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Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Public safety technology only works when communities trust it. That’s why Flock Safety built privacy and transparency into every layer of our system from the beginning of the design cycle — not as an afterthought. In Illinois, that means:

See how we’re building trust in Illinois.

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It’s just a bill

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* House Republican Leader Tony McCombie and Senate Republican Leader John Curran…

(Springfield) Today Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (Savanna) and Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (Downers Grove) filed identical legislation to keep violent criminals from continuing to commit violent offenses while on pre-trial release and ankle monitoring.

“Let’s be clear: this law is not working the way it was promised,” said House Republican Leader Tony McCombie. “No law should prioritize process over protection. If loopholes exist, they must be closed. If policies fall short, they must be fixed. Preventable harm is unacceptable and that is why we are bringing this serious legislative solution forward.”

In response to the recent murder and critical injury of two Chicago Police Officers, the Republican leaders filed Senate Bill 4195 and House Bill 5757. This legislation makes a commonsense amendment to the Pre Trial Fairness Act that requires that anyone arrested for a felony while on pretrial release and ankle monitoring to be detained until the charges are resolved.

Current law is permissive and allows for pretrial release to be revoked but does not require it, potentially leading to violent offenders being let out again and again.

“Any society where killing law enforcement is not taken seriously is not a functioning, safe, democratic society,” said Senate Republican Leader John Curran. “This simple change will not only help prevent future victims, it will also help prevent offenders from committing more crimes while on release and will instead give them a chance to deal with their current charges and, hopefully, get the rehabilitation they need.”

The Illinois Network For Pretrial Justice…

“For a third election cycle in a row, Illinois Republicans are attempting to gin up fear through lies about pretrial reforms in an effort to distract from their party’s historic minorities in the General Assembly. While we join those mourning the loss of Officer John Bartholomew, spreading misinformation about the causes of this tragedy will only make it harder for stakeholders to work together to improve public safety.

The reality is that this is one case and one decision, which reporters have already revealed to be based on a variety of unique factors specific to this individual case. The opportunistic attempts to make this case representative of the entire law is simply dishonest. As we have said before, there was absolutely nothing in the law that prohibited the detention of Alphanso Talley while he was awaiting trial.

Since the Pretrial Fairness Act went into effect, 94% of the more than 150,000 people released pretrial in Cook County have not been charged with new offenses against a person. While the law has been in effect, communities across the state have experienced historical lows in both violent and property crime. […]

For the last several years, Republicans have claimed that judges do not have enough discretion to detain people under the Pretrial Fairness Act—but now they’ve introduced a bill that would eliminate judicial discretion. The bill filed today by Republican leaders would limit judges’ ability to review the facts and circumstances in individual cases where someone has been rearrested while on pretrial release. The GOP proposal flies in the face of the foundational principles of due process: each person is entitled to an individualized hearing and decision. Mandating detention based only on the low standard of probable cause ignores the importance of reviewing the government’s evidence before one’s liberty is taken away.

We all want safe communities, but Republicans are being dishonest about what is possible under any pretrial system. There is no change to our criminal court system that will prevent all instances of violence and harm. If Republicans were serious about protecting public safety, they would stop opposing gun reform measures and investments in mental health and substance use treatment and focus on increasing support and services for survivors of domestic violence and gun violence.

* Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid…

On Thursday, April 30, state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, D-Bridgeview, will join community witnesses and experts at an Illinois House subject matter hearing on HB2723, which would repeal Illinois’ anti-boycott law that shields Israel from accountability. A press conference will follow at 1:00 p.m. The hearing will be streamed live and is open to the media. Interviews with the sponsor and witnesses are available upon request.
WHO
- Rep. Rashid - Chief House sponsor of HB2723
- Martin Levine - Jewish Voice for Peace
- Richard Goldwasser - Former J-Street National Board Member; Former J-Street Chicago Chair
- Ken Kriz - Municipal Finance Expert
WHAT
Illinois House subject matter hearing on HB2723, followed by a press conference.

