s take a look.”

Conservative groups warn the change by the Democrat-dominated court could stir up constitutional challenges to what they say is actually an unconstitutional “speech code” setting attorneys up for possible politically motivated discipline, should lawyers in Illinois express opinions on politics or social issues disfavored by the state’s left-wing majority.

“Capturing our carbon emissions can significantly help protect our world from the worsening effects of global climate change—and because of the unique geology of southern Illinois, that work could also bring good-paying jobs and new opportunities to our state.”

Chief Justice Dick Durbin is at it again. The Senate Judiciary Chairman, who fancies himself hall monitor of the Supreme Court, has summoned Chief Justice John Roberts for a meeting to discuss judicial ethics. The real Chief should tell the fake chief to stay in his constitutional lane.

The Worker Freedom of Speech Act is designed to prohibit employers from threatening, disciplining, firing, or otherwise retaliating against workers who refuse to attend mandatory workplace meetings focused on communicating opinions on political or religious matters.

Representatives return next week for potential final approval.

The Concerned Citizens of Manteno, a group of about 500 residents, has been against the Gotion plant since it was first announced in September. Annette LaMore, a spokeswoman for CCOM, said these latest sales “are crazy.”

The news that Ashley Duchossois Joyce has been elevated to chairwoman of her family’s namesake investment firm, Duchossois Capital Management, is the latest confirmation of a trend that’s been evident for a few years now: Family firms are increasingly looking to daughters — not just sons — to lead key enterprises, and that leadership is also contributing to a golden age of female-led philanthropy.

Former Congressman Thaddeus G. McCotter on Gotion, the Chinese company building E.V. battery plants in Illinois and Michigan: “These useful elected idiots are spending taxpayer dollars to buy the CCP the razor that barbaric regime will use to cut our throat….. That this is happening at all constitutes an unconscionable affront to the citizen-soldiers who gave their last full measure of devotion for us.”

The challenges of reaching consensus among the various factions of the big-tent Democratic supermajorities in the Illinois legislature were on full display Friday as lawmakers blew past a self-imposed deadline for passing a state budget and negotiations continued into Memorial Day weekend.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations agents recently arrested Venezuelan Tren de Aragua members in New York City and Chicago, but deportation efforts were foiled by federal or local policies.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday in revealing the legal action, alleging that the entertainment giants hold an illegal monopoly on the live music industry.

The newsrooms receiving the funding from the MacArthur Foundation are Borderless Magazine, Chicago News Weekly, Cicero Independiente, Growing Community Media, Injustice Watch, Investigative Project on Race & Equity, Invisible Institute, Lansing Journal, La Raza Chicago, Reparations Media NFP, Respair Production & Media, South Side Weekly and the Windy City Times.

Americans may have heard that democracy is under threat from MAGA Republicans, but what about from one-party progressive states? Witness how Illinois and other Democratic-controlled states are trying to muzzle their political opponents.

And see Wirepoints’ own column on this linked here.

Northwestern University president Michael Schill is set to testify in front of the House Education and Workforce Committee Thursday. Qatar, which has sheltered senior Hamas leaders even after the terrorist organization’s October 7 attack against Israel, has donated nearly $690 million to Northwestern since 2007.

Chicago-based M3 strategies conducted a poll of likely voters in Illinois earlier this month, proportionally distributed among Chicago, its suburbs and rural voters; Illinois remains a bellwether for America, so these results suggest how voters in similar regions in America think about these issues. While Democrats and Republicans converge on perceptions of climate change, there is still no clear consensus for Biden’s policies

“The unrest is unlikely to stop when universities break for the summer; protesters are pledging to disrupt the August Democratic National Convention planned to be held in Chicago. … The names are well-known among Democratic funding circles: Soros, Rockefeller, and Pritzker. Yet before the anti-Jewish protests swept college campuses over the last few months, their financial ties to the student groups were not widely known. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a member of the same wealthy Pritzker family, is not among the donors. “

Richard Porter, Illinois committeeman on the Republican National Committee: Chicago-based M3 Strategies conducted a poll of likely voters in Illinois last month that revealed a paradox in perceptions about race and racism in America today: How can a nation, state, or local area be considered racist if everyone living there thinks racism is bad?

