Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Illinois lawmakers are poised to make a second attempt at passing a bill that would give state regulators more authority to control the rising cost of homeowners insurance.

Gov. JB Pritzker called for the legislation last summer after Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance announced it was raising premiums in Illinois an average 27.2%, citing years of losses in its property casualty line of coverage due to weather-related disasters in the state.

A bill to give the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to approve or reject insurance rate increases passed the Senate during last fall’s veto session. But when it returned to the House for a vote to concur with changes the Senate had made, the amended bill fell four votes short of the 60 needed for passage. That left many to believe the bill had died.

The following day, however, the bill’s chief House sponsor, Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, refiled a motion to concur, which is allowed under House rules. And Pritzker has said since the end of the veto session that he still wants the legislation to pass.

“They get a second bite at the apple,” Kevin Martin, executive director of the Illinois Insurance Association, said in an interview.

Gabel told Capitol News Illinois through a spokesperson this week that no decision had been made about calling the bill for a second vote. But Martin said people in the industry have heard the bill could be called as early as Tuesday, when the House and Senate return to the Statehouse to begin the 2026 legislative session in earnest.

* The Illinois Federation of Teachers…

IFT Members Call on Gov. Pritzker and Legislators to Fulfill Illinois’ Promised $6 Billion to Students from pre-K to PhD, Fix the State’s Tax Code and Defend Against Trump Cuts by Making the Ultra-Rich Pay Their Fair Share

What: IFT Press Conference during statewide Lobby Day
When: 11 a.m. CT, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026
Where: Blue Room, Room #010, Capitol Building, 401 S. 2nd St., Springfield, IL 62701, livestream will be available at facebook.com/iftaft
Who: IFT officers with hundreds of members from across the state

Hundreds of educators and state workers from the 105,000-member Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) will rally in Springfield on Tuesday, Feb. 17, calling on Gov. JB Pritzker and lawmakers to prioritize delivering funds that have been promised but not provided to Illinois’ students and counter devastating Trump administration cuts by making the ultra-rich pay their fair share.

As part of Lobby Day, educators and state workers will deliver a letter to Gov. Pritzker calling on him to “Trump‑proof Illinois” and pointing to states like Massachusetts, where a millionaire tax has generated at least $5.7 billion in revenue to pay for schools, public transit, and infrastructure.

*** Statehouse News ***

* The New Republic | How the Democrats Can Play Offense on Immigration: And it’s working. In Chicago, the citizen documentation of ICE atrocities has been positively staggering. Indeed, Pritzker’s team consciously has sought to make ordinary people find empowerment amid dark times through participation. As Caprara describes it, the governor and his advisers realized that this had the makings of a cultural moment during early ICE raids, when they started “seeing suburban ladies out in their Lululemon pants with their whistles.” The result, Caprara said, is that for every one propaganda video Trumpworld puts out, “there are 50 videos in everybody’s timeline of actual incidents where people can see what’s happening.”

* Tribune | Will County Forest Preserve applications signal potential harm to state endangered animals: Only seven of the 318 permit applications received by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources since 2000 have been submitted by county forest preserve districts, according to records available online. Of those, only the Will County Forest Preserve District has submitted more than one. The Forest Preserve District said in a statement the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is responsible for determining when an incidental take authorization is required.

* Crain’s | Indiana legislative leaders say Bears deal must be done by Feb. 27: Indiana legislative leaders said yesterday that time is running short to make a deal with the Chicago Bears to move their games to northwest Indiana but that conversations between the team and state officials have been positive. House and Senate leaders say they plan to adjourn their 2026 session no later than Feb. 27 (although state law would allow them to go about two weeks longer) and want a stadium agreement in place before then.

*** Chicago ***

* South Side Weekly | Archer Ave Bike Lanes Tension Fuels Political Ambitions: For many residents, this push is rooted in long-standing safety concerns. Alfredo Valladares Jr., a lifelong Gage Park resident and local cycling advocate, said the dangers along Archer are not new. Valladares Jr., a member of Gage Park Cyclists, said he has been riding in the area since high school and began organizing group rides in 2021 to build community and advocate for safer infrastructure. He recounted multiple fatal crashes and serious injuries involving neighbors over the past two decades.

* Sun-Times | Voters cast ballots at Loop Supersite as early voting kicks off:
“Everything’s at stake at this point,” she said. “We’ve seen how everything has been going downhill, how people are being harassed by different political groups and law enforcement agents.” Banks-Word wasn’t the only one encouraged to vote because of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign, which has sent hundreds of federal agents into cities across the country — including Chicago.

* WTTW | Deadline to Vote in Chicago’s Snowplow Naming Contest is Saturday; Will ‘Abolish ICE’ Win After Leading Nominations?: “Chicagoans have once again displayed their unmatched creativity and civic pride in submitting names for this year’s contest,” Department of Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Cole Stallard said in a statement. “We are grateful to the community for engaging with us, and we encourage all residents to submit votes for the top six names.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WBEZ | Longtime incumbent Preckwinkle faces challenge from Ald. Reilly in Cook County Board president primary: Reilly said that if needed, he would terminate the county’s contract with Tyler Technologies, which has been working to upgrade the technology behind the property tax system for years. Preckwinkle countered that she’s one of several separately elected officials who oversees a complicated tax system. Other elected officials, such as the county assessor and treasurer, determine property values and mail tax bills. “My view has been to try to get people to work together to solve the problems,” Preckwinkle said. “You can’t do that if you point fingers and throw people under the bus.”

* Injustice Watch | No contest: Cook County judicial primary elections draw dwindling field of candidates: ? Candidates in 16 of the 28 circuit court races are virtually assured to breeze onto the bench, where they could decide who goes to prison, holds a driver’s license, or keeps their kids. Some candidates on a glide path have liabilities that might hurt them in a contested race, including one with an arrest record, one with a history of failing to pay taxes, and one who only recently moved to Cook County.

* Tribune | District 5 Dem candidates for DuPage County Board discuss affordable housing: In advance of the March 17 primary, the Naperville Sun asked the Democratic candidates running for the four-year seat representing Naperville’s District 5 on the DuPage County Board to answer a series of questions on the issues. This is the second article in a series. The first one, which covers biographical information and what each candidate views as the biggest county issue, is available online.

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg preparing to close the barn door on backyard chickens: But trustees made it clear they see Schaumburg’s agricultural history as something best honored by the park district’s Volkening Heritage Farm at Spring Valley Nature Center. “I do have to concur with the mayor that Schaumburg is more of an urban residential type of community and not agriculture anymore,” Trustee Mark Madej said.

* Daily Southtown | Dixmoor water line breaks highlight continued infrastructure needs: The water line break Feb. 1 at 139th Street between Dixie Highway and Thornton Road affected nearly 1,000 residents, according to village spokesperson Travis Akin. He said some residents had no water pressure that day, and it took 15 hours to repair the break. The following weekend, Feb. 7 and 8, two more water main breaks were discovered at 143rd Street and Page Avenue and at 143rd and Marshfield Avenue, leaving nearly 50 homes without water, Akin said. These breaks were fixed by 3 p.m. Sunday, and there was no boil water order, he said. Four major water main breaks were discovered in Dixmoor in the past two weekends, with a break also discovered Jan. 29 near 146th Street and Seeley Avenue.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Sullivan declares water emergency amid Central Illinois drought: In a notice posted to Facebook around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sullivan announced that water use should be restricted to preserve it for drinking, cooking, firefighting and other essential purposes. Specifically, city water should not be used for turf irrigation, filling swimming pools or personal car washing, city officials said.