WHERE
- Hearing: Michael A. Bilandic Building, 6th floor hearing room
- Press Conference: Daley Plaza, Chicago
WHEN
- Hearing: Thursday, April 30, 2026 — 10:00 a.m. CT
- Press Conference: Thursday, April 30, 2026 — 1:00 p.m. CT

BACKGROUND

HB2723 would end Illinois’s role as the national template for state laws that direct public pension systems to blacklist companies based on political speech. Enacted in 2015 and copied since by more than 35 states, the current law empowers an unelected seven-member board — expressly exempted by statute from any legal duty to the approximately 895,000 Illinois public employees, retirees, and beneficiaries whose retirement security it controls — to designate companies for forced divestment with no published criteria, no appeals process, and no independent audit.

The 2015 statute (40 ILCS 5/1-110.16) requires the Illinois Investment Policy Board (IIPB) to maintain a list of companies it determines have engaged in “politically motivated” boycotts of Israel or of “territories controlled by” Israel — a key term the statute leaves undefined. The law was drafted by Richard Goldberg, then a senior advisor to Governor Bruce Rauner and now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who has publicly described the Illinois statute as the model for similar legislation since enacted in more than 35 states. A frequently cited safeguard in the law — directing the Board to consider the legislature’s intent that it not apply to U.S. companies — was disavowed in writing by the bill’s own chief Senate sponsor in December 2018 correspondence obtained through a public records request. The Board’s most consequential enforcement action came in December 2021, when it voted unanimously to add Unilever PLC to the prohibited list following a Ben & Jerry’s subsidiary decision regarding sales in occupied Palestinian territory. The forced divestment that followed — conducted at a cyclical price low, with no fiduciary analysis required or performed — forced Illinois pension funds to sell an estimated $150–200 million in Unilever holdings. Parallel divestments in other states pushed the cumulative national impact toward $1 billion.

The bill’s chief Senate sponsor, Sen. Porfirio, is carrying the identical companion measure, SB2462.

* Sen. Laura Ellman…

In Illinois, more than 1.9 million residents rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the majority of those benefits going to households with children, underscoring the critical need for consistent access to food both at home and at school. With nearly half of students already depending on free school meals, State Senator Laura Ellman is calling for stronger state investment in student nutrition.

“Funding free school lunches can fill the gaps that are opening for schools as SNAP benefits are increasingly cut at an alarming rate,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “Funding school lunch could be a way to stretch state dollars while feeding kids in need.”

Senate Bill 1419 would appropriate $67 million to the Illinois State Board of Education to support the Healthy School Meals for All Program, a law Ellman previously supported to expand access to free meals for students across the state.

The proposed funding would help fully support schools participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, which allows high-need schools to offer free meals to all students. Currently, about one-third of Illinois students attend schools eligible for this program, but not all schools receive enough funding to cover every student. […]

Senate Bill 1419 was heard in a subject matter hearing on Tuesday in the Senate Appropriations–Education Committee and awaits further consideration.

* WAND…

Illinois Senate Democrats passed a bill Wednesday to ensure people have the right to wear medical masks and respirators in public. […]

“It’s not a mask mandate,” [Sen. Graciela Guzmán] said. “It does not require anyone to wear a mask or any protective equipment. It protects the right of people who choose, need, or use protective medical equipment to do so without punishment or discrimination.” […]

However, Republicans are concerned the plan could have unintended consequences in the workplace.

“Specifically, I was confused why the Human Rights Commission would be hearing complaints on a business mandate or a disagreement with an employee who wants to wear a mask with whatever they have written on it expressing their views,” said Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris). “Employers would have to go through the process with the Human Rights Commission, which we know businesses usually don’t win those cases.”

Senate Bill 3340 passed out of the Senate on a partisan 37-18 vote. It now moves to the House for further consideration.

* Sen. Chris Belt…

State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure that would prohibit retailers from refusing cash payments up to $500.

“Cash is still a reality for millions of families, seniors and small-business owners,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “No one should feel excluded from participating in routine transactions simply because they choose to pay with cash.”

