* We told you earlier today that House Speaker Chris Welch has been promoting a tax on millionaires. It’s just a bill, and in another state, but here’s Axios…

The Washington state Senate passed an income tax on millionaires Monday, sending the proposal to the state House for further debate. […]

The millionaire tax bill, which cleared the Senate on a 27-22 vote, would take effect in 2028, applying a 9.9% tax to gross annual income above $1 million.

It is expected to raise more than $3.5 billion per year. Supporters estimate it would affect about 20,000 taxpayers statewide — less than 1% of Washington households.

Most of the revenue would bolster the state’s general fund, which faces a long-term shortfall.

Some would go toward tax relief, including lowering taxes on small businesses and eliminating the sales tax on hygiene products such as deodorant and shampoo.

A portion would help expand the state’s Working Families Tax Credit, which provides tax rebates for low- to moderate-income families.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Juliana Stratton’s $25-per-hour minimum wage plan draws fire from rivals in US Senate race in Illinois: In the hourlong debate hosted by Fox WFLD-Ch. 32 Chicago on Monday night, U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly of Lynwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg said they supported a phased-in minimum wage increase but chided Stratton for claiming her plan was “bold” when they thought it would never pass Congress. Stratton, the two-term lieutenant governor to Gov. JB Pritzker, has voiced support for increasing the $7.25-per-hour federal minimum wage to $25 per hour while Krishnamoorthi and Kelly favor a plan backed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont that would increase the base federal wage to $17 an hour by 2030.

* Press release | State Senator Napoleon Harris & Thornton Township Democrats Endorse Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate: “Congressman Raja works tirelessly for the benefit of his constituents, and I know that in the U.S. Senate, he will bring that same work ethic to the entire state of Illinois,” said State Senator Napoleon Harris, Thornton Township Supervisor and Thornton Township Democratic Committeeman. “Raja brings a deep understanding of the challenges facing Illinois families and the courage to tackle them head‑on. He listens, he does the work, and he delivers — whether it’s on jobs, public safety, or expanding opportunity for every community. I’m proud to endorse his bid to be the next U.S. Senator from Illinois, and I look forward to working closely with him to deliver results for the communities here in Thornton Township and the residents of the 15th legislative district.”

* Greg Hinz | Huge super-PAC money taking control of Chicago congressional races: According to Federal Election Commission disclosures — thanks to political consultant and analyst Frank Calabrese for compiling the data — ECW had spent $1.27 million as of Feb. 12 on behalf of 9th District candidate Laura Fine, and $1.27 million to promote former Rep. Melissa Bean, who is trying to regain the seat she once held that now is being vacated by Senate hopeful Raja Krishnmoorthi. Both districts are on the northwestern parts of the Chicago area. FEC disclosure also show ACN so far is in for $816,00 on behalf of candidate Donna Miller in the South Side and south suburban 2nd District. That comes up to $4.06 million. Those figures dwarf what almost all of the candidates have been able to raise on their own. Still, officials from AIPAC and the super-PACs, both here and in Washington, declined comment or failed to respond to requests for comment. Moreover, using a loophole in the law that Kaplan referenced, ECW and ACN so far haven’t disclosed who gave them the money they spent on the candidates. We may get some listing down the road, but meanwhile thousands of people already are voting every day via mail and early ballots.

* Vox…

I asked IL Gov. @JBPritzker if we should take his recent weight loss as a sign he’s running for president (or on GLP 1s). Here’s what he said: pic.twitter.com/NITeehli7y

— Astead (@AsteadWH) February 17, 2026

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Rev. Jesse Jackson paved the way for generations of Democrats in Chicago, top Illinois Democrats say: “His delegates wanted him to take the fight to the floor to be the vice president,” remembered Chicago political strategist Delmarie Cobb, a top adviser on Jackson’s ‘88 run. “And Jesse Jackson told them, ‘No, we’re not going to do that. We’re going to use our leverage to get some changes, and we’re going to change the rules. 
We’re going to change the platform, and we’re going to expand the party.’ And so that’s what he did.” Jackson’s electoral success in New York preceded the election of New York City’s first Black mayor, David Dinkins. Jackson, who died Tuesday at the age of 84, also won Virginia, which soon elected its first Black governor, Douglas Wilder.

* Capitol News Illinois | Bears stadium package has ‘positive momentum’ in Springfield, but not in end zone : The bill was recently kicked out of the gatekeeping House Rules committee to the House Revenue Committee, which has a hearing scheduled for Thursday morning. But it remains unclear if the bill will be called while negotiations continue.

* IPM News | Illinois Democrats and Republicans introduce competing packages to regulate data centers amid concerns over power and water usage: Democrats and environmental advocates introduced a broad regulatory framework under a bill called the POWER Act. A Senate Republican filed a competing package that would limit data center activity around the Mahomet Aquifer and, in an attempt to lower electricity costs, rein in a recent energy bill Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law in January.