* STLPR | Cahokia teachers union demands investigation of district amid contract dispute: The union outlined some of its claims during Monday’s school board meeting and levied additional allegations at a press conference Thursday. They include multiple employees being paid for years despite no evidence that they were working and the assistant superintendent being paid $406,000 above his contracted salary for fiscal 2024. “The public deserves to know where their taxpayer funds are going,” said Ray Roskos, the Illinois Federation of Teachers field services director who assists Local 1272, at Thursday’s news conference in Fairview Heights. “The students and the community of Cahokia deserve better than what they’re receiving.”

* BND | Gambling mogul with metro-east ties reaches ‘settlement’ to keep state license: The judge, John White, concluded that Lucky Lincoln violated state law by failing to timely notify the Gaming Board that it had hired a sales agent, but stated that “a preponderance of credible evidence does not show that (the company) committed any of the other violations.” “The Board has stipulated that the usual discipline it has imposed for a terminal violation of the notification duties is a fine in the range of $2,500 to $10,000 per instance,” White wrote in his 169-page report.

*** National ***

* The Hill | US business, consumers bore 90 percent of Trump tariff costs: NY Fed: In the first eight months of the year, consumers and businesses were shouldering 94 percent of the economic burden associated with tariffs. The New York Fed noted that tariffs’ pass-through into import prices declined in the latter half of the year, meaning that foreign exporters were taking on a larger share of the tariff incidence. The average tariff rate throughout 2025 increased from 2.6 percent to 13 percent with few dips and spikes midway through the year, according to the report.

* NYT | Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change: Mr. Zeldin called it “the single largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States.” He accused Democrats of having launched an “ideological crusade” on climate change that “strangled entire sectors of the United States economy,” particularly the auto industry. The administration claimed it would save auto manufacturers and other businesses an estimated $1 trillion, although it has declined to explain how it arrived at that estimate.

* ProPublica | “Not Ready for Prime Time.” A Federal Tool to Check Voter Citizenship Keeps Making Mistakes: In Missouri, state officials acted on SAVE’s findings before attempting to confirm them, directing county election administrators to make voters flagged as potential noncitizens temporarily unable to vote. But in hundreds of cases, the tool’s determinations were wrong, our review found. Lennon was among dozens of clerks statewide who raised alarms about the system’s errors.

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Secretary of State calls federal grant cancellation ‘vindictive’ and ‘illegal’

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Last week…

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from cutting off roughly $10 billion in child care and family assistance funding to five Democratic-led states — including about $1 billion for Illinois — halting a move that state officials say would have immediately disrupted aid to working families while a legal challenge plays out.

The other four states were New York, California, Colorado and Minnesota.

* Yesterday…

A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to slash $600 million in public health grants to Democrat-led states after a coalition of states led by Illinois filed suit against the federal government earlier today.

Before the temporary restraining order was issued, Illinois stood to lose more than $170 million in funding for projects that include HIV prevention efforts, pediatrician training and diabetes prevention.

Same five states.

* Also, same five states earlier this week…

The White House has directed the Transportation Department to freeze the release of almost $135 million for Democratic-led states to build EV charging stations, citing allegations of “waste and mismanagement,” writes David Ferris. […]

(M)ore than 2,600 planned charging points in California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota will fall by the wayside if the newest freeze stands. […]

The largest program to be cut is $100 million for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to build 14 charging plazas along major freight routes.

* The Tribune reports today that the IEPA cut wasn’t the full story. The feds also cut a $3.6 million grant to the Secretary of State’s office…

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office said it had signed a contract for the execution of the $3.6 million grant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, part of the federal transportation department, and had not been notified the grant was being rescinded.

Scott Burnham, deputy secretary of state, said the grant was intended to fund three priorities related to commercial drivers licenses in Illinois: Studying the prevention of traffic crashes and fatalities related to large trucks and buses; implementing a new test proctoring program that would mitigate fraud on the written CDL exam; and translating the written CDL exam into Spanish.

The White House, meanwhile, described the grant as “$3.6 million for the Illinois Secretary of State to conduct a research study on best practices for translating the commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) knowledge test into Spanish.”

Burnham said the exam translation portion of the grant was only worth $30,000. Furthermore, he said, the Secretary of State’s office had conducted that work with non-grant funds and already offers the written CDL exam in Spanish.

* More from Burnham…

“The Trump administration is trying to cut funding for improving road safety, preventing crashes and saving lives in Illinois. This grant was awarded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and executed through a legal agreement between the agency and the Secretary of State’s office. Attempts to cut this critical funding for political purposes is not only vindictive and irresponsible, but Illegal. The Secretary of State will fight to make sure Illinois gets every dollar that is owed.”

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some updates to today’s edition

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Catching up with the federal candidates

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Starting off in the 9th Congressional District, where Daniel Biss released a new poll yesterday. Press release…

New polling shows Daniel Biss continuing to lead the field in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District with a commanding 13-point lead over his two closest opponents. According to a new poll conducted by IMPACT Research, Biss currently holds 31% of the vote, with state Sen. Laura Fine and influencer Kat Abughazaleh trailing far behind at 18%. Biss’ lead has held steady despite the enormous amount of money spent on broadcast television ads by state Sen. Laura Fine and the AIPAC-backed “Elect Chicago Women” super PAC supporting her. Click here to read the polling memo.

Biss continues to be the most popular candidate in the field, with 59% of likely primary voters viewing him favorably and just 24% viewing him unfavorably. Meanwhile, Laura Fine stands at 46% favorable / 28% unfavorable and Kat Abughazaleh is viewed as 36% favorable / 31% unfavorable.

From the polling memo…

* The poll also tested AIPAC’s approval rating among likely Democratic primary voters in the 9th Congressional District. 49 percent unfavorable (35 percent very unfavorable) and just 11 percent favorable (4 percent very favorable). 40 percent couldn’t rate.…

Methodology…

The findings and recommendations in this memo are based on N=500 interviews of likely 2026 Democratic primary voters in IL CD-09, conducted via phone and text-to-web from February 5-10, 2026. The expected margin of sampling error is +/- 4.4% overall and is higher for subgroups.

* Meanwhile, the AIPAC-backed super PAC just spent another $600,000 on ad buys for Laura Fine…

ECW, which is backed by AIPAC and behind ads in favor of Melissa Bean, spent another $1.18 million on pro-Bean ads since Feb. 3

So that's over $2.34 million in 6 days spent on the two candidates in #IL08 and #IL09

(not including the super PAC, Affordable Chicago Now in #IL02)

— Matthew Eadie (@mattheweadie22) February 13, 2026

* Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie interviewed Fine yesterday and asked her about AIPAC’s involvement in the race…

Eadie: Are you aware that AIPAC is actively supporting your candidacy, even if they haven’t publicly endorsed you?