Belt’s measure would prohibit retailers from refusing cash payments up to $500 or posting signage that cash is not accepted. The measure includes reasonable exceptions, including retailers with self-service checkout but at least one staffed cash register, late-night sales after 10 p.m. and retailers offering prepaid card systems that allow cash conversion.

The measure would focus on retail transactions and would not affect local government payments. The legislation reflects a growing recognition that, while digital payments are convenient, access to cash remains essential for many households across Illinois.

House Bill 4592 passed the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.

* CEO of the Community Access National Network Jen Laws…

Illinois policymakers considering House Bill 2371 should stop and ask a critical question: Why are we expanding a program that’s allowing hospitals to funnel billions of dollars away from patients, and even away from our country, into offshore accounts?

Hospitals claim the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program is critical to keeping their doors open. But many of the largest hospitals pushing for 340B expansion are not struggling to survive. In fact, financial data show that Illinois 340B hospitals are quietly sitting on enormous cash stockpiles held overseas, far from the patients 340B is designed to help. […]

Instead, it has become a profit center. Hospitals buy discounted drugs, charge patients and insurers full price and pocket the difference. There is no requirement that patients ever see a discount, no meaningful transparency showing how the profits are used and participation is not meaningfully tied to providing charity care. […]

HB2371 would not only make this broken system worse, but it would also protect these predatory practices. It offers hospitals expanded power with no transparency, no patient‑level discounts, and no requirement that profits actually fund charity care.

* Capitol City Now…

State Sen. Mattie Hunter (pictured) (D-Chicago) is proposing a ban on PFAS – “forever chemicals” – in beauty products. [HB3409] “would make it illegal to knowingly manufacture or sell a cosmetic product that contains any of the eleven specifically named PFAS substances.”

“PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in manufacturing that do not break down in the environment or the human body,” Hunter said at a statehouse news conference.

“Despite growing scientific consensus and the dangers of these substances,” said Hunter, “they remain legal ingredients in our lipsticks, the lotions, the mascara sitting on our shelves right now. And you know what? This is unacceptable.”

The chemicals have been linked to cancer and weakened immune systems.

* More…

* Press release | Jones Passes Bill to Keep Drivers in Control of Auto Insurance Claims for Glass Repairs: Jones’ House Bill 4373 empowers auto insurance policyholders and holds auto repair shops accountable by prohibiting drivers from signing over control of their insurance claims to a repair shop. Currently, some shops enter into benefit transfer agreements with policyholders that allow them to handle claims on the customer’s behalf. While repair shops may claim this provides peace of mind, it can create problems if an insurer does not fully cover the bill.

* Press release | Villanueva measure to advance Illinois’ environmental justice protections one step closer to law: Senate Bill 3772 would require the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate environmental justice factors when reviewing certain air pollution construction permit applications. The proposal would require the IEPA to evaluate whether a proposed facility is located in an area of environmental justice concern and determine whether additional safeguards may be needed.

* Fox 32 | What’s in the six-month gas tax proposal?: Illinois House Republicans want to pause the state’s gas tax to give drivers some short term relief. Oil prices are still soaring amid the war in Iran. Rep. Ryan Spain’s bill would halt the sales tax for six months. But, there’s a payoff. Ralph Matire, the executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability joins us.

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Illinois Credit Unions: Member‑Owned, Member‑Focused

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

April is National Financial Literacy Month, a time to highlight the importance of education, understanding, and trust in financial decision‑making. For Illinois credit unions, these values are part of everyday operations, not just a once‑a‑year focus.

Because credit unions are member‑owned, not‑for‑profit, and community‑focused, their structure naturally puts people first. Financial literacy comes to life through relationships, not transactions.

Illinois credit unions know their members as people, not account numbers. Credit union professionals take time to:

This relationship‑driven approach helps members build confidence, ask questions, and make informed financial choices. These are all key elements of financial literacy.

As Scott Credit Union’s Ashleigh Deatherage explains, credit unions’ “purpose is truly to make a positive impact on those we serve.” Credit unions don’t “just look at them as another number”, they focus on the whole person behind the finances.

