* Tribune…

On Friday, [Jen Walling’s, the executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council,] legislative allies introduced what they’re calling the Power Act to improve environmental controls on data centers.

The bill calls for higher electricity rates for large data center users “to make sure they pay their fair share,” Walling said. The bill also creates incentives for data centers to build their own renewable energy sources rather than forcing other ratepayers to pay for the increased generating capacity they’ll need.

The environmental bill would also limit water use by data centers, restrict how long they can run their backup generators and keep them out of Black and brown neighborhoods already overburdened by pollution.

Taken as a whole, according to [Brad Tietz, the state policy director for the Data Center Coalition,] the environmental bill would make Illinois “not just an outlier but a significant outlier” among states competing for data center investment.

* Press release…

Lawmakers and frontline providers are calling for passage of Senate Bill 2797, legislation that would modernize Illinois’ All Kids School-Based Dental Program by creating one uniform, statewide framework that encourages more dentists to serve children in schools—especially in underserved communities.

Illinois currently operates two different school-based dental systems: a statewide model and a separate, city-run structure in Chicago. That split has created confusion, duplicative oversight, and heavy administrative burdens for providers. The result has been a steady decline in participation, particularly in Chicago, where the number of dentists serving schools has fallen by roughly half over the past decade.

“For many children, a visit from a school dentist is the only dental care they receive all year,” said State Sen. Julie Morrison, sponsor of SB 2797. “But our current system is pushing dentists away. SB 2797 fixes that by creating fair, uniform rules statewide—so more providers can step forward and more kids can get the care they need.”

School-based dental programs remove barriers like transportation, time off work, and insurance navigation. They are often the only point of access for low-income families. Yet under current law, dentists who serve Chicago schools face layers of contracting, billing risk, and overlapping oversight that do not exist elsewhere in Illinois. […]

SB 2797 restores a single statewide framework under the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). The bill:

- Applies uniform standards across Illinois based on the Dental Office Reference Manual.
- Clarifies billing so Medicaid remains the payer of last resort and providers can obtain insurance information in advance.
- Ensures that clinical reviews are conducted by licensed dentists.
- Removes duplicative, city-specific mandates that have driven providers away.
- Establishes transparent, fair rules for assigning schools and expanding capacity.

More from CBS Chicago…

But Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Department of Public Health said it’s not so simple. They’re against Morrison’s proposal, Senate Bill 2797.

“The bill does not reflect or recognize the working partnership between CPS and CDPH Chicago which manages the School-based Oral Health Program,” CPS and CDPH officials said in a joint statement. “To date, more than 1.3 million students have received oral health services. Chicago Public Schools values this partnership and does not want to see students lose access to high-quality dental care provided at no cost to families or to CPS.”

CDPH officials claimed the proposed legislation would hinder progress already made in the school-based dental services program at CPS.

“The bill would remove CDPH’s oversight of the program … making changes that both increase costs for the state and lower the standards for provider participation and quality assurance, putting public health at risk,” CDPH said.

* HB5539 from Rep. Ryan Spain…

Amends the Illinois Identification Card Act. Changes references from “electronic credential” to “mobile identification card”. Provides that no relying party, including law enforcement, may take physical possession of a mobile identification card holder’s mobile device for purposes of verifying the mobile identification card holder’s identity. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Inserts conforming provisions concerning requirements for mobile driver’s licenses. Makes other changes.

* Sen. Rachel Ventura…

State Senator Rachel Ventura introduced a package of legislation aimed at addressing the growing role of private equity firms in Illinois’ housing market, which has driven up home prices, reduced housing availability and turned residential properties into high-profit investment assets while many Illinois families struggle to find affordable places to live. […]

As institutional investors continue expanding their footprint in the housing market, residents are increasingly facing rising rents, hidden fees and displacement from properties purchased by large corporate landlords. Ventura’s legislation seeks to restore balance by increasing transparency, strengthening tenant protections and discouraging speculative purchases of existing housing stock.

Senate Bill 3363 would require landlords to include all mandatory service fees in a property’s listed base rent, preventing renters from being surprised by additional charges after signing a lease. The measure ensures tenants have clear and transparent information about the true cost of housing before entering into rental agreements and bans predatory insurance requirements.

Senate Bill 3674 would give tenants the right of first refusal when a property is put up for sale, allowing residents to purchase their building before it can be sold to outside investors, including private equity firms. The legislation would also allow tenants in multi-unit buildings to coordinate joint purchase offers, expanding opportunities for community ownership and long-term housing stability.

Another initiative, Senate Bill 3501, known as Restock the Block, would establish a fee on private equity firms purchasing existing residential properties. Revenue generated from the fee would be directed toward grants for public and affordable housing development, helping rebuild housing supply and reinvest in communities impacted by corporate consolidation of housing. […]

SB 3363, SB 3674 and SB 3501 currently await committee assignment.

* The Illinois Coalition on Legal Reform…

The Illinois Coalition on Legal Reform today applauded the introduction of legislation (HB 5244) sponsored by State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R–Geneva) to address commercial lawsuit lending, also known as third-party litigation funding (TPLF), in Illinois.

