Anyone convicted of a felony, bribery, perjury or other infamous crime as an elected official is now ineligible to hold any public office. Lawmakers could run for public office again if their conviction is reversed, they are pardoned or have their rights restored by the governor.

Even though Illinois gas prices are down from a month ago, they’re still the highest in the Midwest and 11th-highest nationwide, according to AAA.

“When businesses are not able to open because of regulations, it hurts the businesses chances of being successful,” Ford said. “That’s the danger.”

Illinois has been trying to position itself as a hub for new technologies, from quantum computing to life sciences and electric vehicle manufacturing. After winning $14 billion in infrastructure funds, $1 billion to build a Midwest hydrogen hub, and bidding to host the $11 billion National Semiconductor Technology Center, the governor is looking for more. The state is now seeking $1 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency for clean energy projects, according to the group leading the bid.

“I don’t know where it’s going, with Donald Trump, what I can tell you is, the things that he talks about, are frightening to those of us who know the history of Europe in the 1930s and 40s,” Pritzker said in a nationally televised interview. “And I’m deeply concerned about his predilection for revenge.”

“The Illinois House adjourned early Thursday, Nov. 9, so the Democrats could speed up I-55 to attend a political fundraiser in Chicago for President Joe Biden, leaving behind the hopes and dreams of thousands of parents and children, who thought, just maybe, they could pull off a miracle in Springfield and get their representatives to listen to them, not the teachers unions that funnel millions of dollars into their re-election campaigns. “

They discuss his advocacy for abortion rights, immigration, the 2024 presidential race, the latest on the Israel-Hamas war and more.

Making the trip were Angela Morrey, director of marketing & business attraction for the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County; Ryan Marion, code enforcement officer for the village of Manteno; Manteno Fire Chief Scott O’Brien; and Clay Sterling, professor in the renewable energy program at Kankakee Community College. “We tried to go there to find something negative,” Marion said. “And the only thing that we found is if the employees that are working there now, go away. … But I don’t see that happening.”

Soybean yields in Central Illinois averaged from 70 to 80 and 90 bushels per acre, with some farmers reporting 100 bushels per acre. So “pretty darned good” in the end, after a challenging start.

Christopher Rufo: “Here’s an example of how this combination of well-funded activism and political influence works in practice: Pritzker-funded activists at Lurie Children’s Hospital (the largest children’s hospital in Chicago) provide local schools with training, materials, and personnel who promote gender transitions for children, using the hospital’s reputation to give their ideology a scientific veneer. And the more one investigates, the worse it gets. Children are exposed, for instance, not only to trans ideology, but to concepts such as ‘kink’ (unusual tastes in sexual behavior), ‘BDSM’ (bondage, domination, submission, and masochism), binders to flatten breasts, and prosthetic penises.”

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate increased +0.2 percentage point to 4.6 percent, while nonfarm payrolls decreased -15,000 in October, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and released by IDES.

The United Auto Workers, for example, launched a six-week strike against the country’s top three automakers this fall, in part because labor leaders worried that the industry’s transition to electric vehicles would harm assembly line workers. That put Democratic governors who backed the move to EVs in a tough spot. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan all staked

Mailee Smith, Illinois Policy Institute: “Teachers unions may have won this political battle, but we cannot allow them to win a war in which our children’s educations are the casualties.”

Collin Levy, Kim Strassel, Greg Abbott and Kyle Peterson discuss the latest.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said his expectation is that the federal government will step up and help the city. “Just like the state of Illinois knows what their assignment is, just like Cook County government knows what their assignment is, and as a public school teacher, I expect people to turn their assignment in,” said Johnson. When asked how much money they would need, Johnson said, “A lot.”

Seaton delivered a summary of the funding increase requests that ISBE received from districts and members of the public during a series of hearings on the agency’s budget last month. Those requested increases, he said, totaled just over $1.7 billion.

Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) Interim President Dr. Katrina Bell-Jordan issued a statement to the entire campus community clarifying its free speech position after Fox News Digital reported that students and staff in the Sociology Department received multiple emails from professors advocating against the Jewish state.

Coles County State’s Attorney Jesse Danley said the situation stemmed from unclear language and widespread confusion about the SAFE-T Act. “There wasn’t a lot of direction (and) I know that I’m not the only county that handled it this way, and quite frankly, in meeting with my judiciary in advance of this coming action, I think that was the consensus of what needed to be done.”

“Even as more Americans hunger for educational freedom, school choice is about the only thing that Illinois’ Democratic governor JB Pritzker won’t throw money at…We shouldn’t be surprised that a Democratic governor in a state with strong teachers’ unions lacks the political courage to stand on the side of educational freedom.”

That politicians aren’t as fooled as they pretend is obvious from the efforts of high-tax jurisdictions to penalize those who flee. In 2018, Illinois legislators passed a law to claw back tax breaks from “any recipient business that chooses to move all or part of its business operations and the jobs created by its business out-of-State.”

“It almost looked like some of the people pushing the extension were more interested in maintaining lucrative income tax credits in perpetuity and punching at unions than making sure that at least some kids had assistance.”

CAGW President Tom Schatz said, “Sen. Durbin’s legislation would significantly increase the government’s control over a competitive and popular marketplace. If enacted into law, it would double down on harmful policies, damage the economy, and be a disaster for consumers. For trying to take away credit card benefits and rewards, Sen. Durbin was an easy choice for this month’s Porker.”

Northwestern University’s Prison Education Program is a partnership among the university, Oakton College and the Illinois Department of Corrections. Around 100 students are enrolled in the program across Stateville and the Logan Correctional Center, a women’s prison.

This was the final legislative action of 2023 before members will return to Springfield for the 2024 session on January 16.

The bill calls for a centralized office that would ensure all government agencies, offices and services have the adequate tools to provide language services. This includes having translators or documents for a variety of languages.

The new money, which comes from an Illinois Department of Human Services surplus, will be broken down into programs aimed at fixing a process that has left thousands of migrants sleeping at makeshift, temporary locations, such as police stations. The state will provide $65 million for a winterized tent shelter site where up to 2,000 migrants can stay for as long as 6 months; $30 million to help set up a migrant intake center; and

The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act has gained notoriety throughout the country and the world in recent years, as a growing cadre of class action law firms have used the law to amass billions of dollars in attorney fees from settlements from businesses terrified at the prospect of facing “annihilative” and “catastrophic” payouts at the hands of juries.

Rates will still rise next year for four major natural gas utilities, but not nearly as much as they would have if the commission had approved the utilities’ initial requests. The commissioners instead sided with consumer advocates – rejecting several recommendations from the ICC’s own staff – in several key areas, including profit rates, low-income discounts and spending oversight.

Asked how the migrant crisis has caused resources to be pulled from other programs, state homelessness chief Christine Haley said, in part, “So, I wouldn’t phrase it as that it’s been pulled from one group to serve another. I think it’s that our mission is really to see how we can make our crisis housing response system stronger for all people by investing in all.”

At Wednesday’s protest, nearly 150 protesters “illegally and violently” rallied in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, police said. Protesters blocked entrances and exits from the building, according to a post on X from Casten, and Capitol police escorted members of Congress to safety.

In a nationally televised interview this week, Krishnamoorthi stated that the recent uptick in antisemitism is because “ever since a certain former president came to office and started to play upon some of the fault lines between people of color, between people of different religions and ethnicities and national origin, that latent discrimination came to the fore, and it materialized into antisemitism,” and other forms of bigotry.

A plurality of Americans—and a majority of Republicans—also say that US leaders are not paying enough attention to US-China competition.

Manteno, Illinois resident Shannyn Dockery, an award-winning teacher with a focus on environmentalism, has deep concerns about the potential environmental effects of the proposed Gotion lithium-ion car battery plant on the Kankakee River and local endangered species. She and her husband, whose family has lived in Manteno for seven generations, are raising their children in the town.

Gotion has a very similar factory planned for Manteno, Illinois.

Lawyers from Illinois and free speech advocates have lined up to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to reject a proposed new attorney anti-discrimination rule, that they said could result in a “speech code” under which conservative lawyers in Illinois could be subjected to professional discipline, and potentially the loss of their law license, if they express opinions on politics or social issues disfavored by the state’s liberal majority.

Inside a vast data center on the outskirts of Chicago, the most powerful supercomputer in the world is coming to life. Called Aurora, the supercomputer’s high-performance capabilities will be matched with the latest advances in artificial intelligence. Together they will be used by scientists researching cancer, nuclear fusion, vaccines, climate change, encryption, cosmology and other complex sciences and technologies.

The implications are particularly large in Chicago, where there are hundreds of pending felon-with-firearm cases stemming largely from the U.S. attorney’s office efforts to throw federal law enforcement resources into the fight against the city’s relentless gun violence.

Pew Charitable Trusts said state leaders must be able to assess whether their budgetary decisions will be affordable over the long term. Illinois is highlighted in the report for spending more than it collected in revenue every year from fiscal 2006 through fiscal 2020 and then balanced the annual budget in part by delaying payment to hundreds of vendors, including small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Lawyers for the state argued that the state has a legitimate and compelling interest in protecting children from sexual predator and that the law does not have to be perfect to pass constitutional scrutiny.

Now, state Rep. Dan Caulkins has petitioned the nation’s highest court to review the state Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law on due process, equal protection and Second Amendment grounds. The petition argues that Justices Elizabeth Rochford and Mary Kay O’Brien participated in the case despite receiving campaign contributions from those who support the ban.

Illinois Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers reported a state-wide average price of $63.87 for a holiday feast for ten, or around $6.39 per person. This reflects a 2.5% decrease over the previous year’s state average of $65.53.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court docketed a case brought by state Rep. Dan Caulkins challenging the state’s gun and magazine ban. Separately in the Southern District of Illinois federal court Tuesday, a judge denied the state’s motion to delay responding to plaintiffs seeking an injunction against the Jan. 1 registry deadline. Also this week, a second separate motion was filed by plaintiffs out of Naperville to have the entire Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals review the case.

Asked whether the Think Big effort telegraphed Pritzker’s future prospects as a presidential contender, Communications Director Christina Amestoy said: “The governor is extremely happy being governor right now. … He’s looking at what’s at stake. He sees himself as having a role.”

“When I’m on the road in Illinois, I hear how desperately employers need skilled workers to fill critical jobs in industries like health care and agriculture. The key to solving these problems is immigration reform — when given the opportunity, immigrants choose lawful pathways, contribute to our economy and revitalize our communities.”

Jim Dey: “Noting that its ruling ‘should not be construed’ to apply criminal defendants arrested on or after the Sept. 18 effective date of the SAFE-T Act, the appellate court said defendants arrested prior to that date fall into three categories: those released on pretrial conditions, including bond; those who remain in jail ‘after being ordered released on pretrial conditions’ that include posting a bond; those who remain in jail on a ‘no bail’ order.”

“I, Michael Frerichs, am Illinois state treasurer, and it’s my job to seek the highest risk-adjusted returns over the long-term for working people, retirees and local government entities…It’s why I spearheaded the Illinois Sustainable Investing Act, which provides that all state and local government entities that hold and manage public funds should integrate material, relevant and useful sustainability factors into their policies, processes and decision-making.”

Twelve states, including Illinois, were flagged for using federal relief funds to cover recurring costs that were equivalent to a significant 2.5% or more of their fiscal 2022 general fund expenditures. As a result, the report said, Illinois faces a moderate to elevated risk of encountering that fiscal cliff if it doesn’t find money to replace those federal dollars.

Neighboring red states, such as Iowa and Indiana, have recently made nearly all of their students eligible for private school choice programs. Wisconsin, which has a Democratic governor and a Republican-dominated legislature, increased the dollar amount of its school vouchers over the summer. But in Illinois, state lawmakers did not pass a bill during the fall veto session to extend the program despite a last-minute push from families and advocacy groups.

That is the third-highest percentage in the country behind only Florida (68%) and Maryland (59%).

If signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, this amendment will mean that staffing agencies will not have to pay equal pay and benefits to temporary employees until they have actually worked for a third-party client more than 90 workdays after April 1, 2024.

Currently, Rivian builds two consumer models and a battery-electric delivery van at a sole plant in Illinois.

Empower ranked these cities based on home affordability, income, cost of living, and labor force participation.

“Through November of this year, compared to November of 2021 — which was the highest year for pretty much everyone in the country as far as shootings — we’re down 50%,” Police Chief Shane Brandel said. But crimes like shoplifting, stealing car parts and stolen property, are up. “If they may feel like ‘hey if I can get out easier,’ they continue on their path.”

The Middle West Review’s poll actually reveals that Midwesternism is a state of mind. Geography matters less than having nice neighbors, a sense of community and questionable cuisine.

Every year, millions of Americans pack up and move from one state to another, providing unique insights into what people value when deciding where to live, work, and raise a family. For many years, policymakers, journalists, and taxpayers have debated the role state tax policy plays in individuals’ and businesses’ location decisions. Annual data about who is moving—and where—provide clues about the factors contributing to these moves. Taxes are one such factor. States with the highest net AGI losses included California at -$29.1 billion, New York at -$24.5 billion, Illinois at -$10.8 billion, and Massachusetts at -$4.3

The Gotion project at issue in this interview is substantially identical to that planned for Manteno, Illinois, with the same issues.

Rush University Hospital is one of the latest big employers in Chicago targeted by a class action lawsuit for allegedly violating Illinois’ biometrics law. The hospital allegedly required employees scan their fingerprint to access patient medications dispensed through lockers, says the suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has failed to meet its goals to speed up both initial licensing and renewals in key industries as applications to the agency grew by 15 percent between 2019 and 2022.

Activist Tio Hardiman argues the reasons for his position are as apparent as they are endless. “There have been over 7,400-plus armed robberies in Chicago this year; over 540 people have been killed and the crime continues to increase,” he said. “Now, we have a mayor spending more time attempting to fix a crisis that was created by bad policy…I feel it’s a slap in the face of all the people of Chicago.”

Eric Ivers of Jerseyville, a Jersey County Board member, sympathizes with the Illinois counties that want to become a new state. However, he thinks it is more feasible to move the boundary between Jersey County and a handful of like-minded downstate counties so that they can be part of Missouri.

While Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker recently approved a measure allowing non-citizens on work permits or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to apply to be police officers in the Land of Lincoln, other states like Florida and Alaska are offering thousands of dollars in recruitment bonuses.

Jim Dey: “The principal villains in this political drama are teachers’ unions who did what unions do — protect their members’ best interests. They oppose Invest in Kids because private schools are tough competitors. Remember when public schools shut down during the coronavirus pandemic while private schools remained open? K-12 public school students fell behind as a consequence.”

“The scrutiny of TIF districts is really important because often they don’t produce the results that they’re touted for and sometimes produce very little in the way of results,” said David Merriman, interim director of the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs. “In many instances, TIFs can shift the tax burden and are used to give subsidies to developers without sufficient transparency or quid pro quo for the subsidies.”

All 40 members of the House GOP were ready to support an extension of the program. “It is my hope that over the remainder of the year that the advocates for and against this will actually come together, sit at a table together and will come up with a remedy

“Though Illinois Policy Institute blames the defeat on the teachers’ unions, a coalition of 65 local, state and national organizations came together to argue in favor of letting the voucher program sunset away.”

“Who’s right and who’s wrong depends on who casts the deciding vote. Given the contentious nature of this issue, it would be no surprise if the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes. But here’s the rub: Unless and until that happens, the law will take effect Jan. 1.”

The veto session has seen legislators deliver major legislation in years past, but this year legislators stalled on several major initiatives — Invest in Kids scholarships, Karina’s Bill on domestic violence, the “Right of First Refusal” for in-state utilities, and the legislative staff unionization bill — pushing those off to next year’s agenda.

“The most disconcerting thing about the situation is the secrecy with which it has been done. In every village or county board meeting that has been held since the official announcement of this project, any questions about the environmental impact or the PRC/CCP involvement have gone unanswered.”

Green Charter Township Supervisor Jason Kruse and Green Charter Township Trustee Jeff Thorne discuss environmental and security concerns and other questions about the EV battery project that prompted the recall.

The statement from the Illinois Freedom Caucus following Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch’s deliberate decision to prevent legislation to extend the Invest in Kids program from being voted on during the final week of the Veto Session reads, in part, “There were as many as 35 House Democrats ready to vote for the program (more than enough to pass the bill) had Speaker Welch called the legislation for a vote.”

The Invest in Kids Act requires by law that participants take the same standardized test that students in public schools take each spring in an effort to measure the program’s success. “The governor’s administration has failed year in and year out since 2018 to do that assessment, they’re not releasing anything and they are delaying the release this year until after the program expires,” Senate Minority Leader John Curran said. “Could you be more disingenuous?”

Though still just below California and Texas for top catalytic converter thefts, Illinois followed this promising trend of declining reports. This is evidenced by the approximately 1,300 claims at $2.9 million in total that State Farm received in the first six months of 2023.

After an investigation into a Carlinville funeral home for providing the wrong set of ashes to dozens of families, state Sen. Doris Turner introduced the Integrity in Death Care Act. The bill would require mandatory identification tagging for human remains and create a system that would document an individual from the hospital all the way to the cremation.

More than 1 million people need a professional license or registration to work in Illinois, including healthcare professionals. House Bill 2394 creates an expedited and competitive bid process for software to modernize the way Illinois processes professional licenses.

This year’s state budget includes just $12 million for the electric vehicle rebates, which is nearly a 40 percent decrease compared with what was allocated for the previous round. Brian Urbaszewski, director of environmental health programs at the Respiratory Health Association, called the system a “glorified lottery.”

Shreya Nallamothu, a high school junior from Normal, first noticed that kid-centered content on social media a couple of years ago. Some of it made her cringe. Others made her angry. She took her research to state Sen. Dave Koehler, who introduced a bill that would require children under 16 to be paid a share of any proceeds if they appear in at least 30% of content created by an adult in a 30-day period. Now, Illinois is the first state in the country to have a law protecting child influencers.

“Current state policy calls for clean energy to produce all of Illinois’ power needs by 2050. But relying on wind and solar power appears — at least for now — to be a fool’s errand. It’s just not going to happen, and the shortfall would leave the people of Illinois in a tough spot. Rather than run the risks of an inadequate energy supply, legislators have admirably taken necessary steps that might provide an answer.”

Jim Dey: “State officials have tried to put a positive spin on what can only be described as disastrous numbers. But anyone who takes a deep dive into the performance numbers cannot help but be disturbed by the level of functional illiteracy revealed.”

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch never called for a vote on a bill to extend Invest in Kids.

The bill limits the nameplate capacity of such reactors to 300 megawatts, about one-third the size of the smallest of the six existing nuclear power plants in Illinois.

According to the latest national statistics, Illinois has more than 19,000 individuals with disabilities waiting for care, even as it spends $550 million this year on covering illegal migrants.

Gotion is set to receive $7.5 billion in cash-equivalent federal tax credits under the IRA plus $536 million from the State of Illinois.

“People don’t think about this, but child care is really the foundation for many in our workforce – those that have families,” said Kayla Edwards, of Express Employment Professionals. “Without it, parents aren’t able to go to work. And there are other factors that are occurring that are (contributing) to an already super-short labor supply.”

The fiscal year 2024 State of Illinois budget includes $10 million for free test prep classes for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The program also offers Free Professional Licensure Preparation for Nursing, Teaching, Real Estate, and Securities Professional Exams.

About 100 workers were on strike in Milwaukee and it is still unclear how many of them will be out of a job, able to retire early, or able to transfer to the Belvidere production plant.

President Joe Biden’s visit to Illinois on Thursday was met with heated demonstrations in Chicago as protesters voiced their concerns over the situation in Gaza. President Biden’s primary purpose for visiting Illinois was to celebrate the end of the autoworkers’ strike. During his visit to Belvidere, the President met with union leadership and workers, as Stellantis agreed to reopen its auto assembly plant.

The Michigan Gotion project is nearly identical to its project planned for Manteno Illinois. The new Michigan township government wasted no time changing the locks to keep out the recalled supporters of the project.

Across the state, jail populations are down, as non-violent and first time offenders are mostly being released from jail until their court date. About 240 inmates are behind bars in Macon County, which is roughly 60 fewer than the jail typically sees.

Spaceports are critical for space exploration and commercial spaceflight activities. They could be used for launching rockets, landing spacecraft, satellite deployment, research, and tourism.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Clark Kaericher testified, “HB 2547 would hinder the growth of the logistics industry in Illinois.”

Despite Gov. JB Pritzker suspending enrollees over the age of 42 at the beginning of the fiscal year to shore up costs, the program is projected to cost $831.6 million, about $280 million more than what is budgeted. The number of enrollees over the age of 42 total more than 69,000.

The factory promises up to 2,600 jobs, but faces staunch opposition over safety concerns and Gotion’s alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party. The growing resistance now includes legal challenges, reflecting the community’s alarm

Criticizing Tlaib’s censure, U.S. Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia posted on X: “Congressional censures are exceedingly rare – especially for political speech. The censure of [Tlaib] repeats a pattern of silencing and endangering women of color in Congress who are standing up for our shared humanity.”

Plenty of politicians specialize in cynical press statements, but Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky deserves to be in a special circle of ignominy. On Monday she and six other Democrats from the Illinois congressional delegation urged state lawmakers to end a scholarship program that’s helping more than 9,000 low-income children in their state.

“(I)t’s not about public school funding. It’s really about teachers unions seeing private schools as competition in a race the unions are losing…(O)nly 35% of third through eighth graders can read at grade level, 27% can do math. For high school juniors, 32% were proficient at reading on the SAT, 27% could do math.”

Recent concerns about some public pension plans in Illinois falling out of compliance with Safe Harbor have prompted the introduction of several legislative proposals, some of which would enhance benefits beyond the changes necessary to directly address Safe Harbor compliance.

“What remains in Peoria County is the issue of whether (former auditor Jessica Thomas) must return the salary she’s earned since Dec. 1, which the county might pursue to partially offset the significant expense of fighting the legal battle. But for the rest of the state the case stands as an example of the potential difficulties of even well-intentioned government streamlining efforts, the importance of ballot language and, ultimately voter participation.”