This Financial Literacy Month, Illinois credit unions continue to empower members through education, trust, and people‑first service.

Learn more at https://betterforillinois.org/

Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.

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With Bears stadium moving forward and failure of millionaire’s surchage, progressives say it’s time for corporate guardrails and new revenues

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Senate Progressive Caucus…

Members of the Illinois Senate Progressive Caucus today called for renewed action to advance progressive revenue solutions, protect taxpayers, and refocus the end of session on working families, property-tax relief and sustainable school funding.

Senate progressives support balanced economic development, and want to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois. But any proposal that offers public benefit to a billionaire-owned franchise must include serious scrutiny, enforceable protections and a full accounting of taxpayer exposure.

“We love our Bears. We want them to stay in Illinois, and we want a solution that works for everyone,” said State Sen. Mary Edly-Allen. “But we should not give billionaires tax breaks at the expense of working people. We want inclusive economic development, not hidden costs or incomplete deals. A thoughtful Senate review of HB 910 is what taxpayers deserve.”

While the millionaire’s surcharge did not advance in the House, the chamber moved quickly on a megaproject framework tied to the new Bears stadium. The proposal requires serious review, public accountability measures and stronger guardrails to protect Illinois taxpayers.

Senate progressives are clear that the fight for a more fair tax system, one that asks more of those most able to pay and delivers more for working families, is not over.

“Now it is the Senate’s turn,” said State Sen. Karina Villa. “Illinois families were told there was not enough time to ask the wealthiest few to pay more. Yet there was time to move a Bears package that even the Bears management themselves say still needs changes. When Springfield decides something is urgent, it finds the time. Working families deserve to be treated as urgent too.”

Any final Bears-related megaproject legislation must include clear public-interest guardrails, including full fiscal transparency, enforceable labor and local-hire standards, clawbacks if promised jobs or investment do not materialize, and ongoing public reporting with a meaningful sunset.

“Illinois Democrats cannot keep acting as though the party can’t get big things done for working people when it controls every lever of power in state government,” said State Sen. Lakesia Collins. “The big question is whether we are willing to use that power to advance the policies working families need. We all know families are already dealing with the highest property tax increases in decades; we can and must do much better for the people we were elected to serve.”

“Families are facing real pressure right now, from food assistance and healthcare to child care, housing, schools and property taxes,” State Sen. Graciela Guzman said. “This is exactly the moment for Illinois to raise revenue from those most able to pay, not shift more costs onto working people.”

Senate progressives called for continued action on serious progressive revenue options that ask more of wealthy individuals and corporations, protect schools and local governments, reduce pressure on homeowners, and stop balancing budgets on the backs of working people.

Budgets are moral documents. So are tax codes. Illinois’ fiscal choices should reflect our values. That means real relief for working people, real protection for taxpayers, and real revenue solutions that stop shifting costs onto the people who can least afford them.

* Affordability and Tax Justice Coalition…

The following is a joint statement from the Affordability and Tax Justice Coalition, following developments in Springfield that made clear that a proposed constitutional amendment to create a “Millionaire’s Tax” will not be moving forward in 2026:

“With the ‘Millionaire’s Tax’ amendment not moving forward in 2026 and the painful impact of the Trump administration’s irresponsible cuts to healthcare, SNAP benefits, public education and more, there is more urgency than ever for legislators to take bold action to make our system of taxation fairer for Illinoisans while addressing rising costs of living that our residents face. We cannot stand by as Illinois remains the 8th most regressive tax state in the country.

“Measures to create a digital advertising tax on the wealthiest corporations (HB4894/SB3353), close corporate loopholes and further decouple from the tax giveaways in HR1 (HB5125/SB3796), tax billionaire wealth (HB5215/SB3376), enact world wide combined reporting (HB5318/SB3486), and close luxury loopholes for millionaires must now become the central focus of our work for the next four weeks.”

