* Chalkbeat Chicago…

With just over a month left in the spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers are advancing a number of education-related bills, including ones that would restrict the use of cellphones in classrooms, no longer require student test scores to be a part of teacher evaluations, and protect federal rights for students with disabilities in the mediation process with districts. […]

Bills moving quickly through the legislature […]

Limiting school districts from asking families of students with disabilities to waive their rights: When disputes arise regarding a child’s Individualized Education Programs, Illinois school districts will often ask parents to sign waivers during mediation. For example, a parent could waive their child’s right to transportation in exchange for a placement at a private therapeutic day school. Recently, special education advocates who support parents during mediations with districts say they have seen districts slip in language requiring parents to waive their right to bring complaints against a school district for 10 years in exchange for additional support. To fix this issue, House Bill 2337 would require school districts to use waivers that are limited to the child involved in the mediation process, only related to claims raised in the complaint that initiated the process, and limited to a reasonable amount of time. The bill is currently in the Senate.

Unlinking teacher evaluations and student test scores: Under the Obama administration, states were incentivized to use student test scores in teacher performance evaluations. More than a decade later, many states and lawmakers have changed their minds. In Illinois, Senate Bill 28 would undo a requirement passed in 2010 and now allow school districts to decide whether students’ test scores should be a part of teacher evaluations. The bill passed an education committee in the House on Wednesday.

Ensuring teacher professional development matches literacy standards: The Illinois State Board of Education created the state’s comprehensive literacy plan in 2024 after education advocates pushed for legislation to help change how reading is taught in schools. Now, lawmakers are considering House Bill 1368, which would require companies that provide professional development to teachers related to literacy be aligned with the state’s literacy plan. It’s currently in the Senate’s education committee.

* Quad City Times…

Students, staff, and administrators at Western Illinois University Quad-Cities are asking Illinois lawmakers for $7.2 million in operational funding to develop WIU-QC’s Innovation Campus vision.

Sponsored by Sen. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island), Senate Bill 1308 would appropriate $7.2 million toward WIU-QC operations — funding the campus has gone without since its construction — as the university seeks to reimagine its purpose and programming in the Quad-Cities region. The bill includes a provision to evaluate annual funding appropriations.

“This wonderful facility here (WIU-QC) was funded by the state to build,” said Everett Hamner, a WIU English professor and SB 1308 petitioner. “But it never received any operational funding.” […]

If SB 1308 passes, proposed operational funds would be available for WIU-QC to use immediately. This funding could help with a range of future Innovation Campus costs, such as:

- Providing facilities for the Quad Cities Manufacturing Institute (QCMI), a partnership between the University of Illinois, Iowa State University and the INN.
- Expanding WIU’s Small Business Development Center to include international trade and outreach, an “APEX Accelerator” procurement site for the Rock Island Arsenal and other collaborations, as well as providing space and training in those/related areas.
- Developing new programs aligned with WIU’s strategic plan, the Thrive Illinois report and the IBHE Thrive Quad-Cities report.
- Build on existing education, mental health, economic development and engineering programs.

* Illinois Policy lead for Advanced Energy United Samarth Medakkar and Climate Control Group’s Senior marketing sustainability manager Joe Parsons…

Energy bills are rising throughout the country, and consumers are looking for tech solutions that can help reduce their monthly electric and gas costs. To help consumers, Illinois legislators have proposed several bills that would increase adoption of geothermal heat pumps. […]

Despite the proven benefits and early interest in geothermal heat pumps and thermal energy networks, Illinois has a lot more work to do to realize the benefits of geothermal technologies across the state. Two bills currently pending in the state Legislature would help consumers access geothermal heating and cooling.

The first, HB 3399, or the Geothermal Homes & Business Act, would create a geothermal renewable energy credit program, allowing geothermal projects in Illinois to generate revenue because these systems reduce peak demand and improve grid resilience, benefiting everyone paying into the utility system. If enacted, the program would make it quicker to recoup the upfront investment from installing geothermal heat pumps, leading to more installations and more job opportunities for drillers, HVAC contractors and electricians.

Similarly, HB 3609, or the Thermal Energy Network & Jobs Act, would increase adoption of geothermal technologies in highly efficient multi-building systems, and spur economic development and driller and pipe fitter job growth, as the bill would require every public utility to propose one to three thermal energy network pilot projects. Pilot programs are critical to understanding the costs and scalability of different applications of thermal energy networks.

* Daily Southtown…

Local keepers of the history of the Underground Railroad in the Chicago area and south suburbs are applauding progress of state legislation to create a statewide commission devoted to the subject.

They say creation of the Illinois Freedom Trails Commission could increase educational opportunities into an important segment of American history largely unknown to many people, and perhaps boost tourism centered on the journeys of “freedom seekers” through Illinois. […]

Legislation creating the commission recently passed through the state Senate and could be taken up soon by the House, according to state Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Matteson, chief co-sponsor in the House. […]

The commission would have a chair and 10 members appointed by the governor, with the commission’s goals including furthering research into the trail taken by freedom seekers, establishing an online database and biographical information about key persons identified with the Underground Railroad, according to the legislation.

* National Federation of Independent Businesses…

The Illinois Senate extended its committee and third-reading deadlines to May 9 for a bill that would impose a job tax on Illinois employers and employees.

SB 2413 (Villivalam) would impose a payroll (or job) tax on Illinois workers and employers to fund a state-run paid-leave program.

The proposal is currently in the Paid Leave Subcommittee of the Senate Executive Committee.

The legislation calls for a beginning payroll tax of 1.12% on wages to go into effect on January 1, 2027.

Initially the employee would pay 40% of the payroll tax and employers with 25 or more employees would pay the remaining 60%.

Beginning January 1, 2029, all employers would be required to pay 60% of the payroll tax.

The payroll tax percentage could fluctuate based upon the program’s spending but, in the proposal, it is capped at 1.25% of wages.

Minnesota passed a similar proposal in 2023 and—even before the program has fully gone into effect—the state has already increased the payroll tax it initially imposed on Minnesota jobs.

Under the proposal, employees would be eligible for up to 18 weeks of paid family and medical leave per year. In addition to the 18 weeks, employees would be eligible to take an additional 9 weeks of paid leave for pregnancy-related issues.

Authorized reasons for leave include:

- Personal-health issues
- Physical or psychological care of a family member
- Birth, adoption, or placement of a child
- Pregnancy-related issues
- Personal or family member’s experience of - domestic or sexual violence

* Lore Baker, the CEO and President of the Aurora-based Association for Individual Development…

Every day, the Association for Individual Development (AID) witnesses the growing demand for affordable homes. Individuals facing developmental, intellectual, physical and mental health challenges as well as those who are chronically unhoused are struggling to find homes they can afford, putting their stability and well-being at risk.

We know how to meet this need — by building more affordable housing — but we need the right tools to make it happen. The Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit is one of those tools. This proposed state legislation will help shovel-ready developments cross the finish line and bring urgently needed homes to vulnerable communities across the state. […]

We secured highly competitive federal tax credits for the development but found it necessary to leverage other financing to move the development towards construction. If the Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit were in place now, we would be able to create more afford able homes for residents in need. […]

The Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit (HB 1147/SB 62) is a proven, bipartisan solution to this crisis. This proposal has already been adopted in more than 25 other states, and it would create a stable and predictable funding source for affordable housing development. The state does not spend a dime until developments are completed. This minimizes taxpayer risk while maximizing public benefit and ensures that private investment flows into Illinois communities, helping to build high-quality housing without requiring state funds upfront.