House Bill 2473 lifts the ban on next-generation nuclear reactors less than 300 MW beginning January 1, 2026. Additionally, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Office of Homeland Security will be directed to establish rules for reactor decommissioning, environmental monitoring, and emergency preparedness.

Senate Bill 1769 would require state government entities to purchase or alter their vehicles into zero-emission vehicles by 2030. The measure excludes police and fire vehicles.

Illinois has been criticized by several nonpartisan organizations on its budgeting, including Truth in Accounting. The think tank that promotes fiscal transparency gave Illinois a failing grade of “F” for its financial situation.

State and local officials worked to develop a package of tax and cash incentives in an effort save jobs and revive the auto plant. Led by Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris and the Northern Illinois Council of Governments, they obtained commitments for property tax abatements. Gov. JB Pritzker’s office would not say how it will pay for the $17 million in land acquisition that would be required for the Stellantis expansion.

A measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, meanwhile, appears to have stalled in the Senate after clearing the House with broad Democratic support during the first week of veto session last month.

In 2022, Illinois’ child welfare agency saw 171 kids die while on the department’s radar or within 12 months after the department made contact with them. “We need more resources,” Inspector General Ann McIntyre said. “The state departments need more placements for our children. Right now, we just do not have enough.”

The scorecard evaluates a wide range of metrics and state policies related to regulations, investments, and state processes in vehicle electrification and state planning. Illinois is not yet a leader in fair transportation systems, even in the Midwest – scoring behind Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Proposed as a way to combat climate change by capturing planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions at Midwestern ethanol plants, transporting the CO2 via pipeline, and burying it deep underground in central Illinois, the Navigator project was positioned to receive as much as $1.3 billion a year in federal tax credits. The company is still pursuing its $350 million carbon storage project in central Illinois, where it has acquired rights to store carbon deep below tens of thousands of

Gov. JB Pritzker has been considered as an emergency candidate for president if Joe Biden did not run, citing multiple out-of-state trips for Democratic causes. However, he has fully committed to supporting Biden, and is a national advisor for the Biden campaign.

The audit found that Illinois failed to follow federal recommendations in May 2020 to prevent some of the fraud. “Then we get the, ‘Oh, this happened everywhere else in all the other states’ from the administration,” state Sen. Chapin Rose said. “No, other states implemented federal protocols to close the door and try to attempt to limit the fraud.”

Poor conditions in juvenile lockups across the country have recently made headlines, bringing renewed calls for reform. What makes Illinois different from many of its state peers is that no independent agency licenses or certifies the youth detention centers. It’s the latest example of the failures of Illinois officials to put an end to the poor treatment of vulnerable populations held in facilities, even when problems are well documented.

“We must act quickly to ensure that our state has the opportunity to take advantage of the amazing advancements in new nuclear technology that have occurred over the past couple of decades,” Rezin said. “The longer we wait to end this moratorium, Illinois falls further behind the rest of the nation.”

Leading Democrats, including Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and progressive Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, are demanding that the White House designate the Palestinian territories a “Temporary Protected Status,” permitting foreign nationals to stay in the United States to avoid the escalating war in the Middle East.

Senate Minority Leader John Curran said Republicans would accept the changes proposed by Democrats. “It does shrink it but it continues it and we support that compromise and we support the movement to continue this program going forward,” he said.

“The existing statute does contemplate the state police dealing with this problem and allows them to amend rules on an ongoing basis. They have that authority in the statute,” Sen. Bill Cunningham said. “So I think that problem was anticipated. And that’s how the law intends to deal with that problem.”

The unemployment fund was about $4.5 billion in the red at its lowest point, but lawmakers approved multiple cash infusions to pay off the debt to avoid further massive tax hikes on employers. But much of the questioning for the state Department of Employment Security Tuesday centered on whether it was ready to respond to future crisis events, potentially driven by global political strife.

‘The MAGA agenda isn’t an agenda about freedom – it’s about fear,’ Pritzker said from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) post 1991 in Miami, Florida. ‘Everyone in this Republican primary believes in this agenda.’ ‘They might try to dress it up in different ways – in boots, in high heels or a red tie – but it’s all the same,’ he said to laughter from the few attending the press conference along with a room-full of press.

Both S&P and Moody’s upgraded Illinois earlier this year, reflecting the credit rating bureaus’ belief that the state’s once-dire economic outlook and financial decisions are steadily improving.

“In addition to building up reserves, the state has also actively reduced various long-term and budgetary liabilities, most prominently its unpaid bills, and laid a more sustainable fiscal foundation,” said Fitch’s report on the upgrade. “Illinois reduced its accounts payable balance by approximately $1 billion over the course of fiscal 2023 to less than $500 million, a level the state has not seen in more than two decades and continuing a pattern of using unappropriated surpluses to pay down bills.”

Dennis LaComb, of the Technology & Manufacturing Association: “According to the Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, more than 1,300 businesses in the Chicago metro region are defendants in (Biometric Information Privacy Act) cases. Beyond that, a staggering 57% of active BIPA cases in DuPage County have been initiated by just four national law firms.”

See our column here on the law.

When Joe Biden picked Chicago as the venue for his party’s 2024 convention, the thought was that this heavily unionized Democratic city provided a perfect stage to showcase how Bidenomics was making life better for American workers. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who’d lobbied the president hard, was thrilled. Chicago is “your kind of town,” he told the president. Suddenly that theme is in jeopardy.

Chinese battery companies enjoy significantly higher margins abroad, according to Goldman Sachs. For example, the bank expects around 70% of the earnings of Gotion, to come from exports or overseas production by 2025. The company’s plant in Germany has started production this year and it is building a $2 billion battery factory in Illinois.

The same country now protecting Hamas’s senior leaders has donated billions to American universities, particularly Northwestern.

Gov. JB Pritzker recently accused Republicans of regressing freedom within the United States and has started a new organization aimed at promoting pro-choice policies across multiple states, including Ohio, while combating “the right-wing extremists who want to take us backwards.”

Illinois teachers unions want to end scholarships for low-income kids. They’ve funneled more than $21.5 million to current lawmakers who hold the decision in their hands, with nearly $1.5 million coming just since June 1.

After Joliet rejected $8.6 million in taxpayer funds to help house and provide food to nearly 1,900 non-citizens, there are questions surrounding what the state should do with the money.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker both recently cut checks for a candidate in this month’s mayoral election in Charleston, S.C., Axios has learned. The donations to Charleston candidate Clay Middleton signal White House ambitions for both governors, as South Carolina recently moved to the front of the Democratic presidential primary calendar.

U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Nikki Budzinski, Sean Casten, Danny Davis, Jonathan Jackson, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Delia Ramirez wrote “school vouchers … perpetuate and deepen the education inequities that plague Illinois.”

Several townships and one county had successful referendums last year that created new community mental health boards, but failed to include required language informing voters of how establishing new tax to fund the mental health board would impact property owners.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 9,066 in the week ending October 28, up from 8,624 the week before, the Labor Department said.

“The transformative programs by World Bicycle Relief, the (University of Illinois) Soybean Innovation Lab and Rotary are of the same spirit — low-cost, basic interventions with huge returns in fostering a better quality of life in some of the poorest parts of the world…With so many global events making the world feel dark, I take pride in the work Illinois is doing to bring light to the most vulnerable

Comment: The fraudulent workers comp award is where the serious allegations are, but Attorney General Kwame Raoul looks the other way.

The penalty enhancement measure is not the only issue that could divide Democrats. Lawmakers also face a measure to extend a private school tax credit for another five years, which supporters say could prevent thousands of children whose tuition is funded through the program from having to leave their schools, and a measure that would lift a nearly 40-year-old moratorium on new nuclear power plants across Illinois

“Unless legislators change course — as they inevitably must — there won’t be enough energy to provide heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. That’s why a supermajority of Republicans and Democrats — including leaders in both parties — supported legislation to lift the moratorium in the first place.”

“The financial footprint is pretty, pretty low right now. It’s $75 million tops, which is about .9% of education funding in the state of Illinois,” state Rep. Blaine Wilhour said. “[There are] 26,000 kids on a waiting list for this program, and the Democrats want to leave these kids in the lurch. It’s just mind-boggling to me that they can get away with this.”

Firearms Policy Coalition, which represents some plaintiffs in the consolidated challenge, said the appeals court’s decision shows “there is still more to be learned as the case moves forward, leaving the door open that victory is possible.”

Equal protection under the law is non-negotiable and thus universally applicable” said Proft, listing out Epstein’s rules. “We shouldn’t fund our enemies. We should know who’s coming into our country and why. We shouldn’t judge people based on a shared identity, but rather by their individual beliefs and conduct. And we shouldn’t give our government more money or power than it needs to enforce the freedoms enshrined in our Bill of Rights.”

Lawmakers allocated $10-million during the legislative session, to assist public defender’s offices; the State Supreme Court allocates one-time payment.

“The Invest in Kids Act has already been amended to include school programs structured around a trade curriculum so kids are prepared to go directly into apprenticeships at the end of high school or even sooner if they run concurrently with high school. This will encourage more minority and financially disadvantaged children to participate in the trades and create pathways out of poverty with a direct opportunity for stable, good-paying union careers.”

This latest resolution was specifically limited to condemning support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education. Full text is here. Illinois reps who voted against it are Dalia Ramirez, Lauren Underwood, Chuy Garcia and Jonathan Jackson.

“Bringing a better quality of life to the community here and offering different alternatives for pain management, things like that. So we’re very, very happy for the opportunities and potential of things we can do here,” said Ryan Warren the General Manager for the Aroma Hills Location in Belvidere.

“Give credit where it’s due: Pritzker helped the United Auto Workers Union and the White House put together a deal with Stellantis.”

Nearly 75% of small and mid-sized manufacturers who responded to a recent survey say they oppose the new Chinese-owned Gotion Electric Vehicle battery plant in Manteno that received $536 million in Illinois tax credits and government subsidies to locate in Illinois.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled 2-1 to deny a request by Illinois gun owners for an injunction that would put enforcement of the gun ban provisions of the so-called Protect Illinois Communities Act on hold while constitutional challenges to the law play out in court.

The total fall 2023 undergraduate enrollment at Illinois public universities increased 0.3 percent compared to the previous year, reversing several consecutive years of decreases, and freshmen enrollment at Illinois public universities increased by a noteworthy 1.5 percent compared to the fall semester of the 2021-22 academic year.

“I talked to people who feel like the country should not be letting many of the people into the country,” U.S. Rep. Danny Davis said. “There are other people who feel it’s alright, or it’s alright under certain circumstances. In some parts of my district the response is ‘if it’s good for the goose it ought to be good for the gander.’ So, what many African Americans are saying is if we’re going to do some special things for immigrants, then we ought to be doing some special things for low- income African Americans who are already here and sleeping

As of the fund’s closing, more than 43,000 people had applied for assistance, with a spike of nearly 1,000 applications received on the final day. By Oct. 30, the authority had a denial rate of about 50%. Kristin Faust, executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, said the fund served people in 98 out of 102 counties in the state, with an average grant size of around $18,000.

“Political and government-related bribery, extortion, fraud, conflicts of interest, theft of campaign funds, and tax cheating continue to undermine the public’s trust in government,” said Marco Rosaire Rossi, who co-authored the report published by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s political science department.

The small business network Alignable reports that 54% of the small businesses in Illinois experienced rent problems last month. That is compared to the national average of 40%. Other states near the top include Virginia at 50%, and Texas at 49%.

“A state’s sovereignty over its territory is fundamental to our federal system and is a principle found throughout the text of the United States Constitution,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul wrote in a 10-page letter to Jersey County State’s Attorney Benjamin Goetten. At least two dozen Illinois counties, primarily concentrated in the southeastern portion of the state, have passed “separation referendums” dating to 2020.

The NoGotion Act is in response to Gotion Inc., an American subsidiary of a Chinese-based company, planning to build EV battery materials factories near Big Rapids and in Manteno, Illinois, that would potentially qualify for the tax credits under the IRA.

In recent months, more than half a dozen Democratic lawmakers have established national political organizations, embarked on resume-building foreign trips, and visited states that traditionally hold early presidential primaries. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and California Rep. Ro Khanna have traveled to New Hampshire in recent months — and Khanna returned this week to debate GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

And this decision could not only leave tech and online commerce giant Amazon on the hook for an astronomical payout, but could leave Illinoisans cut out of the use of voice-activated smart technology, like Alexa, or similar future tech, Amazon has warned.

Funding for the rebate program comes from the latest Illinois budget, which includes $12 million for rebates, less than the nearly $20 million allocated in the last funding cycle. Low-income residents are prioritized.

Illinois is ranked 37th for its State Business Tax Climate. The numbers from the Tax Foundation show that Illinois also ranked 43rd in its corporate tax rate, 39th in the sales tax rate and 45th in the property tax rate, all among the worst in the U.S.

The state of Illinois is entering into the world of artificial intelligence with possible regulations of the technology. State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz said lawmakers should not take the same approach with AI as they did with social media. “We’ve seen the tangled web of societal ills that approach [that] was caused due to a lack of regulatory action.”

The charges are related to an earlier lawsuit. Tri-State Disposal Inc., a waste management company in Riverdale, alleged that the mayor gave preferential treatment to a competing recycling business at the expense of Tri-State. Mayor Lawrence Jackson was deposed in the suit but allegedly attempted to conceal his relationship with the recycling company’s owner.

“Hundreds of thousands of people will absolutely not comply,” state Rep. Brad Halbrook said. “It is up to the governor and the legislature to truly decide if they’re prepared to declare war on law-abiding gun owners or not. One thing will be certain. This we will defend: the right to bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Asked whether it’s time for a cease-fire, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said: “I think it is. At least in the context of both sides agreeing. For example, the release of those kidnapped should be part of this — immediate release. That should be the beginning of it. An effort should be made to engage in conversation between the Israelis and Palestinians.”

Gov. JB Pritzker announced last month the launch of Think Big America, a tax-exempt nonprofit that spends money and resources to protect and expand abortion rights throughout the country. The billionaire governor is contributing dollars to initially seed the group, although he declined to specify the amount. And the group won’t be required to disclose its donors.

“There are other places in the country they can go and the federal government ought to be helping to manage the logistics so people can go to places where they survive through the winter,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

Gotion is set to receive $7.5 billion in federal subsidies for its planned project in Manteno, IL. “Hard-working taxpayers should not be on the hook for billions in federal subsidies funneling to companies beholden to malign actors, like the CCP. It is clear that the so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ is being leveraged by foreign adversaries to exploit loopholes to gain generous incentives and dominate key technologies in the United States…,” LaHood said.

According to the Illinois Manufacturing Association, 14% of the state’s economy is made up of manufacturing jobs, totaling 60,000 across the state.

Senate Republican leader John Curran said his caucus is prepared to see the program scaled back for the sake of its survival, noting his GOP colleagues are comfortable with everything that’s in that proposal. “While we would like to see the program made permanent, we realize it’s going to take compromise to get this program extended,” he said.

The Oak Lawn Village Board unanimously approved waiving business licensing fees for the second year. The amnesty was inspired by research showing Gov. JB Pritzker had handed businesses $650 million in tax and fee hikes since taking office.

“It’s not yet clear how much money the feds or state and local governments will give Stellantis to rebuild and expand Belvidere, but it’s likely to be larger than the $536 million deal for Gotion Hi-Tech’s battery-assembly plant in Manteno.”

Among the examples given, state Sen. Chapin Rose couldn’t get real-time information on the deadly Teutopolis crash and ammonia leak. “I was calling a number for a legislative aide or legislative liaison who had apparently been fired and no one was told,” Rose said. “So, in the middle of what was a pretty significant disaster for the people that I represent, there was literally no one to talk to to get actual information.”

Jim Dey: “Given that math and reading are foundational skills for learning, all the state’s cheerleading adds up to is a boatload of blarney that are the prime ingredients of social disaster.”

The governor said the state had spent more taxpayer money on migrant care than the city of Chicago and that as the winter approaches, it is his humanitarian duty to provide resources. “We also have spent two to three times as much as they [Chicago] have on all the wrap-around services, including immigration lawyers, because it is important to get them the authorization so they can go to work.”

“From gross delays in licensing for Illinoisans trying to get back to work, to rampant unemployment fraud, and continued persistent failings of our most vulnerable children, Illinois agencies are failing to perform,” said Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran.

A coalition of 19 attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of a local Maryland board of education’s policy that does not allow parents to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ inclusive texts. The lawsuit was filed by three families, who are Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox, on religious freedom grounds.

Illinois lost the most residents to Florida (21,184); Indiana (17,223); Wisconsin (14,605); Iowa (7,972); Texas (5,323); Arizona (5,246); and Tennessee (5,182).

“We can bring that battery plant here to Illinois, that is critical not just for the Belvidere Plant with the G product, but also we’re talking about Rivian, you’ve got the electric school busses with Lion Electric so that’s critical as well,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said. “Once you start attracting one company, more and more come, and we’ll become that center for EV manufacturing.”

The measure states that any false representation of kosher food would become a Class C misdemeanor on the first violation, and a second would lead to an increased charge to a Class B misdemeanor. Halal food carries a harsher penalty, which some believe is unconstitutional.

A rally Nov. 1 outside Gov. JB Pritzker’s office in Chicago ended with private school students finding themselves locked out of the public building. They were there to ask Pritzker to save the Invest in Kids program.

It’s an issue municipalities across the suburbs are facing, what with the state deadline to make police and firefighter pensions 90% funded by 2040. That, and the fact some police officers and firefighters can retire with full benefits at 50 years old, is driving rising pension costs. A common response is that local governments can come up with the money through their property tax levies, Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said.

“But this (renewing the Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program) is a fight about special-interest power, and not logic or doing the right thing. Teachers unions have invested nearly $20 million in current state lawmakers – 4 out of 5 of them – so lawmakers are hearing their claims. Union bosses don’t like the competition or the option school choice represents when parents are fed up with unions holding their children’s educations hostage during strikes or extended pandemics.”

The effort to land the semiconductor center builds on work being done at the Midwest Hydrogen Hub, as well as at the Chicago Quantum Exchange, one of the largest teams of quantum researchers in the world, and the Discovery Partners Institute, an academic and research hub that’s building its permanent home in the South Loop.

State Sen. Jason Plummer questioned the taxpayer expense for an industry expecting natural growth. “It’s a phenomenal industry, a phenomenal technology, phenomenal vehicles and if the growth is just going to continue, maybe we should reallocate our limited resources in better ways,” Plummer said.

House Bill 793 would eliminate the 14-C certificates, which allows for lower pay for those with developmental disabilities. State Rep. Charlie Meier said these workers will lose their jobs due to the cuts businesses will be forced to make. “We have had some of the workshops in southern Illinois do this. One of them now employs 70% fewer employees now that they’ve had to go to minimum wage.”

Among them, Gov. JB Pritzker said, in part, “I look forward to finalizing the state’s economic package and not only reopening the shuttered assembly plant in Belvidere to manufacture electric vehicles, but also co-locating a new battery production facility. This will be thousands of jobs, billions in investment, and a huge win for Illinois.”

The state ponied up more than half a billion dollars to land Gotion. It hasn’t disclosed how large an incentive package it has offered to Stellantis. But it’s expected to be larger. Pritzker declined to comment on the amount. Stellantis hasn’t commented on the announcement of the new facilities, which was made by the United Auto Workers in connection with a tentative contract agreement Saturday.

Last year there were over 11,000 hate crimes nationally – and 300 in Illinois. Of those, about half are race related, 20 percent are related to religion, and the rest are a mixture of motives.

“The state of Illinois spends $18,000 per year, per child, and Chicago Public Schools spend way north of that at nearly $30,000 per kid…” said Nathan Cunneen with the American Federation for Children. A recent report in Wirepoints highlighted the fact that the Chicago Public School District is asking for over $14 billion to address emergency building repairs and renovations to all 522 public school buildings, yet over one-third of the city’s traditional schools are at less than 50% capacity.

Overall, the Illinois Community College System’s opening Fall 2023 enrollments had an increase in both headcount (+5.7 percent) and Full-time Equivalent (FTE) (+5.2 percent) from the previous year. The fiscal year 2024 budget includes a 7 percent increase in operating funds – the highest increase in two decades – and a $100 million increase in the Monetary Award Program (MAP).

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is representing one of the 33 agencies in the lawsuit, claiming that Meta deliberately misled the public about the dangers of its platforms and has knowingly induced children and teenagers into addictive and compulsive social media use.

“This year, we see a 5% improvement in chronic absenteeism which is good news, it is headed in the right direction. Still, nearly 30% of students were chronically absent in Illinois last year,” state Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said. The numbers were higher with Black students at 42%, and with Hispanics at 34.5%

Illinois State Board of Education data on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness reports 35% of third- through eighth-grade students could read at grade level in spring 2023 and 27% were proficient in math. This marks a 17% and 6% increase in proficiency rates since 2022. But proficiency for Illinois students still falls short of pre-pandemic levels. In 2018-2019, nearly 38% of students in third through eighth grades were proficient in reading and 32% in math.

Gotion High-Tech, the Chinese parent company of Gotion Inc., which intends to build electric battery plants in Michigan and Illinois, operates a joint venture in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that contracts with a U.S.-sanctioned entity, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation review

The reason for this year’s decline includes a multitude of reasons. As profits stagnate or drop, taxable income levels off or declines. With no deduction cap, businesses report larger losses, which translates to less taxable income. Additionally, state revenue officials said businesses were refunded more tax revenue than anticipated, and that loss is being reconciled this year.

Each of two campaign funds run by Harmon had accepted a $2,500 contribution from Redspeed Illinois about six weeks after the General Assembly, with Harmon’s support, passed what was portrayed as reform legislation that banned political contributions from the red-light camera industry and company executives.

Illinois is a big winner in the new contract between the United Auto Workers and Stellantis, which will reopen its Belvidere plant to make trucks and build a new battery factory. The tentative deal reached Saturday could result in more than 3,000 jobs, more than doubling the company’s recent headcount, with an investment of billions of dollars, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says.