* Illinois Revenue Alliance…

The Illinois Revenue Alliance issued the following statement in response to the passage of the “megaproject” bill in the Illinois House:

“On May 1st, thousands of Illinoisans will begin losing SNAP benefits, while the ultra-rich and mega developers continue to get tax breaks. This week’s vote on the Megaproject bill is proof that when there is political will, there is a way. We hope legislators will dedicate that same willpower to addressing food assistance and cuts to our communities.

“As the bill moves to the Senate, Illinois leaders must find the political will to tax billionaires and wealthy corporations to close our budget gap and ensure essential services like education, healthcare, child care, and housing remain funded. The Illinois Revenue Alliance’s $4B revenue package offers four proposals: a digital ads tax, a billionaire tax, an end to offshore tax havens, and the closure of corporate loopholes. These solutions protect communities from federal cuts and the state’s structural deficit.

“The Illinois General Assembly and the Governor can stand up to Trump and his devastating cuts if the ultra-rich finally pay what they owe to protect and fund our communities. The ILRA revenue package is the way.”

Discuss.

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Illinois Hospitals Fuel $135.5 Billion In Economic Activity Statewide, Strengthening Local Communities – Support Hospitals By Passing HB 2371 SA 2

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Hospital spending on payroll, supplies, services and capital projects spur $135.5 billion in economic activity annually that helps build vibrant communities across the state. A new report from the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, “Communities Win When Local Hospitals Are Strong,” shows how valuable Illinois’ over 200 hospitals and 40 health systems are to the state and local economies.

Key economic contributions of Illinois hospitals include:

Illinois hospitals are major employers and purchasers of supplies and services. They continue to drive economic spending despite financial pressures, including the loss of up to $57 billion in federal Medicaid matching funds over the next 10 years due to H.R. 1. As hospitals support communities, they ask Illinois legislators to support them: Pass House Bill 2371 SA 2 in the House to restore the federal 340B drug discount program in Illinois. Learn more.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Illinois Senate halts redistricting constitutional amendment question after Supreme Court’s voting rights ruling. Tribune…

* Related stories…

• WAND: IL Senate won’t vote on redistricting constitutional amendment question following SCOTUS ruling
• CNI: Illinois lawmakers punt remap amendment after SCOTUS Voting Rights Act ruling
• AP: Supreme Court ruling will reshape American politics. The only question is when

***************** Advertisement *****************

Sponsored by The Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals

No Cuts. No Closures. Fund Safety-Net Hospitals.

For decades, Illinois has underfunded safety-net hospitals, the lifelines for Black and Brown communities. Now, the “Safety-Net Moonshot” and the Medicaid-defunding legislation it has spawned, threatens deeper cuts to these critical health providers. Any reduction inspired by the “Moonshot” would be a killshot to the care our most vulnerable residents rely on.

Weakening safety-net hospitals won’t improve care. It will slash essential services, eliminate jobs, and push entire communities into healthcare deserts and economic instability.

The state cannot balance its budget on the backs of Black and Brown community hospitals. These institutions are not line items to cut, they are the foundation of care for families who have nowhere else to turn. Disinvestment will deepen inequities and worsen outcomes.

When safety-net hospitals are funded, communities are healthier, workforces are stronger, and economies are more resilient.

Illinois must fully fund safety-net hospitals. For the communities they serve, it is life or death.

*************************************************

* At 10:30, Gov. JB Pritzker will host a Press Conference following his meeting with the Illinois Accountability Commission where they will deliver their report and recommendations to the Governor. Click here to watch.

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Politico | Dems split on Israel boycott law: n effort to repeal an Illinois law targeting companies that pull investments from Israel is seeing some movement — though it’s also highlighting divisions among Democrats who dominate state government. The proposal would roll back a 2015 law requiring the state to divest from companies that boycott Israel. State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, who’s carrying the bill, called the current policy punitive and economically short-sighted, arguing it forces Illinois to blacklist companies like Ben & Jerry’s and Airbnb for what he views as human rights positions. […] Now, more than 20 House members have signed onto legislation in the House to repeal the anti-boycott law, and leadership has scheduled a subject matter hearing on the issue for Thursday.

