* ICYMI: Bill aimed at protecting domestic abuse victims from gun violence gets fresh look after high court ruling. Tribune…

Senate President Don Harmon on Thursday indicated lawmakers will take another look at stalled legislation that aims to protect victims of domestic abuse from gun violence in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a law prohibiting people under restraining orders from their partners from owning guns.

Some lawmakers had been concerned that a ruling against such laws would have put the legislation, known as Karina’s bill, in jeopardy. Harmon acknowledged that he didn’t expect a high court dominated by a conservative majority to issue the ruling it did.

“We were waiting on the Supreme Court’s decision … and they surprised me in saying that we can, in fact, regulate that intersection of guns and domestic violence,” Harmon said at a City Club of Chicago event Thursday afternoon. “And we need to.” […]

The Illinois legislation would require that law enforcement remove firearms from individuals who have orders of protection against them, clarifying when and how law enforcement can confiscate such weapons. As it stands now, firearms aren’t always removed from people involved in those situations even if the owner’s firearm identification card is technically revoked.

If you want to watch the City Club of Chicago event click here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Judge ends Aqua lawsuit, activists, legislators oppose proposed water rate hikes: Will County Judge John Anderson has approved a consent order ending the years-long lawsuit between state officials, University Park and Aqua Illinois. This decision comes while Aqua and Illinois American Water — the state’s two largest private water providers — face opposition from legislators and the Citizens Utility Board for requested rate hikes that could raise water bills by $30 a month. Anderson delayed the decision July 8 after some University Park residents raised concerns the $900,000 Aqua would pay for lead remediation was insufficient. However, because the order was previously agreed upon by the village’s lawyer, Burt Odelson, and the other representing attorneys June 7, Anderson signed the order.

* Crain’s | Dan Seals is leaving Intersect Illinois as CEO: Dan Seals will step down as CEO by the end of the month after nearly three years in the job, Chairman John Atkinson said today. “Intersect Illinois has seen tremendous growth over Dan’s tenure, and we truly appreciate his passion for economic development and his dedication to the state of Illinois,” he said in a statement. Paulina San Millan, senior vice resident of business development, will serve as interim CEO while the group looks for a replacement for Seals.

* Sun-Times | Bob Newhart, comedic legend who grew up on Chicago’s West Side, dies at 94: Sitcom and stand-up legend Bob Newhart, who was a relatively unknown commodity living with his parents on the West Side when his first comedy album catapulted him to fame in 1960, has died at 94. […] It all started with “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” a collection of Mr. Newhart’s phone conversations with imaginary, unheard characters, as well as his angst-filled portrayal of a driving instructor.

*** RNC ***

* Capitol News Illinois’ RNC day 4 recap…

* Sun-Times | Illinois Republicans close out RNC with energy behind ‘more focused, disciplined’ Trump: Hours before former President Donald Trump accepted the GOP nomination, Illinois Republicans on Thursday claimed the “the table has been flipped” on Democrats who head toward the Nov. 5 election with uncertainty at the top of the ticket while the GOP builds momentum. The state’s super-minority Republicans are leaving the GOP National Convention energized, and with a lot of confidence, which they claim will help them win more seats in the state — despite a redistricting lockout and a severe lack of high-profile donors.

* Daily Herald | Outgoing Illinois GOP chair bemoans ‘loose’ voting laws: Under Tracy, the state party hired a full-time election integrity director, filling the role of local county and township organizations that have weakened amid GOP electoral losses. […] “It used to be we had election day. Now we have election season,” Tracy said at the Illinois GOP’s daily press briefing Thursday.

* Tribune | Rod Blagojevich drops into Milwaukee to tout Trump. Illinois GOP left unenthused.: Outgoing Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy said he’s “not a fan of Gov. Blagojevich at all,” though he can understand why he’d want to ride on Trump’s coattails. He also said he thinks Blagojevich’s conviction is not comparable to Trump’s. “There is no comparison between what Blagojevich did to get convicted by the feds for trying to sell a U.S. Senate office and the sham political prosecution of President Trump,” said Tracy, of Springfield. […] “If he wants to talk good about Republicans, God bless him,” Bost said of Blagojevich. “He sure wasn’t a Republican when he did what he did.”

* WTTW | Illinois Republicans Say Democrats in ‘Freefall,’ Confident in Trump Against Biden or Any Nominee: Should Biden step aside, U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Illinois) said, Republicans should expect that Trump will face Harris. Convention rules would make it hard for Democrats to go another route, according to Bost. “It all boils down to the fact that this particular president, who has earned these delegates, has to actually step down and turn the delegates over,” Bost said. “Unless they use the 25th Amendment.”

* Sun-Times | GOP Pritzker-replacing-Biden quip gets jeers from Illinois delegation: U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, who is running against Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, elicited some boos from a tired but happy room of Illinois Republican delegates on Thursday when he offered Gov. J.B. Pritzker as a top of the ticket replacement for President Joe Biden. “The Democrats are in a full blown civil war,” Moreno said. “Think about this for a second now. One hundred and 10 days away from this election, we don’t even know who President Trump and JD Vance is going to run against. We have no idea. It could be your governor.”

* Fox Chicago | Pritzker blasts Trump following RNC speech: ‘narcissism and dishonesty’: “Tonight, Donald Trump demonstrated once again his narcissism and dishonesty. “We know what a second Trump term would look like. It would be a disaster for America’s working families. Trump wants to enact the extremist policies in the Project 2025 manifesto. Another Trump administration would further deny women access to abortion, IVF, and contraception - even in states where Democrats have protected those rights. Trump promises to take away overtime pay and increase dangers for workers.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | After years of controversy, state pauses CO2 pipeline construction, for now: The law issues new regulations for carbon capture and sequestration, a technology used to take carbon dioxide pollution and store it deep underground. Sandstone formations in central Illinois are uniquely suited for gas storage, which has attracted national attention to the region as a possible hub for carbon dioxide storage.