“One of the biggest problems we are facing right now, both from a budgetary and a humanity perspective, is the ongoing crisis at our southern border and the influx of undocumented immigrants into Illinois,” state Rep. Norine Hammond said. “…(W)e filed House Bill 4187 to repeal the Illinois Trust Act and end our status as a sanctuary state.”

Chicago-area residents expressed their anger over the city’s proposal to house thousands of migrants in their community, a plan that they weren’t allowed to have any input on despite the facility’s close proximity to their homes.

“(Author Jon K.) Lauck’s description of the Midwest to the Argus Leader, in his home state of South Dakota, may explain why: ‘When you study the Midwest, one of the characteristics that stands out is a sense of egalitarianism rather than privilege or aristocracy. We have long featured an independent spirit that resists external domination. We live closer to our soil, our waters, our forests and grasslands…”

“Perhaps legislators should put themselves in the shoes of financially struggling parents and their children who desperately want to escape failing schools. Given the pathetic reading and math scores of K-12 students in public schools, who can blame them?”

“…(T)he Senate is set to take up a bill (SB 853) that would extend several statutory sunset provisions, including those (Unlawful Use of a Weapon) changes made in 2017. The law had been set to expire in January 2024, but the proposal would extend that deadline for another year. This could be an interesting debate and a political temperature check on the General Assembly. Illinois politicians have taken a lot of public heat over crime and the criminal justice reform bills they’ve passed.”

“This is like nirvana for somebody like me just to see it get started, get rolling and see EV Box succeeding,” Pritzker said. “I can’t tell you how excited and impressed I am.”

The public transit benefit must allow eligible employees to elect pre-tax salary reductions to be used to reimburse transit pass expenses.

Comment: At Wirepoints, we did the calculation ourselves and confirmed that Gotion is eligible for about $7.5 in federal tax subsidies, in addition to the $536 million from the State of Illinois. Gotion has clear ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Monday, a letter carrier was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight in Harvey. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Harvey Police Department are investigating and have announced a reward for the tip that leads to the arrest of the suspects still believed to be armed and dangerous.

Open enrollment lets students transfer from assigned schools to any public school with available seats, but the Reason Foundation study found that Illinois was one of 19 states that scored a zero out of five categories on the best practices of open enrollment laws.

Reacting to the mass shooting reported out of Maine, Gov. JB Pritzker said Illinois is doing what it can do by banning certain types of semi-automatic firearms. “But it is very hard if we don’t have a federal law that bans those kinds of weapons,” Pritzker said. But Illinois’ ban is being challenged on several fronts with cases still pending.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon is backing legislation that would provide tens of millions of dollars in property tax breaks for nursing homes in Cook County after accepting nearly $2 million in campaign contributions from their industry trade group. The same group has given House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch $1.2 million since 2019.

Federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants fund academic enrichment opportunities in high-poverty communities during nonschool hours. But because the state education board miscalculated the amount of grant funds available — resulting in a shortfall of at least $12.4 million — neither new nor renewal funds were available this school year, and funding for next school year will be limited at best.

They will have a week off before returning to Springfield on Nov. 7 for the second of their annual two-week veto session during which they consider bills the governor vetoed since they last met in the spring. When they return, they’ll consider measures including reforms to the state’s nuclear policy and a potential extension of a controversial tax credit program that funds private school scholarships.

Amy Gentry has recently been paid $156 an hour through a set of massive contracts earmarked for Illinois’ COVID-19 response. Her total billings to IEMA in other contracting roles through August top $1.03 million. Gentry’s highest billing month was March 2022 — $60,055.42 for 350 hours at $171.22 an hour as an “Ops Chief Assistant,” “developing state to local vaccine operation plan.”

Six states, including Arizona and Florida, have implemented four out of five best practices for public school open enrollment, but Illinois is one of 34 states that have implemented one or none.

Jackson is one of only 13 members of Congress to sign onto a resolution to urge the Biden administration to call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine and to send aid to Gaza.

Senate Bill 690 from state Sen. Ann Gillespie would allow townships to ask local voters for increased taxes to fund mental health boards in certain townships. A possible tax increase runs contrary to what House Minority Leader Tony McCombie laid out in her veto session plans, which included a goal to lower taxes on Illinoisans.

Scores of families descended onto the Illinois Capitol this week calling for the program to be renewed. Sofia, a young student from Joliet, said eliminating the program midway through the school year would have a negative effect on many. “There’s going to be more people suffering and also being stressed out, so we want to make sure what’s going to happen in our future,” she said.

Illinois Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jim Kaitschuk said law enforcement cares deeply about victims of domestic violence, but they have concerns about the bill. Not only are there due process and officer safety concerns, Kaitschuk said there are concerns about the limited storage space law enforcement agencies have to store confiscated firearms.

The first, HB 2907, limits the amount of monetary damages an employer can recover stemming from a labor dispute. The second, HB 3396, makes it a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum fine of $500 for anyone to place an object in the public way with the intention of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding a picket or other demonstration or protest.

State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer said Illinois can not ignore “the crisis at our southern border…Illinois has become a safe haven destination for illegal immigrants. They know that if they come here, our law enforcement agencies cannot cooperate with federal immigration authorities to detain or deport them. On top of that, the state of Illinois gives illegal immigrants free healthcare benefits, driver’s licenses, housing assistance, as well as other taxpayer-funded benefits.”

“And, as we make accomplishments, I think it actually brings people together,” Pritzker told an audience at the progressive Center for American Progress annual ideas conference. “If you can make it easier for people to raise their family to save for retirement, to send their kids to college, to buy a house, if we can make it just a little bit easier for people, I think that brings the temperature down and it’s also why you get elected to public office — to step in and get those things done.”

The latest unemployment numbers show Illinois’ workforce continues to trail the rest of the nation as the Land of Lincoln finished in the bottom five for September. According to Chris Davis of the National Federation of Independent Business, higher costs, increased rents, increased input costs and supply chain issues have hindered the ability of these businesses to raise wages to attract workers.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he wants his state to continue its Invest in Kids scholarship program, but only if he doesn’t have to spend political capital to pass it. That’s the message between the lines of his statement last week that he wouldn’t block the program, which gives scholarships to more than 9,000 low-income students, if someone else in Springfield can make it happen.

State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz filed Senate Bill 40. She said it puts Illinois on a path to having one million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030. The bill was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in June.

House Bill 4148 passed 74-35 and now goes to the Senate, where leaders have not yet revealed whether they plan to take it up during lawmakers’ two-week fall session. The vote was the only significant action the House took this week before leaving Springfield and canceling Thursday’s session.

But state Rep. Larry Walsh said he’s not giving up his push to grant utilities a right of first refusal. Come spring, he said he hopes to persuade ratepayers, lawmakers and the public about what he sees as the benefits of such a policy.

Ted Dabrowski, President of Wirepoints, said it’s a shame the unions across the state are using public infrastructure to push against the small scholarship program. “They’re using their muscle and power to block poor kids from access to good schools,” said Dabrowski. “We are defending a failed system that has no plans to make the kids literate.”

Rather than providing clarity or valuable insights into Illinois’ migration woes, the Illinois Economic Policy Institute’s reporting ignores much of the critical hard data on population and migration that is available from the IRS.

Jim Dey: “Pritzker’s ever-shifting stance is a surprising display of indifference toward the more than 9,500 students from low-income families benefiting from the (Invest in Kids scholarship) program. Another 26,000 students are on the waiting list.”

“I think there are many downstate communities that could benefit, whether it’s the kind of folks who have professional backgrounds and professional capacities that could serve and help, or whether it’s simply an enhancement in the diversity in a community and the culture of a community,” said Ed Yohnka, of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois.

In addition to extending the program through 2028, the proposal introduced Tuesday would reduce maximum annual

The reaction in Joliet reflects the opposition that Chicago and suburban officials have faced when trying to accommodate some 19,000 migrants who’ve been sent on buses to Chicago from the Mexican border. “We see big cities dealing with problems resulting from busing foreign nationals in from our southern border, and we oppose establishing welcome centers like this in our township,” Joliet resident Lee Johnson told the town board, to loud applause.

In addition to allowing the legislative staff to unionize, the bill would apply to other employees serving the Illinois General Assembly such as janitors and doorkeepers. Several workers would still not retain the ability to collectively bargain including lawmakers, the office of the Legislative Inspector General, those in managerial roles, and short-term employees.

Scott Shay donated to Northwestern University every year after earning his undergraduate degree in 1979. He stopped in 2020 after researching a book on antisemitic conspiracy theories on campus. The former chairman of Signature Bank, he now donates to the Hillel and Chabad organizations at the university instead. After the Hamas attacks, other donors have reached out to him saying they are reconsidering their gifts. “I’ve heard from four people within the last hour,” Shay said Friday.

“If this goes away, we would lose some of our students, who are really our family members. A lot of our students can’t afford that,” said Tammi Karam, director of operations at Kingswood Academy in Darien, a southwest Chicago suburb. She said 1 in 5 of Kingswood’s students rely on the scholarships.

“This is not about money. It is about consumption. The corporations fighting this scholarship program (mainly wealthy teacher unions and their allies) will not be satiated until they consume every education dollar and the next one. But the fact remains Illinois taxpayers already spend among the most per pupil on K-12 education in the country. The majority of the country’s school districts would love to have our funding ‘problem.'”

“Want to strengthen the economy of opportunity deserts? Start with state’s attorneys who understand the need for consequences. The tax and regulatory climate exacerbate the problem.”

The proposed changes would keep the program going another five years but would reduce the maximum tax credit dollar amount from $1 million to $500,000 and would reduce the total overall scholarship opportunity amount from $75 million to $50 million.

Currently, services are housed in three separate agencies, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Governor Pritzker signed an Executive Order and will work with the General Assembly on legislation in the spring of 2024.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a prepared statement announcing the lawsuit Tuesday. “I believe the action we are taking today against Meta is one of – if not the most – important consumer protection actions my office will take. The consequences will affect an entire generation of young people.”

Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul claims U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle lacks jurisdiction over a challenge to the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act because he hasn’t started enforcing it. The law extended the consumer law’s right of civil action by the state or private parties to recover damages from gun makers and dealers who knowingly create dangerous conditions, and it prohibited advertising that promotes unlawful paramilitary activity or encourages minors to engage in unlawful firearm use.

“We have little doubt that Pritzker personally sees the efficacy of the modestly sized program. And we expect he well knows that most Illinoisans — indeed most Americans — support such sensible initiatives, something that may well come up in a possible future presidential campaign when it would be advisable to tack more to the political center. Political calculations matter little to families who need and depend on this program.”

“We’re working closely with the administration to increase that amount to come to sanctuary cities like Chicago,” U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez said. “We need a lot more than we’ve received.”

Energy legislation, including the state’s nuclear construction moratorium, gun laws, and scholarship tax credits could be addressed during the session.

“Hate has no home here in Illinois. It’s a phrase I’ve used time and time again, but hate always has an insidious way of trying to move in if we let it. So we must stand together to reject,” Pritzker said, surrounded by members of the Arab American Bar Association at a Chicago news conference.

Illinois generates more electricity from nuclear energy than any other state, accounting for one-eighth of the nation’s total nuclear power generation. In 2022, nuclear plants produced 52% of the state’s net electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In contrast, coal represented 21% while renewable energy accounted for 14%.

House GOP leader Tony McCombie said she is optimistic a deal can be reached to preserve the Invest in Kids program, which she says has support on both sides of the aisle. “Unfortunately, it’s just another topic that has been used as a political football, and it’s taken to the end, to the sunset, and it’s really unfortunate for the families that have been utilizing the scholarship program because they don’t know what’s next.”

Michael Perham, 52, is now free on bond after being charged with fatally shooting his longtime girlfriend in their Troy home in September. Earlier this month, a Madison County Circuit Court judge denied a state petition to have him returned to custody on the first-degree charges. Perham’s attorneys insist he acted in self-defense.

Illinois will pause a program intended to provide taxpayer subsidized health care to the influx of non-citizen arrivals. The program is already up to $831.6 million in projected taxpayer costs.

With the fall veto session about to begin in Illinois, the state’s nuclear power construction moratorium hangs in the balance. The moratorium has been in place for decades and was implemented until a permanent waste storage option was made available. Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed a bill that would have lifted the moratorium on nuclear power construction. He has said he is in favor of Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs, but says the legislation was changed at the last minute.

The Cannabis Business Development Fund has delivered about $21 million of the $34 million in seed funding it had promised since 2021, according to data provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. As regulators prepare to inject an additional $40 million into the program, they say they’ve learned how to leverage the fund into a fast and simple burst of cash for social equity licensees.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security has announced that the unemployment rate has increased by 0.3% to 4.4%. The Illinois news release also stated that the state’s unemployment rate was 0.6% higher than the national rate for the month of September.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 15 state attorneys general in supporting the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a legal challenge to HUD’s prohibition on housing practices that may appear neutral but are discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act. The HUD regulation, known as the Disparate Impact Rule, has been formally in effect since 2013.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker doles out $536 Million in tax credits and other incentives to lure Gotion, a battery firm that no other states wanted.

“Pritzker has used his fabulous wealth to advance his political career. He’s spent an estimated $350 million on his two gubernatorial campaigns and given many more millions to Democrats in Illinois and elsewhere. Record shows he made $1.1 million in undisclosed charitable contributions in 2022.”

“Student test scores show that K-12 public education in Illinois remains in dire straits, worse in some places than others. But a recent report by Advance Illinois offers some good news on the teacher front: The much-discussed teacher shortage problem is showing signs of improvement.”

Topics include a bill that would have removed the moratorium on new construction for nuclear power plants and the sunsetting Invest in Kids Act, but likely not the migrant crisis.

Hatem Abudayyeh, the chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, said the group specifically addressed Schakowsky, who is the vice president of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, because of her “unbreakable” support for Israel, citing a statement signed by Schakowsky and other members of Congress stating their commitment to Israel is “absolute.” In Abudayyeh’s view, Schakowsky “can’t continue to call herself a progressive” if she keeps up that unilateral support for Israel.

Illinois’ primary consumer protection statute is the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (CFA). The state also has a Uniform Deceptive Trade and Practices Act but it is bootstrapped into the CFA. The CFA is primarily a civil law with some criminal penalties, and is enforced by the AG and county state attorneys.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has justified the state’s gun and magazine ban he enacted earlier this year by pointing to several other states with similar bans. However, on Thursday, a federal judge out of California struck down that state’s ban on certain semi-automatic firearms with a permanent injunction.

On Tuesday, lawmakers are due back in Springfield for the start of the Fall veto session, but one thing that is not on the agenda is finding extra cash to help Chicago deal with the influx of noncitizen migrants.

The Civic Federation cautions that the City will need to develop contingency plans to supplement unreliable casino revenue when planning for future pension contributions.

“The tax credit is set to expire at the end of this calendar year. The General Assembly took no action to extend the sunset during the 2023 spring session. And the governor has taken three different public positions since early June.”

State Sen. Chapin Rose has joined state Rep. Adam Niemerg to introduce legislation that prevents adjoining construction projects at the same time. “[The legislation] directs IDOT to never place a primary route, an interstate system, under construction at the same time they place the parallel secondary route, Route 40,” Rose said. “That decision that was made a year ago led to what the folks who live here know was complete chaos.”

The project was met with significant pushback from environmentalists and landowners in Illinois, who shared concerns about safety and the company’s request to use eminent domain to obtain land or usage rights if necessary.

State Rep. Charlie Meier filed three measures as part of his “Help Protect Us and Improve Our Home” initiative, which he hopes to discuss during the fall veto session. Suggested changes include a mass hiring of qualified staff, an increase in administrative and security inspections, and an improved effort to remind employees if they see something is wrong, report it.

While House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch poured cold water on the prospect of a supplemental spending plan, advocates for a state private school scholarship program are hoping lawmakers can come to an agreement on keeping the program alive. Without legislative action, that program will sunset at the end of this year.

Legal counsel Sarah Chowdhury made a series of antisemitic remarks to an Instagram account called Big Law Boiz, one which was threatening and another invoking Hitler. Big Law Boiz, “a Jew with Israeli family” who declined to give a real name, told Reuters that Chowdhury had initiated the exchange over Big Law Boiz’s posts relating to media coverage of the conflict unfolding in Israel.

Pritzker also discusses antisemitism, migrants coming to Illinois, and his new organization ‘Think Big America.”

If lawmakers reverse governor’s turndown, nursing homes would pay less in property taxes, passing costs to rest of taxpayer pool

Gov. JB Pritzker said in a televised interview this week, “There needs to be border security. There also needs to be comprehensive immigration reform…We really do need the rest of the country to step up, and only the federal government can really do that. And so, we’ve asked them to take charge at the border, to make sure they’re not just dropping people off at Catholic Charities, where they’re being influenced to send people to Chicago, to New York…”

“The one thing we are doing to put a spotlight on that is we have an Illinois-made makers program, so we have over 236 makers, and we call these artisans, craftsmen, distillers, beer makers,” said Daniel Thomas, Deputy Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism. One brewer credits Lake Michigan water for the sought-after beers.

Among those accepting campaign contributions after supporting what was portrayed as reform legislation: Illinois Senate President Don Harmon and state Rep. Jay Hoffman. “The statutory language does not include a designated penalty, just a prohibition,” said Bernadette Matthews, executive director of the state elections board.

Several committee sessions in Chicago over the summer revealed a chance for bipartisan movement with pension reform, specifically regarding public employees hired after 2011. Republicans, however, will likely not gain traction with renewed calls for ethics reform following a guilty verdict delivered to former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s ex-chief of staff Tim Mapes in August.

Legislative leaders have already ruled out new legislation that would have provided additional state funds to Chicago to deal with the influx of asylum-seeking migrants from Venezuela. And the leaders of the Chicago Bears, who have been seeking state help with their expected stadium project in Arlington Heights, have said they will not be pursuing legislation this fall.

“I have said it, and I think both sides are lobbying the various folks in the General Assembly, I will support it if it comes to my desk in any form,” Pritzker said. Filing a bill to extend the measure is “where the rubber meets the road,” he said.

Phil Melin, executive director of Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, said if the law isn’t addressed during the fall veto session, Illinois businesses will suffer. “I think we are just going to see a continued explosion of BIPA lawsuits, with the possibility of insurance companies being savvy to it and not covering it,” he said. “You’re going to see some real carnage out there.”

An analysis dated September 2023 from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services website shows the program is expected to cost $831 million in FY 2024, more than $280 million beyond the allocated amount.

Since the law took effect, the Madison County Jail population has dipped below 200, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said. That’s a close to 25% drop from last year. “Right now, the only thing they’re facing is a stiff talking-to from a judge and a promise to return,” Haine said. “Call me cynical, but I don’t think that has the kind of bite that money hanging over your head would have.”

The Illinois Governor opposes out-of-state funds, unless they’re his. Democrats might love Mr. Pritzker for his big checkbook, but the public could take a different lesson from his insincerity about out-of-state money

Trainees will receive a minimum yearly salary of $54,000 from the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) while pursuing tracks in one of five high-need concentration areas: cybersecurity, networking, coding and database, end user computing and enterprise infrastructure. Trainees will also be offered a full-time job with DoIT after completing the program and meeting its benchmarks.

Another $86.7 million in gross investment earnings was earned for cities, villages, school districts, counties and other units of government that take part in the Illinois Funds local government investment pool operated by the State Treasurer’s Office.

“Verified ballot boxes have keys that are tamper proof that have tamper proof seals available for newly certified systems,” said ISBE Election Operations Director Brian Pryor. “We have confirmation that all memory cards or flash drives are secure and have tamper proof seals or locks available and confirm that bar codes or QR codes are one-time use codes and cannot be captured for additional use.”

According to PlayIllinois.com, Illinois gamblers placed over $676 million worth of sports bets in August, beating August of 2022 by a wide margin. According to a recent report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, in the fiscal year that ended in June, revenue from sports betting jumped 55% from $610 million to $949 million, bringing in $142 million in tax revenue.

It reads, in part, “Public dollars belong in public schools – schools that are held accountable, that educate ALL students and that exist for the common good.”

Jim Nowlan: “More than ever right now, Chicago almost desperately needs downstate, the great region of our state outside the metropolis, from Rockford to Carbondale. Chicago risks destabilization by thousands of migrants from Central and South America who have been foisted upon the city unexpectedly by Southern states that feel similar pressures.”

Federal law prohibits funding for illegals, so states like New York, California, and Illinois have decided to finance the entire cost of providing for them. Illinois began expanding Medicaid coverage to illegals during the pandemic, with an estimated 2023 price of about $223 million. But the state and its auditors wildly underestimated actual enrollment and costs; the projected bill for 2024 was $1 billion.

Fifteen people spoke during the public participation portion of the village board meeting on Monday — 11 spoke against the plant, while four spoke in favor. Steve Magruder, a lifelong Kankakee County resident and a retired manager of IBEW Local 176, spoke in favor: “We have built other facilities in the area that have been opposed, and they’re all operating to the best of their ability.”

“Piatt County has some of the best farm ground in the world. Why would you bury thousands of tons of concrete and foundation underneath prime farm ground?” asked Vice-Chairman Board Member Jerry Edwards. He said some of the board’s authority was stripped away from local governments with the signing of the new state law which states that counties like Piatt can’t set rules against solar and wind energy facilities that are more restrictive than the state.

According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois farmland covers 27 million acres, which is about 75% of the state’s total land area. State Rep. David Friess said that makes the governor’s plan unrealistic. “In my area and most of southern Illinois, we are talking about rural communities. Going from point A to point B in an EV then having to get a charge somewhere is just not practical,” Friess said. “It makes zero sense.”

“We do concede that at this time, we are not prepared to move forward with the co-pay and cost-sharing elements,” Omar Shaker, chief of administrative rules for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, told the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. “The earliest would probably be Jan. 1, but I’m not 100% certain that will be the date.” Shaker said the number of enrollees continued to increase as well. In June, the total was 15,000. Now, there are more than 16,000 enrollees.

Another source of confusion is the fact that the entire law is under challenge in federal court. Although one judge in the Southern District of Illinois ruled the law is unconstitutional, two other judges in the Northern District ruled that it is not. All of those cases are now pending before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which has not yet issued a ruling.