Fine: So my campaign does not coordinate with independent expenditures, so anything that happens outside of our campaign is just as much of a surprise to me. A great example, I was in Springfield about a week and a half ago, and somebody sent me a new ad. I’ve never seen it before. What that tells me is we need more transparency. We need to know where these dollars are coming from, who is supporting these ads.

Citizens United was a big disservice for our political system, and that’s something that needs to be overturned. Do I have a lot of Jewish donors who’ve donated to my campaign? Absolutely. Have some of these donors also donated to AIPAC most likely, but they’re supporting a Jewish woman who has stood up for what I believe is a Tikkun Olam, which is repairing the world and for a strong Israel/US relationship.

Eadie: The wasn’t really my question […] In the very beginning was there were fundraising emails calling out your opponents supporting you. And my question was, are you aware that these are being sent out?

Fine: I was not aware that those emails were being sent out. As a matter of fact, Matthew, I’ve learned a lot about what’s going on by reading what you write. So I thank you for that, because that’s given me some transparency. But I do have to say there was an email that went out in the beginning that was very upsetting to me, because I felt like it was very critical to my opponents, and I feel like in this day and age, we have so much political violence that I think words are very important and harsh. Words should not be used to describe somebody and what their stance are. And so, you know, when I saw I think it was you that brought this email to my attention, I called them up and I said, it’s just not acceptable, and that’s not who I am.

Eadie: You called AIPAC directly and spoke to them?

Fine: I did. I when you made that email aware to me, Listen, I am somebody who has been a victim of political violence. I’ve had the police sitting outside my house and overnight because of threats I’ve received. And so when I feel like anything is getting to a level of being threatening, it is just uncalled for and it shouldn’t be happening.

The AIPAC email Fine is referring to called Daniel Biss and Kat Abughazaleh “dangerous detractors.”

* Back to the interview…

Eadie: It’s now been a week. Have you figured out who’s behind those ads, and would you share publicly who’s supporting your campaign?

Fine: I don’t know who’s behind the ads, because, due to the way the law is structured, they have not had to disclose who’s funding them. That’s why I think transparency is so important. These donors new need to be disclosed. The public needs to know where this money is coming from and who is behind it, and I really think it’s up to them to release that information. The public needs to know. I want to know. I want to know who is donating to these PACs that are supporting my campaign.

* It’s been widely reported that the PAC supporting Fine is backed by AIPAC. The Biss campaign called today for Fine to denounce AIPAC support. Press release…

This week, Mother Jones published a new profile of Gov. JB Pritzker. In it, Gov. Pritzker was asked for his thoughts about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and a spokesperson said Gov. Pritzker “believes the organization has abandoned its bipartisan principles and become a pro-Trump organization.”

In a follow up question today in Capitol Fax, a Pritzker spokesperson said AIPAC is “heeding the words and direction of Jared Kushner and other Trump acolytes” and said congressional candidates should “speak for themselves” about AIPAC’s activities in the ongoing Illinois primaries. […]

Biss for Congress Campaign Manager George Lundgren issued the following statement:

“The question is simple: will Laura Fine continue to accept support from ‘pro-Trump’ AIPAC? Or will she finally come clean and denounce AIPAC and its big money super PAC currently flooding the airwaves on her behalf. Voters in the 9th Congressional District deserve a straight answer.”

* WGN’s Tahman Bradley on the 2nd Congressional District race…

* WBEZ…

A white Democrat running in a Chicago-area congressional district that’s had Black representation for a half century has leapt far ahead of the competition in fundraising after reaping huge sums from finance, real estate and law interests.

Developer Jason Friedman of River North has raised nearly three times more than his closest rival among 13 Democratic candidates in the March 17 primary, federal campaign disclosure records show. […]

Of the 687 individuals and organizations contributing to Friedman’s campaign by the start of 2026, at least 419, or 61% of them, have made their living in finance, real estate or law, according to a WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times review of his Federal Election Commission filings. They accounted for about $1.1 million of his $1.8 million in receipts.

Friedman also raised six-figure sums from restaurant and health care sectors, the review found. Nursing home and senior housing interests contributed another $128,000.

* US Senate Candidate Robin Kelly…

U.S. Senate candidate Robin Kelly sharply criticized Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton’s campaign pledge to reject corporate Political Action Committee (PAC) money, calling it a “hypocritical, hollow promise designed to mislead voters.” This, as multiple news reports show Stratton’s three affiliated Senate super PACs relied on funding from billionaire donors and corporate interests - including a for-profit prison company.

Kelly’s criticism centers on the disconnect between Stratton’s public stance and her funding reality, where Stratton’s campaign has seen a recent fundraising boost from billionaire donors, and backing from companies like CoreCivic that are engaged in ICE contracting and the private prison industry.

In a recent debate, Kelly challenged Stratton to disavow Super PAC funding. Stratton declined to do so.

“Juliana Stratton should spare us the lectures on corporate PAC money when she rakes in millions of corporate dollars through her multiple Super PACs,” Kelly said. “Juliana’s words don’t match her funding. While she talks about opposing corporate PACs, her Super PACs are fueled by billionaire money, ICE contractors, and private prison profiteers.”

Kelly supports campaign finance reform and true grassroots representation, including public financing for political campaigns. Kelly emphasized that her own fundraising is built on a foundation of small-dollar donations and a broad base of support, ensuring her accountability remains with the voters and not wealthy donors.

“Check the record,” Kelly said. “I work for my constituents. The people of Illinois deserve transparency and real accountability, not smoke and mirrors. These types of financial games keep good people from running for office, good people from winning and good people from staying in office.”

* Capitol News Illinois…

If the Democratic primary to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has been the main event in Illinois politics over the past year, the Republican contest has largely played the undercard.

During an hourlong debate hosted by ABC-7 Chicago in partnership with Univision and the League of Women Voters on Wednesday evening, three candidates in the six-person field pitched themselves as best equipped to flip the seat red after more than four decades in Democratic hands.

The candidates — information technology professional Casey Chlebek, corporate attorney Jeannie Evans and former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy — stopped short of criticizing President Donald Trump directly but registered their disagreement with his call to “nationalize” voting and to his approach to tariffs. […]

Evans said tariffs imposed by Trump “achieved some good results” but acknowledged that she’s “a free market economist” who believes they should only be used in “specific situations or to achieve certain goals” in the short term.

Tracy said that the U.S. has “been subsidizing the world, including China and Europe, for way too long,” but that “the jury’s still out” on if Trump’s tariff regime will achieve its policy aims of more equitable trade deals and the onshoring of manufacturing jobs.

Chlebek said tariffs are “a tool” that shouldn’t be used “in an arbitrary fashion.” […]

Evans and Tracy each said they would not support a national abortion ban and leave that decision to individual states. Chlebek did not answer the question. All support the U.S. staying in the UN and NATO.

Tracy said he supported Trump’s pardons of people convicted of crimes connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 Electoral College victory and resulted injuries to more than 100 police officers and extensive physical damage to the building. Evans sidestepped the question, saying “it’s 2026, I’m moving forward.” Chlebek said he did not support the pardons.