Respect free speech and don’t take sides—a simple approach to avoid campus strife.

The full Civic Federation report is here.

National GOP Committeeman Richard Porter: “The herd effect is leading progressive lawmakers down a dark path where fashion is more important than function. … People generally feel less individual power as population density increases; the larger the group, the less each individual matters.”

“What you’re seeing now is the end-product of this cultural revolution in American education playing out on American campuses, in particular, using the paradigm of the oppressor and the oppressed,” Griffin said.

The Chicago Teachers Union has given the City of Chicago a list of more than 700 demands. Included in their demand is a 9 percent pay raise through 2028, 100 percent funding for teachers to get abortions, $2,000 for each illegal immigrant family, fee fare for all CPS students and employees to use public transportation, 45 vacation days per year, and no requirement for woke teachers to disclose to parents if their children are identifying as a different gender at school. All told, the list of demands has an estimated $50 billion price tag. The radical teachers’ unions have become

Can Democrats trust Democrats to protect their convention? There’s already a joke going around Democratic strategist circles that the main difference between 2024 and 1968 is that the Chicago mayor this year will be on the side of the protesters, not the cops.

Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris says it’s full steam ahead for the assembly plant, confirming plans with automaker Stellantis are still in motion, but could take time.

Officials are planning for potential disruptions inside and outside convention venue; organizers say fundraising has been strong

Northwestern promises to fund two professorships for Palestinians, give five full-ride scholarships for Palestinian students, and build a house for middle eastern and Muslim students. Rutgers promises to admit and give scholarships to ten Palestinian students, build an Arab Cultural Center, hire additional diversity, equity, and inclusion staff with “cultural competency” with Arabs, Muslims, and Palestinians, and consider hiring faculty for a Middle East Studies department. Each of these promises has different civil rights implications. Let’s explore each in turn.

“Rivian has its own profligate government patron—the state of Illinois. This week Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced up to $827 million in incentives for Rivian to expand a local plant and hire 550 employees—about $1.5 million per job. An underwater state is coming to the rescue of an underwater manufacturer. Anyone want to predict how this will turn out?”

“The Constitution isn’t a suicide pact, but the same can’t be said for the way government unions run Illinois. Behold the new union strategy to kill the state’s pension reforms using Social Security as the political cudgel.”

It’s becoming much clearer why Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants legislators to give him a half-billion dollars for quantum computing. The state of Illinois is closing in on what it believes could be the biggest technology project in state history: a $20 billion, 150-acre campus in the Chicago area for quantum computing. PsiQuantum is a leader, but there’s no guarantee its approach will work. Nor is it certain when or if quantum computing will deliver on the potential of becoming the next big thing.

“Progressives are FAR left. They don’t believe in capitalism or the Republic.”

Taking office following an administration that seemed intent on running down Illinois’ reputation, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has made competing on the economic development front a top priority. The strategy is paying off.

“They actively want to understand other cultures,” said Michael Boyd, who is also board chairman of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County. Boyd was part of the group that made the trip to China — paid for by Gotion.

The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 confirmed that Patrick Shelton’s current contract allots him the 21 school weeks, as well as 25 vacation days and four personal days. Shelton was first hired by the district in 2021, signing a three-year contract at the time.

A detailed look at the Tier 2 pension problem and Michael Madigan, by Mary Williams Walsh, a former New York Times reporter (who wasn’t part of the cesspool there).

In many states run by progressives such as Oregon, California and Illinois, government, healthcare and social assistance account for more than all of the net new jobs. That means those states are losing jobs in other industries. Illinois has added about 52,000 jobs in government, healthcare and social assistance over the last year—about double the number of its overall new jobs.

Many Americans are fed up with the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have proliferated on college campuses and in the workplace. These programs fixate on identity over objectivity and excellence. But despite the backlash, DEI advocates haven’t given up. In Illinois, lawmakers want to embed racial considerations into state appropriations for public universities.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker unexpectedly moved away last week from his longstanding opposition to taxing services, saying he didn’t want to start taking ideas off the table as lawmakers search for ways to fund and reform the Chicago region’s mass transit system.

Lawmakers have filed legislation calling for a referendum to be placed on the November ballot. The plan would create an additional 3% tax on individuals whose income is above $1 million a year. The money would go toward helping Illinois homeowners pay their property taxes.