* Bond Buyer | Treasurers explore political line between ESG policy and data: As states tinker with laws that restrict pension investments in funds that favor environment, social, and governance factors, the debate over strategy and long-term fiscal responsibility continues between red and blue state treasurers who oversee investment policies.

* QC Times | Illinois lawmaker recap: New child tax credit will ‘help a lot of working class people,’ Halpin says: Halpin said “it wasn’t a perfect budget” that legislators passed and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed, but he supported it due to some of the “great things” included, such as $50 million in funding for a child tax credit. The credit would apply to low- and middle-income families with children under the age of 12. “I think that’s going to help a lot of working class people here in the Quad Cities and Western Illinois. And I’m excited about making sure we’re continuing to fund our K-12 education in the way that we’ve committed to do in the past.”

* QC Times | Illinois lawmaker recap: Swanson ‘disappointed’ farm groups cut out of carbon capture talks: Swanson said he was proud to sponsor legislation bringing greater awareness to the law colloquially known as Scott’s Law, which requires that drivers change lanes (or slow down if not possible) when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying flashing warning lights. He said he was also hopeful that legislation creating a historic preservation board to assist the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in managing and preserving state historic sites will lead to more attention and resources for sites like Bishop Hill and the boyhood home of Carl Sandburg.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s water-bill delinquents include City Council members: Diane Gottlieb, who has made a fortune as a public housing landlord, has nearly $1.5 million in past-due bills owed for dozens of properties. Gottlieb has collected millions of dollars in government subsidies from the Chicago Housing Authority to pay all or part of the rent for her low-income tenants. […] Ald. William Hall (6th) was one of them. His Chatham home had a utility bill backlog of $1,769.53 dating to June 2023. Then, earlier this month, he paid the past-due tab shortly after Sun-Times reporters asked about it. That included $112 in late-payment penalties. Hall says he had his account set to auto-pay with a debit card that got hacked and that he forgot to update his payment information after canceling the card.

* Press Release | Joyce Appoints Julie Morita as President & CEO: The Joyce Foundation has appointed Julie Morita, MD, as its new President and CEO. Morita was selected following an extensive national search to replace longtime President and CEO Ellen Alberding, who is stepping down after 22 years in the role. Morita will join the Foundation on October 1. “I am thrilled and deeply honored to step into the role of President at the Joyce Foundation. It is a tremendous privilege to lead an organization with such a remarkable legacy of positive impact,” Morita said. “I take seriously the responsibility of upholding the Foundation’s values and am committed to working closely with the Foundation’s staff, partners, and Board to further its mission and vision.”

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*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Will County Board votes against non-sanctuary designation, calling it anti-immigrant: Several audience members held signs saying immigrants are welcome here, and told the board the resolution tells current residents and immigrants they do not belong. The resolution needlessly scapegoats people who come to Illinois seeking safety and opportunities, they said. “It does nothing in the affirmative,” Cesar Guerrero said. “It is, quite simply, political posturing.” Eleven Democrats voted against the resolution and eight Republicans voted in favor of it.

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park and Park District spar over remediation at former mental health center: The Village Board approved a $134,612 contract extension with Sewer Assessment Services for inflow and infiltration investigations, allowing for smoke testing in high-risk areas to identify defects that allows groundwater to infiltrate the village’s sanitary system. […] However, Elizabeth Harvey, an environmental attorney representing the Park District, said the district does not plan to pump the stagnant water through village sewer systems. Instead, they intend to manage it on the property or in a ditch owned by the district that runs along the property.

* Sun-Times | Highland Park massacre victims sue Illinois State Police for approving suspect’s gun card: Five lawsuits filed in the last month in the Illinois Court of Claims allege state police negligently approved Robert E. Crimo III’s gun ownership application in 2019 despite Highland Park police issuing a “clear and present danger” alert against him months earlier. […] The state police — who won’t comment — have said the alert did not rise to the level of denying him a gun ownership card. But the lawsuits claim the alert, prompted by a police house call, included details that showed Crimo was not fit to obtain guns.

* Daily Herald | What’s behind one suburb’s 184% increase in DUI arrests? ‘Unwavering commitment’: In 2022, West Chicago police made 72 arrests on driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs charges. One year later, the number of busts rocketed to 202. That astounding 184.7% increase got a shoutout this week from the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, which on Wednesday released its 2023 DUI Survey.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Former Sangamon Co. deputy arraigned, new details revealed in Sonya Massey’s death: Court documents filed by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney reveal that the two entered Massey’s home to gather further information and ensure the home was safe. While the other deputy checked the home and found nothing dangerous, Grayson is said to have remained with Massey in the living room.

* SJ-R | Ribs, oysters and beer, cars and more: 8 summer festivals on deck in Springfield: There’s live music from Revel in Red (July 19) and Soul Experience and The Shenanigans (both July 20), food, vendors, a “sweet cornhole” tournament, a 5K, a Row4Dough to benefit Special Olympics, Ancient Games, children’s activities and the Illinois Championship Cow Chip Throw.

*** National ***

* WaPo | Trump, Biden photos found on rally shooter’s phone, but motive unclear: The 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who tried to kill former president Donald Trump at a rally last weekend had searched online for information about Trump and President Biden and had photos of both men saved on his phone, according to lawmakers and others briefed on the investigation.