It’s just a bill
Friday, Jan 23, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Daily Herald…
With the approach of the second anniversary of 17-year-old Marin Lacson’s death at a Barrington railroad crossing, a proposed legislation named in her honor would mandate pedestrian safety gates at crossings near schools in Illinois.
MARIN’s Law, which would amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to require railroad carriers to install, operate and maintain the gates at railroad-grade crossings within 1.5 miles of a school, was filed Thursday.
Lacson was struck and killed by a Metra train on the morning of Jan. 25, 2024, while crossing the tracks at Hough Street on the way to Barrington High School. She proceeded across the tracks after one train had already passed.
There are no pedestrian gates at the crossing. The Illinois Commerce Commission is currently considering a petition to install the gates at three Union Pacific crossings, including Hough Street.
MARIN stands for Measures Against Railroad Injuries Near Schools. It was filed Thursday in honor of Lacson’s lacrosse jersey number, according to a press release announcing the filing.
* Rep. Maurice West filed HB4531 this week…
Amends the Election Code. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall exercise the powers to impose campaign disclosure penalties; to hear and adjudicate alleged violations of registration requirements; to revoke or suspend the raffle licenses of political committees that violate the Raffles and Poker Runs Act; and to inform the Attorney General or the State’s Attorney of credible alleged criminal violations.
* HB4544 from Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado…
Creates the Preventing Algorithmic Pricing Discrimination Act. Requires any person who knowingly advertises, promotes, labels, or publishes a statement, display, image, offer, or announcement of personalized algorithmic pricing using consumer data specific to a particular individual must disclose that this price was set by an algorithm using the individual’s personal data. Prohibits the use of algorithmic pricing under certain conditions. Provides that if there is a violation of the Act, the Attorney General may file a civil action requesting that an injunction be issued against the defendant to enjoin and restrain the continuance of the violation. Provides that notice must be given to the defendant of not less than 5 days, and the court may issue an injunction enjoining and restraining any further violation without requiring proof that any person has, in fact, been injured or damaged. Authorizes the court to impose a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for each violation. Exempts any insurer licensed, regulated, or otherwise authorized to do business in the State or any excess lines insurer, including any persons, agents, or affiliates acting on behalf of the insurer. Exempts financial services, including, but not limited to, financial institutions, financial institution affiliates, broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, and entities that provide consumer credit products such as credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Makes a violation of the Preventing Algorithmic Pricing Discrimination Act an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Defines terms. Limits home rule.
* Meanwhile, in Iowa…
An Iowa Republican lawmaker wants to pursue a study on absorbing counties in Illinois, where a secessionist movement has grown fueled by divisions over the Prairie State’s policy direction.
A proposal from Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, House File 2141, would establish an “Iowa-Illinois boundary adjustment committee” to consider whether to move the dividing line between the two states by transferring one or more Illinois counties along the Iowa border to the Hawkeye State.
Collins said the bill would primarily look at all counties that along the Mississippi River.
“As somebody that represents really a district that’s right along the border and along the Mississippi River, I know many folks on both sides of the river, and I know there’s a lot of folks in the high-tax state of Illinois that’s now basically supporting career criminals,” Collins said. “They would love to be Iowa residents, and many of them have taken the steps to actually move to the state of Iowa.” […]
Under Collins’ bill, the boundary adjustment study committee would be made up of:
- Six individuals from the state of Iowa who are not lawmakers or appointees of the governor.
- No more than four members of the same political party.
- Five individuals from Illinois appointed under Illinois state law.
Any redrawing of the border would require approval by the Illinois and Indiana legislatures, as well as Congress. So… this is not going to happen.
- Edwardsville Guy - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 10:19 am:
I used to live in Iowa. Would never, ever, consider moving back and certainly don’t want their form of government. I’ve never seen so many poorly designed and poorly maintained roads in my life.
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 10:30 am:
As with Indiana, if Iowa gets a county with a state facility, pension debt goes with the county. In addition to Indiana, if there are any bonds for bridges / levees / infrastructure / etc., they go with the county.
- Jerry - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 10:54 am:
Agree with Anyone Remember. Fiscal Responsibility and Tax Certainty for Illinois.
- OneMan - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 10:56 am:
I would also expect the ‘new’ state to provide Illinois compensation for any roads and other things the state helped pay for.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:12 am:
“Iowa-Illinois boundary adjustment committee”
While this is a waste of time and won’t happen, it is of utmost value to the anti-tax people, to spend their tax dollars (that they cry about) on useless activities to “own the libs.”
