* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Big issues for Illinois legislative session’s final week include public transit, pension reform.Tribune…

- Illinois lawmakers enter the final days of session aiming to close a major budget gap, support struggling transit systems, and address pension inequities.
- Democrats control the General Assembly, but the $55.2B budget could divide moderates and progressives—especially over the lack of funding for health insurance for noncitizen immigrants under 65.
- State revenues are $471M below projections according to COGFA, complicating efforts to fund transit reforms as Chicago faces a looming fiscal cliff with federal COVID funds expiring early next year.
-Leaders warn lawmakers may need to return after the May 31 adjournment due to uncertainty over federal funding under the Trump administration.

* Related stories…

∙ Capitol News Illinois: State budget talks enter final week amid fears of congressional cuts
∙CBS Chicago: Illinois lawmakers face Spring Session deadline to pass legislation
∙ NBC Chicago: Spring session underway for Illinois State Senate
∙ Capitol City Now: IL lawmakers could pass budget by Saturday

***************** Advertisement *****************

Sponsored by the Illinois Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance

*************************************************

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

* Governor Pritzker has no public events scheduled today.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Illinois coal plants get Trump exemptions from Biden-era rule limiting mercury, other toxic air pollution: In November, the company said it would keep Baldwin running until 2027. Then last month, in an attempt to revive the nation’s dwindling coal industry, President Donald Trump threw a lifeline to Vistra and a few dozen other energy companies, encouraging them to apply for exemptions from the latest federal limits on soot, mercury and other toxic air pollution. Vistra took Trump up on his offer, getting at least a two-year break from tougher regulations at Baldwin and six of its other coal plants: Kincaid south of Springfield, Newton in Jasper County, three in Texas and one in Ohio.

* Daily Herald | Cuts to school mental health grants could trickle down to local districts: Murray Bessette of the U.S. Department of Education’s office of planning, evaluation and policy development stated the grants violate federal civil rights law and conflict with the department’s commitment to “merit, fairness and excellence in education.” One of the grants, the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program, provided ISBE initially with $2.97 million in fiscal year 2022 to increase the number of credentialed mental health service providers for students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That was extended to the end of 2025 and the total obligations were increased to $6.2 million, according to HigherGov.

* Tribune | Illinois finalizes deal for land near Joliet needed for stalled invasive carp prevention project: “This is something that we’ve been waiting for for over a decade,” Marc Smith, policy director for the National Wildlife Federation, said. “It’s very good progress.” The state earlier this year postponed construction on the Joliet-area project, with state officials saying they didn’t want to move forward because they anticipated a federal funding shortfall. Then, two weeks ago, the Trump administration announced it supported the project and that funding was available, though Pritzker and Trump still managed to snipe at each other at the time.

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | IHSA looks for compromise on Right To Play issue: IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said the association decided to get in front of the issue after hearing feedback from member schools. A bylaw proposal allowing athletes to compete in non-school activities is expected to be on the annual ballot this fall. The consensus, Anderson said, is “if we’re going to change the bylaws, it’s best to let the membership do that rather than if we’re forced to change.”

* Crain’s | Cash-strapped Illinois weed businesses ‘bet the farm’ on a risky tax strategy to save millions: Nobody likes paying taxes, least of all cash-strapped businesses struggling for their lives. That’s why a new business strategy has taken off over the past year in the legal cannabis trade: claiming exemption from a burdensome federal tax provision that has — until now — been effectively taxing much of the industry to death. Since early 2024, state-licensed cannabis companies in Illinois and across the country have been changing up their approach to filing and paying federal taxes — specifically to claim exemption to a little-known 1982 provision in the Internal Revenue Code called Section 280E — in a move that is saving many of them eight or nine figures apiece.

* Sun-TImes | What Trump’s cuts to Medicaid will mean for nursing homes, long-term care facilities in Illinois: Across Illinois, about 70% of days spent in nursing home care are covered by Medicaid, making it the largest insurance payer for this type of coverage, according to state officials. Advocates worry the proposed cuts will reduce the type of care low-income seniors and those living with disabilities will receive at these facilities.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | Political Roundabout: Mayors in Crespo’s corner, Schneider gets primaried, and is a service tax on tap?: “Fred Crespo is a friend to our Northwest suburbs, but, more than that, he is concerned for this entire state. He is honest to a fault,” Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig, Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly and Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod told the Daily Herald in a letter. The trio “felt compelled to set the record straight,” after Welch removed Crespo as chair of the House Appropriations Committee for General Services and from the Democratic caucus earlier this month.