By Chicago native Joel Pollak.

A website reveals the planning and strategy behind the current college mayhem. “The Illinois memo advises students to “be prepared to escalate your actions in order to continue making it more expensive…”

While much has been made about the economic woes and population declines of states like California and New York, recent economic data indicates that Illinois is struggling with huge issues of its own.

University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos in an April 29 letter to the university community regarding recent protests.

Gotion could receive roughly $7.5 billion in taxpayer subsidies for its factory in Illinois, which is expected to cost $2 billion. With an additional $536 million state subsidy package, the combined total in subsidies would exceed $8 billion.

Teachers’ unions are the leading purveyors of this approach. Two years ago, the United Educators of San Francisco adopted a resolution calling for a boycott of Israel. The Chicago Teachers Union instigated pro-Hamas demonstrations in the Windy City after October 7. The union persuaded Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson (a former CTU lobbyist) to condemn Israel in the city council, and it organized a student and faculty “walkout” to show solidarity with Hamas—a city-authorized event that left Jewish students and teachers feeling intimidated.

While state lawmakers have held committee hearings this session examining issues with Tier 2 benefits, they’re not likely to vote on any legislation before the session ends in May.

Northwestern appeases its protesters. Florida enforces its rules. Columbia is a mess. In exchange for removing the tents, Northwestern will fund two visiting Palestinian faculty members for at least two years, scholarships for five Palestinian undergraduates and a safe space for Middle Eastern and North African Muslim students.

After miraculously surging to two years highs in Nov 2023, Chicago PMI, a regional index of manufacturing health, has plunged for five straight months, with the last four months seeing the MoM declines accelerating. Against expectations of a rise to 45.0 (from March’s 41.4), April’s PMI data printed 37.9.

“You may have heard of this legislation referred to as the “TikTok ban.” But rest assured, we’re not out to stop the sharing of short-form videos.”

A decade ago, Rockford, Ill., was the underwater mortgage capital of America. Today, it is the country’s top real-estate market, according to The WSJ/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking.

Other states have tried the difficult state work permit path.

The statewide voter turnout of 19.07% is the lowest for a presidential primary election since at least 1960, according to Illinois State Board of Elections figures.

“In Algonquin, Illinois, which is a rural area, they ask applicants, When is the last time you shared your pronouns? Why do you think it’s essential to share your pronouns in.”

“When NPR faced criticism this week, it shot back with deceptive statistics, claiming less than 1 percent of its money is from the government. That’s three-card-monte accounting.”

Note: Lion Electric and Rivian, two of those three makers, have production facilities subsidized by the State of Illinois.

“Mr. Biden will never admit it, but privately financed fossil-fuel production is doing far more to boost the U.S. economy than his hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on electric vehicles and green energy…. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a climate-change obsessive, nonetheless tweeted last month that ‘thanks to the Biden Administration’s vision and leadership, the US has achieved energy independence for the first time in 40 years!'”

Richard Porter, National Committeeman to the RNC from Illinois: “The closest precedent is probably Anne Boleyn’s trial for adultery in 1536. It was about sex, the trial was in a hostile jurisdiction controlled by her accuser, and the whole point of the exercise was to lop off the head of someone who stood in the way of the regime’s continuity.”

Those voting against the resolution included Illinois Reps. Danny Davis (D-IL), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL).

Biden may be in for a rerun of 1968, with a ruinous Democratic Chicago convention.

Last year, over $780 million was distributed through SSP and another program that went to organizations and sanctuary cities across the country that provided services to illegal immigrants. Well-known sanctuary cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, and San Francisco.

“Texas school-district officials are charged with unlawfully using public funds for electioneering…. Unfortunately, these alleged abuses aren’t unique to Texas. The Chicago Teachers Union was caught last month “partnering” with Bring Chicago Home—an advocacy group campaigning for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s failed $100 million tax-hike initiative. The group had encouraged teachers to take students out of class and “march to an early voting site” in support of the initiative. The nonprofit Illinois Policy Institute filed an ethics complaint with the school district, but Chicago officials haven’t taken meaningful action against the union.”

About $30 per year for low income families; $50 per year for middle income families.

