I’ll add more as we find them. If you know of a results page not listed above, put it in comments.
* You can see some of the contributions made by the Democratic Party of Illinois by clicking here. From a March 14 DPI press release…
In partnership with the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association (IDCCA), DPI and county chairs have identified 270 recommended candidates in municipal races across the state. Credible community advocates recommended by DPI are fighting for equitable public investments, better healthcare, and strong public schools for our kids. Conservative candidates who oppose these values are also seeking local office. DPI has identified 230 opposed candidates who will be targeted through this program.
The Party’s plan will include a six-figure mail and digital advertising investment, reaching hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters in target regions across Illinois. The paid communications program will highlight the Donald Trump–aligned conservatives on the ballot, as well as support the credible, commonsense community advocates that DPI recommends. In addition, the Party is facilitating direct candidate training led by DPI’s campaign staff and assigned one-on-one campaign coaches.
The Trump administration on March 28 issued a decision to claw back funds for Illinois schools, reversing the U.S. Department of Education’s prior approval of Illinois’ request for a liquidation extension on federal pandemic relief funds. The decision revokes approval for Illinois grantees to spend $77.25 million in federal pandemic relief funds intended to support Illinois’ highest-need students, forcing school districts to reconsider essential services.
“Our most at-risk students are having resources their districts were promised stripped away for political gain, and Illinois will not stand by and let this kind of cruelty abide,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Every dollar of these funds would go to support districts in need of every available support, and instead the administration is making it harder yet again for Illinois families to live, work, and get an education.”
“This decision is a devastating blow to the students and schools that were relying on these approved funds to provide critical services,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “School districts depend on stability in funding to plan effectively and ensure continuity of services for students. The abrupt reversal of this extension disrupts stability and jeopardizes essential programs that support students’ learning recovery.”
Illinois has spent down 98.5% of its federal pandemic relief funds. The remaining $77.25 million has been obligated, meaning it has been committed within contracts, orders, or payroll, but has not yet been expended. Grantees had requested late liquidation approval on a narrow, project-specific basis to account for supply chain issues, staffing shortages, and other delays due to the pandemic.
Previously, the U.S. Department of Education granted Illinois the requested extension to liquidate federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief and ARP Homeless Children and Youth funds until March 28, 2026, for obligations made on or before September 30, 2024.
The Trump administration’s revocation of the approval meant funds had to be liquidated by March 28, 2025 – the same day the revocation decision was announced – leaving school districts, Regional Offices of Education, and other grantees suddenly unable to access the remaining funds.
The Trump administration’s action impacts 27 school districts, two Regional Offices of Education, and three other grantees that were relying on these funds to reimburse expenses for essential services, including transportation for homeless children, adaptive technology for students with disabilities, certification for teachers of English learners, and after-school tutoring to address learning loss. Without access to these funds, impacted grantees may have to stop services.
The letter from the U.S. Department of Education suggests that states may resubmit extension requests, placing an unnecessary and duplicative administrative burden on grantees and jeopardizing access to critical resources for the schools and students who need them most.
I’ve asked for a list of the school districts and a list of the grants.
In Major Victory for Survivors of Highland Park Mass Shooting, Judge Allows Majority of Claims in Civil Case Against Smith & Wesson and Firearm Retailers to Proceed
Romanucci & Blandin LLC and Everytown Law Represent 48 Survivors of Highland Park Mass Shooting
The ILGOP Election Integrity Committee will audit and examine municipal election voter rolls for cases of voter fraud, improper registration and voter suppression. Using advanced AI, the Election Integrity Committee will help ensure that our elections are safe and secure. The Election Integrity Committee will present its recommendations to ensure that our elections are conducted with transparency and integrity.
“We need to be doing everything possible to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” said ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi. “Unfortunately, Illinois Democrats have not pushed for requiring proof of U.S. citizenship or photo ID to cast a ballot. Our Election Integrity Committee is reviewing this year’s voters to safeguard our elections and will present its findings on voter fraud, improper registration, and voter suppression.”
CPS CEO Pedro Martinez takes victory lap after contract agreement - notes that he estimates initial CTU proposal would have cost $10 billion over 4 years. The final deal instead costs $1.5 billion over that period pic.twitter.com/FMW3buEfmv
After The Mendota Reporter went to press with the March 26 edition featuring a story on the Trump Administration’s program cuts affecting the Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry, the Illinois Department of Human Services sent a notification to lead agencies.
The notification stated the Illinois Equitable Access Towards Sustainable Systems program (Illinois Eats) was reinstated on Thursday, March 20 after it was cut on March 4. The program was shut down for 16 days.
The IDHS also notified it is in partnership with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the determined funding to reinstate the program is directly coming from the United States Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for establishing the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, the umbrella for Illinois Eats.
“It was a huge relief for me, the clients, and for the food pantry’s board of directors,” said MACFP Executive Director, Tracy Cooper. “From what I understand, they’re bringing it back under a different funding. It will now be funded by the USDA without federal assistance. This is also a good sign they are not going to take away the USDA program we use for other food purchased for the pantry.
“They’re only bringing Illinois Eats back until the end of the fiscal year, which is actually July 1. We don’t know if it will be done again at the end of June. It depends on whether they find funding or not. So, we’re still up in the air when it comes to June because the program could still end.”
* The governor has spent the last couple days on a trade mission in Mexico…
For those of you who don’t know, I’m a bit of a history buff – and particularly passionate about Abraham Lincoln, a son of Illinois and one of our nation’s greatest presidents.
