* ICYMI: Gov. Pritzker is launching a statewide “Standing Up for Illinois” Tour…

[Today,] Governor Pritzker will kick off the Standing Up for Illinois Tour where he will travel across the state to shed light on how the Trump Administration’s extreme agenda is hurting working families, farmers, veterans, seniors, and other Illinoisians. Governor Pritzker will not only highlight the harm Republicans are inflicting on Illinois, but he will encourage everybody to stand up for their fellow Illinoisians.

Throughout the tour, Governor Pritzker will showcase how Illinoisans know all too well how harmful reckless cuts can be to critical services and showcase how strong, responsible fiscal leadership has enabled Illinois to achieve balanced budgets and economic growth while supporting working families. This week is just a start as the Governor will continue being a vocal advocate for all Illinoisians harmed by the Trump Administration and calling on the public to speak up and stand up for our state.

TOUR SCHEDULE:

- Wednesday [1:30 pm]– Standing Up for Farmers (Champaign) Governor Pritzker will join Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski at Sola Gratia Farm in Urbana to hold a roundtable with farmers and environmental leaders who had climate-smart agriculture funding cut off – hurting local farm economies across the state. Before the roundtable, Governor Pritzker will meet with laid-off workers at the University of Illinois Soybean Innovation Lab that is set to close its doors next month because of the Trump Administration cut off USAID.

- Thursday – Standing Up for Seniors (Romeoville) Governor Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton will join Congresswoman Lauren Underwood in Romeoville to highlight the Trump Administration’s threats to Social Security and the seniors, people with disabilities, and other working people who rely on the benefits for housing, clothes, and food. DOGE is planning to cut Social Security customer phone support, eliminate thousands of jobs, and force seniors and disabled people to go to far-away offices for their benefits.

- Friday – Standing Up for Infrastructure (Rockford) & Standing Up for Medicaid (Peoria) Governor Pritzker will attend an event celebrating the Rockford Mass Transit District expansion and tout Illinois’ investment in infrastructure. He will note how Illinois still has hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for infrastructure projects on pause. After, Governor Pritzker will attend a community meeting in Peoria at a center that helps people with disabilities access educational and employment opportunities. Governor Pritzker will meet with and hear directly from community members who rely on Medicaid for healthcare.

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | The state must pass hemp restrictions while Mayor Brandon Johnson’s local efforts flounder, a City Council majority says: A majority of the Chicago City Council wants Illinois legislators to pass rules on the sale of hemp products, calling into doubt Mayor Brandon Johnson’s efforts to regulate it at the city level. The letter, signed by 28 aldermen and sent to Illinois General Assembly members Monday, expressed “deep concern” over the ongoing lack of laws governing the often-intoxicating products. The high number of signees, including six members of the aldermanic Progressive Caucus that often sides with the progressive mayor, raises questions about whether Johnson has the support to get aldermen to adopt his own guidelines.

* Eye On Illinois | IDFPR seems to finally be moving in the right direction: From 2019 through 2022, applications for licensure in one of the 130-plus regulated career fields increased 15% to about 104,000 – many of which came in on paper because the agency was struggling to use its 1990s computer technology. One person speaking at a September 2023 hearing said he’d only seen things worsen over almost 25 years. […] These and countless other stories stand in stark contrast to Wednesday when the only news coming out of a House Health Care Licensing Committee was positive: the new Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment is functioning properly. The first of six rollout phases is completed, and although just a handful of professions are live, lawmakers and IDFPR officials act like everything is on track for all license types to be incorporated by the end of summer, according to Capitol News Illinois.

*** Statehouse News ***

* AXIOS | Removing homeless encampments could be violation of human rights: The Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness sent a letter last week to municipalities, emphasizing that all individuals — including those seeking shelter — must have non-discriminatory access to public spaces under the state’s Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act.

* Semafor | Schumer was ‘wrong,’ Illinois governor says, but stop the Democratic ‘warfare’: Chuck Schumer’s government funding decision was “wrong” — but now is not the time for civil war. That’s according to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who gave fellow Democrats clear advice on Tuesday as the Senate minority leader kept trying to quell progressive fury over his vote to advance the Trump-backed funding bill. Pritzker told Semafor that he disagrees with Schumer’s decision, but he wants his party to stop “splintering” over it.

* SJ-R | People rally at Illinois capitol to end subminimum wages for tipped workers: Proponents, including tipped workers and One Fair Wage, argue the bill would provide wage stability and reduce poverty, particularly for women and people of color. Opponents, such as the Illinois Restaurant Association, express concerns about potential job losses, price increases, and harm to small businesses. The bill follows Chicago’s recent adoption of a $15.80 minimum wage for tipped workers, phasing in over five years.