* Tribune | Illinois lawmakers’ latest perk — continuing education credits for going to work: The new benefit came about from a little-noticed change in Supreme Court rules, a move encouraged and endorsed by multiple lawmakers. It took effect Jan. 1, just in time for the ongoing spring legislative session. At least 29 lawmakers were notified that they could qualify for up to 12 of the 30 educational credits they need to collect over two years. The lawmaker-lawyers can chalk up three hours of credit by simply attending one day of a legislative session, a committee meeting or a subcommittee hearing, according to the new rule. One catch is that they can collect only three credits throughout a legislative session, such as a spring session that lasts several months or a fall veto session that lasts a few weeks, court officials said.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Jenner & Block wins ruling blocking Trump’s executive order: Judge John Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in his five-page order the actions detailed in Trump’s executive order, which included revoking security clearances for Jenner employees and limiting the firm’s access to federal buildings, were null and void.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools lays off hundreds of tutors before CPS school year ends: Hiring hundreds of tutors was one of CPS’ key strategies to shore up learning as students returned to in-person classes after the COVID-19 pandemic. When elementary school reading scores rebounded, CPS credited the tutors in part for the improvements. But CPS officials said Friday that the school system is “refining and refocusing the program in response to key lessons learned and in alignment with current district resources.” This year, more than 200 schools had literacy and math tutors. Next year, though, only 55 will get math tutors for middle school students, according to CPS, which is facing a budget deficit of at least $529 million.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s ‘missing middle’ housing program adds more neighborhoods, extends developer deadline: Launched in fall 2024, the Missing Middle Infill Housing program began with 40 vacant lots in North Lawndale, which will now be developed into more than 100 housing units. The expansion of the program in April opens up 54 lots across the three South Side neighborhoods. With $75 million allocated to the program, the city expects to create up to 750 residential units. The term “missing middle” refers to the hole in the center of a housing supply that often includes more low- and high-density properties, like single-family homes and high-rise apartments.

* Sun-Times | Family wants city action after woman, 88, is killed in Garfield Ridge: ‘There’s no speed bumps around here’: Fernando Ochoa, another of Maria Ochoa’s sons, said the area has a reputation for reckless driving and he often hears cars racing up and down the street. He wants more speed cameras and speed bumps in the area and stiffer penalties for those flouting the laws. “Every night I hear this going on down Archer Avenue, down 55th, cars drag racing, there’s no speed bumps around here,” Fernando Ochoa said. “We’ve been asking for this stuff for a while and nothing happened. We have no speed cameras here at all.”

* WBEZ | Gerald Reed is suing over alleged torture by Chicago cops: In May 2024, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins found Reed not guilty on all counts, following a four-day trial. His attorney will now seek a certificate of innocence, which would make Reed eligible for nearly $200,000 from the state for his time spent in prison. The lawsuit filed earlier this month in federal court also seeks damages, naming the city and dozens of current and former Chicago police officers as defendants, including Burge.

* Tribune | Soaring Chicago police lawsuit payouts hit record amount — and more are on the way: Through May alone, the City Council has already approved at least $145.3 million in taxpayer payments to settle lawsuits involving the Chicago Police Department, a record number that dwarfs sums from past years, according to a Tribune analysis. That amount — far above the $82.6 million Mayor Brandon Johnson and aldermen budgeted for settlements, verdicts and legal fees involving the department — does not include many smaller payments that face less aldermanic scrutiny.

* WGN | Chicago sees smooth travel as millions hit the road for Memorial Day: AAA predicted 45.1 million people across the country will travel at least 50 miles from home this weekend. The holiday’s previous domestic travel record of 44 million was set 20 years ago. Of that, 87.4% were expected to travel by car, which equals over 39 million people, and an increase of about 3% from last year.