- Save Ferris - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:25 am:
Illinois should counter threaten to annex Davenport, Bettendorf, Gary, Hammond and gerrymander those to be Dem congress seats and add electoral votes to IL taking EVs away from IA and IN.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:35 am:
Going to be amusing to watch 2028 Presidential Campaign progress……when the candidates/national media mention in passing how many counties are pursuing secessionist efforts from the Land of Lincoln
- CA-HOON! - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:40 am:
==”I know there’s a lot of folks in the high-tax state of Illinois that’s now basically supporting career criminals,” Collins said.==
Oh no! We wouldn’t want to support career criminals like, say, people who’ve been convicted of 34 felonies for campaign finance fraud, or those who are found liable in court for sexual assault (to the tune of $84million), or those who are found liable in court for charity fraud, or those who are found liable in court for bank fraud, or those who were indicted for conspiracies both to fraudulently overturn the 2020 election and incite an insurrection at the US Capitol Building, oh and those who are indicted for conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States by stealing thousands of classified documents and storing them in a bathroom and an empty ballroom….am I forgetting any other “career criminal”-types that we need to watch out for according to the gentleman from, erm, Mediapolis (is that for real a name?)? I just want to make sure we’re covering all the bases here, don’t want “career criminals” to be in positions of power, no sirree!
- West Side the Best Side - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:42 am:
If we annex Gary then it would be no problem if the Bears moved there.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:44 am:
Let them go we would be better off without them. And they can build a stadium for the Bears while they are at it
- Pundent - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:45 am:
=when the candidates/national media mention in passing how many counties are pursuing secessionist efforts from the Land of Lincoln=
If the media wants to highlight the lunacy of our neighbors in pursuing futile efforts by all means please do.
- Roadrager - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 11:48 am:
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has consistently been one of the least popular governors over the past couple years. Her approval rating is stuck just a notch above 40%.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun is able to provide Reynolds some moral support, as his approval rating has gone in the tank, especially since his attempts at coercing the state legislature into becoming absolute Trump lackeys. One outlier of a poll had his approval at 24%, but it’s more likely in the low 40s alongside Reynolds, given that Republican support for Braun is a mere 53-58%.
No wonder these two would rather divert voters’ attention to another state.
- TNR - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 12:12 pm:
==. Going to be amusing to watch 2028 Presidential Campaign progress……when the candidates/national media mention in passing how many counties are pursuing secessionist efforts from the Land of Lincoln ==
Rank and file democratic voters will delight in the fact he’s ticked off MAGA counties so much they want to leave the state. A feature not a bug in early primaries.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 12:12 pm:
If the last decade has taught us anything, it’s some of the people all of the time.
- JS Mill - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 1:14 pm:
=“Iowa-Illinois boundary adjustment committee”=
I am starting an “adjustment committee “ too. Can’t list the full name here because I don’t want to get banned. But I am willing to make house calls. As a public service.
@ CA HOON- well put.
- Blitz - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 1:31 pm:
I think this part is my favorite:
- Five individuals from Illinois appointed under Illinois state law.
Yea, we’ll get right on that.
- What's in a name? - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 1:38 pm:
Apparently, he’s caught up on his winter work on the farm and a little bored. Having friends on both sides of the river counts as broadminded in Iowa.
- very old soil - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 2:07 pm:
Or they can move the river. It’s happened before.
From Wikipedia
Ice sheets during the Illinoian Stage, about 300,000 to 132,000 years before present, blocked the Mississippi near Rock Island, Illinois, diverting it to its present channel farther to the west, the current western border of Illinois. The Hennepin Canal roughly follows the ancient channel of the Mississippi downstream from Rock Island to Hennepin, Illinois. South of Hennepin, to Alton, Illinois, the current Illinois River follows the ancient channel used by the Mississippi River before the Illinoian Stage.[60][61]
- thisjustinagain - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 2:17 pm:
I love how people in Illinois insist this can actually happen, even though there’s no provisions in the Illinois Constitution to do so. The State is indissoluble, Abe Lincoln would remind them, echoing his statements about the Union.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 2:25 pm:
===the boundary adjustment study committee would be made up of===
Seems like someone just needed something to appoint some pod casters or something to serve to rather than something to be taken seriously.
What’s even more delightful is only one county on the Iowa border has done one of these dumb votes. Hancock County has about half the population it did in 1870.
I just don’t understand on how the Iowa GOP could do something that makes them look sillier than the Indiana GOP.
Looking forward to the Iowa Governor’s Bear stadium proposal, due any day now.
- Leap Day William - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 2:27 pm:
== Or they can move the river. It’s happened before. ==
Moving the river won’t help. Our first state capital of Kaskaskia is on the other side of the Mississippi as of 1881 when the river flooded, wiped away most of the town, and then the new channel cut it off from the rest of the state. Since the boundary is defined as being the river channel of 1818, it’s still part of Illinois.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jan 23, 26 @ 3:14 pm:
===Illinois should counter threaten to annex Davenport, Bettendorf, Gary, Hammond ===
I think you forgot Burlington, after all their population is mostly ethnic Illinoisan.