School choice scored a major victory in Texas including criminal incitements for illegal use of public funds. The same kind of activity happens all across the nation with Chicago being the worst of the lot.

“Cities such as San Francisco and Chicago are trying to save their downtown office districtsfrom spiraling into a doom loop…. St. Louis is already trapped in one. This is the future for America’s downtowns if they can’t reinvent themselves and halt the downward spiral.”

Chemical maker Ineos has laid off 49 workers at its facility near Joliet. The company said it is shutting down a plant that makes a curing agent for epoxy, resins, paints and other products following “a lengthy unplanned shutdown imposed by our utilities’ contractor, combined with significant uncertainty in the market upon restart.”

Howard Tullman, former CEO of 1871 in Chicago and former executive director of the Kaplan Institute at Illinois Tech.: “[I]n our college students and, even more critically, in the waves of new employees joining our businesses, we are seeing the effects and debilitating symptoms of a generation raised and educated in a world where nearly every waking hour is spent glued to and interacting with their phones…. There are no easy answers. The success of your business and the futures of your kids could hang in the balance, and you’ve been warned.”

As part of a clean-energy bill passed in 2021, the state is spending $70 million to increase the number of EV chargers available. The federal government also is funding chargers along interstate highways. The Illinois Department of Transportation is accepting applications for $50 million in funding for chargers.

First, he attacked opponents of the proposed electric vehicle battery plant in Mecosta County as “xenophobes“. But he also asserted that the CCP is the same as the Republican and Democratic parties in the U.S.

Ameya Pawar, former member of the Chicago City Council and appointee to the Illinois Finance Authority/Climate Bank: “In most cases, governments launched public options as common-sense enterprises to meet a community’s needs. But despite ample evidence of their efficacy, they have yet to be taken seriously as a tool to tackle food deserts. And that’s unfortunate, because where there are food deserts, there are almost always banking, child care, health care and every other type of desert, too. Public options could be a potent force to tackle them. This is where Illinois is flipping the script.”

Our vote-loving politicians, who know an applause line when they hear one, will often publicly rant about redundant taxing bodies that spend big money but produce little. But they’ve done nothing to solve this glaring problem.

Note: Gotion, the Chinese company linked to the CCP, plans a similarly sized plant for Manteno, IL.

“Minorities and the poor would do well to question the progressive equity agenda that takes more and more and gives less and less.”

Moolenaar is the incoming chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Gotion is receiving $536 million in subsidies from the State of Illinois to build an electric vehicle batter plant in Manteno.

The move was “in reaction to grant money that came to Wisconsin in 2020 from the Center for Tech and Civic Life,” which is headquartered in Chicago.

In the last year before its demise, the state’s Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program had a record number of scholarship recipients and substantial jumps in participating schools and contributions.mThe program supported more than 15,000 students with scholarships in the 2023-24 academic year, a 56% increase from the previous year, according to Department of Revenue data obtained by the Tribune.

The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Illinois rose from $1,806 to $2,310 in the last year, according to Bankrate.com.

Gotion Inc., the California-based subsidiary of Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion High-Tech Co. (Gotion High-Tech), is planning to build massive electric vehicle battery plants in Michigan and Illinois, both of which stand to benefit from taxpayer funding.

The top 10 states with the highest effective property tax rates in 2023 were all in the Northeast and Midwest. They were led by Illinois (1.88 percent), New Jersey (1.64 percent), Connecticut (1.54 percent), New York (1.46 percent) and Nebraska(1.46 percent).

Also noteworthy is another opinion piece—one that’s bouncing around the world of nonprofit activists—that also appears to reject leftist excess. But it’s a little harder to know what to make of this one. Rachel Pritzker, a member of a prominent Democratic family, wrote that “at a certain point, I came to see that my efforts, under the banner of ‘democracy,’ were actually furthering the decline of democracy.”

Cities face an uphill battle passing new funding measures to support brand-new housing initiatives, especially when voters are invested in keeping real estate taxes flat. In Chicago, one of the main groups opposing the Bring Chicago Home campaign said raising taxes could also raise housing costs, hurting homeowners and renters alike.

Comment: In addition to the Michigan plant, Gotion plans a similarly sized plant for Manteno, IL, subsidized with $536 million from the State of Illinois.