* Sun-Times | 86-year-old owner of Old Fashioned Donuts goes viral thanks to granddaughter’s TikTok: Since 1972, shop owner Burritt Bulloch, 86, has shown up nearly every day to make doughnuts, and he has not only become a fixture in his community, but an inspiration to his family. “My grandfather is the heart of the business,” said Edwards, 23. “He’s said before, ‘If I stop, then that’s it for me.’ This is what keeps him going, and it warms my heart that he has this drive. He was just a young guy with a dream when he moved to Chicago and he’s accomplished so much. I’m grateful for his legacy.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Press Release | Congressman Sean Casten Announces Endorsement of Daniel Biss for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District: Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) announced his endorsement of Daniel Biss for Congress in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Casten’s endorsement comes just days after a slate of state elected officials endorsed Biss, adding to the growing momentum in his campaign. “Congressman Casten is a dedicated, hardworking public servant who brings much-needed expertise and commitment on climate action to Washington. I’m truly grateful to have earned his support,” said Daniel Biss. “Illinois needs a Congressional delegation that won’t back down when Donald Trump and his MAGA followers threaten the services our people rely on or the rights we hold dear. Sean Casten has stood up time and again for the people of Illinois, and I hope to earn the opportunity to fight and win alongside him in Congress.”

* Daily Herald | Few suburban Congressional candidates met financial disclosure deadline: Only three of the more than two dozen candidates for congressional seats serving the North, West or Northwest suburbs turned in federal financial disclosure reports by a May 15 deadline, a Daily Herald analysis revealed. One, 9th District Democratic hopeful and internet personality Kat Abughazaleh, is a political newcomer whose campaign has received national media attention. The other two — Republicans Niki Conforti of the 6th District and Jim Marter of the 14th — are campaign veterans who lost previous bids for federal office.

* NBC Chicago | Suburban couple fights for fair Cook County property taxes after massive increase: “It [the property tax] was affordable until last August when they did a reassessment and the property in the back went from a market value of $107,000 to $752,000 in tax dollars,” Sandra Kucala said. “That’s a 602% increase. Their other two parcels saw double digit increases, too. “It [the tax bill] went from $3,000 a year in taxes to $17,000,” she said. “We can’t even sell it [the property] with the taxes being that high.”

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg aims to slash police hiring time during officer staffing crisis: Desperate to resolve a problematic 13 vacancies among its 119 officer positions, Schaumburg will follow the lead of most other area police departments to bring its six-month hiring process down to the regional norm of two months. Though Schaumburg is in crisis mode, other departments are facing hiring issues as well. “Being short officers as we are can lead to burnout, or officers being tired,” Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said. “We don’t want our officers out there in that condition.”

* Daily Southtown | Former Gov. Pat Quinn shares Memorial Day message in Blue Island: On Monday, Quinn echoed some of the thoughts of Blue Island American Legion Post 50 Cmdr. Joe Serbantez, who said Memorial Day was about more than cookouts and mattress sales. “Yes, we have ballgames and we have picnics and all kinds of celebrations and that’s good,” Quinn said. “We were given a gift by God to be here in the United States as citizens in 2025. That’s all important. But we cannot forget the significance of today, which is to honor all of those who came and served our country. We cannot forget them.”

* WTTW | There’s a Shortage of Native Seeds, So Cook County Preserves Is Growing Its Own Supply: A 2023 report sounded the alarm about the scarcity of native seed: The native segment of the commercial seed production industry is comparatively small and highly specialized, and there isn’t enough species diversity in the offerings that do exist. Too often, key species are unavailable or buyers have to make do with substitutions, and that can affect the success of a restoration project. Pat Hayes, long-time volunteer site steward at Cook County’s 1,000-acre Orland Grassland preserve, didn’t need data to tell her what she’s been experiencing firsthand.

* Sun-Times | McDonald’s is closing its CosMc’s restaurants, including Bolingbrook site: McDonald’s said Friday that it’s closing down CosMc’s, a new restaurant format it began piloting in the U.S. last year. But the company said beverages inspired by CosMc’s will soon be tested at U.S. McDonald’s locations. Among the drinks on CosMc’s current menu: matcha iced latte, turmeric spiced latte, prickly pear-flavored slushy with popping candy on top and a frozen sour cherry energy drink.

* Daily Herald | ‘Peace is not free’: Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice: Streamwood Village President Billie Roth noted the suburb was founded in 1957 as the U.S. and the world continued to move beyond World War II. “Our town was established during a time when the world was recovering from the hardships of war, and we are here today because of the immense sacrifices made by those who fought to secure the freedoms we all enjoy,” she said.

*** Downstate ***

* WEEK 25 | Ameren Illinois customers warned of price spike on summer electricity bills: “These results highlight the ongoing energy challenge in downstate Illinois and the need for a more robust resource planning process on the state level,” an Ameren Illinois spokesperson said in a statement. “Balanced solutions, including transmission, energy storage, renewables, natural gas, nuclear, energy efficiency, and demand response, are needed to provide residents and businesses with affordable and reliable energy,” the company said.