* More endorsements via Playbook…

— In IL-09: Democrat Kat Abughazaleh has been endorsed by the Justice Democrats and the new human rights-centered PAC, Peace, Leadership and Accountability PAC.

— In IL-09: Democrat Bushra Amiwala has been endorsed by the Indian American Impact Fund and other community leaders. The full list is here.

— In IL-08: Democrat Kevin Morrison has been endorsed by Indivisible Elk Grove Township in his bid for the 8th Congressional District.

* More…

* Press release | Senator Tammy Duckworth Endorses Daniel Biss for Congress in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District: “We need fighters in Washington who will push back against Donald Trump and his harmful agenda, and that’s just what Daniel Biss will do,” said U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. “Whether it was facing down Greg Bovino in the street, working to lower housing costs in Evanston or championing abortion protections in the statehouse, Daniel has consistently shown the courage and conviction to fight for our values and deliver real results. I’m proud to support Daniel Biss and encourage Democrats across the 9th District to join me.”

* Press release | Sierra Club endorses Daniel Biss for congress: “Daniel Biss has been fighting for our environment for over fifteen years in local and state government, taking on powerful special interests to advance bold solutions to the climate crisis,” said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter. “With Donald Trump actively dismantling environmental protections and blocking clean energy projects, Daniel Biss is the fighter for our future we need now more than ever.”

* Press release | U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren Endorses Junaid Ahmed for Congress in Illinois’ 8th District: U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren announced her endorsement of Progressive Congressional candidate Junaid Ahmed today, marking a major show of national progressive support for his campaign to represent Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. “Junaid Ahmed is exactly the kind of progressive fighter we need in Congress right now,” said Senator Warren. “He understands that the economy should work for working families and not just those at the top, and he’s willing to take on the wealthy and the powerful to make that a reality. Junaid is committed to lowering costs, expanding healthcare, and standing up to Donald Trump. I’m proud to support his campaign.”

* Bloomberg | AI Kingpins Adopt Crypto’s Playbook in Bid to Get Allies Elected to Congress: Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman are among tech leaders who’ve poured $50 million into a new super political action committee to help AI-friendly candidates prevail in November’s congressional races. Known as Leading the Future, the super PAC has taken center stage as voters grow increasingly concerned that AI risks driving up energy costs and taking away jobs. […] Leading the Future’s Democratic arm also plans to spend seven figures to support Democrats in two Illinois congressional races: former Illinois Representatives Jesse Jackson Jr. and Melissa Bean.

* The Triibe | Illinois’ 7th Congressional District race is one you need to pay attention to: On Jan. 27, Terry moderated the Westside NAACP’s candidate’s forum at The Collins Academy High School. Democratic candidates Friedman, Ehrlich and Collins did not attend. Collins had a prior engagement. Friedman’s team asked for follow-up details in early January about the forum, according to Terry, but she said she didn’t hear from them again after following up. Ehrlich couldn’t be reached.

* Daily Herald | GOP candidate wins appeal and slot on 11th Congressional District ballots: An Illinois appellate court on Friday reversed lower decisions and ordered Republican congressional candidate Tedora M. Brown’s name to be added to 11th District ballots. The order from the three-member 1st District appellate court ordered Brown’s name “be placed on the ballot immediately.” It also ordered the Illinois State Board of Elections to “take all steps necessary” to enforce the order.

* CBS Chicago | 2026 U.S. Senate candidate profile: Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly: If elected, Kelly would have to work with Chicago’s City Hall for the next six years. Can Mayor Brandon Johnson count on her support if he runs for a second term in 2027? “Right now, I would say I’ll be neutral. I think he’s, as I’ve said before, I think he did a good job with ICE. I think he did, when we had the DNC here and Chicago was on display, you know, he did a really good job. I think he is a caring person. He’s in a tough, tough, tough seat,” she said.

* HuffPost | The Money Line Dividing The Democratic Party: A similar fight has played out in Illinois where Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has highlighted her refusal to take corporate PAC money in contrast to Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a relative moderate and the front-runner in the race. In turn, Krishnamoorthi has criticized Stratton for benefiting from donations from both the DLGA and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire who has endorsed her and spent millions on super PAC ads supporting her.

* Sun-Times | Underdog U.S. Senate candidates call for new voices in Washington at UChicago debate: The lesser-known candidates mostly recognized the long-shot chance at winning the primary election, with the exception of the lone Republican candidate in attendance who will likely face one other contender in that primary. Instead, they largely shared their campaign priorities and laid bare the reasoning why they were relegated to a separate debate. “I think it’s telling that there are multiple aspects of our democratic process that are broken because… we only look to money as the only metric of viability. This debate is a great example,” said Democratic primary challenger Kevin Ryan, a Chicago Public Schools teacher and U.S. Marine veteran.

* Daily Herald | Many — but not all — 9th Congressional District Democratic candidates say abolish ICE: The Vietnam-born Huynh recounted being stopped by armed and masked federal agents while following agents in Chicago last fall. But he doesn’t support abolishing the agency. Instead, Huynh said ICE agents need to be held accountable for their actions. He also voiced support for unspecified reforms.

* Daily Herald | GOP candidates in 11th District differ on Trump’s efforts to dismantle Education Dept: The cabinet-level department should remain, candidate Jeff Walter said, because national educational standards are needed. But GOP rival Michael Pierce of Naperville supports Trump’s plan to scrap the department, which long has been a target of conservatives.

* Tribune | Illinois Republicans weigh fealty to Trump as president’s agenda faces backlash and shutdown threat: The day after Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Peoria called for a “comprehensive and transparent investigation” into the death. LaHood, a former prosecutor, said the investigation should involve federal, state and local law enforcement. He issued a similar statement after an ICE agent shot Renee Good in her car in early January. […] In an interview with the Tribune, LaHood said his concern was less about who did the investigations and more about how they were done. […] But LaHood said he didn’t think federal agents automatically had immunity from state and local prosecution.

* WGLT | LaHood sticks with president despite concerns about tariffs: U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood stayed loyal to President Trump in Wednesday’s largely symbolic House vote over tariffs, despite LaHood’s concerns about the protectionist trade measures. The Peoria area Republican voted against ending a national emergency declared by Trump that allowed the administration to impose tariffs on Canada. In a recent WGLT interview, LaHood said the issue of tariffs was among his top priorities this year.

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Policy wonk or policy guru? You decide

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Redfin…

Americans need to earn $111,252 per year to afford the typical U.S. home for sale, down 4% from $115,870 a year ago.

The income needed to buy a home has been declining since November, providing some much-needed relief for U.S. homebuyers. Before that, the income needed to afford a home had been rising on a year-over-year basis nearly every month for five years straight, since the pandemic homebuying boom drove up home-sale prices. The income needed to buy a home peaked at over $122,000 this past June. […]

Zooming in on local regions, homebuying affordability is improving in 37 of the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas. Affordability has improved most in Dallas, Sacramento, CA and Jacksonville, FL. […]

On the flip side, homebuyers need to earn more than last year in some places where sale prices have increased. The biggest increase is in Detroit, where buyers must earn $74,912 to afford the typical home, up 3.6% year over year. It’s followed closely by Chicago ($105,440, up 3.5%) and St. Louis ($73,984, up 3%). Buffalo, NY and Cincinnati round out the top five.