One of the lesser-known stories about him was his relationship with Mexican President Benito Juárez. pic.twitter.com/UifWDbLGIr
📺ICYMI: ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi joined @FoxFriendsFirst to discuss Pritzker’s trade mission to Mexico as businesses and families alike flee the Prairie State⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LLGuZJnxy1
* WTTW | Postal Workers Union Pushes Back on Potential USPS Cuts and Outlines Impact on Illinois Residents: “Look at the model from the Royal Mail in England,” said Melissa Rakestraw, executive vice president of the National Association of Letter Carriers. “They privatized in 2013 and it increased cost for mailers and consumers, it slowed down services and increased the mismanagement of pension funds. We can expect the same thing here.”
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum could squeeze Chicago apartment developers, leading to higher rents: The White House began implementing tariffs of 25% on global steel and aluminum imports March 12, saying it wants to stimulate domestic production. But experts say tariffs will also make the crucial materials more expensive, forcing developers to pass higher costs onto tenants, or make it tougher to secure financing and kick off construction. Down the road, that could mean higher rents and fewer choices for those looking for housing. “It’s a very difficult environment for the construction industry,” said Julie Workman, a Chicago-based real estate attorney and partner at Saul Ewing LLP. “Uncertainty and delay can kill deals. Time kills deals.”
* Tribune | Chicago drivers can pay old tickets without late fees under amnesty plan: Drivers must pay off their base fine balance in full by June 30 to avoid the late penalties and interest they have since accrued. Only violations with a “notice of final determination” issued before 2024 will qualify, according to a news release. “This is what it means to build a government that’s rooted in fairness and justice,” Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday. “To the Chicagoans who have old ticket debt, this is your chance for a fresh start. So do not wait.”
* Crain’s | The mayor has made his pick to replace Ramirez-Rosa in the 35th Ward: Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to appoint 8th District Cook County Commissioner Anthony Joel Quezada to replace former Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa to represent the 35th Ward on the Northwest Side in the City Council, according to sources familiar with the decision. The selection will come as a shock to no one as Quezada has been the presumed choice since Ramirez-Rosa was tapped by Johnson to head the Chicago Park District in February. Ramirez-Rosa’s first day at the helm of the park district is today.
* Bloomberg Opinion | Ex-Skadden lawyer proves the resistance isn’t over: Until last week, Cohen was a third-year finance associate in the Chicago office of white-shoe law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. As Trump put out executive orders targeting firms that had done work for his adversaries, she watched the industry fail to come together in support of its peers and the legal profession as a whole. When it became clear that Big Law wasn’t going to rally around some sort of collective action, Cohen suggested to a handful of friends at other law firms that they put together an open letter, signed anonymously by associates, that would put pressure on their employers to speak out. “I don’t buy people saying they just couldn’t get the firms together,” she told me, “because I and like six friends who graduated [law school] in 2022 did that in 36 hours.”
* ABC Chicago | Concern on Chicago area college campuses after downstate international student has visa revoked: An international student at Southern Illinois University is now in immigration limbo because their student visa was abruptly revoked late last week. […] The university wouldn’t elaborate on the reason for the revocation or the student’s country of origin. […] According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Trump administration has revoked roughly 300 student visas and counting. It’s a triggering reality for University of Illinois Chicago’s heavily international student population.
* Daily Herald | ‘We are gutted’: Mundelein’s Tonality Brewing to shutter this month: To encourage redevelopment of the former municipal building, the village board voted to give Gelfand and partner Don Phillips $180,000 in grants and tax rebates. The development deal called for the village to give Tonality $50,000 from the local Business Incentive Grant program; a 50% sales-tax rebate of up to $65,000 over five years, once the business began operating; and up to $65,000 from a village tax increment financing fund over five years, once the business began operating.
* Naperville Sun | Naperville to welcome new pickleball facility thanks to a team of longtime friends-turned-franchisees: Saumil Parikh, Chirdip Sheth, Hemang Patel and Dhaval Sheth have seen each other through life’s major moments. Now, the longtime friends are embarking on a new chapter together: the launch of their very own pickleball facility. The group is coming together to bring a franchise of Pickleball Kingdom to Naperville. They are in the process of finding a location for their new facility, which — when complete — will feature climate-controlled indoor pickleball courts, according to a news release announcing the burgeoning franchise last month.
* ABC Chicago | Elk Grove softball coach becomes all-time-winningest high school softball coach in IL: Ken Grams has become the all-time-winningest high school softball coach in Illinois, and he’s done it all at Elk Grove High School. […] “Right now, I’m sitting at 1,044,” Grams said. The team won 3-2 Monday. In his 44th season, Coach Grams was just one victory away from standing alone at the top of the all-time-wins list. To rack up so many wins, of course, takes many years.
*** Downstate ***
* WSIL | Former southern Illinois police chief pleads guilty to corruption charges: A former police chief in one southern Illinois city pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of property from federally funded programs and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Illinois. A representative with the US Attorney’s Office said Anson Fenton, 46 of Belle Rive, was in court on Monday and admitted to selling forfeited items which were confiscated by their department for his personal benefit.
*Shaw Local | Election 2025: 5 races we are watching in Whiteside, Lee counties: Sauk Valley-area voters headed to their polling places Tuesday to choose who will represent them on city, school, park, library and township boards. After the polls close at 7 p.m., visit the Sterling Gazette/Dixon Telegraph’s website for election night coverage and updates on the races.