*** Statewide ***

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Conservative groups file complaint against Illinois and Chicago over policies protecting LGBTQ students: In their complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies and the Liberty Justice Center allege that the state board and CPS are violating Title IX by “forcing students to share bathrooms, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations with members of the opposite sex, based solely on self-declared ‘gender identity,’” according to a press release. The complaint names the Illinois State Board of Education’s guidance from 2020 and Chicago Public Schools’ interim guidance from 2024 and alleges that both documents misinterpret Title IX by arguing that the clause protects against discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender identity.

* WCIA | Illinois Attorney General warns against March Madness betting scams: March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month — and also happens to be the month when the NCAA Tournament for men and women’s college basketball is held. Raoul is encouraging fans who are filling out brackets and thinking about placing money on their favorite teams to be aware of the risks of unlicensed operators. […] Raoul said that certain betting apps and websites are allowed in Illinois. But operators must be licensed with the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) and remain in compliance with state regulators. You can find the list of licensed sport betting organizations in Illinois here.

* JG-TC | IHSA makes sweeping changes to classification process to benefit smaller schools: After private school dominance in both football and basketball, the IHSA has made changes to its classification process at its March meeting in Champaign, according to an IHSA release. The changes are aimed at helping competitive balance for smaller public schools by adjusting its classification method and assessing enrollments annually beginning next school year. “Competitive equity and classifications are a topical issue here in Illinois and for state associations around the country,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a release. “No state has a perfect system, so it is important that we remain fluid as a Board and staff to be able to review and adapt our policies as new trends emerge and issues evolve.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson defends asking city contractors to take pay reductions: After pushing Chicago contractors to voluntarily reduce their prices, Mayor Brandon Johnson defended the request Tuesday as “standard procedure.” Johnson’s remarks came after Chief Procurement Officer Sharla Roberts sent emails to prime contractors doing business with the city last Wednesday asking for “a price reduction of minimally 3% off all invoices sent to the city for the next twelve months off any contracts you currently hold.”

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Consultant lays out limited funding options for Chicago’s school board ahead of consequential vote: The five-page memo from consulting firm Baker Tilly outlines three options: cuts, including staff furloughs, debt refinancing, and more city money from special taxing districts. All of these potential solutions have already been floated by either Chicago Public Schools or Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration. Baker Tilly’s analysis also revealed another challenge facing CPS: The school district must find $200 million in savings before June 30, when the current fiscal year ends. That’s because the district is expecting less tax revenue and spent more than planned on special education, transportation, and its buildings, according to the memo.

* ABC Chicago | Mayor Johnson again appeals CPS to make $175M pension payment ahead of budget vote: CPS is in the middle of a five-year plan to assume full responsibility for its employees pensions. During this time, the city is helping the cash-strapped district make those payments. On Thursday, the Board will vote on an amended budget that calls for paying for teacher and principal contracts, but not making the pension payment, because it doesn’t have the money to do both.

* CBS Chicago | Fireworks erupt at meeting on planned quantum computing campus at old South Chicago steel mill site: Other concerns brought up were jobs, housing costs, and displacement. Contractors say they plan to build some apartments. “180 units isn’t going to solve all the issues around housing. It’s not going to address potential displacement,” Anderson said, “but it is a big start.”

* Sun-Times | Chicago Sun-Times to lose 20% of staff after buyout offer: Thirty employees of the Chicago Sun-Times — around 1 in 5 on its payroll — have agreed to resign under buyout terms the paper’s nonprofit ownership offered in hopes of stanching persistent financial deficits. The departures consist mostly of writers and editors — many with decades of experience. The cuts are the most drastic the oft-imperiled Sun-Times has faced in several years and will bring about recognizable changes to its content, although top leaders said the buyouts ensure there will be no layoffs in the near future.

* Block Club | Chicago’s ‘Tomato Man’ Is Back — With 15,000 Plants For Sale: Air. Water. Tomatoes. For Bob Zeni, a suburban LaGrange Park man who has dedicated the past 11 years to cultivating and selling hundreds of varieties of tomato plants, these are the basic elements of life. is known for growing and selling thousands of tomato starters every spring, allowing Chicago gardeners to get a leg up on the growing season while trying out unique varieties of the plants.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WBEZ | Federal complaints lodged against Chicago, Deerfield for accommodating trans students: Trans advocates are pushing back against a north suburban mom who says her 13-year-old daughter was forced to change in front of a transgender classmate. The controversy at a middle school in the North Shore community of Deerfield comes at the same time as a federal complaint has been lodged against Chicago Public Schools and the state board of education for allegedly “forcing students” to share bathrooms and locker rooms with transgender classmates.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago area man wins nearly $400,000 on sports bet, only to have it all canceled by BetMGM: Military veteran Mark Aiello took a gamble on civilian life when he started a family and moved back to the Chicago suburbs. […] Aiello placed four $500 bets on rebounds and assists by certain players. Six aspects, or “legs,” of the game needed to go his way to win. […] That was because it was his lucky day. His winning bets banked $389,000 — enough for his daughter’s future college education. Aiello’s bets had been canceled just minutes before tipoff as if he had never gambled at all — no wager, no winnings.