* Sun-Times | Illinois advocacy groups say DOJ ‘quietly gutting’ legal aid services for low-income immigrants: For more than 60 years, the Department of Justice has operated the Recognition and Accreditation Program — a program that lets non-attorneys provide legal services and has made affordable representation available to families who cannot afford a private attorney. […] The group said there were no advance warnings to the more than 900 nonprofit organizations and 2,600 accredited representatives nationwide who participate in the program. Siegel said there is already a massive need for representation while there is also a lack of due process for immigrants who are applying for benefits while also fighting deportation.

* Sun-Times | SNAP food assistance cutoffs begin Friday in Illinois: As of Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Human Services, the state agency that administers the program, estimated that 120,000 individuals were at risk of losing their benefits starting Friday and rolling out over the next several months. That’s down about 280,000 from what the state originally anticipated would be pushed out of the program as people received exemptions from the work rules.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Cook County Record | Ex-Dem Rep. Stoneback can’t sue gun control group, current Rep. Olickal over NRA smears: However, in their ruling, the justices still likely dealt a mortal blow to Stoneback’s lawsuit, finding her claims to be “meritless.” Stoneback sued Olickal and Gun Violence Prevention PAC in 2023 in Cook County Circuit Court. The lawsuit accused the current state lawmaker and the activist group of partnering on a smear campaign against Stoneback, which was centered on allegedly lying to voters and the public about her positions on gun control amid the 2022 Democratic primary election in Illinois’ 16th State Representative District.

* Daily Herald | NFL focuses on fate of Bears stadium as the legislative clock ticks: She added sources told her the “committee also acknowledged the Illinois legislature needs to continue to work to move the process forward.” Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have signaled they need to thoroughly vet the controversial megaproject bill, which includes property tax breaks for the Bears.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Graduate student workers at UIC go on strike: ‘We want to be paid a living wage’: Most work 20 hours per week, for nine months of the year, on a $24,000 salary. But Ph.D. student Macy Miller said their workload often stretches well past those hours. Many graduate students teach their own classes. “Especially if you have to create your own course from the ground up, you’re responsible for all the materials, the syllabus, the grading,” said Miller, who also serves as the union’s treasurer and outreach chair. “That’s way more than 20 hours.” The union’s latest wage proposal is $38,000. That figure is still below the wage floor for graduate workers at other local universities — doctorate students at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago earn a base pay of about $45,000.

* WGN | Former Chicago Board of Education VP running for board president: Sendhil Revuluri, the former Vice President of the Chicago Board of Education, is running for the top spot this year. Revuluri was appointed to the Board by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2019 and served for three years. He tells WGN-TV Political Editor Tahman Bradley the Board has become too political and should focus more on the needs of students.

* Crain’s | Blue Cross Illinois parent posts nearly $2 billion loss for 2025: Health Care Service Corp., the Chicago-based parent of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, posted a $1.9 billion loss in 2025 despite record membership and revenue growth. Much of that red ink stems from underwriting losses of $3.5 billion, up nearly $3 billion from 2024 and from higher benefit expenses, up from nearly $57 billion in 2024 to $63.1 billion, according to its 2025 Annual Report.

* Sun-Times | Gov. Pritzker strengthens quantum computing partnership with IBM to benefit City Colleges students: Pritzker announced the new partnership at Olive Harvey College, one of the seven City Colleges whose current and future students stand to benefit from the apprenticeship program and the pipeline to permanent jobs it will create. Pritzker called it a quantum leap in his drive to ensure the economic opportunities created by the new campus will benefit everyone in the state.

* Sun-Times | These CPS students care for horses and pigs at school. They’re adding shelter puppies to their resume: The students volunteered to care for the puppies to get them out of the shelter for a few days and raise awareness about the event, but also to get more experience working with animals. Both students are learning how to raise livestock and other animals as part of the school’s animal science program, and hope to go into animal care after they graduate.

