*Crain’s…

Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson both declined today to say whether House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch should remain in his leadership post as pressure mounts over the handling of sexual-harassment allegations against former state Rep. Harry Benton.

A Legislative Inspector General’s report released last week found allegations against Benton were raised nearly two years before a formal investigation began, prompting questions about whether Welch fulfilled his responsibilities as speaker and whether he should continue in the role. […]

Pritzker stopped short of detailing what those reforms should look like but said victims of sexual harassment “ought to have process that is clear, and that investigates and holds accountable people who are guilty of perpetrating these acts.”

Johnson also sidestepped questions about Welch’s future, saying he trusts the speaker will “do what’s right for his constituents in the state of Illinois.”

* Press release…

The Porter McNeil Public Service Foundation today announced the creation of the Porter and Mary McNeil Public Affairs Reporting Endowment at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), titled the Porter and Mary McNeil PAR Student Support Fund, expanding the Foundation’s mission to support aspiring journalists dedicated to covering government, politics, and public service.

The endowment honors Porter McNeil and his wife, Mary Carlin McNeil, who met as students in the University of Illinois Springfield’s nationally respected Public Affairs Reporting (PAR) master’s program, graduating together as members of the Class of 1986.

It was in Springfield that Porter and Mary immersed themselves in the daily work of state government, learning firsthand how public institutions function and developing the reporting, communication, and analytical skills that would shape their careers. Mary went on to become a public radio reporter covering Illinois state government, while Porter built a distinguished career spanning journalism, public affairs, political communications, and public service.

Throughout their professional lives, Porter and Mary remained deeply connected to the PAR program, attending alumni events, supporting its mission, and believing in the vital role that informed journalism plays in a healthy democracy.

“Springfield gave Porter and me so much more than a graduate degree. It gave us mentors, lifelong friendships, and a front-row seat to learning how government really works,” said Mary McNeil. “I want every student with the passion and ability to become a public affairs journalist to have that same opportunity. This endowment helps ease the financial burden of living in Springfield, reporting from the Capitol, and learning from experienced journalists. We will be opening doors for people who otherwise might never have had the chance, and that makes this endowment special to me.” […]

The Foundation plans to formally celebrate the endowment with a public launch event in Springfield in 2027. Additional details, including opportunities for individuals and organizations to contribute directly to the endowment, will be announced in the coming months.

In the meantime, you can directly support the endowment by donating here: https://bit.ly/McNeilPARFund

*** Statehouse News ***

* Patch | Bailey Campaign Tied To Hinsdale Woman Who Criticized Black People, ‘Mexican Parades’: Kristina McCloy, who founded the conservative Concerned Parents of Illinois, introduced Republican lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Del Mar during a campaign launch event last fall in Oak Brook. It was for Del Mar and GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey, who chose Del Mar. […] On her Concerned Parents social media page, McCloy criticized Hart for “participation in LGBTQ community events, Mexican parades, Muslim events, public support for (Black Lives Matter), publicly complimenting the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and thanking Joe Biden for his service.”

* Center Square | Giannoulias joins Pritzker to sign law he said isn’t political: Giannoulias previously told The Center Square he was “offended” by a remark made by Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, that the bills were being used as political fodder before the bill passed the House. “We shouldn’t be saddling the Illinois resident who has auto insurance, has automobiles, so that somebody else can pursue an additional political office,” Keicher said in May.

* CBS Chicago | Gov. JB Pritzker signs bills protecting consumers from unfair home and auto insurance premiums and rate hikes: The auto insurance bill was championed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who said in a statement, “For too long, Illinois drivers have been at the mercy of insurance companies – forced to accept steep insurance rate increases with virtually no oversight and no recourse. Today, we level the playing field for consumers.” The Illinois Insurance Association, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies issued a statement after the bills were signed, warning that “Illinois residents should be prepared for the potential impact of these new laws: higher home and auto insurance costs and fewer options for coverage.”

* Block Club | Meet Christian Mitchell, Gov. Pritzker’s South Side Running Mate Whose Political Star Is Rising: The idea was partly inspired by Mitchell’s mother, a veteran NICU nurse at Rush University Hospital. Her career gave the family financial stability. Creating a pipeline for others to explore jobs in the health industry could also provide that same stability for other families, said Mitchell. Reducing the time needed to acquire a nursing license could remove another barrier, he added. With the federal government gutting financial support for career paths like nursing, a more innovative approach is necessary, said Mitchell, adding that increases in state grants are helping more Illinois students graduate debt-free.

