* WAND…

A plan to block Illinois law enforcement from searching vehicles based solely on cannabis odor is moving to the House floor. Although, the bill faces strong opposition from police, Republican lawmakers, and moderate Democrats.

An Illinois Supreme Court ruling in September did not give probable cause for police to search vehicles if they smell burnt cannabis. Yet, a ruling in December gave probable cause for law enforcement to search vehicles if they smell raw cannabis.

“Both the Vehicle Code and Regulation Act regulate the possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle on the highway,” Rep. Curtis Tarver (D-Chicago) said Friday. “Consistency between the two laws is essential so the users of cannabis know how to possess cannabis without violating laws and police officers know when they have the probable cause to enforce laws.” […]

The legislation passed out of the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee on a tight 8-6 vote Friday morning. However, Tarver promised to hold the bill on second reading and work with stakeholders.

* Crain’s…

Proposed state legislation that would boost funding for public universities is pitting the University of Illinois System against underfunded institutions that are struggling with deficits, layoffs and declining enrollment.

The Adequate & Equitable Public University Funding Act calls for an additional $135 million a year over 15 years, or $1.75 billion in additional funding, for the state’s public universities. The bill grew out of a two-year state commission study that addressed the lapse in state funding that has caused tuition to double, placing a heavy burden on low- and moderate-income families. […]

Nine of the 12 public universities support the bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford in the Senate with 10 co-sponsors, and Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana in the House, with 27 co-sponsors including House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

But the bill is in jeopardy for the current session due to resistance by the University of Illinois, the state’s flagship institution, which dwarfs the other schools in size and prestige. In testimony during a Senate Executive Committee subject matter hearing last week, officials representing the U of I System, which also includes the University of Illinois Chicago and University of Illinois Springfield, said that although they support the bill’s aspirational goals, they disagree with the methodology.

* Sen. Javier Cervantes…

To clear up confusion around when young people who are incarcerated can petition for youthful parole, State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes is sponsoring legislation that would clarify the timeline available for people who were committed an offense under the age of 21. […]

Currently, young people who were under 21 at the time of committing a criminal offense can file a petition for a parole hearing up to three years before they are eligible for parole. If appropriately filed, the Prisoner Review Board sets a parole hearing date three years from the date it received the petition. However, sometimes a person is already eligible for a youthful parole hearing when they file a petition because they have already served the required number of years. This has caused some confusion when they file a petition over if the parole hearing can take place within a year, or if they have to wait three years for a hearing.

House Bill 2546 would clarify that youth offenders can file a petition for parole up to three years before becoming eligible. Additionally, it clarifies that the hearing can be scheduled a year in advance. This addresses previous confusion from the Prisoner Review Board that required offenders to wait three years for their hearing, not the time period for them to file the petition. With this clarity, young people may be able to have their parole hearing in a more timely manner, allowing them to re-enter society earlier. […]

House Bill 2546 passed the Senate Criminal Law committee on Tuesday.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Attendees of the 2025 Native American Summit, organized by the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, were draped in regalia and leading a drum ceremony for the first time in an Illinois that was home to a federally recognized tribe.

And it was happening amid a backdrop of Native American groups working to secure passage of a bill that would ban what they say is offensive imagery in Illinois school mascots.

“Our identity has been frozen in time, and it’s going to stay frozen in time as long as we’re portrayed as mascots and things of the past,” said Matt Beaudet, a citizen of the Montauk Tribe of Indians who was in Springfield to advocate for the bill’s passage. […]

This year’s top priority would require K-12 schools to pick new logos and mascots by July 2026 to replace any that have Native American names and imagery by 2030. That measure passed the House 71-40 on April 10 and is awaiting action in the Senate in the session’s final three weeks.
If it becomes law, it will mark the latest in a series of policy wins for Native groups that have been working at the Capitol for measures they say go a long way toward righting historic wrongs. […]

While the mascot ban is still unsettled, working group members are already individually considering legislation for next session, though there is no consensus yet at a group level.