* Crain’s explains what’s going on. It’s actually pretty simple stuff when you think about it…

“The reason Chicago was getting more expensive in 2025 is that it didn’t get too expensive during the pandemic,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. “It’s been slow and steady growth,” contrasted with skyrocketing pandemic-era prices in places like Phoenix.

In early 2022, at the height of the housing boom, when Chicago’s home prices were up about 10% year-over-year, Phoenix’s price increase was triple that. Now Phoenix and other pandemic boom towns are giving back a lot of their increases.

A result is that Phoenix buyers’ affordability grew in 2025 by 3.7%, almost a mirror image of the shrinkage in Chicago. […]

Even though there’s a gap of nearly 11 percentage points between Dallas’s greatly improved affordability in the past year and Chicago’s lost affordability, it’s still cheaper to buy a house here

* Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski has been referred to as a “policy wonk” by one news outlet and as a “policy guru” by another. The wonk/guru blames the real estate trend on undocumented residents. From a press release…

Few issues contribute to Illinois’ affordability problem more than high housing costs, and nobody bears more direct responsibility for those costs than Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The reason isn’t complicated. The 550,000 illegal immigrants (per Pew Research) in Illinois have supercharged demand for affordable housing, making prices and rents soar for everyday Illinoisans.

Gov. Pritzker is responsible for attracting many of those illegal immigrants. His sanctuary policies, generous benefit programs and a host of other policies that formed his “Welcome with Dignity” initiative made Illinois a magnet for migrants during the Biden administration’s years of open borders.

* While they do marginally drive up prices for rental units, the real cause is something else…

Similar to Kashkari’s remarks, an October 2024 article by the Joint Center for Housing Studies said that the low interest rates during the pandemic “motivated a spike in housing demand among those wanting to take advantage of the lower rates and the greater purchasing power they provided. The heightened demand from these factors quickly clashed with the country’s constrained housing supply, which remained at insufficient levels after years of underproduction following the Great Recession. These forces combined to put enormous pressure on home prices as well as rents, as the growing number of renter households competed for limited rental stock.”

The article, by the center’s senior research analyst, Riordan Frost, looked at the role of immigration in housing costs and found that “the recent surge in immigration … does not line up with the high growth in both rents and home prices that happened at the start of the pandemic.” The largest increases in prices occurred in 2020 and 2021 before immigration rose in 2022 and 2023, Frost wrote, noting that the growth rate in prices slowed in those latter years.

* And, don’t forget, housing construction is reliant on immigrant workers. Without them, stuff doesn’t get built, which will drive up prices. The industry is having huge problems on the Texas border right now…

Immigration raids across Texas are raising concerns beyond border communities, as builders and business leaders warn the crackdown is hitting the economy and the housing market.

They argue fears surrounding heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity are keeping workers away or forcing them to stay home, leaving some housing development projects sitting unfinished.

Last week, a group of South Texas builders brought their concerns to lawmakers in Washington, D.C., warning that immigration raids at construction sites would raise construction costs.

“A project that was taking maybe four to five months on an average, starter-type home is now taking eight, nine, 10 months, just because of the delays,” said Efrain Gomez, treasurer of the South Texas Builders Association. “It’s a huge ripple effect.”

* Dabrowski’s release goes on to make a few good points about how our housing stock is inadequate. But, as “proof” for his illegal immigrant theory, he points to an LA Times piece about rents decreasing in that city. Except, there are lots of other factors mentioned in that story, including these…

Experts disagree on the extent of the drop; some say it’s a sign of things to come, while others suggest it’s merely a brief price plateau and rents will rise again in 2026. After all, the winter rental market is typically slower than the summer market, and the recent low is just 4.2% less than the all-time high of $2,262 in August 2022. […]

Although L.A. has generally lagged in housing construction compared with cities such as San Diego, 2025 was a big year for new apartments hitting the market, despite several hundred multifamily buildings burning in the Palisades and Eaton fires. In 2025, 15,095 multifamily units were completed in L.A., according to CoStar. That’s an 18% increase year over year and the second-highest total in the last decade.

27 Comments

Big Tax-Exempt Hospitals Are Turning Patient Discounts Into Corporate Profits

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Across Illinois, large hospital systems and corporate PBMs are profiting from a program meant to help patients. The 340B program allows hospitals to buy medications at steep discounts, but those savings aren’t passed on to patients in need.

Instead, large hospitals charge patients full price for 340B-discounted drugs, keep the difference, and share the cash with for-profit chain pharmacies and PBMs.

What began as a safety-net program has become a profit stream. No transparency. No oversight. Just higher costs for working families.

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It’s just a bill

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

Plans are underway to sunset Cook County’s contentious property tax sale system in the coming years.

Last week, state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, filed a bill to bring Illinois into compliance with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that deemed it unconstitutional for property owners to lose the surplus equity they are entitled to once their property has been foreclosed due to delinquent taxes and after the debt has been paid. […]

Under the new system, in lieu of a tax sale, property owners will still have three years to settle their property tax debt. However, if they haven’t by that time, “the county would have to petition the court for a tax deed, and that property would get looped through a foreclosure auction to the highest bidder,” according to Justin Kirvan, policy director in the Cook County treasurer’s office. […]

While the legislation makes its way to the floor, there is still the issue of this spring’s anticipated tax sale. Last year, when Springfield legislators filed proposals to make the state’s tax sale system compliant with the Supreme Court ruling, they also postponed last year’s tax sale until March 2026. However, even if the Legislature swiftly passes this bill, the county’s tax offices and courts will need time to implement the new rules, according to [Justin Kirvan, policy director in the Cook County treasurer’s office].

* Tribune…

While Illinois has not legalized the processing of human remains into compost, companies can still transport bodies to facilities in one of 14 states where it is legal. But out-of-state transportation increases expenses and runs counter to carbon neutrality goals, and might make it harder for loved ones to let go of the deceased’s remains. […]

Beyond being more environmentally friendly, human composting addresses other drawbacks to traditional options. For instance, at a couple of thousand dollars, human composting services are often less expensive than traditional burials, which usually entail embalming, caskets, cemetery plots and headstones, and are competitive with cremation costs. The national median cost of a funeral with a viewing and burial in 2023 was $8,300, while the median price of a funeral with cremation was just under $6,300. Human composting services can cost between $5,000 and $7,000. […]

Still, there is resistance from religious institutions; for instance, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops considers burial the “preferred method” and finds cremation acceptable under certain conditions, while opposing human composting. The Catholic Conference of Illinois has opposed efforts to legalize the process in the state, saying the method “degrades the human person.” […]

Rep. Mary Beth Canty, an Arlington Heights Democrat, will be the lead sponsor of this year’s bill [to make human composting legal].

“People do get nervous because it’s new,” Canty said. “So my goal is to make sure that people really understand we are not trying to force anyone to handle their after-death care in a particular way. We just want to make sure that people have the options that they want to have.”