* Capitol City Now | Gov Pritzker questioned about Benton report: Pritzker did not focus on Benton or Welch but, rather, the process. “I think what the report reveals to me is the holes in the system, that it didn’t operate the way that I think was intended originally, and that it needs fixing. And so I look forward to the House members in particular putting forward fixes and making sure that that is addressed,” Pritzker said after signing a bill in Chicago. I’m sure that the speaker will be engaged in that process. I assume he will.”

* Alaina Hampton | Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch should resign for his failures : The most troubling part of the Benton situation is not only what allegedly happened in that office. It is that Welch’s office knew about those allegations years before Benton’s resignation and implemented zero consequences that could have protected future victims. Even worse, Welch and his organization then worked to reelect Benton — and kept the allegations a secret. This is not a one-off breach in judgment. It is a long-standing pattern.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson: ‘I’m the continuity’ amid City Hall departures: Johnson insisted the recent departures do not undermine his administration because, as the “visionary” elected to run the city, “I’m the continuity.” Budget Director Annette Guzman resigned today after informing her staff in an email yesterday. Her departure comes days after acting CFO Steven Mahr abruptly left the administration. Mahr’s deputy, Noor Shaikh, departed in June, leaving City Hall without permanent leaders in two of its most important financial posts ahead of an expected $1 billion budget gap.

* Block Club | Austin Senior Housing In Disrepair, Residents Say: ‘We Should Not Have To Live Like This’: At the rally held Wednesday by organizers with the Jane Addams Senior Caucus, a nonprofit supporting Chicago-area senior tenants and their families, Crestwood Apartments residents held posters showing damage to their apartments. Several residents shared similar stories of living in apartments with damaged walls or ceilings that are either fully exposed or covered with plastic, as well as having calls go unanswered for repairs and maintenance at the property. Sewage backups, plumbing failures, bed bugs, flooding and lack of maintenance all plague the Crestwood Apartments, according to residents. A Block Club reporter toured multiple units Wednesday and saw several holes in walls and ceilings, large holes with exposed plumbing covered by plastic sheets and garbage throughout the halls of the complex.

* Tribune | Former top Chicago Public Schools executive charged with COVID loan fraud: The former top operations chief for Chicago Public Schools has been charged in a federal indictment with COVID-19 fraud alleging she lied about income generated by a side business to obtain more than $25,000 in pandemic-related loans. Crystal Cooper, 47, who resigned as chief operating officer in 2023 amid an investigation by the CPS inspector general, was charged in the indictment filed under seal in May with three counts of wire fraud, court records show.

* WBEZ | High-ranking Chicago police supervisors push to unionize amid beef with City Hall: In a letter last month to Militza Pagán, Johnson’s deputy mayor of labor relations, an attorney with the Illinois Police Benevolent & Protective Association asked the city to “voluntarily recognize” a new collective bargaining unit of police commanders and deputy chiefs. The union already represents sergeants, lieutenants and captains.

* Sun-Times | Gun case against Chicago anti-violence volunteer a ‘travesty,’ former Education secretary says: Smith says he believed the Chicago Police Department’s gun turn-in program allowed people to surrender weapons anonymously and without fear of arrest. He knew that, as a felon, he was barred from possessing a firearm. But he thought police and prosecutors would make an exception for someone trying to remove a gun from the street. They didn’t. Smith spent seven months in the Cook County Jail before posting $15,000 — 10% of the $150,000 bail set by a judge. He’s on electronic monitoring now.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Despite opposition, District 203 board renews superintendent’s contract: Naperville Unit District 203 school board members voted 5-2 Monday to renew Superintendent Dan Bridges’ contract through June 30, 2031, over the objections of several parents who said the district lacks transparency and communication. Renewal of the contract comes amid concerns raised by a set of parents over multiple board meetings this summer regarding an elementary school teacher who the parents claim engaged in inappropriate behavior with their child. The parents, David and Jessica Geslak, said the teacher crossed the lines of what is acceptable behavior, something that’s been an ongoing issue for more than 2½ years.

* CBS Chicago | Dolton, Illinois, secures funds to help residents facing high water bills: The village announced Tuesday morning that it had secured $1.2 million to help cover the costs. The funds were sent to the City of Chicago, which provides the water supply for Dolton from Lake Michigan. Dolton village Finance Director Youmika Bryant and Water Department Director Jacqueline Richardson partnered with Elevate Energy for the effort after numerous calls for help with water bills.