* Tribune | ‘I loved being a lawyer’: Longtime Chicago attorney Joseph Duffy retires after five decades: It’s an art that Duffy mastered over his decades as a trial lawyer, both as a federal prosecutor and later in white-collar defense. He once used bar receipts to show that an undercover agent had been lying about how many drinks he bought an allegedly corrupt yen trader during an investigation at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in the 1980s. “He said maybe one or two. I pulled out this receipt that said it was 12 beers,” Duffy said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | La Grange establishes task force to explore issues with affordable housing: Village President Mark Kuchler said the new task force “would be created to review, specifically, to maintain and potentially increase affordable housing to stay in compliance with Illinois state mandates, and which will also, of course, help with a healthy community.” The state Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act of 2003 requires non-exempt local governments that have less than 10% affordable housing have an Affordable Housing Plan to address the issue, and submit it to the state for review.

* Shaw Local | DeKalb OKs $3.5M water main project for south-side development, including incoming 560-acre data center: Economic development on DeKalb’s south side has grown significantly over the years with the addition of major industrial users, including Meta, Amazon and Ferrara Candy Company. Once it comes online, the transmission water main will also serve the new Edged data center. The city received six bids on the water main project, city documents show. The lowest bidder was Elliott and Wood, which submitted a $5 million project bid. The total project cost of $5.3 million includes a city contingency of $253,750, documents show.

* Pioneer Press | Israel boycott question won’t appear on Oak Park Township ballots after packed meeting, passionate comments: The meeting had originally been slated for April 14 but was rescheduled after the expected crowds became too large for the Oak Park Public Library’s Dole Branch, which holds around 60 people. On Tuesday, the cafeteria’s seats all were filled and standing people lined the walls, though the cafeteria was said to hold more than 200 people, according to Evan Michel, Oak Park Township manager. Part of a larger initiative to place the question in several townships around the state, the measure had already passed in several Illinois townships including Champaign, Cunningham, Peoria, Kickapoo, Medina, DuPage and Normal. It failed in Capital and Wheatland townships, according to advocates.

* Daily Herald | DuPage County OKs raises for board members, other elected officials: A dozen DuPage County Board members and several countywide officials will get salary increases after the fall election, including a 35% pay hike for the board chairman. The raises were approved Tuesday when the county board set the pay for the next four years for the sheriff, treasurer, county clerk, county board chairman and 12 county board members. All the positions are up for election in November. The new salaries will take effect on Dec. 1, when the county’s 2027 fiscal year begins.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Judge denies attempt to kick temporary workers at ISU off the job as AFSCME strike continues: McLean County Judge Rebecca Foley on Wednesday denied AFSCME Local 1110’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have kicked temporary service employees off the job. Representing the union, attorney Stephen Yokich argued Wednesday in McLean County court that Illinois State is violating the Illinois Employment of Strikebreakers Act that prevents employers from contracting day laborers to ease the impact of a strike.

* Illinois Times | Chief addresses use-of-force policy: The Springfield Police Department’s chief sees calls for changes in the department’s use-of-force policy as opportunities to educate the public on how officers make split-second decisions that may result in viral posts on social media and accusations of police brutality. […] When speaking with Illinois Times about the 15-page use-of-force policy and training program, Behl said police must weigh the “totality of the circumstances” when deciding whether to use everything from their mere presence and simple verbal direction all the way to a punch, a Taser strike or deadly force.

* WICS | No new moratorium, but no data center either for Logan County: No data center is heading to Logan County… yet. While their moratorium was not extended, the county board says there’s still more to be done. The board kicked the moratorium back to their zoning board, while they wait for an ordinance to be passed regarding regulations for data centers.

* WCIA | HOLY COW: Cow spotted roaming UI campus Wednesday afternoon: The cow that was roaming the University of Illinois’ campus on Wednesday has been safely recovered and is now being checked over by a veterinarian. Patrick Wade, the director of executive communications and issues management for the university, said the cow got loose around 3:30 p.m., while being unloaded from a trailer at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Large Animal Clinic.

* Illinois Times | ABC loses State Fair contract: Since the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidency, one organization – the American Business Club of Springfield – has volunteered to serve beer and other concessions at the Illinois State Fair, with their share of money earned funding grants to dozens of local charities. For the first time since 1954, ABC will no longer occupy that role. Another group of local veterans, the Combined Veterans Association, lost their contract to operate a beer and beverage tent as well, after more than 50 years of service. Like ABC, the group is a volunteer organization, and the sales from the State Fair provide the sole operating income for many veterans’ organizations.