* Sun-Times…

Sweeping voting-rights legislation emerged Thursday to strengthen the hands of Illinois judges to take control of disputes over redistricting and give expanded safeguards to non-English speaking voters.

The bill sponsored by state Sen. Graciela Guzman (D-Chicago) would codify much of the Federal Voting Rights Act into state law as insurance in case that law is repealed by Republicans in Congress. If passed, the changes to state law would take effect July 1 ahead of November’s general election. […]

The bill would specifically grant judges the ability to redraw racially imbalanced legislative maps and require non-English speaking voters receive translated ballots, access to bilingual poll workers, or over-the-phone non-English assistance, among other things.

The legislation comes amid GOP attempts to weaken longstanding federal voting protections by requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID at the ballot box as well as attempts to invalidate mail-in-ballots.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Amid concerns about data centers’ impact on prices, electricity supplies and the environment, two Illinois lawmakers have introduced a bill to regulate new projects in Illinois.

The bill, called the POWER Act, establishes comprehensive environmental, water and energy regulations for “hyperscale” data centers. State Sen. Ram Villivalam is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, and state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, is the lead sponsor in the House. […]

To address concerns about prices, the bill would require new data centers to pay for their own energy costs, including infrastructure needed to generate that energy. It also requires energy to come from renewable sources and prohibits data centers from shifting costs to residents […]

The bill requires data centers to report their water usage, including how much they take in and discharge. Large centers can consume millions of gallons of water a day to cool computer servers and prevent overheating. […]

To protect the environment and the people who live near data centers from pollution, the bill requires full environmental assessments for how the data center would impact the community. It also requires new data centers to establish community benefits agreements where they’re developed.

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) today released the following statement in response to legislation that would hamper the development of data centers in Illinois, risking economic growth and investment:

“Data centers represent the future of a modern economy, as they make cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics and advanced manufacturing possible. These advances will result in billions of dollars of investment in Illinois, generating much-needed tax revenue for local and state governments, employing thousands of construction workers and creating an innovation ecosystem that supports the next generation of tech jobs in Illinois,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Illinois’ looming energy crisis follows the passage of several major energy bills that has resulted in the loss of significant baseload power generation, driving up costs and threatening reliability. Instead of penalizing innovation, we encourage policymakers to focus on an all-of-the-above energy approach that prioritizes maintaining and expanding baseload generation sources, investing in transmission and affordable battery storage, and deploying more renewable resources. Illinois can’t afford to keep making the same mistakes while blaming others for creating the problem.”

* Center Square…

Illinois House Minority Leader Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, is renewing her bid to increase transparency in state government by making live legislative committee hearings available to the public after they occur – a shift from the current “live-only” access system.

McCombie recently filed House Bill 4383, legislation that would require that audio and video recordings of all Illinois General Assembly committee hearings be posted online and remain accessible for at least 30 days following each session. […]

McCombie explained the bill represents an incremental first step, extending access for a limited time, toward her broader goal of permanent, searchable archives of all House and Senate proceedings.

“It would take our live hearings and hold them in space for 30 days,” she explained, adding that the technology “shouldn’t be that hard” given that townships and municipalities across Illinois already do this.

* Block Club Chicago…

Environmental advocates are now pressing state legislators and Gov. JB Pritzker to pass the Wetlands Protection Act, introduced by state Sen. Laura Ellman and state Rep. Anna Moeller in February 2025. The bill would require permits for developers seeking to discharge dredged or fill material into state-jurisdictional wetlands. […]

Robert Hirschfeld, director of water policy at Prairie Rivers Network, said the Wetlands Protection Act allows Illinois to act even as federal protections vanish. But resistance from agricultural groups could complicate the bill’s path forward, he said.

“Governor Pritzker has positioned Illinois as a bulwark against some of the most egregious abuses of the Trump administration. And yet, when it comes to some of these environmental issues, I have not seen the same level of commitment and pushback,” Hirschfeld said.

Pritzker’s office declined to be interviewed for this story, but a spokesperson said in a statement that the office will “monitor and review legislation as it moves through the General Assembly.”

“Any legislation that requires additional state resources will be carefully reviewed with budgeteers to understand the fiscal impact,” the statement continued.

* The High Speed Rail Alliance…

Advocates for increasing passenger rail service are urging Illinois legislators, and the traveling public, to support a measure that would require the Illinois Department of Transportation to incorporate frequencies into the Illinois State Rail Plan and the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan.

The Passenger Rail Planning Act, H.B. 4279, has been introduced in the House by State Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan), and in the Senate, as S.B. 3285, by State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago).

The bill will be heard in the House Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges Committee at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, in the state Capitol, Room 114, in Springfield.

The legislation requires state planners to include these target service frequencies for trains radiating from Chicago:

◼ Milwaukee, at least hourly; every two hours to Green Bay.
◼ Madison, WI and St. Paul, MN, at least hourly.
◼ Rockford, at least hourly; every four hours to East Dubuque.
◼ East St. Louis, St. Louis and Kansas City, at least hourly.
◼ Champaign, at least hourly; every four hours to Carbondale and Memphis.
◼ Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, and Atlanta, at least hourly.
◼ Indianapolis and Cincinnati, at least hourly.
◼ Fort Wayne, IN and Columbus, OH, at least hourly*
◼ Cleveland, at least hourly*
◼ Detroit and Toronto, at least hourly.
◼ Moline, every two hours; every four hours to Des Moines, Omaha and Denver.
◼ Peoria, every two hours.
◼ Galesburg, Quincy and Hannibal MO, every four hours.

* One of these would provide hourly service to the Northeast Corridor. […]

The Midwest Regional Rail Plan, published by the Federal Railroad Administration in 2021, identifies Illinois as the center of a high-frequency intercity rail system connecting Midwestern cities and states.

This legislation requires the Illinois Department of Transportation to incorporate these service frequency goals into the Illinois State Rail Plan and into the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan of 2024. It also allows and encourages the department to nominate these corridors for inclusion in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program, and, for inter-state corridors, to enter into memoranda of understanding or other cooperative agreements with neighboring states.

The legislation under discussion does not, by itself, provide funding for planning, construction or the purchase of equipment for these routes. It simply requires the frequency mentioned above to be included from the outset anytime passenger rail planning is undertaken.

* Center Square…

llinois House Republicans are calling on Democrats to oppose new tax proposals.

State Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, said House Bill 4459 would impose fees on backyard campfires, and House Bill 5112 would impose taxes on retail carryout bags.

“By the way Mr. Severin, those s’mores items you just bought at the grocery store, we’ve gotta charge you a bag tax for that. No matter if it’s a paper bag, plastic bag, reusable bag, they’re going to get me for it,” Severin said. […]

State Rep. Kyle Moore, R-Quincy, said the new tax proposals are an insult to working families.

* WTVO…

A new proposal in the Illinois House would require all public high school students to attend a government meeting as part of their civics education.

House Bill 5289, introduced on Tuesday by Rep. Justin Cochran (D-Des Plaines), creates a new section of the School Code that mandates high schools teach a unit on civic engagement, effective with the 2027–2028 school year.

The bill would also require students to attend an open meeting of a local governing body. That could include a city council, county board, township board, or the governing body of a special district, according to the bill text.