Commercial TPLF allows outside investors — including hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds, and other financiers with no stake in the underlying dispute — to fund lawsuits in exchange for a share of any settlement or judgment. While these arrangements are often marketed as harmless “financing,” they can allow unknown third parties to profit from and sometimes control lawsuits while driving up litigation costs for businesses, consumers, and communities. […]

Commercial third-party litigation funding remains largely undisclosed and unregulated in Illinois. There are currently no meaningful disclosure requirements and limited safeguards — allowing funders to quietly influence litigation, drive up costs, and encourage meritless claims.

Just as importantly, a lack of transparency has created vulnerabilities in the civil justice system, including the potential for foreign-backed investors to use Illinois courts as a financial tool.

The measure introduced by Rep. Ugaste addresses several major concerns with commercial lawsuit lending in Illinois, including:

- Banning foreign funding, to deter sovereign wealth funds and foreign principals from investing in our legal system for financial leverage and to obtain an inside view of confidential information exchanged during a litigation to benefit the foreign entity
- Limiting funder recoveries, ensuring that plaintiffs — not outside financiers — receive a meaningful portion of any recovery
- Regulating commercial TPLF, closing gaps not covered by Illinois’ existing consumer protections

* WTVO…

House Bill 4764 would rename the state’s Garden Act as the Vegetable Garden and Backyard Chicken Protection Act and establish a statewide right to keep backyard chickens on residential property.

Under HB4764, any Illinois resident would have the legal right to keep female chickens (hens only) for personal, noncommercial use. The bill’s definition of “backyard chickens” excludes roosters.

Local municipalities would still be allowed to set “reasonable regulations”, including limits on the number of hens, setbacks, sanitation requirements, nuisance rules, and enclosure standards, but those local rules cannot ban chickens outright.

HB4764 also prohibits any ordinance that requires neighbor consent, including signatures, approval letters, or any process allowing neighbors to veto a resident’s ability to keep hens.

The bill does not override the authority of homeowners’ associations, condominium boards, or restrictive covenants, which would retain the ability to ban or regulate backyard chickens.

* WTVO…

Legislators in Illinois have introduced a broad package of artificial intelligence bills that would create one of the most comprehensive AI regulatory frameworks in the country. […]

One bill, SB3492, directs the Illinois State Board of Education to create statewide guidance for teaching artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other fast‑growing technologies in K‑12 schools. The measure calls for a workforce‑focused curriculum that prepares students for future jobs.

A separate measure, HB5113, would create a statewide Artificial‑Intelligence Use in Education Commission. The group would study how AI tools and smartphones affect student learning, mental health and classroom behavior. It must hold 10 public meetings across Illinois and release reports twice a year through 2030. […]

Under SB3601, licensed professionals, including financial advisers, real‑estate agents, cosmetologists, and dozens of other state‑regulated occupations, would be required to clearly disclose when a person is interacting with AI rather than a human.

* HB5478 from Rep. Mary Beth Canty…

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that the State Comptroller, in coordination with the State Board of Education, shall establish and administer a program under which eligible school districts located in Cook County may receive interest-free loans from the State Treasury to address cash flow shortages caused by the delayed issuance of property tax bills by the Cook County Treasurer. Provides that a school district shall be eligible for a loan if the Cook County Treasurer fails to issue property tax bills by the statutory deadline under the Property Tax Code, the failure results in a delay in the receipt of property tax revenues, and the State Board of Education certifies that the district has experienced or will immediately experience a cash flow deficit as a result of the delay. Provides that the loans shall be limited to the amount necessary to maintain essential operations and shall bear no interest to the borrowing district. Provides that the term for a loan shall not exceed 12 months, and that the loan shall repaid in full upon receipt of delayed property tax revenues. Provides that the Cook County shall reimburse the State Treasury for the full amount of interest income lost by the State on any loan. Effective immediately.

* Rep. Anne Stava…

State Rep. Anne Stava, D-Downers Grove, filed three bills on Thursday each addressing a different aspect of family court practices affecting vulnerable parents and children. The bills focus on definitions of common terms, allocation of costs and ensuring that family court orders align with a child’s specific medical needs. […]

Stava filed House Bills 5176, 5177 and 5178:

HB 5176—The Family Law Definitions Act: Would create binding legal definitions of the terms “safe parent,” “high-conflict” and “parental alienation,” while requiring family courts to use these definitions and prohibiting the use of other terms that have the purpose or effect of evading these definitions.

HB 5177—Aligning Recommendations with Children’s Actual Clinical and Emergency Needs and Determinations (ARC-ACEND): Would make the recommendations of guardians ad litem or other court appointed authorities, when they concern a child with a diagnosed medical condition, provisional until they are certified as medically appropriate by a qualified physician.

HB 5178—Supervised Parenting Safety and Fairness Act: Would require a court to verify the reasonable availability of qualified supervisors before ordering supervised parenting time and, when it has deemed supervised time to be warranted, to refrain from allowing unsupervised parenting time simply because no supervisor is available.