Most Illinoisans polled in all regions of the state supported giving low-income families a choice about their children’s educations and the power to pick a school that better fit their needs, whether to escape bullying, find smaller class sizes, get better academic and extracurricular offerings or find the right educational climate.

“(JB) Pritzker, a billionaire once known to many voters as the Democratic rich guy running against the Republican rich guy in a dysfunctional state, has pursued a robust activism defined by the kind of Democratic social policies that marked the nineteen-thirties and sixties…But he also brings a reputation for fiscal acumen, and business connections, from his career as an investor and leader of a tech incubator—Pritzker is the richest elected politician in the United States—plus an aptitude for pugilism, especially around reproductive rights.”

The national trend is to expand school choice, and Illinois is poised to regress.

Jim Dey: “(Truth in Accounting) said budget dissemblers use a variety of ‘accounting tricks’ to mislead the public. They include inflating revenue assumptions, counting borrowed money as income, understating the true costs of government and delaying the payment of current bills until the start of the next fiscal year so they aren’t included in the budget calculations. Those are all tactics that have been embraced by Illinois budget mavens.”

The Illinois State Board of Education announced the transition last week regarding students in three facilities owned by Menta Education Group in Centralia, La Salle, and Springfield. Menta provides schooling to students with severe mental and emotional disabilities and operates 24 facilities in the state, in addition to schools in Arizona and Texas. According to ISBE, 125 students from 41 school districts will be affected by the closures.

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s 132-page document suggests merging Metra, Pace and the CTA into one mega-agency, or giving more authority to the Regional Transportation Authority over budgeting, fares, planning and capital projects. The process of setting up governance for either could result in turf wars between the agencies along with Chicago and the rest of the region.

The group also has an eye for expanding down the road to address issues such as book bans, LGBTQ rights or gender-affirming care, issues where Democrats have often played defense in recent years. “Extremism poses an existential threat to our democracy. And I take this threat very seriously,” Pritzker says in a video about the new group.

New legislation proposed by state Rep. Kam Buckner would lower the minimum voting age to 16 years old for state and local elections. State Rep. Kevin Schmidt has proposed a bill that would impose child support obligations on drivers who kill parents while driving under the influence.

Qualified people include any individual affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization and who is assisting in the covered area, such as a relief worker.

Over the summer, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules suspended a DCFS rule limiting how long day care assistants can monitor rooms of children under 2 years old.

Illinois State Police have published data showing just over 1,000 firearms owners have filed disclosure affidavits for a total of 3,200 items. Without detail, just 17 “accessory disclosures” are noted. There are more than 2.4 million Firearm Owner Identification card holders in Illinois.

Nicor, which serves 2.2 million Illinoisans, estimates that their original request would increase customer bills by about $9.28 per month. Ameren customers’ bills are expected to increase by several dollars per month as well. Peoples Gas claims that, due to the falling price of natural gas, customer bills will remain at similar levels to last winter.

Reps. Mike Bost, Mary Miller and Darin LaHood have all released statements backing Jordan’s candidacy, with uncertainty remaining over whether he will have enough Republican votes to ascend to the position.

The process, commonly referred to as “redeterminations,” resumed earlier this year after the winding down of COVID-era policies .Of those that lost Medicaid in August, September and October, about 62,179, or 30%, lost coverage because they were no longer eligible for Medicaid based on income requirements. Meanwhile, an additional 142,642, or 69%, were disenrolled because they did not submit required paperwork showing need for the program. Of those that lost coverage, more than 86,000, or 42%, had another source of health care or liability coverage and about 14,300, or about 7%, had Medicare

Only 38% of parents strongly or somewhat approved of the way Gov. JB Pritzker is handling the governor’s office compared to 58% who somewhat or strongly disapproved. Pritzker has said he has no intention of running, but some have speculated he would be the candidate on the Democratic side if President Biden chose not to run.

Jim Dey: “…(G)errymandering in Illinois — Ds wiping out Rs — is permissible if done solely for partisan reasons. On the other hand, a three-judge panel ruled that South Carolina Republicans engaged in unlawful racial gerrymandering when they moved Black Democrats from District 1, represented by a Republican, to another district represented by a Democrat.”

Twelve states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania, used state and local relief funds to cover recurring costs that were equivalent to a significant 2.5% or more of their fiscal 2022 general fund expenditures. These 12 states, which are home to about 40% of America’s population and total state general fund spending, thus face a moderate to elevated risk of encountering fiscal cliffs if they don’t find money to replace the federal dollars used to shore up their budgets before those funds expire.

Authorities say 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times throughout his body by Joseph M. Czuba, 71, who also stabbed the boy’s mother, Hanaan Shahin, a dozen times. The investigation comes just days after FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that a rise in violent extremism could be incoming amid the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas.

New Jersey and Colorado have each received 50,000 to 100,000 people, followed by Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia with 25,000 to 50,000.

On January 1, owners of weapons outlawed in the state’s assault weapon ban are required to fill out an affidavit affirming that the affected firearms were purchased prior to January 10, 2023. Plummer said it is unfair that those who legally purchased one of these firearms during a federal injuncion between April 28 and May 4 would either have to surrender their firearms or risk becoming a criminal.

Lake County Judge George Strickland found Carlos Acosta, 57 of Woodstock, who was a case investigator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, guilty of the child endangerment charge but acquitted him of a reckless conduct charge, related to the 2019 beating death of 5-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund. Strickland said he could not find Acosta’s supervisor, Andrew Polovin, 51, of Island Lake, guilty of either charge because he did not know how much Polovin knew about the abuse of the boy.

Across parts of Illinois in the first couple of weeks, there were 281 detention petitions filed in counties covered by the Illinois Office of Statewide Pretrial Services, which serves smaller counties mostly outside of the Chicago metro area, according to Cara Smith, director of the agency. The petitions came from 55 of the 71 counties the agency represents. Smith estimated that about 60% of the detention hearings were granted.

The statewide program, “Illinois Shine.” received more demand than expected since the Illinois Power Agency that oversees the program started accepting applications in June. But after reaching capacity last month, buyers are now paying interest on loans they initially took out to get the panels.

About 400 workers are employed at that site. The company announced it is shutting its doors in Effingham because of the United Auto Workers strike in Kentucky.

“Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the Will County Sheriff’s Department said.

“Asylum seekers are legal in this country, right? We have undocumented immigrants, and then we have documented asylum seekers,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “We need to manage all of that, and it has been a failure of Republicans and Democrats.”

An Illinois state appeals court has ruled that Illinoisans can be fired from their jobs for refusing to get a Covid vaccine, because a state right of conscience law that otherwise protects people for refusing to participate in morally objectionable medical procedures doesn’t apply to anything related to Covid after Illinois Democrats specifically rewrote the law to ensure its protections didn’t apply to Covid vaccine mandates.

The second-term Democratic governor and multi-billionaire has been lavished with hundreds of gifts from around the world, ranging from a $950 bottle of Japanese whiskey to 35 cents: a quarter and dime, to be exact. The state’s 25-year-old Gift Ban Act prohibits public employees from accepting presents, with broad exceptions.

“There’s lead service line funding that is the main funding in terms of dollar amounts. We also have funding to address emerging contaminants. And on top of that, there is additional supplemental funding to fund the regular projects that we historically would fund,” said Nidnan Singh, of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has so many fans and friends that he receives a $30 gift at the rate of one every three days, but because of his job he accepts none of them, and rarely even sees them. The state’s 25-year-old Gift Ban Act prohibits public employees such as Pritzker from accepting presents, with broad exceptions. Therefore, the high-priced hooch delivered compliments of the Japanese embassy and three bottles of tequila valued at $450 have remained untapped.

Al Hunt: It’s time for “Big Gretch,” “California Cool,” the “New Jersey guy,” Illinois’ “big man” or “Carolina Blue” to jump in the pool. These are code names for Democratic governors: Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gavin Newsom of California, New Jersey’s Phil Murphy, Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker and Roy Cooper of North Carolina.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has reportedly diverted taxpayer funds away from the state’s rental assistance program to take care of migrants, and people are furious. Called the Illinois Rental Payment Program, the welfare program was designed to give people struggling with rent up to $25,000 per year to help them. Yet when asked earlier this month about how he intends to take care of incoming migrants, Pritzker admitted that the state doesn’t have extra money to spare and will therefore be using up money from already established programs,

“Why is it that the Republican candidates can’t understand that the ought to let people live how they want to live,” Pritzker said. “Let parents manage the challenge of their own child, whether they are transgender or they might have other challenges that they need to get through.”

Illinois, alongside Indiana and Michigan, will receive $1 billion in federal funding for decarbonization.

Nearly two dozen immigrant advocacy groups, community organizations, elected officials, and a church are demanding work permits for all migrants in Illinois and across the U.S.

Speaker Welch told reporters last Thursday he had “made it clear” to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson that “we were not expecting to do a supplemental budget in the veto session,” while the governor told reporters the week before that he hadn’t heard about any plans for a supplemental. Governors always know about supplementals because their office writes them.

The anti-gerrymandering group Common Cause gave Illinois an “F” grade, citing a lack of public participation that has routinely gotten in the way of producing political maps reflective of the state’s demographics.

Unlike some witnesses in the trials, Rita has neither been charged with any crime nor compelled to testify under a grant of immunity from prosecution. He has been subpoenaed to testify at the request of federal prosecutors about the Illinois General Assembly’s inner workings and Michael Madigan’s inner circle, as he was Madigan’s longtime legislative point person on gambling matters.

Metra, Pace and the CTA lost millions during the COVID-19 pandemic, when ridership dropped. They now face a combined $730 million annual budget shortfall starting in 2026, when federal COVID-19 relief ends. At the behest of the General Assembly, a prepared Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART) report includes a controversial recommendation to integrate Metra, Pace and the CTA into one supersized agency.

Known as the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA), the law was enacted in 1998, and requires businesses to safeguard employees’ genetic information, including family medical histories. But several major decisions affecting the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) lawsuits have encouraged plaintiffs’ lawyers to file endless class actions resulting in massive payouts – and it may be the reason a flood of GIPA lawsuits could soon follow.

According to a public records request, the administration has embarked on six trips since 2021. These trips included several to Japan and the United Kingdom along with South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan. “We’ve found our sea legs, I would say, and now we’ve got lots of folks who are approaching us and are getting together,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

The Illinois State Rifle Association’s Ed Sullivan expects litigation over what’s being proposed by gun control groups – that there would be no hearing before firearms are confiscated by police.

Just last week, the governor said he would not have any extra funds for Chicago. More recently, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said lawmakers are talking with Chicago officials, but do not to expect supplemental spending to be approved during veto session.

The report from Advance Illinois shows the number of teachers, assistant principals and paraprofessionals working in Illinois schools has been growing steadily since well before the pandemic and is now at its highest level in the past decade. And that growth has been seen in all regions of the state and across districts of different funding levels.

Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs explained that the investments diversify the state’s portfolio, draw attention to the partnership between the state’s economy and Israel and achieve a good return from what is described as a safe investment – Israel Bonds have never defaulted in their 70 years as an investment.

Former Mrs. America Nicole La Ha, who is running for the Illinois House of Representatives, said the Invest in Kids program empowers parents to pick the school that best serves their families. “It breaks my heart to see the anguish and pain felt by thousands of parents who simply want their kids to get a good education,” she said. “It fills me with righteous anger to know that powerful political bullies in Springfield are in their way.

“I’ve thought a lot about why people care so much about age in this coming election, and I want to talk to you about it,” Pritzker said. “We need to stop dismissing concerns about the physical age of a candidate, especially when that concern comes from a young person. Instead, what people are afraid of is the age of the candidates’ ideas.”

In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker, who is Jewish, has declared full support of Israel. But there are divisions within the General Assembly and the Chicago City Council, whose Jewish members have written supportive statements about Israel while more left-leaning members have carefully walked a line to say they support peace.

Due to the impact of “geopolitical changes and trade protection,” the project faces “some uncertain factors” in implementation, the company warned. China’s role as an indirect beneficiary of the Inflation Reduction Act faces intense scrutiny from some members of Congress, who fear too much U.S. technology is being shared with the Asian power.

“This whole trip is really learning more about both nuclear and wind and then coming in and talking about how in Illinois because of our strong clean energy sector — and our grid is rated number two in the country by GridWise alliance — that we can provide that green energy package to any manufacturer that wants to invest in Illinois,” U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said.

Jim Dey: “For years, gambling in Illinois was limited to the lottery and horse racing. Casino gambling was legalized in 1993. Since 2013, the state has approved video-gambling machines, sports betting and expansions in both the number and size of casinos. One consequence has been a cannibalization within the business, with the state’s nearly 46,000 video-gambling machines collecting much of the revenue that previously went to casinos.”

More than 100 residents are putting their money – $17,000 pledged in just their first meeting – behind legal action in an attempt to block the hi-tech battery manufacturing site slated for Manteno. “We know this is a bad thing for our community,” resident Annette LaMore said. “It’s going to change Manteno drastically.”

The proposal includes no planned substantial changes to schedules, as Metra faces continued low ridership and a looming fiscal cliff once federal pandemic aid runs out, but the agency is eyeing service additions or changes as needed. In September, the average number of weekday riders was 54% of pre-pandemic levels.

Attorney Thomas Maag argued the law is vague around the list of firearms and around magazines because there are a slew of such devices that are interchangeable between rifles and handguns. Arguing for the state, attorney Christopher Wells said Maag’s argument doesn’t rise to the level of a successful vagueness challenge. Judge Stephen McGlynn said the crux is whether the law infringes on a constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

Families Against Fentanyl also found that fentanyl deaths are increasing at more than double the rate of overall drug overdose deaths.

When asked this month about his plans to pay for the increasing costs of housing caused by the illegal aliens pouring into the state thanks to President Joe Biden’s mounting border crisis, Pritzker said that he had been raiding the funds already allocated for other state programs meant to benefit citizens, programs including the rental assistance fund.

According to the posting, the state historian will need expertise in the history of at least one underrepresented minority group. They must also do public outreach and have a track record of community engagement and service to Illinois history. The position was previously held by a state employee who was an Abraham Lincoln expert.

CEO Sheila Weinberg said Gov. JB Pritzker claims he has a balanced budget, but he includes borrowed federal funds as revenue. “We are also disappointed that the governor is highlighting that the budget is balanced and we are running a surplus while he is shorting the pensions by $5 billion every single year,” Weinberg said.

Selling the pipeline to the public has been a persistent issue for Navigator, where many have voiced concerns of a inadequate state and federal regulations and fears of a pipeline burst. In Illinois, 292 miles of pipeline would have gone through 12 counties, including Knox, McDonough and Henry counties. The plan also included an underground sequestration area in either Montgomery or Macon County.

California and Illinois are the largest contributors to an expected $1.3 trillion in unfunded pension liabilities for the 50 states in fiscal 2023, according to a Reason Foundation study, which is linked here.

Josh Drury recorded cell phone video of the rocket sirens blasting Saturday morning. The Homewood-Flossmoor High School senior, studying abroad in Israel, hid in a bomb shelter for hours during the Hamas attack.

Manteo is just the latest destination for these disputes. Last year, similar scenes played out in Sidney, Ohio, after the Chinese manufacturer Semcorp pledged to set up a $1 billion EV battery plant. Since May, another $2.4 billion EV battery project by Gotion has faced opposition in rural Michigan.

“…(M)any municipalities use the tax dollars to augment their budgets, utilizing the money to pay for administrative and police salaries. Meanwhile, millions more are spent with no officially reported purpose at all…The selective reporting requirements of the Illinois Comptroller’s Office make it nearly impossible to track these expenditures at best, and at worst may be helping to mask millions in misspending.”

Under the proposal submitted to the state by Township Supervisor Angel Contreras, Joliet Township would create three migrant centers and one clinic to care for roughly 1,900 migrants. Now, community members are calling on Joliet Township to reject the $8.6 million awarded by the State of Illinois.

A $402 million increase would raise the average monthly residential bill by about $11.83 starting next year, while the proposed order’s $350 million increase would come out to an extra $10 per month. The Illinois Commerce Commission is also weighing another record $1.5 billion rate increase request from ComEd, which would raise the average Chicago household electric bill by $17 over the next four years.

The controversy surrounding the plant in Manteno echoes one that ensued following Gotion’s earlier announced plans for a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Big Rapids, Michigan. “I really feel that all of you that think it is OK to have a Communist Chinese company here did not do your homework,” Manteno resident Amelia Cahill said at a recent village board meeting. “You are willing to jeopardize the health of everybody in Manteno and also surrounding areas.”

Tuesday, Pritzker also said discussions continue with the federal government about coordination of where buses go if not to Chicago. He encouraged migrants to seek other areas of the country as the cold Chicago winter is coming.

Pritzker also said he’d directed the Illinois State Police to be on alert for any security threats to synagogues and other Jewish gathering places, but he assured the crowd “there is no immediate threat.”

The White House announced Monday that there are now 11 confirmed American deaths and more Americans being held hostage. Among those missing and possibly being held are Judith Tai Raanan and Natali Raanan of Evanston, who were visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz attacked by Hamas militants Saturday.

Natalie Raanan, a 2023 graduate of Deerfield High School, was visiting family in Israel at the time of the weekend attacks, according to a letter sent to the school community by principal Dr. Kathryn Anderson.

Jim Dey: “Illinois’ revenue totals are aided by the timing of reallocations and transfers that slightly distort its year-to-date performance. With that being said, Illinois’ economy has avoided a significant downshift to this point, which has allowed its primary resources to continue to generate respectable totals through the first quarter (July, August, September) of the fiscal year,” writes Eric Noggle, revenue manager for the Legislative Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and a spokesman for the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine, said elected officials’ condemnations of Palestinians were “not acceptable. The reason for this escalation is decades of Israeli crimes–decades of home demolitions, of stealing of land, of killing of Palestinian people in their home and in the streets.” He said that about 2,000 people rallied outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago this weekend.

The new analysis conducted by researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois shows that people who moved out of Illinois were younger, more likely to be Black or from downstate, less likely to be Hispanic, and have lower incomes. The most common reasons people cited for leaving were work, such as a new job or transfer, along with shorter commutes, better schools, housing and family ties. The main reason most stayed was to be near family.

Cunningham Neighborhood President John Sheridan said, “The Township government works for us, and they should not be buying up all these empty buildings with taxpayers’ money and without the taxpayer’s permission. The irony of it all is that if you talk to someone who supports this grant and ask them if they would be willing to use their extra bedroom to house a family, the answer has been ‘No’ with all kinds of excuses.”

The bill calls for setting a maximum number of patients that could be assigned to a registered nurse in specified situations. For example, in units with critical care or intensive care patients, the maximum number of patients per nurse would be just one. It also provides some legal protection for nurses, stating that they are to provide their services exclusively in the interest of patients, “unencumbered by the commercial or revenue-generating priorities” of a facility that employs registered professional nurses.

Oak Park and River Forest High School officials pitched “honors-for-all” to the community for three years before implementing it. “I’m not willing to have my children succeed if it means they have to step on Black kids to do so,” Mary Anne Mohanraj, a board member for the high school, said in October 2021 before voting in favor, calling it a moral choice. State-issued survey data included in the report shows that after the changes were implemented, freshmen ranked classroom rigor and teacher expectations lower than prior years’ ninth-graders.

Pritzker said, in part, “We were very clear in our communication with the White House that what we need is logistical support – that is, help deciding where these folks ought to go, because they can’t all go to Chicago and New York.”

Illinois’s tax collections from gaming climbed to a record of almost $2 billion in the year that ended June 30, according to data going back almost five decades. Video gaming currently represents about 41% of wagering revenue, while lottery makes up nearly 44%.

The state’s 13 casinos generated $157 million in taxes for the state last fiscal year, far from the nearly $700 million annually they were generating in the early 2000s when the only competition for gamblers’ dollars were the lottery and horse racing. “I’d question any of these companies investing more money into casinos there,” said Alan Woinski, of Gaming USA Corp. “All the state has done is create more competition for them and strangle them with taxes and regulations.”

Full transcript of Pritzker’s Sunday appearance on Face the Nation is here.

Jill Griffin, superintendent of the Bethalto School District about an hour’s drive south of Springfield, remembers a time when the district was facing “catastrophic cuts” with only 28 days of cash on hand “in large part because of inadequate funding from our state.” Since Illinois adopted the evidence-based formula in 2017, Bethalto is at 71% adequacy and “back on solid financial footing,” Griffin said. But with more money going to minimum wage increases for school staff, higher wages for teachers, and other state mandates, “this progress is inadequate.”

Plummer says the biggest issue that comes with the surge is how significantly it can affect the state’s budget. “Frankly, this is an issue that we created and the federal government can’t afford to bail out 50 Illinoises…Illinois kinds of bumps and grinds from crisis to crisis instead of sitting of planning long term. This immigrant situation is a perfect example.”

“The strategy worked, adding one Democratic seat to the Illinois delegation and trimming two Republican ones as GOP voters were packed into a smaller number of districts. The new map also accomplished what experts say gerrymandering does with ruthless efficiency, regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans are responsible: hollowing out the moderate political center and driving both parties further toward the ideological fringes.”

“There’s too much mediocrity in state government to expect that agencies assigned difficult work will perform at the level that is required. It is, after all, one thing to hand out driver’s licenses, quite another to protect infants and children living in abusive homes under squalid circumstances.”

Jim Dey: “What happened to the $1.8 million in state grant money received by a local entrepreneur and motivational speaker who works for Urbana state Rep. Carol Ammons?…Champaign County Circuit Judge Jason Bohm in February ordered (Sally K.) Carter to repay the $1.8 million debt. She responded by filing for bankruptcy.”

Just as farmers are starting to harvest crops like corn and soybeans, the barge companies tasked with carrying their products downriver for global export are up against low water. About 60% of the country’s grain exports are shipped down the Mississippi River, but the water has to be at least 9 feet deep for vessels to travel safely. Otherwise, they can run aground on sandbars and cause a traffic jam, like

“It’s safe to make that leap between PPP funds going into gangs and funding their narcotics trafficking activity — and, to some extent, also gun purchases,” says Jeffrey Strauss, a Chicago supervisory special agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. “…My guess is that they would get together — they’re out on the street all day — and they would say this is how you do it. This is what goes on line 21. This is what goes on line 36. And they taught each other how to do it.”