* CBS Chicago | Harvey, Illinois mayor pays to have burned-out house torn down so displaced neighbor can go home: A senior from the south Chicago suburb of Harvey, Illinois is getting an unexpected financial boost to help her with home repairs after a fire. Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark decided to foot the bill to demolish a neighboring house so the work could get started. Alma West has been displaced from her block in Harvey since January. “It’s been extremely difficult these last few months,” Ms. West said.

* Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove hires Philadelphia firm to design The Clove park: The Buffalo Grove Village Board Monday voted to hire Wallace Roberts & Todd LLC for approximately $108,000. Community Development Director Nicole Woods said the firm will engage in a four-month process to gather community and stakeholder input before arriving at a final concept plan and public reveal. “The time is right. Momentum has been rising. There is a lot of development happening,” said Woods, alluding to the opening of The 250 Residences and the addition of new businesses.

* Shaw Local | Sterling approves purchase of new $2M firetruck with aerial ladder: The Sterling City Council approved the purchase of a new $2 million firetruck Monday. The decision to waive the bid process and accept a proposal from Jefferson Fire and Safety for the purchase of a customized Rosenbauer King Cobra firetruck with a 101-foot articulating aerial ladder came after a series of reports on the state of the Sterling Fire Department’s apparatus and vehicles.

*** Downstate ***

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford to buy $2M worth of police vehicles: The purchase from Rock River Ford of Rockford will cost about $2 million. Officials said the local dealership’s bid was a better deal and cost nearly $200,000 less than what the city would have been charged via a state joint purchasing cooperative. They will replace police vehicles that will either be shifted to a reserve status or sold at auction.

* WCIA | Some infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics, U of I study finds: New research with a “microfluidic device” indicates that some infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics as was previously thought. The device works to mimic the fluid flow in the body better than bacteria cultures. The U of I team, led by Joe Sanfilippo, biochemistry professor, tested the antibiotic agent against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (which is considered one of the most resistant bacteria). They introduced the drug at varying rates of fluid flow and found that bacteria thrived with low fluid flow, but was killed off at higher flow rates.

* WCIA | Decatur product makes top 16 of ‘Makers Madness’ contest: The TCCI Electric Compressor made by TCCI Manufacturing in Decatur has reached the top 16 of the sixth annual “Makers Madness.” Over 250,000 votes have been cast to narrow the field down to this point in the bracket-style tournament hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. More than 250 products across Illinois were nominated for this year’s title. After two weeks of voting, the field has been slimmed down to 16 products.

*** National ***

* The Telegraph | State of St. Louis? Missouri lawmaker suggests city, two counties as 51st state: Missouri state Rep. Michael Burton, a Democrat, suggests that St. Louis and two adjacent counties — St. Louis County and St. Charles County — break away from the Show-Me State, form its own borders and become America’s newest state; something that hasn’t been done since 1959 when Hawaii was added to the union. […] Putting a few things in perspective the city of St. Louis is 66 square miles in total area, St. Louis County is 523.366 and St. Charles is 593. That’s about 1,183 square miles; making the proposed state the second smallest by total area after Rhode Island.

* Harvest Public Media | Changes could be coming to the U.S. Postal Service and rural residents will be most affected: The U.S. Postal Service’s future remains a huge question mark, with rural service hanging in the balance. President Donald Trump has talked of privatizing the service, potentially bringing it under the Department of Commerce. Proponents cite the agency’s $87 billion in financial losses over the past 14 years, along with its performance issues. A task force that studied privatization during the president’s first term warned rural postal service would suffer.

* NYT | TEXT: From his perch on his new podcast, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California made the case for not only hearing out some of the most hard-line figures on the American right, but also welcoming them onto his show — a choice that prompted pushback from his latest guest, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee. Hours later, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois took a different approach in a speech at the Center for American Progress, an influential liberal think tank. The Trump administration, he implied, had plunged the country into a “villainous cruelty” that must be fiercely opposed by a unified Democratic front.