If students cannot attend in person, schools would be allowed to meet the requirement through virtual attendance.

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Keep Insurance Affordable

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The Illinois General Assembly is considering legislation (HB 3799, SA 2 &3) that could make homeowners insurance unaffordable for many Illinoisans.

The proposal would destabilize a healthy, competitive market, creating a regulatory framework that is more extreme than what exists in any other state. This will increase premiums and reduce competition.

Our robust insurance market has kept homeowners’ rates middle-of-the-pack nationally, even though Illinois has more hail damage claims than any other state except Texas.

To protect affordability and consumer choice, lawmakers should VOTE NO.

For more information, visit www.KeepInsuranceAffordable.org

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Pritzker spokesperson says AIPAC has become ‘a pro-Trump organization’

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a really well-researched Mother Jones article on Gov. JB Pritzker…

In some respects, Pritzker makes an awkward champion for a Democratic Party looking for a new direction. He is a billionaire in an electorate raging against oligarchy and a former AIPAC supporter at a time when support for Israel is plummeting. (A spokesperson for the governor said Pritzker had not donated to the group in “nearly a decade” and “believes the organization has abandoned its bipartisan principles and become a pro-Trump organization.”)

* Since the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is in the news a lot here lately in Illinois, I reached out to the governor’s campaign about that Mother Jones profile…

Q: So, what are the governor’s thoughts on AIPAC’s involvement in several Illinois congressional Democratic primaries?

A The Governor’s feeling on AIPAC’s abandonment of their principles remains the same. Just because they donate to certain Democrats doesn’t change the fact that they are heeding the words and direction of Jared Kushner and other Trump acolytes.

Q: Should those Democrats denounce the group?

A: The Governor has been clear about his own views. Other candidates can speak for themselves.

This could add an interesting twist.

48 Comments

340B Invests In Patient Care – Support HB 2371 To Support Lifesaving Healthcare

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

Sinai Chicago, one of Illinois’ largest safety net providers, can invest in services like specialty clinics and medication management because of drug cost savings from the federal 340B program. Yet pharmaceutical manufacturers have been restricting provider participation in the program, undermining the program’s purpose and restricting patient access to drugs and healthcare services.

Dr. Wesley Gibbert with Erie Family Health Centers said helping low-income patients access affordable medications where they live is one of 340B’s most important roles. Two of his patients, a mother and son who both have diabetes, travel an hour from their Mundelein home to Chicago, and an hour back, because drugmakers arbitrarily restricted the FQHC to dispensing prescriptions at a single Chicago pharmacy.

HB 2371 will prevent drugmakers from dictating which pharmacies healthcare providers can work with or forcing them into arrangements that undermine provider operations.

Hospitals and FQHCs are urging House legislators to protect 340B. At a Feb. 1 rally, Sinai Chicago President and CEO Dr. Ngozi Ezike said, “We are standing up for those who are too often left behind, who are too often forgotten about. It’s time for our legislators to vote YES for HB 2371.”

Patients across Illinois are counting on you. Learn more.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump cuts to HIV, lead poisoning prevention funds. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

• NBC Chicago: Judge blocks Trump admin from blocking $600M in health care for Illinois, 3 other states
• WIFR: IDPH blames Trump administration for $100M in cuts to public health programs across Illinois

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Crain’s | Springfield reignites fight over who pays for Illinois’ data center boom: Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, has introduced sweeping legislation that would cause data center operators to pay millions to support energy assistance programs, submit to extensive regulations around their water and energy use and fund renewable energy and storage. The proposal resurrects a fight that lawmakers shelved last year: whether to charge large electricity users — especially data centers — significantly higher rates. It was left out of the final energy package. Now it’s back.

* The Hill | Judge rules ICE must let religious leaders into Illinois facility for Ash Wednesday : “Broadview allowed plaintiffs’ religious visitation to Broadview for years before reversing course relatively recently,” Gettleman wrote. “With reasonable notice and communication, addressing legitimate security and safety concerns, allowing plaintiffs to provide pastoral care to migrants and detainees does not pose any undue hardship on the government,” he continued.

* Tribune | Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas held stock in company that has county technology deal: Pappas has been one of the most vociferous critics of Tyler Technologies, the company that has been in charge of the rocky upgrade of the county’s property tax system, for more than a decade. Tyler has been embedded in the treasurer’s office, which calculates and mails out property tax bills, for years. The problematic rollout of Tyler’s tax system revamp within county offices led to late property tax bills last year and problems distributing property tax revenues in recent months to local agencies like schools and libraries.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Rick Heidner casts himself as ‘Trump Republican’ in bid to unseat Pritzker: Heidner also denied any association with organized crime. He blamed the news media for wanting “to play their own narratives.” “Nobody ever wants to be wrong,” Heidner said. “Even when you’re 100% vindicated of something, they still want to keep regurgitating and regurgitating the same stuff that’s just ridiculous. I have no ties to the mob, I could tell you that for sure.”

* WCIA | Illinois Secretary of State announces switch to electronic vehicle titles: According to Giannoulias’ Office, Illinois motorists, lenders and dealers will soon experience faster title processing, fewer delays and stronger fraud protections as a result of the office transitioning to mandatory participation in its statewide Electronic Lien and Titling (ELT) program.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | CPS board members accuse Mayor Brandon Johnson of ‘sabotage’ in CEO search: “We are extremely disappointed that the mayor and his appointees on the Board have chosen to sabotage the process to find a permanent leader for CPS,” the statement read. “This blatant political interference is harmful to the entire District — to schools, staff, families, and most importantly, the students. Every problem becomes more difficult to solve when there is leadership instability.” In the statement, the six board members urged their colleagues to “retain Interim Superintendent/CEO Dr. Macquline King until a fully-elected board can restart the search in 2027.”

* CBS Chicago | CTA planning to expand AI gun detection technology: Ryan would only say the expansion of the gun detection system is happening “real soon,” and comes when CTA is already seeing a decline in crime. From Jan. 1 through Feb. 8, police said there have been 134 reported crimes on the CTA compared to 144 reported crimes in same time of 2025, a drop of 6.9%. In the same time frame, robberies have dropped 18%, and larceny thefts have dropped 11%, but criminal sexual assaults and aggravated battery are up in 2026.

* Block Club | Black, Hispanic Drivers Get Majority Of Chicago’s Traffic Tickets — Including In Mostly White Areas: Black drivers received 45 percent of traffic tickets and Hispanic drivers received 36 percent of tickets given out January 2023-October 2025, according to an analysis of Police Department data by policy groups Free2Move Coalition and Impact for Equity. That’s despite Black and Hispanic residents each representing less than 30 percent of the city’s population. In all, Black drivers received 30,751 tickets during the study’s time period — over 21,000 more tickets than white drivers, who received only 14 percent of tickets across Chicago while making up 36 percent of its population.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | It’s crunch time for Cook County tax sales — and so far, Springfield isn’t helping: Cook County is quickly running out of time to hit the brakes on the annual tax sale for past-due properties, a process that has been found by the U.S. Supreme Court to violate homeowners’ constitutional rights. The 2025 tax sale was moved from August to March of this year. But without fast action by Springfield legislators in the next week to delay it again, the sale will resume and County Treasurer Maria Pappas may have no choice but to pile on thousands more violations.