State Rep. David Friess said the plan to divert taxpayer funds intended for legal residents who need support is not the right move. “We have citizens in this state that need that assistance. Obviously, that’s why this program is in place,” Friess said. “Unfortunately, our borders are wide open.” It’s anticipated city and state taxpayer funds could exceed $500 million to care for the incoming non-citizens.

Paul Motel, who lives in the subdivision across the road from the battery manufacturing site, is concerned about health and safety. “Fire departments can’t even handle thermal runaway of one lithium battery in one vehicle, and they want us to house all the materials to manufacture it … a mile away from my home,” Motel said. “Just storing one of these batteries creates a dangerous situation, let alone manufacturing. Who’s going to oversee this process? OSHA? Are there going to be strict

As many times punitive damages are not covered by any insurance policies, the risk to businesses sued in Illinois courts is now increased in a way that may be challenging to mitigate in advance. This change may also harm small businesses disproportionally, as a punitive damages verdict may have the potential to bankrupt and shut down companies that cannot absorb such a financial loss.

The wild bunch of mayors heading toward the Rio Grande are still afraid of the one action that might help slow the flow of migrants: Putting pressure on President Biden. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he’ll visit Texas’ southern border soon to see the migrant issue firsthand. Each of these Democrats knows, or at least should, that the main obstacle to reforming asylum policy now is in their own party. Republicans would happily reform the asylum law but can’t without Democratic support—and that means leadership from the White House.

In light of this new law, all contractors need to be intimately familiar with Illinois’ prevailing wage mandates and must be more vigilant to ensure the application of all requirements under the IPWA are met for the work performed.

In Elgin, which was awarded $1.27 million, Mayor David Kaptain said there has been a steady “trickle” of migrants from Venezuela and elsewhere who are helped by local social service agencies. “It got to the point where it’s a financial burden,” he said. “They’re running short of food, they need more money. That’s why the grant was applied for. I’ve been getting calls from people concerned you’re going to bring busloads of

“Illinois is going farther than any other state in the country on this and it’s quite a large experiment with quite a large state criminal justice system, but I think evidence from other jurisdictions is encouraging” Northern Illinois University law professor and former prosecutor Dan McConkie said.

Thursday morning, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it was funding the construction of about 20 miles of physical barriers at the southern border in Texas. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said it’s part of President Joe Biden’s approach to “border security and comprehensive immigration reform.”

State Rep. Adam Niemerg said changes need to be made to the construction zone on Interstate 70 so motorists won’t be intimidated to drive though it.

Most Americans are now familiar with partisan billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s plot to funnel $420 million to thousands of local election offices in 2020, using the once-obscure Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) in Chicago. CTCL marketed its Zuck Buck grants as a way to shore up budget constraints and help Americans vote during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the Speaker conceded Illinois faces “tremendous strain” from the “shipped” migrants, Chris Welch sees the state as meeting today’s needs. “Illinoisans are compassionate and we will always welcome those in need,” said Welch. “[But] for us to continue providing meaningful aid to these families, we need more help from the federal government.”

State Rep. Brad Halbrook said it defies common-sense to make a deal with a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party without requiring any kind of disclosures.

ISU horticulture professor Dave Kopsell said joining a union is the best way to ensure safe, fair and equitable working conditions. “It seems to me like a lot of the salaries that professors earn depend on what degree they have, or what department they are teaching in,” he said.

America’s three largest Democratic states, along with Rhode Island, Mississippi, Louisiana and the District of Columbia experienced income declines in the last year while the nation as a whole saw incomes rise by 2%. Illinois faces budget deficits of $3 billion per year starting in FY 2025.

Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon has two pending “immediate jeopardy” citations from the Illinois Department of Public Health in connection with resident physical abuse and failure to properly address the spread of a bacterial infection at the facility. An immediate jeopardy tag is applied to a facility under federal rules when surveyors determine that a situation requires “immediate corrective action” to prevent the severe injury or death of an individual.

The Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Education Association have leaders sending their children to private schools for brighter futures. At the same time, they’re working to end the hopes of two performing arts students and their 9,600 low-income peers.

The U.S. government is poised to award the headquarters of the newly created National Semiconductor Technology Center — part of the bipartisan, $280 billion CHIPS Act — to a region that has proven capability in advanced engineering and manufacturing. Gov. JB Pritzker said he has personally lobbied the White House to deliver the NSTC to Illinois, saying it makes sense to locate the operation near the state’s multidisciplinary academic, business and federal assets, including the Fermi and Argonne national labs.

The Illinois Transit Law applies to employers with at least 50 full-time employees who work an average of at least 35 hours per week, at an address located within one mile of a fixed-route transit service location in all of the City of Chicago, as well as most of its suburbs, including those in Cook County, and 37 surrounding townships.

“If the town accepts this grant and individuals arrive in our city, it will be a tremendous strain and overtaxing our existing infrastructure impacting our Joliet school systems, social services, public and private health resources and public safety,” Mayor Terry D’Arcy said.

Gov. JB Pritzker joined a growing number of Democrats who have criticized Biden’s border policies when he sent a letter to the president with a list of demands outlining how the federal government’s response to the border crisis is inadequate. “…Most critically, the government’s lack of intervention and coordination at the border has created an untenable situation for Illinois,” the letter states.

“Personal income in California, Illinois and New York declined in 2022 for the first time since 2009 as Covid transfer payments ebbed…. Some states such as Florida and Georgia spent their federal funds on public-works projects. California, New York and Illinois used their allotments largely to cover pre-existing budget shortfalls, boost government worker pay, and bake into their budget new spending obligations. Those will become shortfalls

Illinois became the first state to prohibit book bans in public libraries earlier this year, but state lawmakers could expand the reach of that law. A plan from Sen. Mike Simmons could prohibit school districts and staff from limiting access to biographies, memoirs, and other books or materials about race, sexual orientation, reproductive health, gender identity, religion and human rights.

“That’s a huge, huge problem and basically the taxpayers are going to have to come up with $144 billion sometime over the next 20 to 30 years,” Reason Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Zachary Christenson said.

“We’re not going to let it happen there [in Illinois] just like we’re not going to let it happen here,” he said about the EV batter plant proposed for Manteno, Illinois.

“New pipeline infrastructure will invariably put more communities in danger given the complexity of transporting CO2 thousands of miles with what could create dozens of points of entry and exit for CO2,” said the letter to President Joe Biden, an effort led by Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois and Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, with co-signers including

The resignation comes a week after a blistering report from the Illinois auditor general found 33 instances of noncompliance, including that the department did not immediately report to local states’ attorneys 28% of child abuse and neglect reports involving children who had tested positive for a controlled substance. In another instance, the agency neglected to notify directors of state agencies in a timely fashion about cases in which children were alleged to have been abused while receiving care in a hospital. In all those cases, the reporting time ranged from 34 days to 885 days from the time the investigation

A joint statement from state Sens. Steve McClure and Sally Turner reads, in part, “As the recent compliance audit makes crystal clear, the issues with DCFS aren’t getting better; the situation actually appears to be getting worse. We hope the Governor takes this opportunity to finally fix the issues that plague DCFS and have led to heartbreaking stories of children waiting months for placements, or those who tragically have lost their lives.”

The law, dubbed the “Racism-Free Schools Law,” requires requires Illinois schools to “create, implement, and maintain at least one written policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, and national origin and prohibits retaliation.” The law also mandates that schools implement a system to report incidents of discrimination or harassment.

The small business network Alignable reports that 40% of small businesses nationwide couldn’t pay their rent in September, the highest amount this year. In Illinois specifically, that figure was 46%.

Nurses and other health care professionals are seeking a change to the current law, which states that there is no limit to how many patients a nurse can be responsible for at one time.

Hundreds of asylum-seekers have been arriving in the Elgin area within the past year. Said Dianha Ortega-Ehreth, of Centro de Información – one of the three organizations that will benefit from the Elgin grant. “Our case workers are all fully bilingual and bicultural. They are all trained to work with new arrivals. We estimate that we can reach close to 1,000 individuals over the course of the year.”

While the size of farms has continued to surge, the number of corporate-owned farms is much fewer than most people believe. Ninety-six percent of Illinois’ farms are family-owned. Illinois Farm Bureau says nearly 70,000 families own and operate family farms in the state.

“As consumers, we can expect to see a domino effect with similar legislation in more cities and states. Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, has announced they are looking at a similar law. The main proponent of the proposals is the ‘One Fair Wage,’ a labor advocacy group backed by the Service Employees International Union. There are current initiatives in Washington D.C., Michigan, Boston, and New York. Seven states have eliminated the tip credit.”

One woman said the Village Council should be ashamed for wanting to “reward China with a piece of the United States.” Others accused local leaders of failing the country; they say the deal with Gotion was done behind closed doors. When asked whether he was reconsidering his support of the project, Manteno Mayor Tim Nugent said, “No.”

Comment: The Michigan Gotion plan is substantially identical to The Illinois Gotion plan for Manteno, Illinois, stories about which we have collected here.

Joliet Township has been awarded an $8.6 million state grant to help migrants, but the news was a surprise to Joliet city officials, who oppose any influx of asylum seekers. Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy has asked Joliet Township to withdraw the grant application.

Brian Costin, of Americans for Prosperity-Illinois: “The exodus of corporations from Cook County is more than just a statistical trend; it’s a reflection of a broken system that fails to protect the interests of its own constituents. Companies are not fleeing for tax havens out of mere preference; they are escaping an environment where they feel shackled by burdensome regulations and a lack of fiscal responsibility.”

“As you know, I’ve been in favor of comprehensive immigration reform which means making sure that we have border security, but also making sure that we’re letting people come into this country,” Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday.

Antisemitic acts including assault, harassment and vandalism rose to their highest level in recent history in 2022, jumping 128% from the previous year, from 53 to 121. That was the seventh-largest statewide total in a year that saw “the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide,” the ADL noted.

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood posted on X, formerly Twitter: “I opposed the Continuing Resolution today that only furthers DC’s out of control spending addiction and fails to address the crisis at our southern border.

Comment: The Gotion Michigan project is substantially identical the Gotion Illinois project, raising the very same issues, articles about which are collected here.

“Unfortunately, the welcome and aid Illinois has been providing to these asylum seekers has not been matched with support by the federal government,” Pritzker wrote. “Most critically, the federal government’s lack of intervention and coordination at the border has created an untenable situation for Illinois.” (Read the full letter here.)

The proposed bill would prevent medical providers from demanding excessive fees in advance of providing care for insured patients.

From 2018 to 2020, Residents Energy LLC customers paid 55%, or $15 million, more than they would have paid with the public utility company, the complaint said.

The $250,000 grant will help about 300 asylum seekers who live in Champaign County after leaving places like Central and South America as well as the Middle East.

“I don’t understand what the problem is. It is their responsibility and their mandate to report that sex offenders are getting out,” McCombie said. “I am certainly not interested in any legislative fix to remove that mandate. If that’s something they’re interested in, I’m certainly not interested in that, and I don’t think anyone in the public is.”

In a letter Gov. JB Pritzker sent the White House Monday, the governor says “the humanitarian crisis is overwhelming our ability to provide aid to the refugee population.” Illinois taxpayers have covered more than $330 million on services for the migrants, a number Pritzker said is growing each day. “That’s a massive amount of money for a state still overcoming the health and economic effects of COVID-19. Add to that the over $100 million the city of Chicago contributed.”

Rivian has a major production facility in Illinois. Its vehicles sell for over $80,000 on average. Yet they’re so expensive to build that in the second quarter the company lost $33,000 on every one it sold. That’s roughly the starting price of a base model Ford F-150.

Andrew Handel, director of the ALEC Task Force on Education, said it is obvious that parents want educational choices for their children, especially after pandemic school closures. “They simply think that their student would learn better in a different educational environment, whatever the reason. We think that maximizing the choices and options available to families is key for policymakers,” he said.

“Pretty much our entire town is against it. I don’t really know of many that are for it and other than the people that support the mayor,” Piker told Kankakee Times. As a result, the group has hired an attorney to help fight against the plant.

“We have big borders in Illinois, and our border states are using this against us,” Illinois Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Andrew Bodewes said.

“Crooked City‘s (podcast) new season is set in Dixon, Illinois, which would like to be known as the hometown of Ronald Reagan…But Dixon has another famous resident: Rita Crundwell, the comptroller who embezzled $53 million from the city treasury, and spent most of it to raise and show quarter horses…It was the largest municipal embezzlement in American history, and it took place in a small town of 15,000 people on the Rock River…”

Manteno resident Ed Wagner is one of a group of Manteno residents who are pursuing legal action to prevent Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion from opening a plant in the village. “I don’t mind living next to an industrial complex as long as it’s American-owned and it’s not lithium-ion batteries or manufacturing,” he said

“As long as revenues are strong, then the state can replace those federal funds and everybody will be content,” researcher and University of Illinois Springfield professor Beverly Bunch said. “But the question is, what if that’s not the case?”

Dirty rolls mean dirty elections. 800,000 inactive voters on our lists opens the door in Illinois for greater opportunity for election fraud. If we want to return to fair and honest elections, it’s time for more citizens to step up and get more involved in their precincts or neighborhoods.

“As alleged in our complaint, (Anne) Pramaggiore’s remarks to investors about ComEd’s lobbying efforts hid the reality of the long-running political corruption scheme in which they were engaged,” LeeAnn Gaunt, chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Public Finance Abuse Unit, said. “When corporate executives speak to investors, they must not mislead by omission.”

Chicago is getting more than $30 million in new grants. The city of Joliet is getting $8.6 million. Elgin is getting nearly $1.3 million. Lake County will get $1 million. The city of Urbana will get $250,000 while Oak park will get $150,000. The money will be used for direct services like shelter, food, legal support and health care.

Auditors wrote that DCFS took between 431-906 days to inform schools about investigations of abuse and neglect when state law requires notification within 10 days. DCFS also waited 218-290 days to report cases of infants testing positive for drugs to law enforcement. “What we have here is an audit of an agency that takes its responsibility so lightly that we’re leaving abused and neglected children in our wake,” Rep. Steve Reick said. “This cannot be allowed to stand.”

State Rep. Bill Hauter said workers have been leaving the state to find work in other places due to waiting for licenses. “This is costing patients their care, their suffering and it is costing Illinois its highly trained professionals.”

“I’m not a quitter,” said Daphne Williams, of Smarty Pants Early Learning Center. “If I have to cut corners and lower tuition a little bit, I will.” Williams, a mother herself, said that’s because she’s knows the alternative will impact working women the hardest.

A new report ranks Illinois first among 11 Midwestern states for the amount of clean power capacity under construction, and second for new clean power capacity. The American Clean Energy Association said wind, solar, and energy storage plants currently provide almost 14% of the electricity produced in Illinois.

Jonathan Turley: “Krishnamoorthi did not challenge my analysis. He attacked me personally. In a truly bizarre moment, Krishnamoorthi denounced me as a defender of a criminal child molester and polygamist.”

In 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted a measure consolidating about 650 first responder pension funds into a fund for police and a separate one for firefighters. A challenge to the consolidation has been in state court ever since to determine the constitutionality of combining the funds.

Oguzhan Dincer, an economist at Illinois State University and the director of the university’s Institute for Corruption Studies, said, “…(W)hen voter participation goes up, corruption goes down…When Rod Blagojevich ran for his second term in Illinois, everybody was complaining about how corrupt he was, and voter participation was only about 40 percent. When more than half of the people don’t even bother voting, politicians know it, right? They think, ‘Hey, I’m invincible.'”

The study shows that while real estate taxes can be over $10,000 for homes in California, the taxes paid in Illinois are significantly higher when compared to median home values.

The state said it will run one shelter and the governor’s office also stated that they had plans for a shelter dating back to the Lightfoot administration, but the city didn’t take the state up on its offer until a few weeks ago.

The complaint filed by the SEC accuses former CEO Anne Pramaggiore of participating in, and at some points, directing a bribery scheme, which involved bribing the former House Speaker to pass legislation favorable to ComEd.

“We have big borders in Illinois and our border states are using this against us,” said Andrew Bodewes on behalf of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. “So, I think we need to stop that bleeding. I think we fundamentally need to make retirement security a part of what we’re promising our young officers they will receive.”

“I hope that cities will raise their hands and offer assistance,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “We have provided grant opportunities for cities that will do that.”

Alabama has the most expensive average at 23%, followed by Idaho and Kansas. The lowest lodging taxes in the country are in Montana, South Dakota and New Hampshire, all coming under 9%.

“What we have to worry about is whether the judges will be fair with the people they have been unfair to for all of these years,” Rep. LaShawn Ford said. “Will the judges be detaining more Black people? That is what we have to watch.”

Comment, the same Chinese company, Gotion, is slated to build a substantially identical plant in Manteno, Illinois.

“One of the main reasons Portillo’s cited for its planned forays into new markets across the Sun Belt is that it needs to go where the people are going — and it says that’s not here. Illinois’ population is expected to shrink by 300,000 over the next 10 years, the chain told investors. So, to keep the beefs flowing, it needs greener pastures. As Portillo’s said in its presentation, ‘Build it where you know they will come.'”

Comment: All insults but no substantive response to the serious questions raised. Our list of questions about Gotion that he should be answering is here.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin had declined to call for embattled Sen. Bob Menedez to step down during a television interview Sunday, but changed course Wednesday after 22 Senate Democrats called for Menendez to leave office.

Some doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, social workers and other health care workers have waited nearly a year for license approval from the state. “In other states, the average wait time is 30 days,” said Susan Swart, of the Illinois chapter of the American Nurses Association. “In some states it is as quick as two weeks. So, I tell you, if other states can do that, I do not understand why Illinois can not.”

In the most serious cases involving child death, injury, malnutrition and sex abuse, DCFS is required to notify local police authorities within 24 hours. The agency failed to do so 20% of the time, in some cases waiting up to 43 days, according to the audit.

Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin rank in the top 10 most expensive real estate taxes when compared to monthly and annual payments toward the mortgage. In Aurora, Elgin and Naperville, real estate taxes take up roughly 30% of payments toward the home. In Ann Arbor, MI, that figure is 28%, and in Madison and Joliet, it’s just over 27%.

The Illinois Auditor General has found issues at several state-run agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health, among others. Violations at the Department of Corrections included a failure to notify victims and local law enforcement after releasing sex offenders, including those who committed a predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

House Bill 4148, creating the Legislative Employee Labor Relations Act, comes in response to a monthslong effort by Democratic staff in the speaker’s office to unionize and negotiate wages, hours and other working conditions. It would establish an Office of State Legislative Labor Relations to represent the General Assembly in collective bargaining with legislative staff.

“The Chicago area came to represent the urban American dream. It was popularized as a haven for families, home to the Griswolds of Vacation fame, the Winslows of Family Matters, the Portokaloses with their Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the McAllisters from Home Alone. By the time Ferris Bueller took his intrepid day off, Chicago’s reputation as a melting pot was already part of the American landscape. Illinois is no longer the place to be. It’s third in the country for outbound moves, behind just New Jersey and California.”

“… (T)he National Association of Scholars’s John Sailer found hundreds of university job postings that require DEI statements, including jobs at the University of California, Berkeley, Ohio State University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and more.”

This past month, in Englewood alone nearly 3,000 customers received disconnection notices and over 500 were disconnected outright. “My bill is going up, but my paycheck ain’t going up,” resident Valerie Caroll said. “So how do I make that work?”

“A lot of states have major issues. Illinois is dealing with refugees and wanting to provide health care for them,” said Beverly Bunch, a professor at the University of Illinois Springfield and author of the report. “That’s coming at the same time that some of these federally funded programs are being exhausted, and that makes it even more challenging.”

Comment: This is about the Gotion electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan, which is nearly identical to the recently announced Gotion plant for Manteno, Illinois.

“…(T)hat’s what we have been doing for the last eight years with the Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund, a $1.5 billion investment fund providing capital to Illinois companies that are innovating and creating well-paying jobs…More than 42% of capital has been invested with diverse-operated investment managers, with 356 investments in diverse-owned businesses.”

“I don’t know how anyone could mount an effective defense with such serious charges, while also fully representing their constituents at the same time,” Duckworth said. Sen. Dick Durbin, the number two Democrat in the chamber, stopped short of asking the indicted lawmaker to step down after Menendez and his wife were accused of taking bribes from three New Jersey businessmen to help the Egyptian government.

Numerous children died while on the DCFS radar over those two years. The department’s misfires include waiting days and weeks and months to notify authorities – from prosecutors to school districts – when calamity strikes. “You can see some of these findings are on repeat dating back more than 25 years,” said Cook County Chief Deputy Public Guardian Alpa Patel.

Illinois is one of 17 states to see its average inflation-adjusted household income decrease in 2022. Other data from the U.S. Census on state-to-state migration released earlier this year shows that Illinois gained 4,000 residents from nine other states. But about 150,000 left for other states. That means 146,000 Illinoisans on net left in 2021.

Advocacy group Awake Illinois studied public records, obtained from the State Board of Education, and discovered that 552 out of 758 school districts had opted out of the program after surveying parents. In the Chicago Public Schools, zero students were opted out for the 2022-2023 school year, the report found.

Destinations included Honduras, Israel, Spain and Egypt. The hosts included groups that oppose U.S. activities in Central America, two that promote pro-Jewish policies in Congress and others focused on different domestic and global issues.

This month, the secretary of state started the Skip the Line Program, which means most drivers’ license facilities are by appointment only. But to get an appointment online or on the phone has been getting some complaints, too. “It was horrible; it was terrible,” motorist Linda Harrison said.

“Second, prosecutors should focus on prosecuting crime. That is their job, not ‘reform.’ Third, the court system must do its job. With the SAFE-T Act here in Illinois, which includes the end of cash bond, the jury’s out on that one. “

Among the standards for grades K-2 are defining gender expression, different kinds of families and types of sexual abuse. Grade 3-5 goes into anatomy, gender identity and sexual orientation. Grades 6-8 will learn about different types of sex, different types of sexual exploitation and trafficking.