When Chicago last held the Democratic National Convention, Mayor Richard Daley declared “the policeman isn’t there to create disorder; the policeman is there to preserve disorder.” The Democratic National Committee has now added its own gem: the Democratic Party is not here to preserve democracy, it is here to prevent democracy.

Pritzker is leaning into the promise he made when running for governor that he’d be the state’s chief marketing officer. Illinois needs to rev up its economic development game to reverse stubborn population and job-growth trends that have been a drag.

Frank Manzo IV of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute: Illinois finally has been able to get back on its feet after years of fiscal mismanagement. Now, with record-high profits from businesses, Illinois can afford to enact policies that invest in working families and in attracting more people — more workers, more entrepreneurs, and more taxpayers — to our great state.

That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, which has been conducting the survey every year since 2017.

With elected officials tacitly endorsing unlimited migration, taxpayers foot the bill for a crisis exacerbated by executive overreach and legislative dereliction. Unless accountability is restored, Illinois risks further economic strain and governance crises, perpetuating a cycle of fiscal mismanagement and political expediency at the expense of its citizens.

State Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, introduced House Bill 4767, which would force insurance companies to apply for state approval to change rates. According to Illinois Secretary of State Alexei Giannoulias, the measure would give the Department of Insurance broad authority to regulate rate hikes.

“If we continue on the path we’re on, hopefully, we’ll have more yield and more bushels at the end of the year,” Otten said, noting that China is one of the United States’ biggest buyers and its struggle is taking a toll on prices.

There has been a vast migration out of counties that voted for Joe Biden into those counties that voted to reelect Donald Trump. Cook County among the most conspicuous examples. Fourteen other Illinois counties on the full list.

While the mayor and union appear in lockstep on their vision for the school system, the city likely won’t have the money for more staffing and resources in schools. So the CTU says it’s shifting its target from City Hall to Springfield.

State Sen. Robert Peters’ Senate Bill 3646 addresses children under the age of 15 who obtain a work permit. Anna Koeppel, legislative director at Illinois Department of Labor, said the current law primarily permits employment for 14 and 15 year-olds, as long as it is within allowable work hours and it’s not in hazardous conditions.

Cook County’s courts have steadfastly refused to grant the public remote access to any court files or records. Lawyers who operate within the court system enjoy such access, demonstrating the court has the ability to do so. The public, however, must still travel to physical courthouses in Chicago and elsewhere in the county to access records about cases and criminal charges pending in the largest court system in Illinois, which has 3.9 million active case files still pending.

While elections are partisan, the administration of elections should not be. But RCV is an election scheme that favors the elites and quashes the voices of those they deem “extreme.” It is un-American in every way and ought to be rejected by Illinois lawmakers.

If last week’s primary vote count in Chicago is any indication, Biden will have to continue working to engage voters — especially young voters — in what will be a tough reelection bid against former President Donald Trump.

A leading Republican at the Illinois Statehouse says he stepped down from the House ethics committee because of a lack of action.

“For us, in this present moment, we’re just concerned that when the government funds something, the government wants to control part or all if it can. We have made the choice to pay double and have our freedoms.”

As we’ve discussed before, the competition for scarce state dollars is particularly fierce this year in Springfield as various groups elbow each other for money while large surpluses and revenue increases start to dry up.

The proposed law comes in response to the decision by Judge Sharon Coleman of the U.S. District Court for the Nothern District of Illinois that ruled a noncitizen migrant had the right to possess a firearm while he was defending a Chicago business during the 2020 riots that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Comment: We criticized this order here, which gave extra time during oral arguments to minority lawyers.

Comment: We wrote about this fiasco here. The same bus maker is being relied on by the Chicago Transit Authority and is to provide buses for PACE in the Chicago area.

“The need for long-term care will explode over the next 20 years,” Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Terry Prince told the Legislative Audit Commission. He predicted long-term care populations would grow by 200 to 500% in that span.

Welch’s office initially defended the issuance of the order based on the

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Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s office issued an order instructing his 78-member Democratic supermajority not to speak to a Chicago Tribune reporter about “political matters” at the State Capitol or elsewhere, citing highly dubious grounds that such discussions could be an ethical breach.