* Tribune | Toni Preckwinkle calls for charges against federal immigration agents in local shootings: “We support thorough law enforcement investigations wherever federal agents have violated the law,” the group statement from Preckwinkle and board members said. All 11 signatories are Democrats. “We urge the Cook County State’s Attorney to act swiftly, proactively and transparently to ensure accountability and deliver justice for the families and communities who have been harmed.” Debates about filing charges in the shootings and other instances of alleged criminal behavior by federal agents have been front and center in recent weeks, as Mayor Brandon Johnson and Burke have publicly disagreed about his executive order directing Chicago police to investigate federal immigration agents for possible felony charges.

* The Record | ‘His Heart is as Big as His Whole Body’: Homeless-shelter client turned employee celebrated as key to program’s success: Gaiter is now a peer liaison at the shelter, where he helps people facing many of the same hardships he experienced feel comfortable and understood and get connected to the resources they need to get back on their feet. Charlie Biggins, the respite center’s manager, described Gaiter as one of the center’s most valuable employees and so dedicated to supporting others that he travels at least four hours by bus and train every day from south Chicago to serve their clients.

* Daily Herald | Kane state’s attorney to conduct review of Aurora police actions during student walkout: The Kane County state’s attorney’s office said that it will conduct an independent review of actions by the Aurora Police Department following claims of excessive force used against students during a coordinated walkout on Monday, Feb. 9. The review comes following accusations of “police brutality” by state Sen. Karina Villa during an altercation between officers and teens that ended with the arrest of three East Aurora High School students during a walkout protesting federal immigration tactics.

* Daily Herald | Kane County Democratic hopefuls field questions about treasurer’s office: The three Democratic hopefuls in the March 17 primary election for Kane County treasurer fielded questions at a recent League of Women Voters forum at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin. Penny Wegman, Scott Johansen and Candida “Connie” Cain are vying for the party’s nomination. The primary winner would run against incumbent Treasurer Chris Lauzen, a Republican, who is seeking a second term. Wegman is the Kane County auditor. Cain is a CPA who had worked for current the treasurer for about 18 months. Scott Johansen is a businessman who had an unsuccessful run for a county board seat in 2022.

* WGN | Aurora residents express concerns over more data centers possibly being built: At a Town Hall held Thursday evening, residents who live in the Stonebridge subdivision near Eola and Diehl Road near the four existing data centers said their utility bills are about 30% to 40% higher over the last year, but they’re more upset about the noise. “We have constant noise, vibrations. My wife can’t sleep at night. We feel our property values are going to be tanking,” Richard Kersch, who lives near the data center, said.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘It takes a long time for those problems to be fixed’: Drought persists in Central Illinois, Sullivan declares ‘water emergency’: “The number one priority right now is to supply drinking water to our customers,” said Public Health and Safety Commissioner Chuck Woodworth. “Anything other than that is going to be restricted.” One month ago, Woodworth told WCIA that since the start of the drought, the level of the aquifer they pump from had already fallen 15 feet. It was so low their pumps started taking in air. “We’ve continued to monitor the aquifer, and it has dropped another six inches,” Woodworth said.

* WGLT | Mayor Brady hopes Bloomington can avoid mandatory water conservation measures:
“At that particular time, if we get there—we hope we don’t get there—that’s why we are doing the conservation we are now more intensely. You have to look at the things that potentially could be more of a mandate. As of now, we’re not there,” said Brady. Lakes Bloomington and Evergreen are 10 feet below adequate levels amid drought conditions. They fell two feet in the last month. If they drop another two feet, Brady said another section of the ordinance governing drought proclamations could kick in.

* WCIA | Central Illinois county pushing for Narcan kit sites: Ford County has a population of just over 13,000 people. Last year, the department added a Narcan kit near downtown Gibson City. “I’ve had to put in four dozen boxes of Narcan in a month and a half in that small little town,” Benningfield said. Currently, people in Ford County can find the spray at Gibson City Laundry, which is open all day. She proposed other locations for the kits, but was shut down by the city. That’s when community members stepped up to help. One local business owner is even offering up her property as an option.

* Illinois Times | Union president asked for leniency for Grayson: Sangamon County Deputy Travis Koester was ultimately unsuccessful but told Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin in a letter that Grayson, 31, deserved mercy because of a history of subpar professional training in the sheriff’s office and Grayson’s ongoing treatment for cancer. “Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand how inadequate or inconsistent training, insufficient remedial instruction and a lack of meaningful mentorship can leave deputies ill-equipped to manage high-pressure situations appropriately,” wrote Koester, a deputy with more than 20 years of service.

* Daily Egyptian | 2 SIU alumni met in physics class. 47 years later, they had chemistry: In May of 2011, McCann’s wife of 40 years died of cancer. Four months later, Allen’s husband of 43 years who had also battled cancer died unexpectedly. Allen and McCann rekindled their friendship through their grief. They both attended the funerals for the other’s spouse and said they offered support to each other as they learned their new normal. Eventually, they said, they talked on the phone at least twice a week.

*** National ***

* The Hill | Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years: The company said starting this year it would stop publishing approval and favorability ratings of individual political figures, saying in a statement it “reflects an evolution in how Gallup focuses its public research and thought leadership.” […] When asked by The Hill if Gallup had received any feedback from the White House or anyone in the current administration before making the decision, the spokesperson said, “this is a strategic shift solely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities.”

* CNBC | Realtors report a ‘new housing crisis’ as January home sales tank more than 8%: Sales of previously owned homes in January dropped a much wider-than-expected 8.4% from December to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.91 million, according to the NAR. Sales were 4.4% lower than January 2025. That is the slowest pace since December 2023 and the biggest monthly drop since February 2022.

* NYT | Prosecutor Says Federal Officials Gave Wrong Information About ICE Shooting: The prosecutor, Daniel N. Rosen, asked a judge to dismiss charges against a man who was wounded in that shooting, as well as another man who had been accused of attacking the agent. Mr. Rosen wrote that “newly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations” that federal officials made in a charging document and in courtroom testimony.

* Ken Klippenstein | ICE Masks Up in More Ways Than One: The new program, called “masked engagement,” allows homeland security officers to assume false identities and interact with users—friending them, joining closed groups, and gaining access to otherwise private postings, photographs, friend lists and more. A senior Department of Homeland Security official tells me that over 6,500 field agents and intelligence operatives can use the new tool, a significant increase explicitly linked to more intense monitoring of American citizens.

8 Comments

Good morning!

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I will never forget this performance as long as I live…

Peter Tosh with Mick Jagger - "(You Got To Walk And) Don't Look Back" Live on Saturday Night Live 1978！
Peter Tosh with Mick Jagger
"(You Got To Walk And) Don't Look Back"
Live on Saturday Night Live, NBC, NYC, NY, US - TV 12/16/1978！

Posted by Rock'n'Roll Relaxin on Tuesday, December 17, 2024

If it’s love that you’re running from
There is no hiding place

This is an open thread.

3 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and a campaign update

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, Feb 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…

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