* WCIA | ‘It’s disgusting’: Buckley residents call on village officials to focus on water quality: The Village of Buckley has tried to build a new sewer system, but funding the project has been an issue. The Village President said they’ve secured millions of dollars in grants, but initial bids are higher than expected. Now, the sewer rate is rising on water bills, and patience is running low for people in town. “We didn’t sign up for this and I feel like that’s really cruel,” said resident Karin Hall.
* Herald-Whig | Troup, Moore make final push before election: Republican Mayor Mike Troup faces off against former city treasurer and independent candidate Linda Moore in the consolidated election. Troup, 67, who is finishing his first term, believes the city has undergone tremendous business growth during his time as mayor and wants to see that continue. “If you look at where we started four years ago with coming out of COVID, a lot of empty big box stores, an uncertain economy, we have filled virtually the empty big box stores,” Troup said. “Our sales tax revenues have jumped up and have remained at that height. We have been able to use those dollars to improve infrastructure.”
* WCIA | Danville Rescue Men’s Overnight Crisis Shelter now open: Back in January WCIA reported that organizers were struggling to find insurance for the building. Now, the only thing left is to fill the spots and get homeless men off the streets. Monday night the Danville Rescue Mission began providing the unsheltered men a hot meal and a place to lay their heads.
*** National ***
* NBC | Scientists warn of severe honeybee losses in 2025: Honeybee colonies in the United States are projected to decline by up to 70% in 2025, entomologists at Washington State University said Tuesday. The university said in a news release that in the past decade, honeybee colony losses have averaged 40% to 50% annually. But this year, a combination of nutrition deficiencies, mite infestations, viral diseases and possible pesticide exposure during the previous pollinating season led to higher losses, the release said.
* Chalkbeat | Programs like tutoring in jeopardy after Linda McMahon terminates COVID aid spending extensions: “Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion,” the letter states. “The Department’s initial approval of your extension request does not change anything.” The last opportunity to spend pandemic relief money was 5 p.m. Friday, the same day McMahon sent the letter.
* AP | A Senate vote to reverse President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada is testing Republican support: Even as the resolution from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia offered them a potential off-ramp to the tariffs levied on Canadian imports, Republican leaders were trying to keep senators in line by focusing on fentanyl that comes into the U.S. over its northern border. It was yet another example of how Trump is not only reorienting global economics, but upending his party’s longtime support for ideas like free trade. “I really relish giving my Republican colleagues the chance to not just say they’re concerned, but actually take an action to stop these tariffs,” Kaine told The Associated Press in an interview last week.
* Stateline | Red states create their own DOGE efforts to cut state government: Conservatives have long sought to shrink the size and cost of government. And it’s common practice for officials from both parties to hire outside consultants to help reduce inefficiency or waste in school, state and city bureaucracies. But the DOGE effort is gaining new steam as Republicans look to fall in line with Trump and blue and red states alike face massive budget gaps that will require some combination of spending cuts or increased taxes.
* Reuters | Trump administration to freeze family-planning funds for Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood said that nine of its affiliates received notice that funding would be withheld under a program known as Title X, which has supported healthcare services for the poor since 1970. The Wall Street Journal reported last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) planned an immediate freeze of $27.5 million in family planning grants for groups including Planned Parenthood.
On April 1, 2007, legislation was passed to create Cheap Trick Day in Illinois. […]
“With the profound impact Cheap Trick has had on music for 52 years, we are proud of their accomplishments, beyond happy they are still entertaining in venues around the world and pleased they still call Illinois home,” said State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley), who sponsored the legislation.
* Bun E. Carlos could really pound those skins. Turn it up…
A coalition of state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its decision to cut $11 billion in federal funds that go toward COVID-19 initiatives and various public health projects across the country.
Attorneys general from 23 states filed the suit in federal court in Rhode Island. They include New York Attorney General Letitia James, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as well as attorneys general in California, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wisconsin and New York, as well as the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit argues the cuts are illegal and will result in “serious harm to public health” that will put states “at greater risk for future pandemics and the spread of otherwise preventable disease and cutting off vital public health services.”
The lawsuit asks the court to immediately stop the Trump administration from rescinding the money, which was allocated by Congress during the pandemic and mostly used for COVID-related efforts such as testing and vaccination. The money also went to addiction and mental health programs.
The Public Health Terminations exceed Defendants’ statutory and regulatory authority and are unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”). The foreseeable end of the COVID-19 pandemic is not a lawful basis to terminate “for cause.” Defendants have never alleged, much less demonstrated, any failure by fund recipients to comply with the applicable terms and conditions of the grants and agreements. Nor did Congress limit the funding at issue here to the period of the COVID-19 emergency. During the pandemic, Congress made wide-ranging public health investments extending beyond COVID-19 and the immediate public health emergency. And after the pandemic was declared over, Congress reviewed the COVID-19 related laws, rescinded $27 billion in funds, but determined not to rescind any of the funding at issue here.
The Public Health Terminations also violate the APA because they are arbitrary and capricious, for reasons including:
- assuming, with no legal or factual support, that all appropriations in COVID-19 related laws were only intended for use during the pandemic, when the relevant statutes indicate the opposite; failing to undertake any individualized assessments of the grants or cooperative agreements, including any analysis of the benefits of this public health funding or the dire consequences of termination;
- ignoring the substantial reliance interests of Plaintiff States (and their local health jurisdictions) and the tremendously harmful impact of immediately terminating, without any advance warning, billions of dollars in congressionally appropriated funds midstream;
- asserting that this public health funding was suddenly unnecessary due to the “end of the pandemic” —an event that occurred almost two years ago;
- failing to explain HHS’s sudden change in position regarding availability of funds;
- and arbitrarily misapplying a “for cause” termination provision.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors, today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for abruptly and illegally terminating nearly $12 billion in critical public health grants to states.
