* Not too shabby…

* Here’s a quick roundup to start your day…

* Capitol News Illinois | Technical SAFE-T Act changes could happen, nothing certain in last 3 days of session: “I will say, when it came to the idea of gutting it, that was a bipartisan thing that was real, and I will acknowledge that,” Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, said at a news conference Tuesday. “But what I will say is that, after Tuesday, the main thing is to make sure it’s technical and we can implement it the right way.”

* WTVO | Illinois lawmaker files amendment to SAFE-T Act: The controversial criminal justice law was a major talking point during the election. Illinois State Senator Scott Bennett filed an amendment on behalf of the state’s attorney association that would clarify. […] Bennett’s proposal is still the only one officially filed in the capitol so far. The legislature is expected to come to a new compromise on the law before it goes into effect January 1.

* Daily Herald | New leader hopes to bring balance to state House GOP:State Rep. Tony McCombie said Wednesday that her top priority when she becomes the next House minority leader will be to rebuild the GOP caucus following last week’s elections that were, for Republicans, a disappointment. “The top priority is to bring balance to the Republican Party,” she told reporters during her first Statehouse news conference since being elected leader. “I mean, we need some numbers, seriously. We need to collaborate on our messages. We need to bring our caucus all together to have opinions.”

* Sun-Times | New state Senate GOP leader welcomes billionaires’ bucks but warns party must ‘diversify our fundraising’: “We have to broaden that appeal because we’re getting heavily outspent in all our races all across the state,” new state Senate Minority Leader John Curran said.

* Quad | City Times | Q&A with incoming Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie: Q: You’ve worked on many bills over the past few years — some of the DCFS bills, for instance, that featured bipartisanship. How important is it to have that moving forward? A: “You know, as leader, I might actually get that bill passed now. So, we’ve been fighting for Pam Knight for a long time. We’ve done it in the House and it died in the Senate. Again, with the tragic loss we had (of DCFS worker Deidre Silas) here in Springfield, we thought we were going to get that through with the Senate and the House again, and we did not. Common sense legislation should be easy. And my conversations and relationships, I hope, will bring those issues around.”

* WGNTV | Illinois State Senate unanimously approves legislation banning state investment in Russia: The Illinois State Senate unanimously approved legislation prohibiting the investment of state funds in Russia Wednesday. The proposed law, House Bill 1293, would require the state to divest or withdraw any existing investments in Russian banks and companies and prohibit such investments moving forward on top of several other stipulations.

* WCIA | Lawmakers considering legislation to close interest rate loophole for pawn shops: In 2021, the state passed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act (PLPA), which caps the interest rate on consumer loans at 36%. But the law doesn’t apply to pawn shops. After the PLPA passed, pawn brokers asked the courts for an injunction so that the law wouldn’t apply to them and they received one.

* Ted Slowik | Rural counties vote to break from Illinois. Here’s what they should do instead: The growing movement by dozens of Downstate counties to break away from the rest of Illinois to form a new state shows how toxic politics has distorted our reality. I wish politicians who represent red parts of the state would offer their constituents more realistic solutions to address concerns. I have visited Cairo and other small towns ravaged by blight. I have seen similar conditions in south suburban Harvey, Dixmoor and Robbins.

* WREX | Illinois Native Americans Gathered in Springfield to Ask for Inclusion and State Recognition: A group of Native Americans gathered in Springfield to ask for inclusion and state recognition. The Chicago American Indian community collaborative held a Native American summit today at the state capitol, and at the top of the agenda, was an effort to introduce legislation requiring native American history in Illinois public schools starting next year.

* Crain’s | What do Lightfoot’s ads tell us about the state of the mayoral race: Rolling out three video ads in two days, it’s a sign that Mayor Lightfoot has some money to spend—and quite probably it’s an indication that she has reason for political worry.

* Tribune | Mayor Lori Lightfoot chastises security detail for parking in a bike lane while she picked up doughnuts: Following an uproar on social media, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot chastised her security detail for parking in a bike lane while she picked up doughnuts. The controversy began on Twitter after @bikelaneuprise posted photos Nov. 9 showing Lightfoot’s security detail parked in the street outside Roeser’s Bakery on North Avenue while she was inside picking up doughnuts.

* Block Club Chicago | Weed Dispensary Green Rose, Owned By Phil Stefani, Former Police Commander, Opens In River North: Green Rose is owned by GRI Holdings and qualified for the state’s social equity license by having members of the management and ownership team who are Black, Latino, veteran and part of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to Stefani, former police Cmdr. Thomas Wheeler, former CTA executive John Trotta and veteran Dana Oswald are owners, according to the Chicago Tribune. Ownership is “diverse and includes Black, Latinx, veteran and females,” a company representative said.

* Sun-Times | Village of Oak Lawn approves $10 million settlement in 2019 hit-and-run accident involving then-village manager: Mark Berkshire was hospitalized for months after he was hit by Larry Deetjen’s car in nearby Chicago Ridge in 2019, according to a lawyer for Berkshire. He is still unable to walk and requires around-the-clock care, according to attorney Victor Henderson. Deetjin was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, failing to render aid, failure to give information after striking a person, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to exercise due caution.

* Politico | GOP civil war spreads to Georgia runoff: But Senate Republican infighting isn’t the only dispute affecting the Peach State race. Georgia GOP activists are worried about the potential effect of Donald Trump launching his 2024 run on Tuesday, an announcement that local party leaders fear could depress turnout among moderate Republicans — votes that Walker needs to beat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who finished just ahead of him in last week’s election. Despite even some of Trump’s own allies urging him to delay an announcement until after the runoff election, Trump declined to wait.

* Illinois Times | The next chapter for Avery Bourne: “I don’t want a eulogy written. People keep coming up to me with a sad look in their eyes and saying, ‘You had such a wonderful career.’” At age 30, state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, says she has plenty of career still ahead of her. She is leaving the General Assembly in January after an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

More to come!