In 2022 the company announced that it planned to close a factory in Belvidere, Illinois, and lay off 1,350 people in an effort to trim its manufacturing footprint. But during contentious contract talks last year with the United Auto Workers, Stellantis agreed to keep the plant open to make EVs, as well as add a battery factory in Belvidere.

“The Illinois Supreme Court recently refused to terminate the law license of convicted felon and former powerhouse Chicago Ald. Edward Burke. The justices may well have done so because Burke played a role in putting several of them on their judicial benches. The judicial selection process in Illinois needs change.”

In a scathing and stinging decision – that was as much poetry as it was mockery – a federal judge denied former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s effort to overturn his ineligibility to hold office.

“Currently, workers who want to assert their basic workplace rights risk losing their livelihood and ability to provide for themselves and their families. For some immigrant workers, asserting their rights means risking their ability to remain in the United States,” Raoul said

Illinois given an F, and ranked dead last among the states.

Chicago, in the blue state of Illinois, appears for the moment to be bucking that trend. Company representatives who spoke with Crain’s say they remain committed to their efforts designed to address opportunity inequities.

The company also has plans to build a subsidized facility in Manteno. The company has drawn the attention of the House Select Committee on the CCP and prompted legislation to be introduced on Capitol Hill. Gotion Inc.’s plans have become an animating issue in the township’s local politics, with many locals expressing their discontent with the company’s presence because of its ties to China and the CCP by way of Gotion High-Tech.

Tom Weitzel, retired police chief of the Riverside Police Department: “If we continue down the same path we’ve been on, there’ll be more domestic violence murders and mass murders, and the victims will fill the morgue. And we’ll look at each other and ask, ‘What could we have done? What should we have done?'”

“It’s the memory of Chicago in 1968, I’m afraid, that gives me a premonition of the presidential campaign of 2024. It’s possible that neither human nature nor political dynamics have changed much in the 56 years between then and now. If anything, both have deteriorated. This summer, the Democrats are again meeting in Chicago.”

Comment: Gotion is the Chinese electric vehicle battery maker planning a very similar plant for Manteno, IL, which faces intense local opposition as well as a lawsuit to stop the plant.

“The woke left is coming after me for peeing on a tree during my college days,” state Rep. Adam Niemerg told me not long ago.

These new laws range from new requirements for residential landlords, first of its kind electric vehicle requirements, to far-reaching revisions to the Illinois Property Tax Code. Entities that own or intend to develop commercial real estate in the state should be mindful of these new Illinois laws.

In a significant move to bolster workers’ rights against employer retaliation, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has introduced a new piece of legislation aimed at strengthening existing protections for employees.

Three incumbent congressmen face tough challenges from within their own parties in Tuesday’s primaries in Illinois, while at the top of the ticket, presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump are expected to easily pad their delegate leads.

The race for one of the seven Illinois Supreme Court seats pits an appointed incumbent against a second-time candidate as the two Democrats vie for their party’s nomination next week. Because no Republican has filed to run for the Cook County-based seat, it’s more than likely that Tuesday’s contest determines the ultimate winner of November’s election too.

The decision calls into question efforts to impose new obligations on both the day and temporary labor service agencies employing covered laborers and the clients to whom those agencies contract for temporary labor.

On a percentage basis, New York, Illinois, Louisiana, and California lost the most population between 2020 and 2023.

A new study published March 11 indicates that from 2020 through 2023, an average of less than a third of registered voters turned out and actually cast ballots on tax-raising referendums in Cook County. Most of those referendums passed.

The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers said federal and state governments are fast tracking policies to limit consumer choice and end the availability of new gas cars. “The fact that consumers in a couple years are literally going to be robbed of their ability to choose the cars that are most popular and most meet their needs, that is not something that people are happy about,” AFPM President and CEO Chet Thompson said.

State Reps. Adam Niemerg and Blaine Wilhour need to be taught a lesson — at least that’s the message being sent by the state’s powerful teachers unions and other allies in organized labor as they bankroll primary challenges of the arch-conservative incumbents.

A proposal in Illinois to have social media companies pay media outlets that link to their content is being called a “link tax” by some, but fair compensation by others. Senate Bill 3591 would set up a structure for online news outlets to negotiate with social media platforms to get compensated when someone shares a news story on their news feed.