The grant terminations, which came with no warning or legally valid explanation, have quickly caused chaos for state health agencies that continue to rely on these critical funds for a wide range of urgent public health needs such as infectious disease management, fortifying emergency preparedness, providing mental health and substance abuse services, and modernizing public health infrastructure.
“Illinois and states across the nation rely on federal grants to provide state public health services that protect our children and residents from serious diseases or health crises,” Raoul said. “The abrupt termination of this funding that impacts millions of American lives is both callous and unlawful. I am absolutely committed to standing with other state attorneys general to fight the Trump administration’s ludicrous and unlawful actions that threaten the health and safety of Illinois residents.”
Illinois stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars from these cancelations by HHS. The programs funded by these grants support critical state and local public health services, such as providing vaccines to children, supporting public schools’ ability to share information about communicable diseases, administering tests for serious diseases like Ebola, constructing laboratory facilities for disease monitoring, and addressing public health crises like measles and influenza in children.
Attorney General Raoul and the coalition warn that the HHS cuts threaten the urgent public health needs of states around the country at a time when emerging disease threats – such as measles and bird flu – are on the rise.
Congress authorized and appropriated new and increased funding for these grants in COVID-19-related legislation to support critical public health needs. Many of these grants are from specific programs created by Congress, such as block grants to states for mental health and substance. abuse and addiction services. Yet, with no legal authority or explanation, HHS agencies on March 24 arbitrarily terminated these grants “for cause” effective immediately claiming that the pandemic is over and the grants are no longer necessary.
In their lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, Raoul and the coalition assert that the mass terminations violate federal law because the end of the pandemic is not a “for cause” basis for ending the grants, especially since none of the appropriated funds are tied to the end of the pandemic, which occurred more than a year ago. HHS’ position, up until a few days ago, was that the end of the pandemic did not affect the availability of these grant funds.
Additionally, for some of the grants, termination “for cause” is not a permissible basis for termination. Yet, the federal government unlawfully terminated them. With this lawsuit, Attorney General Raoul and the coalition are seeking a temporary restraining order to invalidate HHS’ mass grant terminations in the suing states, arguing the actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The states are also asking the court to prevent HHS from maintaining or reinstating the terminations, and any agency actions implementing them.
Joining Attorney General Raoul in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Arizona California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Washington, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
* Related…
*AP | Layoffs begin at US health agencies responsible for research, tracking disease and regulating food: The layoffs are expected to shrink HHS to 62,000 positions, lopping off nearly a quarter of its staff — 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers. Many of the jobs are based in the Washington area, but also in Atlanta, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based, and in smaller offices throughout the country.
Today, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) published a new report that shows American homeowners saw their insurance premiums increase by an average of 24% over the past three years. Nationally, CFA found homeowners saw their insurance premiums rise twice as fast as inflation between 2021 and 2024, which amounts to a $21 billion total price hike for Americans.
The study authors of “Overburdened: The Dramatic Increase in Homeowners Insurance Premiums and its Impacts on American Homeowners” used proprietary industry data purchased for this research to evaluate the growth in insurance premiums for typical homeowners in every ZIP code in the country.
The states with the greatest percentage increase in premiums were Utah (59 percent), Illinois (50 percent), Arizona (48 percent), and Pennsylvania (44 percent). The states with the greatest premium hikes in absolute dollars were Florida ($2,118 increase), Louisiana ($1,775), and Kentucky ($1,426). […]
Homeowners in rural areas also experienced steep premium increases. Premiums charged to homeowners in rural ZIP codes rose by 22 percent from 2021 to 2024 (compared to 25 percent in urban and suburban ZIP codes). Annual premiums in rural ZIP codes were $3,317 on average in 2024, compared to $3,299 in urban and suburban areas.
1. Require insurance companies to publicly release data on homeowners insurance underwriting, pricing, coverage, and claims every year. Mortgage lenders have been required to report detailed, annual mortgage data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) since 1975, to protect against housing discrimination and ensure that all communities are served. As homeowners insurance increasingly determines who can own a home, insurers should be required to report homeowners insurance data in the same manner.
2. Invest federal and state dollars in housing resiliency and require insurance companies to reward risk reduction with lower premiums. The federal government, as well as states, should adopt and expand grant-based and low-interest-loan risk mitigation programs. These programs can help homeowners better protect their homes, such as through roof fortifications. Given their large investment portfolios, insurance companies should become direct investment partners in these projects. In addition, states should require insurers to reward these loss prevention investments with lower premiums.
3. Create a public reinsurance program to stabilize the American property insurance market and to expand the availability of affordable, quality homeowners insurance. A federal public catastrophe reinsurance program would make available additional – and lower cost – coverage to domestic homeowners, insurers, and state insurers of last resort than the unregulated global reinsurance market currently offers. By adding more risk transfer capacity, the program would loosen the grip of these global companies and insulate consumers from unrestrained cost increases in that market. In exchange for access to this lower cost capacity, participating insurers would have to cover all natural disasters in their homeowners insurance policies and increase availability of their coverage across the country.