In fiscal year 2022, cannabis sales in Illinois topped $1.5 billion, generating over $445 million in state tax revenue. The taxes from recreational cannabis sales in Illinois are split several ways. More than a third goes to the state’s general revenue fund. Ten percent goes to unpaid bills. Eight percent goes to law enforcement and 2% goes to public safety campaigns.

CTU’s opposition to school choice is nothing new. In the six preceding sessions, the union registered its public opinion on at least 50 bills related to school choice and charter schools. While not surprising, its assault on school choice is egregious, as it typically targets low-income families.

Comment: Yet another misleading story on the Gotion plant from Crain’s. It hides the full taxpayer subsidy of $8 billion, $536 million from Illinois.

“This is a very serious charge. There’s no question about it. But it bears reminding us of what I’ve said about the indictments against Donald Trump, equally serious charges,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said. “These are, in fact, indictments that have to be proven. Under the rule of law, a person who is accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence. And it’s the responsibility of the government to prove that case.” (with video)

In most states, the chief election authority is the secretary of state. But in Illinois, that power is vested in the State Board of Elections. “We’re in a lot of uncharted territory here,” said Matt Dietrich, spokesman for Illinois’ election board. At issue is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

“Far too often, college administrators feel the need to ‘correct’ protected speech they deem offensive by using disproportionate, not to mention unlawful, measures. That censorship has an immense chilling effect…As a result of Maggie (DeJong)’s courage in filing suit, SIUE agreed to take critical steps to comply with the U.S. Constitution and move closer to accepting and embracing true diversity of thought and speech.”

“When we think about Japan, they are the largest foreign direct investment partner,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said, adding that there are more than one thousand Japanese businesses in Illinois alone. “We have over 42,000 Japanese employees,” coupled with the state’s clean energy future, which she said is a priority to them as well. “There is a real opportunity to attract or grow those businesses in Illinois.”

Illinois ranks as the 10th-most burdened state when it comes to federal regulations, according to the Mercatus Center’s Federal Regulation and State Enterprise (FRASE) index. At the state level, Illinois’ administrative code contained 279,000 instances of restrictive language, more than 44 other states and Washington, D.C., according to the center.

“Krishnamoorthi, 50, of Schaumburg, took office in 2017 as a common-sense Democrat who was friendly with business. He has largely

Southern U.S. states have captured the lion’s share of more than $100 billion in North American EV investments announced by automakers in the past three years, data from the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research shows. At the same time, Midwestern states have regained some ground.

Comment: This column is utterly irresponsible, distorted and incomplete. The case against Gotion, its subsidy and its clear ties to the Chinese Communist Party is massive. We will have a full response up by tomorrow. Other, more objective articles about Gotion are collected here.

While the $12 million program is “first come, first serve,” officials believe applicants who are low-income will receive their checks during the cycle. More rebates will then be released afterwards for applicants who have higher earnings.

In addition to the potential for “lost revenue” as a result of circuit court clerks no longer retaining a portion of bond payments, implementation of the SAFE-T Act has and will continue to have a financial impact on government agencies’ expenditures. At the state level, several State of Illinois agencies increased their budget requests in order to comply with SAFE-T Act requirements, as described in the following blog post.

Indiana’s prepaid defined benefit pension plans collectively have a 89.1% funded status as of June 30. While employer and employee contributions, along with investment returns, were responsible for some of that growth, Indiana Public Retirement System Executive Director Steve Russo said a large part of it was due to the extra money the Republican-controlled General Assembly poured into Indiana’s sole pay-as-you-go pension fund for teachers hired prior to 1996.

“CTU is eager to export its radical model across America. That agenda entails installing union leaders such as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson into elected office so unions can pull all the levers of power, including being on both sides of the table when negotiating new union contracts. Expect Johnson to repay unions handsomely for bankrolling him.”

Early next month, Chicago’s City Council will move to make America’s third-largest city the latest jurisdiction to abolish the subminimum wage for tipped employees, requiring restaurants to meet the regular $15.80 minimum for bartenders, servers and more, up from $9.48 plus tips now. After a months-long public campaign that began shortly after Mayor Brandon Johnson took office in May, advocates reached a deal with industry lobbyists to phase out the tipped-minimum wage over five years.

“The fact that Mr. (Terry) Johnson, who is currently on parole and now accused of a forcible felony, will be out on the streets pending his trial illustrates a deficiency in the new law,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “I have been saying all along that after hearing the facts and circumstances of a case, a judge, not the legislature, is in the best position to decide if pre-trial release for a defendant is appropriate.”

Chicago is expected to spend more than $250 million on migrants this year. “Some of that is state funds that are being spent,” said state Rep. Dan Ugaste. “We should not be spending any money without some oversight as to how it is being spent and whether it is creating the situation and providing the benefits we seek to provide when we appropriated that money.”

“[The shutdown] clearly then impacts individual tax revenue, because 80% of our individual tax revenue comes from withholdings that people get in their paycheck,” Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris said. “If for some reason, people aren’t working for a period of time while the government is shut down. That lowers tax revenue to the state of Illinois.”

“Wednesday, (President Joe) Biden issued an executive order picking up on the idea by creating a more modest American Climate Corps to hire more than 20,000 young adults in clean energy, conservation and climate-protecting jobs. Clearly, if Illinois doesn’t get its act together, it will leave money from that program on the table that it could use for its own CCC-style green jobs program.”

Joe Tabor, of the Illinois Policy Institute: “Since (former House Speaker Mike) Madigan’s ouster in 2021 and the omnibus ethics bill that passed shortly after, lawmakers seem to consider the job finished. But Senate Bill 539 was a baby step toward reform that left large loopholes for bad actors to pass through easily.”

“Simply put, Illinois can’t afford to keep funding the same level of public services it provides today into the future.”

A new report from pension consultants Milliman argues that the top 100 state and local pensions in the U.S. lost another $74 billion in August. Their overall funded status dropped from 76.8% to 75.3%. In Chicago, 80% of property taxes now go to bail out public-sector pensions. Nationwide, spending on schools and teachers is being squeezed to bail out teachers’ pensions.

In Illinois, about two-thirds of the state’s roughly 1,100 fire departments rely almost entirely on volunteers. And, with few exceptions, those departments are running out of volunteers. The alarming shortages come amid increased service demands driven by rising medical calls attributed largely to the state’s growing senior population.

But the Pritzker Administration opposes: “Legalizing adult-use cannabis has always been about justice, safety, and equity in Illinois. The governor is disappointed to learn that the McHenry County state’s attorney prefers focusing on spreading disinformation instead of tackling the issues that actually keep residents safe,” the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office tells Axios.

“I can do as much as I can at the federal level and I can be the biggest cheerleader, but we’ve got to execute at the local level,” Duckworth said. “And that’s been a place that has not happened – that I didn’t see before. Both Democratic and Republican administrations, I never had the enthusiasm for growing business in Illinois and partnering with me for trying to bring businesses to Illinois the way I’ve had with JB [Pritzker].”

A recent study from consumer finance website WalletHub put Illinois at the bottom of all states for racial equality. The areas reviewed include Illinois ranked 47th for both median household income and labor-force participation rate, 50th for unemployment rate, 33rd for homeownership rate, 40th for poverty rate, 46th for homeless rate, 49th for share of unsheltered homeless and 45th for share of executives.

“Governor Pritzker’s policies and vision for the state’s EV future are under the microscope, with the Gotion deal being a litmus test for his administration’s capabilities and foresight.”

The lithium-ion batteries will be used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The erstwhile Land of Lincoln’s Democrat governor, J. B. Pritzker, has offered Chinese Communist Party-linked battery manufacturer Gotion more than half a billion dollars in largess to build a plant in Manteno, a town located approximately 50 miles south of Chicago. Pritzker has decided to shrug off any national security concerns.

“Fifty counties have fewer than 25,000 residents. Another 31 have fewer than 15,000, 15 have fewer than 10,000, and seven don’t even have 5,000 residents….We’ve long seen advocates calling for school district consolidation and township elimination. But the SAFE-T Act’s implementation last week highlights how the state should probably start a conversation about how dozens of small counties can effectively govern in a modern society.”

“There are about 200 statewide that are sitting in county jails that need to be in (Department of Human Services) facilities,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said he was told by state officials. “So, again, we are not taking care of these inmates and that’s our ultimate goal is to make sure that they get that need.”

The Chicago Teachers Union has repeatedly claimed that the privately-funded scholarship program for low-income families diverts funds from public schools. Nathan Cuneen from the American Federation for Children said that’s simply not true. “I don’t see how you could say that it is taking money from anybody, especially because this is funded through a tax credit mechanism and it doesn’t touch school budgets at all.”

“Our report found that if Google were to double the life of Chromebooks in use it could actually save Illinois taxpayers $68 million and it would really reduce the carbon emissions that it takes to make these devices in the first place as well,” said Lucas Gutterman, of the Public Interest Research Group.

The exact wording of the law, and the definition of “under,” faced scrutiny from lawyers on both sides of the case as they argued about the intersection of BIPA and the federal HIPAA law.

Gotion Inc., which has extensive ties to the CCP through its parent company, China-based Gotion High-Tech, is poised to build a plant in Manteno, within 30 miles of two U.S. military installations. “MAGA Republicans have made themselves so irrelevant that they have to rely on xenophobia to gin up controversy for their base,” a spokesperson for the governor said.

As the only member of Congress with a doctorate in physics, he’s using AI software frequently in hopes of learning more about an emerging field that fascinates the medical and science world and terrifies many others, including some in the federal government. “I do a little bit of it just to make sure I haven’t lost all of my technical neurons,” Foster, a former physicist at Fermilab and an Aurora Democrat, said.

“I’m very pleased that President Biden has listened to my concerns and those of other governors and political leaders and expanded Temporary Protected Status to migrants from Venezuela, thousands of whom have been sent to Illinois over the last year,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “…(T)hey are eager to contribute to their new communities and get to work.”

The bottom line, by now, should be obvious. A monomaniacal attempt to create an all-EV future, especially in the time frames envisioned, involves not only more overall labor but an unprecedented offshoring of labor, as well as a massive misallocation of capital. The ultimate result will be economic havoc and bankruptcies—and that will certainly lead to fewer jobs.

“What’s interesting here is that all of these people who have been implicated in the fraud were employed. They either created fictitious businesses or exaggerated their revenues to qualify…Misconduct on this scale clearly shows that governmental ineptitude at the federal and state levels created a feeding frenzy of fraud that was open to all comers.”

Raoul’s office alleged the men underreported over $50 million in sales from 12 gas stations which they own and operate in Peoria, Xenia, Metropolis, Salem, Pickneyville and Wayne City.

Starting January 1, 2024, contractors must ensure workers performing “power washing” activities are paid the prevailing union scale in strict accordance with the IPWA.

Today, renewable sources make up only 10.5% of power. That includes not only current projects but also others planned with promises they will soon come online. On the promised new “equitable” jobs in clean energy industries, the state has yet to train or help place even one worker, though training programs are being set up to be in place by next year.

Senate Bill 1126 would implement new regulations to protect children from the dangers of social media to avoid predators’ hateful speech and create a safer environment for children overall. The measure looks to stop targeted ads and deny access to children’s social media pages to protect them from unwanted predators or messages.

“The party of unchecked power has succeeded in turning the criminal justice system into a farce,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said. “I have no faith that any of this is going to get fixed.”

“Exactly how the balance shifts is yet to be seen. Those your correspondent witnessed freed on September 18th included people charged with offenses such as shoplifting. But there was also a woman accused of pepper spraying several police officers; at least a dozen cases of people caught with illegal guns; and one man, released not that long ago from prison for murder, who was accused of threatening to ‘shoot everybody’ in a shop he was stealing from.”

Florida has allocated $15 million on its national recruitment campaign, and there is speculation that the recent ban on cash bail in Illinois may be a contributing factor in officers leaving the state. However, Illinois State Representative Carol Ammons emphasizes the importance of maintaining a focus on justice amid these changes.

In Illinois, the corporate income tax is 9.5%, the fourth highest in the United States. The income tax in Illinois is 4.95%. Property taxes vary by city and county, but according to Rocket Mortgage, Illinois has an average property tax of 15.05%, one of the highest rates in the country.

Residents of Manteno, Illinois were outraged when they found out local and state officials had finalized a deal with a Chinese Communist Party-linked company to construct an electric vehicle battery “gigafactory” in their town. The multi-billion dollar deal, which Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on Sept. 8, was hashed out behind closed doors and without any public input, according to over a dozen Manteno residents who spoke to the Daily

Over five hours, Judge Scott R. Paccagnini presided over 26 defendant appearances ranging from domestic battery to endangering the life of a child. Of those, Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley asked Paccagnini to detain nine defendants after an arrest over the weekend. Paccagnini declined to detain all but two saying that measures like “no contact orders” and other pretrial release conditions should be sufficient to protect the community.

The fund was created by a 2019 law to merge assets from local police forces across the state, excluding Chicago, to cut costs and improve performance. It has consolidated about $9.4 billion of assets now. But about a dozen plans whose $1.5 billion of assets would be consolidated into the bigger fund are suing to block the move, and the Illinois Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the case.

“The bill does not define what a business or business entity is,” said Tyler Diers, Midwest Executive Director for TechNet. “So, think for a second about all of the websites that are likely to be accessed by a child and then think about how these websites must have the best interest of the child in mind. That would include all major news outlets, the websites of every major sports league, most online magazines and podcast channels.”

The Illinois Education Association, which opposes the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, pays its director of government relations more than $188,000 a year, according to the union’s 2022 federal filing with the U.S. Department of Labor. On the other hand, the average family receiving an Invest in Kids scholarship makes just $45,046 a year.

The seventh annual American Legislative Exchange Council’s “Unaccountable and Unaffordable” report on public pension liabilities pegs the amount of debt across the nation at nearly $7 trillion. Illinois comes in second to last, ahead of Alaska. “So I guess if there’s something to be said, there’s consistency at the bottom of the rankings for Illinois in all of the categories we look at, Illinois is among the worst in the nation,” said spokesman Jonathan Williams.

As Illinois continues to have some of the least restrictive abortion laws in the nation, 14 states voted to outlaw most abortions following the Supreme Court’s decision.

He said, “On economic stability, let me be clear, we’re a, you know, I guess we used to call it a rust belt state with a manufacturing base and agriculture base, and those are two hugely important industries in our state. So the economy of the state is very important to stoke and grow and help evolve into some of the faster growing industries. So, biotech, infotech, making sure that we’re on the leading edge of some of the new technology that’s taking over the nation and the world.”

The intersection of Illinois’ Firearm Owner’s Identification card and the Freedom of Information Act was the focus of an Illinois Supreme Court case heard this week. The case stems from two people requesting public records regarding why their FOID cards, a state-issued identification required in Illinois to own or buy firearms and ammunition, were either revoked or suspended.

Jim Dey: “Would Emanuel be interested, in 2026, in running for governor if Gov. J.B. Pritzker does not seek a third term, or succeeding U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin if the near-octogenarian decides to retire? The (Chicago Tribune) even speculated Emanuel is positioning himself for a White House run, farfetched though that may be. Given Emanuel’s unlimited ambition, it would be unwise to dismiss any possibility.”

Louie’s Law is a departure from previous programs that only taught students to “just say no” to drugs; it’s a mandate for the Illinois Board of Education to create and recommend a comprehensive drug education curriculum because currently there isn’t one. It will also give high school students the chance to learn how to recognize an overdose. They will also learn how to use fentanyl test strips, administer naloxone and other harm reduction steps.

Lopez discusses Illinois’ abolishment of cash bail, calling it “asinine.”

“In passing the Pretrial Fairness Act, Illinois is making a valiant effort to restore the presumption of innocence to the roughly 175,00 people that are incarcerated pretrial every year in

State Sen. Elgie Sims of Chicago sponsored the legislation, and two months after it passed, he had a personal experience in Springfield that he claimed served as a perfect example of how no-cash bail would make the state safer. Monday, the first day of cashless bail, a Chicago man appeared in a detention hearing on the same general allegations as the man who threatened Sims. And just like in Springfield, the judge sent the Chicago man home.

Illinois recorded 102 court cases filed per 100,000 people, totaling 13,130 case filings for a population of 12,812,508. “It is doing great damage to our business community,” state Rep. Dan Ugaste said. “Businesses know where this happens, and they do not want to locate where they are constantly going to be sued and accrue extra costs.”

“When they received the money, they just spent it … cars, trips, luxury items, people like that you’re not going to be able to recover any funds from because they spent all the funds,” one former federal prosecutor said. “But if there’s individuals who still have some monies or some access to monies, and the government goes after them, the government can recover some of the money.”

On Monday, Illinois State Police announced emergency rules listing the banned firearms and how those who own them from before Jan. 10, can file a sworn affidavit noting they are providing information voluntarily. The rules also say police, retired police, jailers and those in the security sector are exempt.

In this survey of courtrooms statewide, murder suspects were detained, a woman accused of aggravated domestic battery for hitting her partner with a piece of wood was released, and a man who allegedly violated an order of protection from his 80-year-old next door neighbor was sent home with orders for random alcohol testing.

State Representatives Brad Halbrook, Chris Miller, and Dan Caulkins are submitting legislation that revises Illinois business tax credits and requires any future tax incentives given to a foreign entity must be with an entity affiliated, and active members, with allied countries of the United States. The legislation will include similar qualifications for investment of Illinois funds and donations received by higher education institutions.

Al Llorens, president of the Illinois Education Association: “The IELRA is the Illinois law that requires school districts to recognize and bargain with education labor unions. This landmark event not only revolutionized the landscape of public education but also empowered teachers and education support staff, like paraprofessionals, bus drivers, nurses and secretaries, to play an active role in shaping the future of education. Together, we continue to advocate for our students, their education and our communities.”

In some of those counties there was an inconsistent interpretation of when the new law took effect, with some arguing that it should be based on when a person was arrested or charged, instead of the date specified by the state Supreme Court.

Clean energy businesses in Illinois added more than 3,600 workers in 2022, now employing 123,799 people in Illinois. According to the analysis, clean energy and clean transportation companies employed more than 734,000 Midwesterners at the end of 2022, a nearly 4 percent increase from 2021. Nationally, clean energy employment grew 4 percent.

Private pensions restructured their pensions years ago, an approach McLaughlin said legislators should consider but won’t. “They (private pensions) restructured them because they knew they were going to make sure they were going to get paid is to keep underlying business solvent,” McLaughlin said. “The public pension plans have never, and they will not allow that negotiation to take place. Their job [pension fund stakeholders] is to make sure we can stay solvent, and the only way they believe they can solve it is to constantly tax us. That is a recipe for disaster, which is why everyone is leaving

Advocates at the nonprofit Metropolitan Tenants Organization, which has already helped local residents organize into a tenants’ union, say inaction from Chicago building officials and lack of communication from the landlord are symptoms of a haphazard, reactive set of safety regulations that leave tenants in danger. A measure sitting in a City Council committee, the Chicago Healthy Homes Ordinance, would pave the way for the city to track apartment landlords and conduct periodic safety checks.

Jim Dey: “Here’s the official line: (Illinois Secretary of State Alexi) Giannoulias testified before Sen. Dick Durbin’s Judiciary Committee to warn of a rising tiding of fascism that threatens to capture America’s libraries…Nothing much was resolved at the hearing. Indeed, senators complained they have no authority over local libraries’ book acquisitions. That reality prompted (Louisiana Sen. John) Kennedy to suggest Giannoulias’ appearance must be ‘good for your politics back home.'”

According to Bryce Hill, with Illinois Policy Institute, Michigan isn’t the only state on the right path. “We’ve seen pension reform in Wisconsin. We’ve seen pension reform in Ohio, just to point to a couple of midwestern states, but I think the most comfortable example we have for what has to happen in Illinois is Arizona.”

While Democrats overwhelmingly supported the measure in the state Legislature, Republicans opposed. State Sen. Terri Bryant said the minority party will continue to push for reforms. “To me and many of the people we represent, defunding our courts, limiting victims services and making law abiding citizens pay for criminals bail with their taxes is just not justice.”

Ted Dabrowski of Wirepoints said Chicago has led the nation in homicides for 11 years and that the state should focus on stopping crime. “There’s no plan to address the crisis. Instead, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor [Brandon Johnson], Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, and Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans have all decided to pursue decriminalization and decarceration. The SAFE-T Act is a key part of that agenda,” Dabrowski said. The way the measure is written will increase the crime rate due to criminals being let out with no discretion, Dabrowski said.

With Illinois State Police saying they’ve filed emergency rules for Illinois’ gun and magazine ban registry, the law still faces legal challenges in federal and state court.

The law provides an exception for Illinoisans who already owned such items before it went into effect. Those people are required to submit an endorsement affidavit through their Firearm Owner’s Identification Card account before Jan. 1. The Illinois State Police filed emergency rules with the secretary of state on Monday to implement that portion of the assault weapons ban beginning next month.

Prosecutors will need more time and resources to meet the additional requirements to show whether a defendant is a danger to the community and should be detained. The state and city of Chicago need to implement policies to deal with the problem of rising crime for the benefits of no-cash release to be realized.

Brad Weisenstein, of the Illinois Policy Institute: “The CTU has invested over $17 million in politics since (President Stacy) Davis Gates’ radical caucus took over a decade ago. They expect something for that investment, and in the spring state lawmakers delivered by failing to fund the Invest in Kids scholarship tax credits. The program is dead at the end of 2023…State lawmakers can still save the program when they meet in veto session starting Oct. 24. They just need to remove the end date – change a single line of state law – and the program will live on…”

At Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, President William Moredock said 21 students at the school benefit from the program; another 23 are on the waiting list. “…(I)f that funding isn’t re-upped in the future, they may have to seek other schools, and that would be a very difficult thing for students and families in our community,” Moredock said.