* WAND…

A community land trust buys land, usually single family homes, under the condition they will not flip the house. While owning the property, they will give the house to a low income family at a low price, but again they cannot flip the house.

Bloomington-Normal is the only place outside Chicago that has a community trust fund. Mark Adams with the Bloomington-Normal Community Land Trust said this housing model will give families a chance to own a home. […]

This task force is a continuation of one made in 2023, which released a report last year. In the report, members of the task force recommended the state raise awareness of this housing model to the public, adjust tax burdens on CLT’s and remove CLT restrictions at the city and County level. […]

This task force bill passed out of the Illinois House housing committee on a partisan 10-3 vote. This proposal will now head to the House floor for further debate.

* Crain’s…

Hundreds of school bus aides, health care workers, waiters and other low-wage workers gathered at the state Capitol in Springfield in late March, urging Illinois to approve higher wages. […]

“We have hundreds of members here today from (Chicago Public Schools, University of Illinois Chicago), secretary of state, and many other units, to let our legislators know we support the people who support us,” Dian Palmer, president of SEIU Local 73, said to those gathered in Springfield. “It’s time for the General Assembly to show us they support our members by passing these bills, fulfilling their promises and investing in our members.”

In the crowd were workers who provide in-home health care to seniors. They support passage of Senate Bill 120, which would increase their hourly minimum wage from $18 to $20.

Aides who work with school bus drivers to ensure students’ safety sought passage of House Bill 1654 so they could receive unemployment compensation during summers. Illinois bus aides average $36,117 a year in salary, according to Glassdoor.

HB1654 has missed its deadlines to advance in the House.

* Brownfield Ag News…

The deputy director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance says a proposal [SB2387] to introduce a new per acre fee for taking agricultural land out of production is gaining momentum in the General Assembly.

Liz Rupel says proceeds from the Agricultural Land Conservation Act would benefit local soil and water conservation districts.

“With the math that has been done it’d raise upwards of $10 million, which would absolutely serve most of the needs of the soil and water conservation districts operational budget.” She says, “It also could potentially serve some of the other programmatic funding.”

The fee would be paid by the buyer or lessee of agricultural land that’s being converted to other uses like solar farms, industrial parks, or residential developments.

SB2387 received a May 23 extension to move through the Senate.

* WCIA…

An Illinois lawmaker wants to give survivors of human trafficking and related offenses more time to get justice.

Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Crest Hill) passed a bill out of the Senate Criminal Law Committee that would remove the statute of limitations for victims of sex trafficking or exploitation to bring charges after they turn 18 years old.

“The victims of crimes like these can take time to come forward because of trauma or other hardships,” Loughran Cappel said. […]

The bill passed both chamber committees with full bipartisan support, and it has already passed the House of Representatives.

* Sen. Paul Faraci…

An overhaul of outdated state rules could be underway, thanks to a measure from State Senator Paul Faraci that aims to modernize local government, cut bureaucratic waste and expand access to critical programs like broadband grants and low-income energy assistance.

“Illinois residents deserve a government that works smarter and serves better,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This measure would eliminate what’s no longer working and reinvest in what our communities need right now: digital access, energy assistance and local control.”

House Bill 3187 aims to cut outdated responsibilities and redirect resources to programs that serve everyday Illinoisans. Under the measure, obsolete duties – like requiring the state to manage freight rate data – would be eliminated from government handling, and respective industry experts would take the lead.

The bill would also expand eligibility for grant programs focused on closing the digital divide, including updates to the Community Technology Center Grant Program and the Digital Divide Elimination Fund, helping more neighborhoods access high-speed internet and digital tools. Similarly, under Faraci’s measure, unused funds from the long-dormant Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund could be directed into active energy assistance programs for low-income residences, helping families in need access critical resources. […]

House Bill 3187 passed the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday.