* WAND…

Lawmakers could pass a plan in the final weeks of session to protect the state’s power grid from surging energy demand from data centers. While Illinois has made significant investments in clean energy since Gov. JB Pritzker took office, the power grid is struggling to keep pace with demand.

This legislation could force data centers to produce 100% of the power required for their technology. […]

The proposal could also add batteries to the grid to store excess power from solar and wind energy when the sun is down and the wind is slow. Energy experts said Illinois must prioritize advance planning for data center demand. […]

The Senate version of this bill has a third reading extension until May 9. That means senators still believe they have enough support to move the plan out of both chambers before session ends May 31.

* ABC Chicago…

A bill to crack down on squatting is one step closer to becoming law.

The proposed law would make it easier for police officers to remove squatters from someone’s home, bypassing the months-long eviction process. It was passed in the Illinois Senate and is heading to the House for review. […]

Illinois State Senator Lakesia Collins of the 5th District is the author of the bill. She believes it’ll give property owners in Illinois the protection they need and deserve. […]

[Rep. La Shawn Ford] and Collins strongly believe the bill will pass. In the meantime, they’re putting together a squatter task force, bringing landlords tenants and real estate professionals together to discuss squatting cases, come up with solutions and educate the public on how to protect their property.

* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…

Pushing back on an alarming new trend that can affect a young person’s future ability to obtain housing, state Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, recently advanced legislation out of the House chamber that bars landlords from suing children along with their parents or guardians in eviction cases.

“This bill is a commonsense step toward protecting the future of our children and ensuring that a single eviction doesn’t become a lifelong barrier to stable housing for minors being wrapped up in eviction cases,” said Avelar. “I’m hopeful the Senate will move swiftly to pass this measure and help us stop a damaging trend that drags innocent children into the courtroom over matters they’re not responsible for.”

Avelar passed House Bill 3566 out of the House chamber, ensuring that an eviction complaint can be dismissed if a minor is named as a defendant, or if the person was a minor when the complaint was filed. Because evictions remain on tenant screening reports, public records, and background checks even if the minor was never responsible for the lease, this bill mitigates the likeliness of future housing instability, negative credit reporting and potential homelessness when the minor becomes an adult.

* Riverside-Brookfield Landmark…

While baseline 10% tariffs on all imports to the United States and higher tariffs on specific countries — up to 125%, in China’s case — are affecting the experienced costs of goods for consumers, they’re also affecting small businesses in multiple, sometimes conflicting, ways.

“I just got a notice today from my glass distributor … they used to have a U.S. factory, but they closed that. They’re located in India. They will be affected by tariffs,” said Derrick Mancini, the owner of Quincy Street Distillery, 39 E. Quincy St., in Riverside. “Some of my raw material, particularly some of the malt I purchase, comes from Canada. That will be affected by tariffs.” […]

However, a bill in the Illinois General Assembly could alleviate some of these issues. Senate Bill 1618 would amend the Liquor Control Act of 1934, established after the end of Prohibition, allowing distilleries to ship product directly to consumers and self-distribute while maintaining on-site bars. Mancini said the Quincy Street Distillery self-distributes a small amount of product already due to its specific state license.

“I would argue, probably, that self-distribution is the only way we think, currently, we can survive because we’re growing that self-distribution as we’re seeing the amount of product move through our distributor has been dropping,” he said. “For us, we think it’s critical.”

SB1618 and its companion bill in the House missed deadlines to make it out of committee.

* Rep. Mike Kelly…

Illinois’ firefighters may soon be safer while protecting their communities because of a bill passed by state Rep. Mike Kelly, D-Chicago, that phases out the use of chemical substances in firefighters’ protective gear that has recently been linked to long-term health problems in many firefighters.

“Our firefighters risk everything to keep their communities safe and to save lives and property, but recent studies show that they’ve been risking—and too often sacrificing—even more than we knew,” Kelly said. “PFAS chemicals are present in a wide range of firefighting equipment and the impacts on the health and wellness of our firefighters is unacceptable. That’s why I’m taking action.”

PFAS—also known as per-and-polyflouroalkyl substances or “forever chemicals”—are long-lasting, man-made substances currently used in a wide variety of industrial and home applications. More recent science has revealed that these chemicals remain in the environment, including inside the bodies of living things, indefinitely. Additionally, this research links PFAS to cancer and other health conditions.

Kelly’s House Bill 2409 phases out the legal sale or distribution of firefighting equipment that contains PFAS by January 1, 2030. The delay is necessary because PFAS are contained in such a wide range of firefighting equipment that an immediate ban would risk making it difficult for fire departments to obtain sufficient amounts of critical equipment.

The bill is named after Deputy Chief Pete Bendinelli, a veteran firefighter who passed away due to health conditions related to PFAS exposure.

Kelly advanced the bill through the Illinois House of Representatives and it now awaits further consideration in the Senate.

* Center Square…

The Illinois House is set to debate legislation that the state Senate already approved. Senate Bill 1797 provides that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation regulate digital asset business activity.

State Sen. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, said his approach is to use IDFPR’s capabilities in the area of financial institutions. […]

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said the bill framework mirrors current laws applied to banks and credit unions.

“It’s counterintuitive, as the cryptocurrency industry was specifically set up to provide consumers with alternative financial options that aren’t as regulated or as centralized,” Rezin said. “There are already numerous regulations at the federal and state level which protect consumers participating in the cryptocurrency market.” […]

The chief House sponsor of the bill is state Rep. Edgar González, Jr., D-Chicago. The measure is now in the House Financial Institutions and Licensing Committee.