* WAND | Urbana residents face changes in electric supply as municipal aggregation contract expires: The City plans to pursue aggregated pricing again in the spring. Residents have several options: they can remain on Basic Generation Service, subscribe to community solar, or choose their own retail electric supplier. If residents stay on Basic Generation Service for two billing cycles, they will be locked in for another 10 months. Additionally, those who enter a retail contract in the spring will not be automatically enrolled in future aggregation attempts.

* WICS | Springfield city council approves new 13-million-dollar solar energy agreement: Sangamon Solar is building a new 750-acre solar farm south of Chatham. The project is set to cost the city 13 million dollars. That 13-million dollars is from taxpayer money, but it’s not an extra 13 million. It’s money already budgeted, but instead of being spent on electricity, it will be spent on solar energy

* WGLT | A $35 million price tag to dredge Lake Bloomington: A study done for the City of Bloomington estimates the cost to dredge Lake Bloomington at more than $35 million. “And that doesn’t include the drying beds. We would need to acquire land to lay out that silt and whatnot to dry so we can dispose of it,” said Deputy City Manager Sue McLaughlin.

* WGLT | U of I Extension’s Master Gardeners program marks 50 years of research-based advice: Brittnay Haag is the horticulture educator for Illinois Extension serving McLean, Livingston and Woodford counties. She said one of the biggest advances the program has made has been giving more scientific solutions to gardeners, as opposed to internet tips and family secrets. “They really learn proper care and proper techniques that have been researched, that they may not have always done. A lot of them are like, ‘Oh, I learned this from my grandma 50 years ago,’ and that may not be the proper researched-based technique nowadays,” she said.

* WTTW | Black Bears Looking to Relocate Too? Southern Illinois Has a Furry Visitor, Wildlife Officials Confirm: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) said it is monitoring a bear that’s been spotted hanging out all week in St. Clair County in the southwestern part of the state, just east of St. Louis. The bear has had no interaction with humans but has damaged some bee hives on private property, IDNR said.

* IPM News | This Memorial Day, a U of I professor will honor the life of his relative who went missing during WWII: “A few hours of internet searching suddenly led to an understanding that there was information about my relative who died in the B-24 bomber that the family never knew,” Althaus said. “And very quickly this became what would eventually become a five-year research project to try to find the final resting place of my relative, Second Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, Jr.”

*** National ***

* Auto Blog | Tesla’s Odometer Lawsuit Could Be EV Industry’s Dieselgate Moment: A California class-action lawsuit alleges the company uses predictive software to inflate odometer readings by up to 117%, voiding warranties prematurely and forcing owners into $10,000 repair bills. And if the Courts find it to be systematic? Global? Based on the lawsuit data, the total estimated annual financial benefit to Tesla is about $3.99 billion. Nyree Hinton’s 2020 Model Y odometer logged 72 miles/day despite a 20-mile commute, burning through his 50,000-mile warranty in 18 months.

* The Lever | Get Ready To Pay In ZuckBucks: Amid a flood of industry lobbying in Washington, D.C., and Democrats’ capitulation, the Senate is set to pass the GENIUS Act, a sweeping cryptocurrency law that could spread fraud-ridden, destabilizing digital currencies across the banking system. But lawmakers and consumer protection experts warn that the bill has an even more serious problem: It would allow Elon Musk and other Big Tech tycoons to issue their own private currencies. That means we could soon live in a world where all online transactions will require us to pay for goods in billionaires’ own made-up monopoly money, for which tech giants will be able to charge exorbitant transaction fees.

* Slate | Crypto Is About to Cause the Next Great American Financial Crisis: So imagine this scenario: It’s a year from now, maybe two. Crypto-friendly legislation is now law, opening the floodgates for all manner of bank exposure to crypto. Next, the economic recession people have been forecasting for years actually happens. Trump’s erratic economic policies and his embrace of tariffs have boosted the chances of one to as high as 70 percent on prediction markets just last month, although they’ve since come down. Historically speaking, though, recessions are unavoidable. News of a downturn then leads to a sizable drop in the markets. As investors rush to shed themselves of risky assets, crypto, perhaps the riskiest “asset” imaginable, is dumped with ferocity. Soon, there’s a run on the banks, except it’s not like in 2023, it’s far bigger. Instead of only a handful of banks, dozens or maybe even hundreds are affected, including some of the largest in the country. And quelle surprise, we are all obligated to bail the banks out (again) or face global financial armageddon.