* Illinois PIRG notes that the state’s Department of Insurance drafted this bill to implement rate review for auto and homeowners insurance. SB268 is still in a Senate committee, but its passage deadline has been extended to April 4…
Creates the Insurance Fairness and Consumer Protection Law Article of the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that insurers must submit a request for approval to the Department of Insurance for any proposed rate increase for homeowners insurance premiums or automobile insurance premiums. Prohibits implementing any rate increase without prior written approval of the Department. Prohibits using nondriving factors, such as credit score, occupation, and education level, to determine automobile insurance premiums. Provides that, for homeowners insurance, factors unrelated to the insured property’s location, age, and condition shall not be considered in rate setting. Requires a public disclosure and comment period for any proposed rate increase exceeding 10% in a 12-month period. Prohibits an insurer from increasing premiums by more than 15% per year for any policyholder without exceptional justification, which must include specified evidence. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions; penalties; reimbursement of consumers; market conduct actions; Department approval of rate increases; and rulemaking. Effective immediately.
Chief opponents include the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
…Adding… Joint statement from the insurance industry…
While tornadoes and flooding in Illinois and across the Midwest have led to significant home damage and an increase in claims, compared to the rest of the country, Illinois boasts a competitive insurance marketplace with over 200 companies competing to serve consumers. Legislation to bring California-style overregulation to Illinois and to limit how insurance companies calculate risk, would limit competition and lead to higher rates. While the legislation currently being considered is the wrong path forward, the insurance industry in Illinois will continue to work with the General Assembly and the Illinois Department of Insurance on commonsense solutions that will preserve our competitive marketplace and protect consumers.
Key Points:
• The CFA’s report is a flawed and unreliable analysis. The CFA does not use actual premiums charged to customers as the basis for its findings but instead uses premiums quoted to hypothetical customers.
• The report also fails to acknowledge that insurance premiums are driven primarily by losses and claims costs.
• Illinois experienced 120 reported tornadoes in 2023, the most in the nation.
• Homeowners insurers in Illinois had an average of 6.2% underwriting loss over the last decade, with a massive 27.6% underwriting loss in 2023. This is not sustainable.
• Banning certain risk factors like credit leads to rate increases for most consumers. When Washington state banned the use of credit scores in setting auto insurances rates in 2021, more than 60 percent of drivers experienced rate hikes.
• Research shows that using credit alone saves consumers between 30-59% on their auto insurance rates.
* Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was asked about his top three priorities in Springfield this spring session during a press availability today…
Mayor Johnson: I think we have five. So yes, we have a number of people in Springfield that are carrying the agenda on behalf of the City of Chicago. Again the loudest voice for our team in Springfield is me. I had a conversation with the Senate President yesterday. Senate President Don Harmon is my mentor, he gave me my first job, and I was his director of constituent services making 10 bucks an hour. And now I call him Senate President, he calls me Mr. Mayor. Had a few conversations with Speaker Welch. On rotation, our budget director and our CFO have had regular conversations with Springfield. My Chief of Staff [Cristina Pacione-Zayas], she understands that place better than any other chief of staff in the history of Chicago because she’s been there. And her relationships, of course, are tried and true. And so those top priorities CPZ, if you don’t mind just running through them, there’s a number of them.
CPZ: A lot of them focused on revenue, so there’s the Personal Property Replacement Tax.
There’s also the Telecom fix that we were working on last session, as well as the 911 surcharge extending that. The sunset was set for this year, we’re extending it a little bit further.
We have mandated categoricals in the Illinois State Board of Education Funding. This would be something that wouldn’t just benefit Chicago Public Schools, but it would benefit the entire plethora of school districts. The 852 because, as you know, with mandated categoricals there are certain services such as transportation and special education and bilingual education that school districts are required to provide but the state does not reimburse at the fullest amount. And so right now there’s some discussion about increasing the proration so that we can get closer to 100% reimbursement, which would then mean that all school districts would get more money into their budgets to take care of the services that they’re required to give.
And then the last, is the One System Initiative. This is the partnership with the state in terms of what we took with our legacy homelessness system and the emergency temporary system that we put up because of the humanitarian crisis we built the infrastructure for something that would live beyond that crisis. But ultimately be able to expand our beds to 126 percent increase up to 6,800 beds have a 24 hour access point. So now we have nobody on a wait list if they need shelter.
So those are the five top priorities. Of course, we know that transit is huge and there’s a lot to be discussed there, with respect to the RTA and the various proposals that are put out by some of our colleagues in the labor space, as well as the advocates.
* H/T Chicago Bars. More on the Personal Property Replacement Tax…
The law requires the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) to collect these taxes and allocate 51.65% to local governments in Cook County and 48.35% to local governments in the other 101 counties. The allocation for each local government was to be based on their share of the total personal property tax collected in 1976 for Cook County and 1977 for everywhere else.
In State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024, IDOR distributed an estimated $2.99 billion in PPRT to 6,525 local governments throughout Illinois. One-fifth of those distributions went to municipalities.
Prior to SFY 2009, IDOR could only divert PPRT revenues for the purpose of paying costs for administering and distributing the revenues of the tax. As illustrated below, past General Assemblies and Governors have increasingly diverted PPRT revenues to pay state’s attorneys, stipends to county officials, regional offices of education and others. In the past, these costs were paid for by state general revenue sources. In SFY 2025, total diversions from PPRT are more than $370 million.