Illinois is negotiating an incentive deal with Rivian in connection with the electric-vehicle maker’s decision to launch production of a new model in Illinois. Rivian made a surprise announcement March 7 that its new SUV, the R2, would be manufactured at its downstate Normal plant and it was pausing construction of a new factory near Atlanta. “The elements of an economic development package are still being finalized…. Once they are finalized, we will update the public on the details of the incentive package.” The bet Pritzker is making is that Rivian will follow Tesla’s path, making it through the transition

Calling the reopening of the Stellantis plant in Belvidere a “great comeback story,” President Biden said, “Before I came to office, the plant was on its way to shutting down. Thousands of workers feared for their livelihoods. Hope was fading. Then I was elected to office and we raised Belvidere repeatedly with the auto company, knowing unions make all the difference. The UAW worked like hell to keep the plant open and get those jobs back. And together, we succeeded!”

U.S. Rep John Moolenaar and Paul Teller, of Advancing American Freedom: “Gotion [which is scheduled to build a plant in Manteno, subsidized by the state] is undoubtedly a threat to U.S. national security…. Former President Barack Obama’s defense secretary, Leon Panetta, along with former President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, recently testified that Gotion poses a significant risk to American sovereignty and security…. Only a fool would fund his adversaries….”

Pritzker, also a top surrogate for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, took on the age issue — which polls show is punishing Biden, 81 and not Trump, 77. “And I don’t want to hear B.S. about anyone’s age… Donald Trump was stupid and ignorant long before he got old,” the governor said. Pritzker said he learned an important lesson in the 2016 presidential election, when Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton: “Don’t mince words, in the fight of your life. Don’t hold back. This is an existential battle everyone.”

A commendably simple and clear summary of key budget elements.

James Coughlin, food toxicology expert with the Institute of Food Technologists, said there should be a uniform set of rules for the entire country. “This patchwork of several states having their own banned additives on a list make it very difficult for food manufacturers to sell things in interstate commerce,” he said. Craig Llewellyn, also with the Institute of Food Technologists, said states should trust the Food and Drug Administration on what additives should be banned.

A detailed, annual look prepared by Moody’s Analytics for the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Jim Dey: “We, we, we. Like a narcissistic opera singer, (Gov. JB) Pritzker unleashed a torrent of self-congratulation that meant me, me, me, me. ‘Do not let the doom grifters steal your optimism about what’s ahead for Illinois. Our future is bright.’ Who are ‘doom grifters’? They are ‘spelunkers of misery.’ Who? The ‘carnival barkers.’ Pritzker’s barb collection refers to skeptical financial analysts, including those at Truth in Accounting and Wirepoints who report the unofficial side of the budget story. Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon acknowledged Pritzker’s resentment but said the ‘name calling honestly doesn’t bother me.'”

Illinois Republicans are officially releasing their rebuttal to the Governor’s proposed state budget. Governor Pritzker laid out his budget plan for the next fiscal year at the statehouse last week.

Will Johnson, Chicago-based CEO of The Harris Poll: In the Republican caucus in Iowa and primary elections in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Michigan — states that allow some form of crossover or unaffiliated voting — exit polls show upward of half of Haley’s support came from a combination of Democrats and independents. And they’re being urged by political action committees to keep it up next week in the seven Super Tuesday states with open primary elections.

Philanthropic support, like the $500 million Press Forward nationwide initiative, is important. Legislation can make a difference too, and Illinois has two ambitious proposals, introduced by state Sen. Steve Stadelman of Rockford, that are worth strong consideration from lawmakers: Senate Bill 3591, the Journalism Preservation Act, would require social media and tech giants like Google and Facebook to compensate local news organizations for content they share and profit from. Senate Bill 3592 would create the Strengthening Community Media Act with hiring incentives, including a tax credit for news outlets to hire more reporters and for small businesses that advertise with

Less than 24 hours after she ordered Donald Trump removed from Illinois’ primary ballot , Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tracie Porter clarified the duration of a stay she placed on her removal order on Wednesday when she ruled President Trump “disqualified” and that any votes for him would be void if the order went into effect.

The Milwaukee transit system says it’s only using about half of its 11 electric buses on a daily basis because of maintenance issues.