*** Downstate ***

* KFVS | SBA approves disaster declaration for Jefferson County, Ill., offers federal disaster loans: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved a disaster declaration for Jefferson County, Illinois, after severe storms and a tornado caused significant damage on June 21. The SBA is offering its long-term, low-interest disaster loans for eligible homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits/not-for-profits to help with recovery efforts in the area. This includes those affected in Marion, Washington, Perry, Franklin, Hamilton and Wayne Counties.

* BND | Racing returns to Belle-Clair Speedway, ‘bigger and better than ever’: The old track first opened for racing in 1948 with a fifth-mile, banked dirt oval track with a grandstand seating 5,000 people. It shut down in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was overgrown with weeds in 2025, when the county demolished it. In January, officials said construction of the new track totaled $13.9 million, funded through the Public Building Commission and a $5 million state grant reimbursement. By August 2026, the racetrack was within standards to hold races and proved that racing is still integral to St. Clair County.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. fair officials reflect on curfew changes, security and plans moving forward: The Champaign County Fair has wrapped up, and organizers are reflecting on the security and curfew changes, as well as what they plan on doing moving forward. Previously, a new chaperone rule was put in place making sure that anyone ages 17 and younger was with an adult while inside the fairgrounds.

* Press release | Taste More for Less at the 2026 Illinois State Fair: The $5 Fix is a budget-friendly way to enjoy a variety of food. All day every day in the Reisch Pavilion, food vendors will offer a $5 food item on their menu. Whether you’re craving piping hot corn fritters or a slice of s’mores dessert pizza, the $5 Fix makes it easy to experience fun fair food without overspending. It’s a convenient way for families, students, and anyone looking for a tasty treat to stay on budget. “When planning the fair, Governor Pritzker shared a priority of making the Illinois State Fair affordable for families,” said Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II. “These food specials help families enjoy a day at the fair without stretching their budgets.”

* Capitol City Now | UIS to author 1908 Springfield Race Riot history: According to a news release, the Illinois State Museum Society awarded the contract to a team from UIS’s Center for Lincoln Studies and History Department. The exhibit will be part of the new Springfield Sangamon County Transportation HUB, currently under construction downtown and scheduled to open in 2027. “We are currently engaged in new research on the race riot. This gives the exhibit the potential of bringing a fresh perspective to the topic,” said Jacob Friefeld, UIS Center for Lincoln Studies director, in the news release. “We prioritize collaborative and reflective practices that will result in a final product that centers the voices of victims, survivors, resisters and hopefully descendants and descendant communities.”

*** National ***

* 404 Media | ‘DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE’: How Cops Are Trying to Hide Their Use of Flock: It is not just local police in small communities who are creating policies designed to obfuscate Flock usage. Earlier this year, we reported that police in multiple states were being told to be “as vague as permissible” about why they were using Flock because their searches could be obtained using public records requests, and that warning was being shared by the FBI and Department of Justice. Residents of many towns using Flock also say that their cities entered into contracts with Flock with little public oversight, essentially quietly opting them into a nationwide surveillance network without robust public debate.

* WaPo | How predatory trade schools drained $300 million from the GI Bill and cheated veterans: In New Hampshire, an “organic lawn care institute” taught veterans how to grow grass in a course that took, at most, five days. The school typically billed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) $14,900 per student, more than triple what it charged civilians not covered by the GI Bill. The federal government paid the school more than $2 million before it came under investigation and closed, records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show.

* Bloomber | Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, BofA Enabled Epstein, Wyden Report Says: Democrat Ron Wyden cited nonpublic documents held by the US Treasury in a report that says banks delayed reporting suspicious financial transactions and calls for tougher anti-money-laundering rules, greater oversight of wealthy clients and new penalties for bankers who ignore red flags.

* Stateline | States begin banning ‘surveillance pricing’ that uses personal data to charge more: Maryland’s new law, which was the first in the country and takes effect Oct. 1, applies to grocery stores of at least 15,000 square feet and third-party food delivery services. Under the law, these businesses are prohibited from using personal data to set a price for a specific shopper for most groceries. It does, however, allow loyalty programs, subscription prices and differences based on supply, location or operating costs. Businesses also have 45 days to correct a violation before the state can bring an enforcement action.