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood stressed the budget must be fiscally responsible, as the federal debt currently stands at a whopping $32 trillion, of which $7 trillion is COVID-19-related. “When you have high deficits and you spend too much money, there is a ripple effect and there’s collateral damage that’s done to everyday people,” he said.

Elliot Richardson, of the Small Business Advocacy Council: “With small businesses battling workforce shortages, inflation and other economic headwinds, meaningful property tax reform is needed now…Getting a grip on property taxes and reducing that burden will provide needed relief to both businesses and residents.”

“Our left is definitely not wanting (cuts to SNAP) at all and our right wants more,” U.S. Rep. Mike Bost said. “It is a tricky balance, but remember, even though that’s the biggest part of the farm bill, the most important part of the farm bill to a majority of my constituents is that safety net.”

In 71 of Illinois’ 102 counties, electronic monitoring will be overseen by the Supreme Court’s Office of Statewide Pretrial Services, a newly formed state agency designed to assist counties with the Pretrial Fairness Act’s implementation and to fulfill a 1987 law that required all circuit courts to offer pretrial services. It received a $23 million state appropriation for the current fiscal year after a $26 million allotment last year, which included allocations for start-up costs.

China’s Communist Party chief Xi Jinping doesn’t have to worry about opposition leaders at home criticizing his record. But not far away, a U.S. diplomat has seized that role for himself with barbed and sometimes sarcastic criticism. Rahm Emanuel, Washington’s ambassador in Tokyo, is stepping up personal attacks on Xi, depicting the Chinese leader as an incompetent steward of the economy, a

“Illinois has more units of local government than any other state, according to the state’s legislative handbook. These are funded by property taxes, with a big chunk of those taxes paying for education and state employee pension obligations.

The 50 counties at the top of the most vulnerable list included eight in and around New York City, six in the Chicago metropolitan area and three in or near Philadelphia.

Cook County, for example, is one of a few counties that has for years been moving toward limiting the use of cash bail. Additionally, the county’s criminal courthouse has for years been holding bond court every day of the week – a practice shared by other larger county court systems in Illinois. It’s an entirely different story in southeastern Illinois, where Nathan Rowland is the part-time public defender serving Gallatin County, which borders Indiana, and neighboring Hamilton County. More than half of Illinois’ 102 counties don’t have full-time public defenders.

Jim Dey: “Former Chicago GOP state Rep. Jim Durkin remarked during the legislative debate that the law puts criminal defendants on the honor system — that is, counted on not to do in the future what they did in the past. How good a bet is that?”

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “Pension costs, including interest on debt, are eating up 25% of the state budget and growing. Dozens of states are shoring up their pensions, creating further separation from worst-in-the-nation Illinois. Continued inaction is not an option. At this point, the strongest ideas are coming from the private sector.”

A former federal prosecutor and ethics officer with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is one step closer to becoming the first woman ever to lead Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted 12-9 in favor of recommending April Perry to become the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. With the committee’s approval, she is now set for a final confirmation vote before the full Senate.

Pandemic-era federal funding that helped stabilize the child care industry expires Sept. 30, triggering a crisis for providers and the families who depend on them. For Illinois, that could mean nearly 130,000 kids without child care, about 2,800 shuttered centers and over 11,300 child care providers without jobs, according to a study from the Century Foundation, a think tank headquartered in New York.

“Let’s go ahead and put the progressive income tax in there. That will be the Democrats’ theme,” state Rep. Charlie Meier said. “‘We need to have more money. We have got to support the illegal [immigrants]. What are we going to do? We are going to tax our way out of it,’ and that is no way to create jobs.”

After awarding almost $250 million in grants to help homeowners in need, Illinois is closing the book on pandemic-related mortgage assistance.

In 2021, just 33% of Illinois’ 11th grade students could read at grade level. Only 29% could perform math proficiently. One school year later in spring 2022, 87.3% of that cohort of students graduated. Illinois also celebrated its highest graduation rate in a decade.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose position also includes the title of “state librarian,” this spring championed legislation allowing his office to withhold state money from public libraries if they ban books. On Tuesday, he told the Senate panel that public libraries have become “thunderdomes of controversy and strife” across the country.

The GFOA recognizes that its longstanding best practice guidance on reserve levels may not be individualized enough to optimize a government’s reserves based on local risk factors.

Pritzker is no stranger to the economic challenges facing Ukraine, which were considerable even before the war. A September 2014 trip to Kyiv was the first of several visits she made to Ukraine as Commerce secretary, eventually delivering $3 billion in loan guarantees designed to “promote progress on the country’s anti-corruption and economic reform agenda.”

One common reason given for leaving union membership: workers don’t feel well represented by their unions. Union leaders’ political agendas and the labor strife created by strikes get in the way of what unions are supposed to be doing.

“Under (Speaker Chris) Welch’s leadership, the Legislature has passed one pro-labor measure after another. The best example was putting the Workers’ Rights Amendment to the Illinois Constitution on the 2024 ballot. Even though the measure is unclear as to its exact meaning, it puts organized labor in the driver’s seat in virtually any dispute with management. Welch’s zeal was unchallengeable — except, of course, when his professed support for labor was undermined by his own recent hypocrisy.”

See also Wirepoints’ own column on this topic here.

Stratton just returned from leading a delegation of 20 government and business leaders on a mission to reinforce economic cooperation between Japan and Illinois. Japan is one of the state’s largest partners for trade and foreign direct investment.

Senate Bill 1909, as signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in July, allows the Illinois Attorney General to shut down pregnancy resource centers in Illinois if they’re found to conduct deceptive practices. In a 62-page response to a lawsuit filed soon after the law was signed, the state agreed laws should not limit free speech. However, the AG’s office said this measure does not do that and is protected under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act.

Jonathan Williams, chief economist with the American Legislative Exchange Council, says the amount of money that left Illinois is staggering. “Nearly $11 billion in annual wealth in Illinois was lost, more than the 49 other states on net,” Williams said. “That is just a crushing blow to the future prospects of Illinois turning it around economically.”

Not only was the agency enforcing the suspended rule limiting day care assistants’ ability to monitor rooms of children under two, state Rep. Steven Reick said it is publishing such violations, which could impact whether parents want to send their child to a particular day care. “What effort is going to be made by the department to publicize the fact that these violations that are being cited are really not a violation because of the suspension of this rule?” Reick asked.

Despite Illinois’ Amendment 1 being championed by friends of unions in the Illinois General Assembly to guarantee the right of any government employees to unionize, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch has reportedly failed to meet with Statehouse staffers who are pushing for unionization.

David Greising, of the Better Government Association.: “There’s a lot of people in the General Assembly, and a lot of people who represent public employee unions, who think that continuing to strengthen pensions and solve some of those problems out there are priorities,” said former state Rep. Greg Harris, a lead budget negotiator for years. “But now there’s just a lot of other very equally important needs for a lot of folks. And if the solution is going to be we need to find some more resources somewhere, they’re all going to be competing for that solution.”

Pritzker has become a favorite of some on Twitter for his progressive policy positions, the possibility that he may one day run for president and, dare I say, his “memeable” personality. Journalist David Weigel, writing for The Washington Post, first documented this “Pritzker Pals” phenomenon in early July 2022, writing that “they want to meme … Pritzker into the White House.”

Shelby County State’s Attorney Rob Hanlon said in his county, about 55 miles southeast of Springfield, they have a total of about 800 active felony cases, and are averaging about 200 new cases a year. Hanlon estimated about 80% of those cases are meth-related. “By letting out the drug dealers, what are we doing to our society as a whole?” Hanlon said. “We’re inviting, to some degree, anarchy.”

Cara Smith, director of the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services, a new agency created by the Illinois Supreme Court, announced in August that her office was assuming responsibility for electronic monitoring in 70 of the state’s 102 counties. Her announcement talked up electronic monitoring as “a tool to reduce jail populations, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to monitor domestic violence and other high-risk offenders.” But Smith said the timing does not mean her office is urging judges to order electronic monitoring as a substitute for cash bail.

IDPH is relying more on 79 treatment plants across the state to track COVID-19 through wastewater samples. “What it allows us to do is communicate to our local health departments in those counties and encourage them to then convey messages to their constituents,” said Charles Williams, bureau chief of testing at IDPH, “it may be increased masking, we’re not doing as much social distancing but we might also consider increased testing in that area.”

“Bail should be based not on what you have, but on what you are suspected of having done and are known to have done in the past. The risk in the ‘no bail’ provisions of the SAFE-T Act is in the extent to which it tries to correct for the first part of that equation at the expense of the second part. The state legislature needs to address that by enacting clear exceptions for dangerous offenses and habitual offenders when making bail and sentencing determinations.”

“Other methods of screening included parameters like those from Chicago’s Oak Park 97 district, which recommends considering ‘whether a candidate demonstrates interests and skills that reflect the district’s equity policy’…Oak Park-River Forest High School in Illinois declared ‘we seek faculty and staff who reflect the demographic of our student population’…”

Jim Dey: “Three legislators — state representatives Stephanie Kifowit, Steve Reick and Mark Walker — have been holding hearings and proposed legislation calling for contributing an additional $500 million a year on top of the state’s regular contributions to pensions for teachers, state employees, university employees, judges and legislators. At the same time, two private groups — the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA) and the Civic Committee of Chicago’s Commercial Club — have offered their own ideas about what needs to be done…At the same time, analysts at the Illinois Policy Institute and Wirepoints have their own ideas.

Ald. Andre Vasquez, chairman of the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee, said a solution more permanent than winterized tents is needed. “We need to the governor to convene cities across Illinois, which is also a welcoming state, so that they can help in taking on some capacity.”

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “Illinois has a little momentum. But with federal pandemic funds no longer flowing, and talk of a possible recession, the need for pension discipline is one of the most difficult and important issues facing the state. Demands on state funds are rising, with competition for spending on education, public health and safety.”

Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran said Senate Republicans are committed to making the program permanent during the veto session.

Some law enforcement agencies said they have been going line by line through the law to make sure they comply. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said his department will continue to watch crime rates and try to track individuals that they believe would have been detained.

The indicted individuals, all current or former United States Postal Service employees, have been charged with wire fraud.

Sabrina Sibby decided to move her four sons into the Invest in Kids program after they told her about not feeling safe in the Chicago Public Schools’ setting. Since switching to a private school, Sibby said her child’s grades have improved. “He was more aware of his educational setting as opposed to having to worry if he was safe or not.”

Madeleine Behr with the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation said that under the Pretrial Fairness Act portion of the SAFE-T Act, victims will be notified that they can file for protective orders. “So we really think the impact is going to be now that victims are more aware of their right and ability to get a protective order they will likely seek that. There’s more remedies and more ways to be safe.”

“Gang of Eight, four Democrats, four Republicans, wrote a comprehensive immigration reform bill which I still think in whole can be still used as a template for where we need to go,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said. The measure he referenced from a decade ago was criticized as bringing about amnesty. Republicans are looking for the border to be closed.

David Greising and Clare Zhang, of the Better Government Association.”Today, the pension clause (of the Illinois Constitution) is a key factor constraining Illinois’ ability to creatively repair its deeply underfunded pension system. The restriction has left Illinois stuck in place even as states across the country are experimenting and innovating, saving billions while still dealing fairly with retired workers.”

“Democrats, bless their hearts, have been just about as stubborn on this issue as their donkey mascot in failing to listen to their own constituents, many of whom like the idea. Vouchers, which already are available in some districts around the country, can grant parents the freedom they too often have been denied — the freedom to shop around and choose for themselves where their education dollar can best be spent.”

In January 2023, the Illinois Legislature passed and Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law a bill allowing the Illinois Department of Human Services to extend the amount of time mentally unfit inmates are allowed to remain in jails from 20 days to 60 days, with the ability for DHS to renew the hold every 30 days. In Sangamon County, since January 1, 2023, Sheriff Jack Campbell said 26 inmates have remained in custody beyond the 60-day requirement, accumulating 1,302 total days in custody.

According to the release, checks worth up to $5,000 will automatically be mailed to more than 66,000 people who are owed money but have not claimed it. Prior to the changes, the automatic payment cap was $2,000. The enhancement, part of the state’s “Money Match” program, crossmatches state data with the treasurer’s unclaimed property database, the release said.

“Our agricultural reach goes far beyond our state,” said Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello. “In 2022, Illinois exports of corn and soybeans to the world totaled over $3.5 billion.”

“Mr. Secretary, I understand this is good for your politics back home,” Kennedy said, leading Giannoulias to say it has nothing to do with politics. “But, of course it does, it has everything to do your politics! But you came here with a problem, and I’m trying to understand the solution and you don’t have one other than to tell us that if we don’t agree with you, we’ll be on the wrong side of history.”

As of Sept. 12, the the Office of Executive Inspector General reported 438 PPP investigations were initiated. About 200 were concluded with 177 being referred to a law enforcement agency. “State employees are expected to maintain the public’s trust and confidence, and misappropriating public funds is far from acting with integrity, or conducting oneself in a manner that reflects favorably upon the State,” the report said. “Acting in such a manner may result in the loss of employment.”

Omar Shaker, the interim chief of administrative rules at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, told a legislative oversight committee Tuesday that the department ultimately plans to reinstate the copay policy, but it doesn’t yet have the systems in place to properly administer it.

“While some might view the new law as a model of progressive enhancement of the criminal-justice system, it might also be viewed as a monument to the heavy price of intellectual indolence in any branch of government.”

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “Two viable but competing plans are on the table. A scramble is underway to earn support from taxpayers, labor and business groups, leaders in the legislature and rank-and-file lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats. We all have a stake in this flurry of activity. Even though the state’s annual pension payments are climbing their steep curve, Illinois still cannot keep pace with the system’s growing costs.”

The cartoonist drew a wheelchair user on a chairlift ramp going up the Senate-side Capitol steps with three people using walkers. Above the columns were the words, “Senate Assisted Legislating Facility.” The reference is about the aging Senate, a matter in the news because of health issues surrounding Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who is 90, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky who is 81. Age and the

There are red flags in public loan data. In one case reported by NPR, 50 applications for small business loans reportedly listed the same address: a day shelter in Chicago where workers and the homeless can pick up their mail.

“The farm bill is vitally important,” U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood said. “We have to reauthorize it. It has to be done by the end of September. I don’t think we’ll meet that deadline so we’ll need a short extension. But I remain optimistic, by the end of the year we’ll reauthorize it.”

Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia are involved in the negotiation process.

“Durbin 2.0 includes new credit card routing provisions that will undermine payment security. It directly puts Americans at greater risk of fraud, as it will allow retailers to run transactions over bargain-bin payment networks. We estimate this will have devastating effects similar to those from the Durbin Amendment, and could likely cost over $6 billion in additional fraud.”

The new law requires more robust courtroom hearings to decide if a person is held in jail. Those hearings will require more time from defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges. Many experts also predict that without the cudgel of pretrial detention, fewer defendants will strike plea deals, which will mean more resource-intensive criminal trials. “It is going to be a real issue in some of the smaller counties,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin warned.

Enrollment of first-year freshmen at University of Illinois System universities reached a record level of 13,231 this fall, as did total system enrollment of 60,013 undergraduate students.

A war of words between the United Auto Workers and Detroit’s Big Three escalated as a Stellantis NV executive said the union rejected a “compelling solution” for an idled Jeep plant in Illinois, a priority for the company’s unionized workers.

“The brewing battle over one of Cook County’s three seats on the Supreme Court, where Democrats hold a 5-2 majority over Republicans, comes as the county’s Latino population is on the rise and the Black population is declining. It also is yet another example of long-simmering tensions between two key blocs within the Democratic coalition — divisions that historically have been stoked by white politicians to keep either group from gaining too much power or influence.”

Adams county states attorney Gary Farha says these can be difficult decisions, but they must be made. “It’s a significant cost. It’s frustrating to prosecutors, it’s frustrating to private citizens, but that is just the way it is,” Farha said.

The owner of a Will County four-unit apartment building said the 55% increase on his tax bill is not something he can absorb on his own.

“A new clean diesel long haul tractor typically costs in the range of $180,000 to $200,000,” JKC Trucking Co-Owner Mike Kucharski said. “A comparable battery electric tractor costs upwards of $480,000, that’s about a $300,000 upcharge, [which] is cost prohibitive for the overwhelming majority of motor carriers.” He said more than 95% of the trucking companies that make up the industry are small businesses operating about ten or fewer trucks.

In the 26 years since it opened, the airport has suffered a string of failed passenger carriers and unsuccessful attempts to build its cargo business, earning monikers such as the “Gateway to Nowhere.” It appears to have adopted the “Field of Dreams” development philosophy, but more and more is being added at taxpayers’ expense to get them to come to it.

Under this plan, introduced by state Sen. Erica Harriss, porn companies could face a $5,000 fine for each day they fail to have reasonable age verification methods. Courts may impose an additional civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each company “knowingly failing to perform reasonable age verification methods.”

Parents “should be thinking that this Invest In Kids Act that lets 9,000 low-income kids have a choice, a choice that higher-income people have but lower-income people don’t, that they should lobby for that not to be killed by the Democrats,” GOP Chairman Don Tracy said.

In Illinois alone, the report said, an estimated 128,200 children could be without child care, while more than 2,800 child care programs could close.

The end of cash bail in Illinois begins Sept. 18, but the debate over whether the measure will lead to better public safety continues.

A recent CNN poll shows more than half of Democrats question Biden’s fitness. The 80-year-old is running for a second term. At an unrelated event Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked about the poll and said Biden’s age brings experience. “Let’s face it, Joe Biden has gotten more done in two-and-a-half years as president than most presidents get done in eight years and it’s because of his experience,” Pritzker said. “So, people can talk about age, but let’s also talk about experience.”

Beginning January 1, 2024, certain employers located within designated Illinois counties and townships will be required to provide employees a “pre-tax commuter benefit.” The pre-tax benefit means that employers must allow covered employees to use pre-tax dollars for the purchase of a transit pass through payroll deduction.

Incobrasa produces everything from biodiesel to cooking oil and farm feed. Plans call for a soybean crushing plant and a 50-acre solar array to create power as needed. “In addition to sustaining 200 jobs and creating 40 new permanent good-paying careers, this new $250 million expansion will mean dozens of construction and installation jobs for workers,” the governor said.

For decades, the governor’s mansion was a malodorous house whose occupants constantly complained of ill health and “foul odor” due to poor plumbing, underground water, cranky boilers, leaking ceilings and electricity that couldn’t be trusted. “It was a nightmare,” First Lady M.K. Pritzker said. “The house had stories to tell and I, quite simply, wanted to tell them.” Pritzker has written a book about the mansion’s

The bill paying assistance company doxo found that residents of Illinois pay nearly $900 more a year for household expenses than the national average. Illinois is known for its high property taxes, so the cost of mortgage helps place the Land of Lincoln as the 16th most expensive state for household bills. Illinois households spend about 35% of their income on bills.

“Not only will everyone fail eventually, but the speed in which those groups start getting huge grows exponentially,” said Andrew Bodewes of the Teachers’ Retirement System. “In year one, it’s one. In the second year, maybe it is five. In the third year, maybe it’s 50. In the fourth year, maybe it’s 500, 5,000, et. cetera and so on.”

Jim Dey: “Politically speaking, the nuclear-power issue is small potatoes. After all, how many people will get excited about legislation that ends a nuclear-power moratorium when all that does is allow the private sector to contemplate but not necessarily pursue such an option? On the other hand, (Gov. JB) Pritzker’s veto won enthusiastic applause from environmental groups, a key component of the state and national political base he’ll need if he runs for a third term as governor or takes a shot at the presidency in 2024 and/or 2028.”

“Voluntary recognition is the easiest path. Otherwise, the situation will likely be remedied in a courtroom. You can blame red tape for that. To put it simply, employees of the Illinois General Assembly do not fall under any of the umbrellas that would offer a bureaucratic framework for an election on the formation of a collective bargaining unit. The jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board, for instance, is limited to private sector employers. And while the Illinois Labor Relations Board does have authority to govern relations between unions and public sector employers, state law specifically exempts those who work

Gov. JB Pritzker said of the entire workforce in Illinois public and private sectors, about 14% are unionized. “It’s a time question and also a question about whether the other people who work in state government for the legislature want to be part of the union,” he said. “Nobody is preventing anybody from having a union and nobody is saying you have to be unionized.”

Before this year, if you believed the state of Illinois or one of its officers or employees had violated your rights under the state constitution, you could file a lawsuit at your county courthouse. But in June, Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 3062 into law. It limits the venue for any state constitutional claim to only Cook or Sangamon counties, just two of Illinois’ 102 counties. That means a resident of Metropolis, Illinois, whose rights are violated would be forced to file a claim in a court over 200 miles away.

Sen. Win Stoller: “This audit revealed that due to gross incompetence and mismanagement by IDES, the state of Illinois lost more than $5 billion in wrongful unemployment payouts, including massive fraud, between March 2020 and September 2021…. Now that this audit makes it clear the unemployment insurance trust fund deficit is almost entirely the fault of gross mismanagement of the state’s unemployment insurance program, the Pritzker administration needs to face the music…. Illinois businesses did not create the state lockdowns that put people out of work, nor are they at fault

Jim Dey: “While the general state revenue picture remains good, state officials must address an overall revenue decline due to a dramatic decrease in federal funds. Recent state budgets were boosted as a consequence of mammoth federal aid prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Now that the pandemic is over, so, too, is the additional federal assistance. For example, federal aid in July and August 2022 was an astounding $764 million. So the bottom line is that Illinois will have dramatically less revenue in the fiscal year that runs from this July through June 2024 than it did in the 2022-23

Next year, Illinois won’t be receiving federal COVID-19 funds, which has helped pay for after-school programs like the one in District 186. It served 4,000 students with the help of $600,000 in federal grants. Some programs serve as after-school hangouts for children while their parents work, as well as tutoring programs that have received greater emphasis since the pandemic.

“When I became NEA president, what I articulated as a strategic vision was, we would reclaim public education as a common good, as the foundation of our democracy, but we couldn’t stop there” said Becky Pringle, the National Education Association (NEA) President. “We couldn’t stop there. We had to transform it into something it was never designed to be a racially and socially just system that prepares every student everywhere to succeed.”

