* The New York Times and the Illinois Answers Project published a trio of stories today about a bill that limits laws allowing the eviction of tenants under “crime-free” housing policies.…

In the most comprehensive statewide review to date, the news organizations examined cases in which renters were found to have violated the ordinances in 25 Illinois towns. Reporters interviewed dozens of landlords and tenants, and gathered police records. Ultimately they found more than 2,000 enforcement incidents across the state from 2019 to 2024.

City officials ordered landlords to evict tenants in nearly 500 of those cases.

The outcomes were unclear in most of the remaining cases because none of the cities tracked what happened after they sent violation letters. Landlords can seek an eviction even when cities do not demand it.

About a third of the 2,000 violation letters cited serious crimes. Landlords were ordered to evict or take other actions against renters caught in possession of drugs or charged with violent felonies. Sometimes, there were multiple accusations and a long trail of police interactions or neighbor complaints.

But a majority of the cases fell short of that. More than 1,300 were for misdemeanors or noncriminal offenses, many of which were never pursued by prosecutors. Most cities have crafted their laws so they can evict tenants even if the renters are never convicted of a crime, or never proved to have harmed their neighbors. […]

[A] bill being debated in the Illinois State Senate, would create sweeping regulations for the laws and make it more difficult for people to be evicted if they have not been convicted. The bill is scheduled for a Senate committee vote this week.

* More. New York TImes…

In 2015, Illinois passed statewide legislation prohibiting what was found to be one of the most troubling unintended consequences of crime-free housing programs: The ordinances sometimes punished the victims of crimes. […]

The 2015 legislation made it illegal to use crime-free housing laws against renters who called 911 to report incidents of domestic or sexual violence. Iowa and Pennsylvania made similar changes after the evictions of battered women in those states were publicized.

But the new provisions have not adequately protected victims, according to many people who originally fought for the changes, because police officers still must decide whether to categorize an incident as domestic violence.

A recent report issued by a coalition of housing advocates in Illinois found that in many municipalities, domestic violence reports were still triggering evictions. In the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows, for instance, a majority of the removal orders in 2023 were prompted by domestic violence calls. In Belleville, in Southern Illinois, domestic violence 911 calls led to more than a hundred eviction orders from 2021 to 2024.

* St. Louis Public Radio…

Two bills in the Illinois General Assembly that would require some school districts to change their mascots, logos and team names have stalled in the Senate — but still have paths forward.

One, HB1237, would prohibit the use of Native American mascots across the state. The other, HB3527, would bar references to those with disabilities. Both passed the House earlier this year, but lawmakers did not meet Friday’s deadline to pass the bills out of committee and onto the Senate floor.

If the first bill passed, at least 11 schools in the Metro East — including the Collinsville Kahoks, Granite City Warriors, Mascoutah Indians and Cahokia Comanches — may be required to phase out their mascots. The Freeburg Midgets would be forced to change by the second bill.

The development that both did not make it out of committee on time has led opponents to declare a temporary victory. Collinsville and Granite City’s superintendents said the communities’ voices were heard.

* WAND…

The Illinois House could crack down on the growing threat of dangerous synthetic drugs by adding a powerful animal tranquilizer to the list of Schedule III controlled substances. Sponsors and advocates say xylazine has been seen in a disturbing rise of overdose cases.

Xylazine is not approved for human use, but experts say the tranquilizer has been cut into fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin to enhance the effect of those drugs. Senate Bill 1773 could strengthen criminal penalties for unlawful possession or distribution of xylazine to give law enforcement and public health leaders the tools they need to respond. […]

Xylazine was detected in 45 overdose deaths in 2020 and in more than 200 deaths in 2022, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. However, the ACLU of Illinois strongly opposes the legislation as attorneys argue this bill will punish people instead of getting the drug off the street.

“Let’s be clear, the majority of individuals arrested for drug possession are not kingpins or high-level traffickers,” said ACLU attorney Ben Ruddell. “Rather, they are often unhoused, unemployed, survivors of trauma, and struggling with substance use disorder.”

* WGN…

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s proposal to ban student cell phone usage during class is moving swiftly through Springfield with bipartisan support. […]

A survey found that 90% of National Education Association members support the policy. […]

The ban would be implemented at the start of the 2026 school year.

And exceptions would include IEPs, students with disabilities, emergency use and other situations determined by the school. […]

Just last week, [SB2427] passed the house education policy committee with one nay vote.

* WIFR…

Illinois lawmakers weigh legislation that would put mobile panic buttons in schools and hospitals. If passed, it would become the country’s first panic button mandate in a hospital setting.

Illinois lawmakers passed legislation in 2020 called the Hotel and Casino Employee Safety Act, which mandates that hotels and casinos equip employees with safety devices.

Senate Bill 1435 is an amendment to the University of Illinois Hospital Act and Hospital Licensing Act. It ensures that all employees of a hospital have a panic button attached to their staff identification card. […]

The Senate Executive Committee will review Senate Bill 1435 later this month.