…Adding… Maurice Scholten of the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois…
To ensure revenues are distributed correctly, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) reconciles an annual distribution of income tax payments after processing income tax returns. It was discovered through this reconciliation process that PPRT disbursement to local governments were worth more than they should have been in SFY2022 and SFY2023.
IDOR offset $818 million from PPRT disbursements to local governments in SFY2024 to “true up” these distributions, and another $1.021 billion in SFY2025. The SFY2026 offsets should be an estimated $510 million, which means more PPRT money should be disbursed to local governments. Since the City of Chicago gets 11.6% of PPRT, they should receive roughly $59 million in additional revenues just from the “true up.” Since Chicago Public Schools receive 21% more from PPRT than the City of Chicago, they should also experience increased PPRT revenues, as will every local government unit. The PPRT “true up” should be completed by SFY2027.
Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus will outline a package of measures aimed to address the mental health crisis through workforce development initiatives and expanded access to care during a press conference Wednesday.
WHO: State Senators Javier Cervantes (D-Chicago), Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), Robert Peters (D-Chicago), and Mike Simmons (D-Chicago), as well as CEO of The Center for Youth and Family Solutions Patrick Phelan, and Vice President of Government Relations of the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health Randy Wells
WHAT: Press conference on measures to prioritize mental health
WHEN: Wednesday, April 2 at 11 a.m.
* Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
Today is Transgender Day of Visibility. While the transgender community has never had the comfort of widespread support and allyship, the volume, intensity, and danger brought about by the current administration’s hateful focus on attacking trans people is unlike anything we’ve seen in my lifetime. Hundreds of bills attacking their very existence have been introduced in state legislative bodies across the country, including somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 here in Illinois. While those bills will not see the light of day because of our pro-equality majority here, every day the members of the Fearful Caucus (they like to call themselves the Freedom Caucus, but we know the truth) get up and spew hatred, usually including a transphobic rant or two. More often than not, the people in the chamber continue their conversations about legislation or lunch and ignore them. However, I started hearing from people who were tuning into the live stream who were concerned that their lies were going unchallenged. I realized that it wasn’t enough to treat their rants as irrelevant. We had to ensure that our constituents listening to their words knew they weren’t going unchallenged and along with some of my colleagues have refused to let them have the last word.
Today, I introduced HR221, honoring Transgender Day of Visibility. I’m pleased that 25 of my colleagues have already signed on in support. While symbolic, it’s important that we take steps to acknowledge the contributions of the transgender community and the many ways our world is a better place because of our commitment to inclusion in Illinois. The Resolution honors many trailblazing members of the community, from Albert Cashiers who passed as a man to join the Union Army in the Civil War and lived most of his post war life as Albert, to Judge Jill Rose Quinn who was the first trans person to win countywide office, to Lilly Wachowski and her groundbreaking filmmaking, philanthropy, and advocacy, to the incredible Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Illinois, we simply can’t pretend that trans people have not always been here, always a critical part of the fabric of our community.
A bill by Illinois House Democrats have three major goals. One, ban expulsions from kindergarten through second grade. Two, require superintendent approval for K-2 suspensions. Three, report annual discipline data to Illinois State Board of Education.
Most of the pushback comes from the first two proposals. Some school groups oppose the new plan, but advocate for the bill State Rep. Will Davis (D-Hazel Crest) said that these expulsions don’t make a lot of sense. […]
Some of the opponents to the bill include the Illinois Principals Association. In a statement they said they urge lawmakers to change the language of the plan.
“The Illinois Principals Association urges lawmakers to not limit school disciplinary options without adequately addressing the critical shortage of behavioral health personnel and supports in schools,” Alison Maley with IPA said. […]
Davis said he’s currently working with some opponents to make some possible amendments, but he will not kill the bill.
* Rep. Janet Yang Rohr…
State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, is working to help Illinois students succeed by advancing new legislation creating additional paths for students seeking to expand the scope of their education, and empowering advanced middle schoolers to get a head start on their high school coursework. […]
Yang Rohr’s House Bill 3250 gives students more options for completing the Illinois Global Scholar Certification by expanding their ability to use digital badges and online micro-credentials to meet criteria for their capstone project. These methods allow for more affordable ways for students to verify that they have met Global Scholar requirements. This bill received bipartisan support in committee and now awaits consideration before the full House.
Yang Rohr also advanced House Bill 3039, which allows students in 7th or 8th grade taking high school-level courses to receive high school credits if they pass the end-of-course exam at the high school granting credit. This expands credit-earning opportunities, which are currently limited based on a teacher’s certifications or a student’s physical attendance at the high school.
Currently, students can receive high school credit during middle school, if the course is offered by the high school the student would otherwise attend, and the course is taught by a teacher who holds a valid teaching license and is endorsed in both the content area and grade level for the course.
* Rep. Natalie Manley…
A bill making it easier for certified public accountants (CPAs) to work in Illinois has passed unanimously out of the Financial Institutions & Licenses committee, thanks to state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, working to add two additional methods for CPAs to gain licensure and cut red-tape for non-resident CPAs. […]
Manley’s House Bill 2459 would amend the Illinois Public Accounting Act by carving two new pathways for accounting professionals without disturbing the current path to licensure, allowing CPA applicants to now become licensed with:
A bachelor’s degree in accounting, at least two years of experience, and the passage of the CPA exam; or
A bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree with 30 hours of accounting concentration, at least one year of experience, and passage of the CPA exam.
Additionally, pending the bill’s passage, out-of-state CPAs in good standing and who meet state requirements would have the ability to gain licensure to practice in Illinois.
House Bill 2459 passed with a committee vote of 12-0 and will soon be debated on the House floor.
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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* Candidates can start circulating nominating petitions in late July. That’s not far off. Is it surprising to you that we haven’t yet heard any Republicans floating their names for down-ballot statewide races?
A lawsuit accuses Illinois State Police and state officials of operating an unconstitutional “system of dragnet surveillance” through license plate reading cameras which track motorist’s whereabouts.
The suit, filed last week by Cook County residents Stephanie Scholl and Frank Bednarz, names the state police, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Atty. Gen. Kwame Raoul as defendants.
“Defendants are tracking anyone who drives to work in Cook County — or to school, or a grocery store, or a doctor’s office, or a pharmacy, or a political rally, or a romantic encounter, or family gathering — every day, without any reason to suspect anyone of anything, and are holding onto those whereabouts just in case they decide in the future that some citizen might be an appropriate target of law enforcement,” the suit states.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, “challenges the warrantless, suspicion less, and entirely unreasonable” tracking as a violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments.
Because their alleged constitutional injuries are not sufficiently imminent, plaintiffs lack standing to enjoin the warrantless use of the LEARN database. […]
Indeed, plaintiffs’ attempt to sue Governor Pritzker and Attorney General Raoul under Ex parte Young is foreclosed by Ex parte Young itself. … Accordingly, Governor Pritzker and Attorney General Raoul are dismissed. […]
Plaintiffs, of course, are concerned less with the license plates themselves and more with what the [Automated License Plate Reader] data reveals about their movements. But “[a] person travelling in an automobile on public thoroughfares has no reasonable expectation of privacy in his movements from one place to another.” […]
In reaching this conclusion, the court joins the nearly uniform consensus of courts that have evaluated the constitutionality of ALPRs and held that their uses “were not Fourth Amendment searches requiring warrants or probable cause.” State v. Sidor, 558 P.3d 621, 631 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2024) (collecting cases); see, e.g., United States v. Porter, No. 21-cr-00087, 2022 WL 124563 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 13, 2022); United States v. Brown, No. 19-cr-00949, 2021 WL 4963602 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 26, 2021); United States v. Toombs, 671 F. Supp. 3d 1329 (N.D. Ala. 2023); Commonwealth v. McCarthy, 142 N.E.3d 1090 (Mass. 2020); Sidor, 558 P.3d at 629. But see Schmidt v. City of Norfolk, No. 2:24-cv-621, 2025 WL 410080 (E.D. Va. Feb. 5, 2025); Commonwealth v. Bell, 113 Va. Cir. 316 (Va. Cir. Ct. 2024).
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Ironworkers are at the forefront of Illinois’ green energy transition, ensuring a sustainable future while securing strong, union-backed wages. Thanks to the historic investment in renewable energy by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly, thousands of Illinois ironworkers are finding employment in green energy projects, including energy storage.
From day one, ironworkers have been erecting wind turbines and battery plants. By advancing hydrogen and other energy storage solutions, they play a crucial role in making the ambitious goals of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) a reality. Their expertise ensures that Illinois not only meets but leads in clean energy innovation.
By including all of union labor in renewable energy projects, we strengthen our workforce, our economy, and our environment. The future is green—powered by the hands of skilled ironworkers.
* Tribune | Illinois secretary of state’s office opens larger ‘flagship’ DMV in the Loop: The new 24,000-square-foot facility at 125 W. Monroe St. is nearly five times the size of downtown’s former office at the corner of Randolph and LaSalle streets, which closed on Friday “and often experienced long lines and wait times because of its small size,” Giannoulias’ office said.
* WBEZ | CTU bargainers approve tentative contract deal. Here’s what you need to know: The proposed settlement cleared the hurdle of the union’s “big bargaining team,” a group of 65 educators that has negotiated with the school district for almost a year. A meeting of the CTU’s 730-member House of Delegates is Wednesday, with a ratification vote by all 30,000 members expected in the next week or two.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Students, women in trades advocate for more career and technical education: The resolution, introduced by state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernández, D-Cicero, who serves as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, also takes shots at President Donald Trump. It cites recent executive orders that “aim to reverse hard-won progress to diversity the workforce and will further entrench systemic occupational segregation, robbing women of economic security.” […] The resolution, which is awaiting a hearing in the House Labor and Commerce committee, is sponsored exclusively by Democrats, including House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, who signed on as a chief co-sponsor last month.
* WGLT | Libraries and museums in Illinois are hit by Trump executive order: Children’s Discovery Museum Director Beth Whisman said they’ve been told the government will not honor reimbursement for the third year of a $250,000 grant. Whisman estimated the museum is on the hook for about $40,000 already spent. The program serves 1,900 children in both major school districts, the YWCA, and Heartland Head Start early childhood STEAM education.
* Tribune | Illinois becomes first state to mandate halal, kosher meals be available in public institutions such as schools: Muslim students who eat halal usually only have a few options in the school cafeteria line once they’ve passed the hamburgers, chicken nuggets and deli sandwiches: a slice of cheese pizza, maybe a salad, fruit, yogurt, a carton of milk. “Just not a lot of healthy, filling choices to pick from,” said Khadija Basith, whose children attend Forest Glen Elementary School in Glen Ellyn. “Even if there aren’t halal options, I want to at least see them offering a good veggie burger or a good fish wrap.”
*** Chicago ***
* Crain’s | Chicago Public Media reorganizes newsroom leadership in wake of buyouts: Chicago Public Media is naming Jennifer Kho its interim editor-in-chief, along with other leadership changes, as the nonprofit moves forward with integrating the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ-FM/91.5. Kho, who joined the Sun-Times as executive editor in 2022, will be leading the reorganization of a unified Chicago Public Media newsroom as the company searches for a permanent editor-in-chief, the organization confirmed. She will oversee journalists from both publications, according to a news release.
* WTTW | CTA Austin Green Line Station Begins $25M Reconstruction Aimed at Accessibility Amid Broader Funding Questions: Funding for the $25.6 million project is through the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation program and the state’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan. Federal funds provided $20.3 million and Rebuild Illinois picked up $5.3 million, according to transit officials. “This is an innovative approach to utilizing funds traditionally spent on roads to invest and modernize our transit system, so we remain a competitive and reliable alternative to driving,” CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen said.
* Block Club | Lincoln Square Neighbors Can Take Walking History Lesson With Shermann ‘Dilla’ Thomas: The Walking Hour, a walking series organized by Pamiya Opoku, is partnering with Thomas for an event that will start 2:30 p.m. April 13 at Winnemac Park and continue to western Andersonville. Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) will also attend the 2.5-mile walk. […] Opoku began taking walks with her friends at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, she launched The Walking Hour in the Evanston area as an expansion of those initial walks, according to the Evanston Roundtable.
* ABC Chicago | Chicago street sweeping starts Tuesday, April 1: Signs about upcoming sweeps are posted in orange two days in advance. Mechanical street sweepers remove debris and litter from Chicago’s streets. Street sweeping continues through the fall.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | Elgin City Council rejects delay of ban on synthetic THC product sales: The council approved a ban on the advertisement, display, sale and delivery of Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, products without a state license in late February. On Wednesday, a proposal to push back the ban to begin in late August, allowing stores to sell their current inventory, failed by a 5-4 margin. The same council members who approved the ban rejected the delay.
* WTTW | Illinois, Cook County Public Health Officials Say Federal Funding Cuts Came With Little Notice: The Illinois Department of Public Health announced this week the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking back $125 million allocated to IDPH and 97 local health departments for infectious disease prevention. Another $324 million appropriated by Congress for “future use” in preventing and treating infectious disease also is being blocked.
* Crain’s | Northwestern details progress in combating antisemitism on campus: In its report, NU says that reports of antisemitism on campus have decreased significantly since last year, thanks in part to the efforts the school has made, which include: updated demonstration and student conduct policies, mandatory antisemitism training, enhanced Title VI enforcement tools, and the creation of a Jewish advisory group.
* Fox Chicago | Orland Park mayoral candidates differ on handling of ceasefire resolution, public safety: Dodge said he offers a more moderate and civil approach to governing and differs with Pekau on issues like public safety, where he says police are asking for a change in work hours. “Our cops would like to go to three days on 12-hour shifts and then have a little bit bigger break than the current shift structure. Almost all the towns around us are doing that, so we’re starting to lose young police officers to other towns,” he said.
*** Downstate ***
* WCIA | City of Hoopeston to begin voting for new Mayor: Current mayor Jeff Wise said he’s the man for the job. Wise has been in office for three years. He believes the city has seen a lot of success, like the demolition of nine downtown buildings and bringing in a tractor supply to the area. […] His opponent Tracy Carter decided to run for mayor after friends and family believed he’d be the one to make a difference in the city. Carter said he currently works for a manufacturing company in town and has experience managing a yearly budget. He also did various other village jobs, like working for the water department when he lived in Rankin.
* 25News Now | Mayor-led group forms to advocate for towns and cities along the Illinois River: Those fifteen, including Peoria Mayor Rita Ali and East Peoria Mayor John Kahl, form the first Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative and advocate for their homes along the river. In the group’s first meeting today in Peoria at the Illinois Waterway Ports Commission, members outlined their plans to increase development, sustain the economy, and protect the environment along the waterway.
* SJ-R | Online newspaper supporting LGBTQA+ closes Springfield brick-and-mortar office: Editor and owner of the Illinois eagle Tom Wray said initially he wanted an open forum and way to communicate with the public who could walk in but chose to close the chapter for the office and end his lease due to financial struggles. “We’re still putting content out and we’re still reporting what’s going on in the community,” Wray said. “I mean a lot of people still want the news we provide, it’s just reality that set in … I kind of need to pay my mortgage.”
* First Alert 4 | Fairmount Park to become racino: The venue will have 271 slot machines, including 40 premium games. The casino’s temporary placement in the grandstand is Phase 1 of a broader redevelopment effort, with the full-size casino coming in Phase 2. “Soon, folks will be able to come in and enjoy the casino as well as racing here at the track,” said Vince Gabbert, Sr. VP of US Gaming and General Manager at Fairmount Park Casino & Racing. “We’ve brought in the best slot machines and electronic table games on the market. Every game on the floor is either brand-new or a fan favorite, making for an exciting selection.”
*** National ***
* STAT | HHS starts layoffs of thousands of workers across its agencies: Layoff notices began arriving early Tuesday for thousands of employees of the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services and its subsidiary agencies, with as many 10,000 workers potentially expected to be hit by the cuts. “I regret to inform you that you have been affected by a reduction in force (RIF) action,” an email to affected employees said. It went on to tell the recipients that they were placed on immediate administrative leave, offering no details of the length of that leave. The email also stated that their firing was not a reflection of their work.
* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