* PJ Star | Smokey Bones shutters last Illinois location amid nationwide closures: Illinois is set to lose its last Smokey Bones, a once popular barbecue restaurant, as the chain shutters locations across the country. Known for its authentic fire-grilled and house-smoked meats, the chain closed various locations April 28, including a restaurant in Springfield.

*** National ***

* AP | Union Pacific argues for its $85B acquisition of Norfolk Southern in new railroad merger application: The U.S. Surface Transportation Board rejected Union Pacific’s initial application because regulators wanted more details about how the deal would affect the competitive balance between the five remaining major freight railroads and the impact on customers. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said the new application makes an even stronger case for the benefits of the merger that he believes would shave a day or two off the delivery time for many shipments because they would no longer have to be handed off between two railroads in the middle of the country. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad projects that the merger could lead to shifting 2.1 million truckloads off the highway onto trains.

* NYT | Oil Hits Wartime High Above $120 a Barrel as Standoff Shows No End in Sight: The average price of regular gasoline in the United States has followed oil higher, hitting $4.30 a gallon on Thursday, up 27 cents in a week, according to data from the AAA motor club. After the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, Jerome H. Powell, the central bank’s chair, said that policymakers needed to be “very cautious” about their next steps, given the significant uncertainty about the economic outlook.

* IPM News | U.S. House still hasn’t voted on a farm bill: According to Jonathan Coppess, Director of the Gardner Agriculture Policy Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, there have been three major sticking points that have been especially contentious: year round sale of E15 fuel; a provision blocking some lawsuits from pesticide companies; and an effort to overturn a California law that sets minimum space requirements for farm animals. “Those three together have added very specific complications on top of what they did last summer and the SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] provisions,” he said.

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Good morning!

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rolling Stone…

David Allan Coe, the outlaw country music singer known for his unrepentant, confrontational image and songs such as “You Never Even Called Me by My Name” and “The Ride,” has died. He was 86. […]

Coe was one of country music’s most complex figures. A walking tall tale who boasted about past exploits in prison and on the road, he was the author of his own mythology. Coe wrote mainstream hits for Tanya Tucker and Johnny Paycheck — “Take This Job and Shove It” was entirely his creation — and recorded country songs that still appear on multiple playlists and in radio rotation (countless jukeboxes include “You Never Even Called Me by My Name”). Still, a period of offensive, racist songs that Coe claimed were parodies make many bristle to this day.

Born September 6, 1939, in Akron, Ohio, Coe spent much of his early years in and out of reformatories and prisons, serving time for charges ranging from grand theft auto to possession of burglary tools. During one period of incarceration in the fall of 1963, he claimed to have killed a fellow inmate with a mop bucket after the man threatened him in the prison showers. In a 1975 interview, Coe said he once felt like he belonged in the penal system. “There were a lot of times when I would actually be in the county jail after being busted and I’d wake up the next morning and say to myself, ‘Oh I’m glad it’s over; I’m glad I’m going back to prison now, where I know I’ll be safe, where I’ll be out of society,’” he said.

* He was a flawed and even at times a bad, mean man. I will never make excuses for his personal behavior or some of the stuff he wrote. But the dude also composed some real bangers. And this song in particular has always meant a lot to me. His ironic menacing boasts predate some of the best hip-hop…

Country deejays knows that I’m an outlaw
They’d never come to see me in this dive
Where bikers stare at cowboys who are laughing at the hippies
Who are praying they’ll get out of here alive

The loud mouth in the corner’s gettin’ to me
Talking ’bout my earrings and my hair
I guess he ain’t read the signs that say I’ve been to prison
Someone ought to warn him ‘fore I knock him off his chair

‘Cause my long hair just can’t cover up my red neck
I’ve won every fight I’ve ever fought

This is an Illinois open thread. Have at it.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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