The report notes that one of the arguments for allowing in so many immigrants is that the low unemployment rate means that no potential workers are available. But what gets ignored is the increase of

The Will County communities of Joliet, Crest Hill, Channahon, Minooka, Shorewood and Romeoville – forming the Grand Prairie Water Commission – will buy treated water from Chicago, which uses Lake Michigan as a source, and have it delivered via 65 miles of pipeline. Communities in nearby Kane and Kendall counties that also rely on the deep sandstone aquifer will face similar water supply questions in the coming years.

Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll said revenue generated by cash bail helps to fund several things, including both his own office and the circuit clerk’s office. “Generally speaking, the smaller the county, the more it relies upon bond money to fund the criminal justice system,” Noll said. He isn’t sure how the difference in revenue will be made up, though he said the state has provided certain parts of Illinois criminal justice systems, such as public defenders, with more funding.

Gov. JB Pritzker said despite state data showing some areas with low proficiencies in math and reading, the state is educating children. “We always want to do better. We want our

David Hodges and Daryl James, of the Institute for Justice: “Opponents of the scholarship program also claim private schools operate without accountability. Again, the argument is backward. Public schools hold public meetings and prepare public reports. But if they fail to deliver results, nothing happens. They still get state money. That is fake accountability – the kind with no consequences. By contrast, private schools must compete for customers. Unsatisfied families can take their money and walk away. That is true accountability.

Turley: “As someone who was raised in a liberal, politically active Democratic family in Chicago, one of the greatest disappointments of my lifetime has been to watch the Democratic Party fight against free speech, pushing both censorship and blacklisting.”

Tuesday, just as advocates argued the changes were too costly for low-income patients, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Service sent out a notice to providers, writing that co-pays would be halted, with cost-sharing from providers to be completed before patients are asked to dole out co-pays or coinsurance. “Providers should not charge cost-sharing for this population until further notice and any cost-sharing that providers may have already collected must be returned to the customer,” wrote Kelly Cunningham, the state’s administrator for Division of Medical Programs.

“You can’t do major reforms in this state. You can’t touch the big items that we need to to lower property taxes, and to properly fund education and give students and parents a choice in education without coming headlong against the powerful teachers’ unions,” state Rep. Blaine Wilhour said.

State Rep. Kevin Schmidt said there are several issues that need the same funding that should be addressed before migrant health care. “Well, obviously, the big elephant in the room is that the state should put a large portion of that down towards the pension debts. If you’re a business or just an individual, you would want to knock down your debt first, then move forward.”

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has introduced legislation that would end the practice of allowing criminally accused elected officials of using campaign funds for a criminal defense. Madigan has used at least $8.5 million of campaign funds so far to pay a law firm in his criminal defense.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, outside the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL region sitting at 3.3% and the St. Louis, MO-IL region sitting at 3.6%, the Chicago area has the lowest regional unemployment rate of 4.2%. The Carbondale/Marion area is at 5.1% and Rockford is at 6.8%.

The complaint – centered on a portion of the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act that allows utilities to recoup carbon mitigation investments – alleges the utility failed to follow the proper regulatory channels laid out in Gov. JB Pritzker’s marquee climate policy. The complaint was filed by the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, alleging the change in billing will cost its roughly 100 member companies about $100 million combined between June 2023 and May 2024.

Robert Bruno asked his students, mostly unionized workers busy with families and full-time jobs, to thoughtfully fill in the blank for “Work is … ” with a six-word description, give or take. The answers from this group that was neither the elite nor the most marginalized, exuded heartbreak, hope, longing, anger and humor.

Immigration advocates breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday after the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services, or HFS, delayed implementing copays for beneficiaries of the state’s Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults/Seniors (HBIA/HBIS) programs.

Among the changes, companies with 50 or more employees must allow workers to exclude public transit and parking costs from taxable income, and temporary workers or day laborers must be notified ahead of time if they’re sent to fill in at a business where there’s a strike or work stoppage. They’ll reserve the right to refuse the assignment.

“We still have a growing industry, as you know, it is one that I initiated in 2019 that has brought in almost $450 million to state and local governments,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “We are getting almost a third, nearly 30% of the revenue that we get from the cannabis industry comes from people coming to Illinois and spending money at dispensaries.”

According to a survey by the small business network Allignable, Illinois is the hardest hit state in the country, with 61% of local businesses earning half or less of their monthly pre-pandemic revenues in August. That is a 24% increase from July.

Illinois leads with nearly 80,000 EVs, while Minnesota has 41,417 and Michigan has 34,380. Michigan targets 2 million EVs by 2030, while Minnesota and Illinois each target 1 million by the same year. For Illinois to reach its EV goal, it would need to add more than 131,400 EVs in each of the seven years, which would require registering 10,950 EVs for every month until 2030.

Dave Smith, Executive Director of the Illinois Family Institute, cites multiple violations of the 1st Amendment (not to mention other portions of the Constitution) by Senate Bill 1909, the Amended IL Deceptive Trade Practices Law, and he does not think that the legislature could draft language that would survive constitutional scrutiny in this area.

Forming any specific legislation will take time, task force co-chair Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid said, but will focus on tackling transparency issues and whether the technology may discriminate or have biases.

Illinois gas prices are lower for week (-$0.05, -1.2%) and year (-$0.11, -2.6%).

“There are jobs and economic development coming, for sure, and there is no doubt the new flow of revenue for the state, but there also will be Illinoisans who are losers…(T)he original riverboats, approved in the 1990s with a promise to revitalize struggling downtowns in cities such as Aurora and Joliet, have abandoned that promise without any meaningful pushback. And we’re still wondering what pending exits from those downtown areas (yet more new casinos!) will do to those two urban cores. That’s certainly

Matt Paprocki, of Illinois Policy: “First, Illinoisans of all ideologies agree the state should stop taxing groceries…There’s also agreement that Illinois needs to reduce pain at the pump…Finally, 63% of Illinoisans support the Invest in Kids scholarship program, which serves 9,600 low-income kids and families with thousands more on the waitlist. The program provides access to scholarships that help families pick the schools that best serve their needs, giving students — our future workforce and business leaders — the best opportunities to succeed.”

Kelly, whose district stretches from Chicago’s South Side to Danville, discussed maternal mortality, Chicago’s migrant crisis, and gun violence, which she has called a “slow motion massacre.”

“(Karen) Lauritzen was accused of ‘promoting transgenderism.’ Extremists reportedly found social media posts in which Lauritzen showed support for the LGBTQ+ community and Black Lives Matter…Lauritzen has since left Idaho and moved to Illinois…”

Since April 2022, the state has given out more than $246 million in grants to help nearly 14,000 homeowners. That money covered mortgages, property taxes, insurance, and HOA fees.

While the rate of unionized workers in Illinois had increased in 2020 – followed by a boost of nearly 16,000 new unionized workers the following year – the state saw declines in both metrics in the past year, according to the report. That continued the downward trend in unionization in the last decade. In 2022, there were 734,430 unionized workers in Illinois, which represented 13.1 percent of the state’s total workforce.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed HB 2862 Aug. 4, significantly expanding the state’s Day and Temporary Labor Services Act. Like New Jersey’s employment legislation, HB 2862 includes an equal pay mandate for temporary workers performing the same or substantially similar work on jobs which require “substantially similar skill, effort, and responsibility.”

John Tilman: “Before he can think about running for president, the Republican governor has to rein in public unions.”

“Only eight months ago he publicly referred to efforts to undercut the labor movement as ‘extremist’, and yet that is precisely what he and his aides are now doing…. Our good faith efforts to engage with the Speaker and his aides have been either rebuffed, redirected, or met with stubborn disregard…. We have the legal right to form a union. If there was any doubt of this before, that doubt was removed by the passage of the Workers’ Rights Amendment. Equal protection under the law is a fundamental American value, and the right to organize is the law of the

From energy policy to the Invest in Kids Act, Illinois legislators returning to Springfield next month are already laying out their expectations.

In early August, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law creating the “Healthy School Meals for All Program” to help local school districts pay for the cost of school meals to all students. State lawmakers and school officials say getting the bill signed into law was a step in the right direction, but the state did not allocate any additional money to make the program a reality. In fact, the reimbursement funding level has been

Wirepoints Founder Mark Glennon believes no judge would back this law with how it is written. “This completely restricted their [pregnancy centers] ability to pass out literature anywhere in the area, and it was one-sided,” he said. “It said if the pro-choice people did the same thing, there was no liability there. No exposure. That’s called viewpoint discrimination, so that was a clear red line that legislators can not pass, and that really irritated the court.”

According to the Pew Research Center, thanks to an sizable boost in federal aid during the pandemic, from Medicaid support to funds to combat COVID-19, federal funds accounted for over 31% of the Illinois state budget in fiscal year 2021. Nationally, 37.7% of state’s revenue came from federal dollars, up from 35.9% the previous year.

“I think that’s really the fight of veto session, not only renewing that, but trying to get additional monies for it,” state Sen. Andrew Chesney said. “The idea that outcomes are determined by ZIP code is just outrageous.” A breakout of ISBE data by Wirepoints shows how low proficiency levels are for various areas of the state. Their report shows 7% of Rockford’s Black third-graders, 16% of Decatur’s white third-graders and 11% of Elgin’s Hispanic third-graders can read at grade level.

“The Illinois General Assembly is not allowed to cherry-pick the courts that will hear constitutional challenges to the laws it passes and other states rules and orders,” said Senior Counsel, Jeffrey Schwab. The complaint also alleges that House Bill 3062 disenfranchises voters. Under this law, Illinois residents outside Sangamon County and Cook County are forced to present their constitutional claims to judges in other jurisdictions—whom they had no opportunity to vote for or against.

“…(t)he mayor has to sit down with the governor and General Assembly to build a path forward that not only provides better retirement benefits to public workers enrolled in Tier 2, but also creates a rational approach to paying for those benefits, while getting the pension systems healthy and being affordable for taxpayers.”

“While they’re patting themselves on the back, they really need to be talking to the hard-working families of Illinois and the country about the real pressures they are facing at the gas station, at the grocery store and buying a home,” said Jason Hefley, Illinois State director for Americans for Prosperity. “The answer in Washington and in Illinois is to spend our way out of problems.”

“Take the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois-Indiana, or SEIU HCII, which appears to be the only major government union in Illinois that has gained members since 2017. SEIU HCII reported just under 60,000 members and fee payers in its 2022 federal report, filed in March 2023. But on its website, it claims to represent ‘more than 91,000 workers’ in four states. That means at least one-third of workers represented by SEIU HCII have chosen not to be a part of the union.”

“We fought it all the way to the (Illinois) Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court ultimately upheld it,” said States Attorney Tom Haine. “So now we’re tasked with implementing it…Will we be able to do it? Yes. Is it a resource pinch? Yes.”

Nearly 80% of drivers have “expressed anger, aggression or road rage behind the wheel at least once within the previous 30 days,” according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Susan Garrett, a former state senator who now chairs the Center for Illinois Politics, said the Mapes case may fall into a “gray area” of Illinois’ pension law that “could give him a pass” because of the timing of the crimes on which he was convicted. She noted Mapes lied to the grand jury after he left state government but that he was convicted of lying about a subject matter related to his work in state government for Madigan.

Jim Dey: “There’s one trial left — that of (former House Speaker Michael) Madigan, the onetime major domo of Illinois’ political arena. The biggest of the big dogs has to be sweating bullets after watching two separate juries have no trouble returning guilty verdicts. But here’s the question: How effective would the GOP’s proposed tougher ethics guidelines be in corralling this Illinois contagion?”

A police spokesperson there were two different alerts from the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system just after 9 a.m.: one for 10 rounds, and another for 19 rounds. Gun violence has ravaged Peoria in the past month. In August, shootings have become an almost daily occurrence and there have been five homicides in the city limits or just outside.

“The first option would be to abolish the estate tax. We pay taxes our whole life while we are living, and the first thing that happens when you die is they want to tax your cold, dead body,” state Rep. Chris Miller said. “There have been very little pro-business and pro-family legislation to make life better for working-class citizens in Illinois. There is a reason why Ronald Reagan made the comment that the most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I am from the government and I am here to help you.'”

A summary judgment hearing is scheduled Oct. 11 in front of Judge Stephen McGlynn, the same judge that ruled a preliminary injunction against the gun ban on Second Amendment grounds in April. That injunction lasted six days before the appeals court consolidated cases with Northern District cases and issued a stay.

“The best way for us to manage through this lengthy crisis is to tap into the extraordinary value that immigrants bring to our workforce,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “We have the jobs. We have the people. We just need authorization from Washington.”

She previously served as the Director of Membership and Strategic Alliances for the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems. Early also has experience as Executive Director of the National Public Pension Coalition and as Director of Legislative and Political Affairs for the Chicago Federation of Labor.

“National Statuary Hall is a collection of marble men and women who stand silently around the first floor of the United States Capitol. Established in 1864, it is filled with figures whose graven images have endured longer than their names… There are a few famous faces in the collection — Ronald Reagan, Sacagawea, Brigham Young — but for every household name, there’s a Frances Willard and a James Shields, not stopping any tourists for selfies.”

Raising the threshold from $4 million to $12 million would match the federal limit.

Due to the anticipated volume of investigations and hearings on pretrial detention starting September 18 and the current limited resources of circuit courts, state’s attorneys, public defenders, and other justice partners, statewide compliance with the SAFE-T Act will only be possible with the use of two-way audio-visual communication systems, Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis announced.

Behind the lower-than-expected numbers is the Prisoner Review Board, a state body appointed by Pritzker and confirmed by the Illinois Senate with final say on medical release requests. As of mid-August, the board had denied nearly two-thirds of medical release requests from dying and disabled prisoners who met the medical criteria to get out of prison under the Coleman Act.

Illinois lost population for the 9th consecutive year, which is 2nd in the nation behind West Virginia. (They’ve been losing people for 10 years.)

Individual towns and cities could decide the statewide ban on rent control no longer applies to them — that is, if legislation proposed in Springfield passes. While statewide efforts to lift the ban move slowly, “it makes a lot of sense to empower local communities to make the decision themselves if they should opt out of the current ban on rent control,” said state Sen. Mike Simmons, whose 7th District covers the lakefront from Rogers Park to Wrigley Field.

Landek, who still serves as mayor of southwest suburban Bridgeview, was one of three people appointed to oversee a state agency that provides access to low-cost capital to public and private institutions to spur economic development. Landek’s name and the political organization he leads have been referenced in federal search warrants in the ongoing investigation, and the village of Bridgeview was subpoenaed for documents related to Madigan associates. Landek has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Illinois Democratic lawmakers hope to pass a plan this fall to allow prisoners to vote. The state already allows people held in county jails to register and vote, but people serving time in prisons do not have the same rights. “We need to make sure that the people that are ‘voiceless’ as it relates to their future have someone to stand up for them for justice,” state Rep. LaShawn Ford said.

The new Committee on Pretrial Education is geared toward continuing education for judges, pretrial officers and other officials as they prepare to put the Pretrial Fairness portion of the SAFE-T Act into practice. This is the segment that does away with cash bail.

“There have been some steps on transparency and disclosures that the General Assembly has taken, but we continue to under-resource and understaff the law enforcement end of it that actually investigates these types of crimes,” said the Illinois Senate’s minority leader John Curran. “Leaving it all to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who are limited in resources, acts as … a strain or a type filter on actually investigating, rooting out all the activity that we want to remove from the legislative process and just from government in general.”

The state currently offers the H-2A program that allows permitted immigrants to work on farms after having gone through background checks and other vetting practices. But Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday, “Once people have spent several months here waiting for what is a require hearing that they’re just waiting, these hearings have been delayed because so many migrants have come to the United States and so we ought to let people work after a certain amount of time.”

On Aug. 11, 2023, Illinois’ governor signed House Bill 3129 amending its Equal Pay Act of 2003, which requires employers with 15 or more employees to include the pay scale and benefits for any job posting. The law will take effect Jan. 1, 2025 and will apply to job postings going forward.

“It fails to recognize that smaller employers struggle to compete with larger employers to recruit talented employees and talented workers,” said Chris Davis, Illinois director of the National Federation of Independent Business.

Dr. Kent Redfield, retired Professor of Political Science for the University of Illinois Springfield, says a large portion of the state budget will be used to pay off the unfunded pension liability. Dr. Redfield calls the situation a dilemma in which states are trying to prove the impairment of benefits for current or former employees, which is unconstitutional.

The General Assembly appropriated an additional $12 million for EV rebates for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.

Illinoisans pay the second-highest taxes in the nation to buy recreational marijuana, which pushes consumers to other states and unregulated sellers.

This is the fourth casino to open in recent years that was authorized by a 2019 gambling expansion law that was a centerpiece of Gov. JB Pritzker’s first term. Each casino is required to contribute one-time fees within 30 days of opening to the Rebuild Illinois fund. In addition, casino visitors bring in millions of dollars to the state and to local governments. In July, casinos allocated $38.3 million for taxes on admissions and gambling – with $30.7 million set aside for the state and $7.6 million for local governments.

Derek Douglas, president of the Commercial Club of Chicago and its Civic Committee, Jack Lavin is president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Sarah Wetmore, acting president of the Civic Federation: “We agree this issue needs to be addressed. But in doing so, we urge the General Assembly to stick with the simplest, most cost-effective fix for the safe harbor compliance issue: changing the Tier 2 pensionable salary cap to match the pay cap used to determine Social Security benefits, known as the Social Security Wage Base (SSWB).”

Gov. JB Pritzker said there aren’t many lessons to learn from Tim Mapes’ trial that should lead to legislative action. “We ought to be continuing the improvement process,” he said. “But remember, it’s also about electing good people to public office and then holding people accountable if in fact they’re corrupt and breaking the law, and that’s happening.”

Gov. JB Pritzker said despite what people read online, there is no discussion of bringing back certain mandates such as school closures or mask mandates as was the case more than three years ago at the onset of the pandemic.

Gov. JB Pritzker added, “One more thing that you should recognize because you’ve seen Joe Biden over 50 years now in public life. Here is one thing everybody knows. This is a man who brings empathy to everything that he does. I think the working families of America want someone in the White House who actually cares about them and is kind.”

The new Illinois Child Extended Bereavement Leave Act (CEBLA) requires covered Illinois employers to provide additional unpaid leave to employees who are faced with a child’s death due to homicide or suicide. The Illinois Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) provides unpaid leave for employees grieving a family members death as a result of a violent crime.

Jim Dey: “(Tim) Mapes is the fifth defendant to go to trial and be convicted in the ComEd case. The others are former ComEd CEO Anne Prammagiore and utility lobbyists John Hooker, Jay Doherty and Michael McClain. McClain and Mapes represent two-thirds of the powerful troika that shaped public policy and launched political maneuvers for decades in Springfield. At the top of the ‘M’ triangle is Madigan.”

Tim Nugent, of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, shared insights about the ambitious undertaking. “Project Unity” could potentially introduce an infusion of capital and job opportunities into the community. The compensation package attached to these jobs promises an average wage of approximately $55,000, translating to a payroll windfall of around $144 million annually.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin has introduced the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic into waterways from facilities and sources that make, use, package, or transport pellets. Said Durbin, “Each year, it is estimated plastic pellet pollution contributes significantly to the 22 million tons of plastic that end up in the Great Lakes.”

The estimated $47 million being sent out is from the contents of overlooked safe deposit boxes, unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. The State Treasurer legally must return the unclaimed property to its owners or heirs.

Washington County continues to have the lowest unemployment in the region at 3.2 percent. That is up from 2.7 percent in June. The highest rate is Clay County where the rate increased six-tenths of a percent to 6.1 percent.

A number of states saw meaningful outflows, notably with New York and Illinois losing close to 1% of their population (0.9% and 0.8% respectively), according to U.S. census data. Economic factors play a prominent role, many experts say. A search for more affordable housing may have accelerated as the post-pandemic job market allows more opportunities to work remotely. Higher-tax states are also among the places losing population – sometimes with wealthier residents leading the migratory march.

Records show that chief of operations Marc M. Sullivan was forced out July 28 “in lieu of termination for misconduct.” His boss, Scott Swinford, also stepped down the same day, using an oddly identical letter citing personal reasons to resign. Legislative liaison Jennifer March, who had worked as a confidential assistant to the agency’s director, also was pushed out July 27, according to documents that say she “resigned in lieu of termination due to poor performance.”

The nearly three-week trial ripped a deeper tear in the veil covering the secretive Madigan political machine that prosecutors have called a criminal enterprise. Evidence also captured the once-formidable speaker’s cutthroat moves to banish anyone who might hurt his struggle to hang onto power. The Mapes trial also previewed the outlines of an ill-fated Chinatown land transfer deal that is included in the sweeping racketeering case filed against Madigan himself.

Since Madigan’s ouster in 2021 and the omnibus ethics bill that passed shortly after, lawmakers seem to consider the job finished. But Senate Bill 539 was a baby step towards reform that left large loopholes for bad actors to pass through easily.

The Illinois governor credited the musician with reviving the state’s tourism industry after her three nights in Chicago. She was even mentioned in a report by the Fed, crediting her with fueling the national tourism industry. “If Taylor Swift were an economy, she’d be bigger than 50 countries.” Typically, every $100 spent on live performances generates an estimated $300 in ancillary local spending on things like hotels, food and transportation.

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said passage of the three bills will benefit the 35,000 people of Native American heritage who live in Illinois.

There are some precise ingredients imposed by the legislature. Mayfield said they include a rubric to evaluate the reading curriculum in a school or district, a template for schools to follow and a teacher training module.

Among the top ten states which have seen the largest rent increases of the year are Iowa (#8) at 2.6%, Indiana (#7) at 2.8%, Wisconsin (#5) at 3.2%, and Illinois (#4) at 3.4%. The #1 spot goes to North Dakota which has seen a 7.0% average increase in rent so far this year

“They’re having difficulty managing the … free health care for undocumented immigrants. That strains the rest of the Medicaid budget. So that’s gonna be part of it,” Senate Minority Leader John Curran said. “The [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] contract is going to be part of it, so it’s not surprising.”