The downward revision reflects budgetary pressures that have not been counterbalanced by new revenue growth, S&P said. Specifically, S&P cited rising public safety labor costs, recent legislative changes to pension contributions and the ongoing costs of migrant arrivals.

Comment: This new portal is awfully incomplete, as it pretty much admits on its face. Among other deficiencies, it only covers asylum seekers, who are a small part of the issue.

“In some cases, the defence of failure is breathtaking. Blue states such as Illinois have worked to all but eliminate charters, even as the Land of Lincoln boasts 53 schools where not one student can do grade-level math and 30 where none can do so in English. These schools are overwhelmingly in Chicago, where a significant increase in spending per student since 2019 seems to have made no impact. Yet Chicago’s failures are wholly representative.

The electric-pickup maker Rivian plans to produce 57,000 vehicles this year, roughly the same number as last year. Lucid said it aims to produce 9,000 vehicles, a slight increase from last year’s figure. Both say they are concentrating on finding customers. Car companies from Tesla to Ford Motor are hunkering down in the midst of weaker than expected demand for battery-powered vehicles in the U.S.

The Illinois Municipal League is warning that eliminating the 1% grocery tax as Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed will cost local taxpayer-funded cities hundreds of millions a year.

The CCOM’s fight against Gotion has now received national coverage through several televisions news programs and newspapers. Fundraising efforts have brought hundreds of protesters together, and donations have been coming in, locally, as well as from out-of-state Americans who want to join our fight to protect our country. Thousands of people have joined our Facebook page, No Gotion-Illinois. We welcome you to join and follow the facts.

The results of the study, which is being conducted with the assistance of general investment consultant RVK, will be presented at the pension fund’s June board meeting.

Delivered 2/21/24 concurrently with Gov. Pritzker’s State of State and Budget Address.

In Illinois, the state government allocated $71.8 million in ARP funds for cash payments made “to households that were not eligible to receive Economic Impact Payments… due to immigration status.” Chicago’s government earmarked another $14.7 million for its “resiliency fund” which sent $500 cash transfers to tens of thousands of “previously excluded residents and domestic workers.”

Illinois is facing its first budget deficit in three years as the state deals with rising costs for everything from education to services for migrants.

“Some may live in denial, but entering the United States illegally is a crime.”

The migrant crisis has brought to light inequality in the way immigrants are treated. Members of the city’s undocumented Latino community are angry when they see newly arrived immigrants from Venezuela able to obtain work permits, which gives them access to better-paying jobs. Other communities are infuriated, too, pointing out that public funding to shelter and feed migrants is money that might otherwise be used to further address the city’s daunting social problems, such as homelessness, mental illness and poverty. How is it that new arrivals are assigned to city shelters while there are tent camps in Humboldt Park

The governor’s office has said it expects to end the budget year this coming June 30 with a surplus of $422 million. But for the budget year that begins July 1, the governor’s office in November projected a shortfall of $891 million based on pension contributions and other costs rising faster than projected revenue. That figure could need to be made up through some combination of spending cuts or tax increases.

Richard Porter, National Committeeman from Illinois: “All of these cases involve novel theories that break new ground – and that also cause tens of millions of Americans to question the good faith of Trump’s opponents generally, the neutrality of courts, and the rule of law itself.”

Gotion has a very similar plant planned for Manteno, Illinois. This week, Republican Michigan state Sens. Jonathan Lindsey and Lana Theis demanded the Whitmer administration to halt funding for the project in light of the concerns raised by Panetta and Pompeo.

Jim Acklin confirmed he was recruited to run for the 102nd District by the Illinois Education Association after Niemerg was removed from the ballot last month. That is likely to come with hundreds of thousands of dollars in union-led campaign donations.

Over the decades, Illinois has been a leader in significant enterprises, but there’s one the state may not relish to be first. For the fifth year in a row, the Land of Lincoln is a top state for people leaving. Illinois and California tied for the title of states folks want to get out of. That’s according to the annual Moving Migration Report from North American Moving Services

After multiple request for comment from Stellantis, the auto maker provided a statement that says, “We are still discussing plans for this operation in Belvidere and any information being communicated about potential layoffs is purely speculation. As we continue to assess our staffing needs, we have no further comment at this time.”

Gotion is the same company slated to build a similar EV battery plant in Manteno, Illinois, subsidized with $536 million from the state.