* WCIA | ​Illinois bill would require service providers to give customers 2-hour notice before arrival: Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) filed SB 3066, requiring service providers to give customers a two-hour appointment window. If the company fails to arrive in the appointment window, they are then required to notify the consumer an hour before they make it to the residence.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Convenient ordering option or ‘sidewalk hog’? Food delivery robots get mixed reception in Chicago.: Josh Robertson, a Lincoln Park resident who organized NoSidewalkBots.org, has garnered more than 3,300 online petition signatures in an effort to keep the delivery robots from taking over the pedestrian pathways in Chicago. “Our sidewalks are a precious resource, but it’s so easy to take them for granted,” Robertson said. “We have reason to think that there’s a ripple effect, that the public way itself is less safe, more chaotic with the robots than without.”

* Block Club | Windy City Bird Lab Gets A Boost From Illinois Audubon Society That’ll Fund It For 3 Years: Here, all kinds of bird-related programs and projects can grow and operate under one roof. Those efforts received a big boost this month when the Illinois Audubon Society pledged $384,000 to help fund the lab for three years. That’ll help it expand its reach of bird-related programs for Chicagoans, from long-time birders to people who are merely bird-curious. “It is really about enabling people with all sorts of skills and interests to be able to contribute to conservation science, or bird science,” Garcia said.

* NBC Chicago | Bruce Springsteen announces new tour with Chicago date this spring: Springsteen, who has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump’s administration and of immigration enforcement actions, said that the tour is meant to inspire hope around the U.S. “We are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times, but do not despair. The calvary is coming,” he said in a social media video. […] Springsteen and the E-Street Band will make a stop at Chicago’s United Center on April 29, according to his website.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Northbrook small business joins national campaign against tariffs: Sari Wiaz founded Baby Paper, a manufacturer and distributor of baby products, around 2009. Its goods are sold by about 700 specialty retailers in the U.S., Canada and Europe, as well as online at Walmart, Amazon and Buy Buy Baby. Wiaz felt the impact of tariffs immediately last spring. She had to pay 30% to 54% more for products, depending on when shipments arrived at U.S. ports. Wiaz has since raised prices 10% to 20% to cover higher costs. “It’s also trying to predict whether the tariffs will go up or go down and when to bring product in,” she said.

* Crain’s | Ikea to open Gurnee store, its third in Chicago area, in U.S. expansion push: The Chicago area will be getting its third Ikea retail outlet this year when the Swedish retail giant opens a new store in the Gurnee Mills mall in the region’s far northern suburb. The upcoming 66,000-square-foot store is part of the Swedish retailer’s U.S. expansion plan, which includes 10 new stores spreading from California to Washington, D.C., set to open in 2026, according to a press release today.

* Tribune | Oak Park’s Emery Lehman — in 4th and final Olympics — and Glen Ellyn’s Ethan Cepuran get silver in team pursuit: Second place was not what they anticipated after years of training together and rising to the top of their sport. It wasn’t what they expected after setting a world record in team pursuit in 2024 and then breaking it, by a little more than a second, in November in another memorable performance at the Speedskating World Cup in Salt Lake City. “I don’t think it’s really something that needs to be said,” Lehman said last month, at the U.S. Speedskating Olympic trials in Milwaukee, of the goal of winning gold in team pursuit. His coach reminded him and his teammates of the stakes often, Lehman said, “but between the three of us, it’s just something that’s understood.”

* Aurora Beacon-News | Well before sunrise on Fat Tuesday, Paczki lovers pack Harner’s in North Aurora: ‘It’s like forbidden fruit’: “I came at 5 this morning to buy my usual boxes of Paczki. I come this early because there’s no traffic,” said Dave Nussle of Big Rock at Harner’s Bakery and Restaurant on Tuesday. “We ordered these about two weeks ago. They’re all for family. I’ve been coming down here from Big Rock as long as they’ve been doing it.” Harner’s at 10 W. State St. in North Aurora lured in its usual big crowd for Fat Tuesday looking to buy Paczki – the popular Polish pastry – with sales beginning more than half an hour before the bakery was expected to open at 5:30 a.m.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Normal renews contract with goal of reducing utility bills: The council also approved a measure to allow the execution of contracts with the alternative energy supplier that Stone River Group finds for the town. Most recently, the town contracted with Constellation NewEnergy for a 12-month fixed rate of 0.10899 per kilowatt hour. […] Before the new contract takes effect, all eligible customers will receive opt-out letters from the chosen electricity supplier. Customers, both residential and commercial, will be automatically enrolled in the new aggregation program if the letters are not returned.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. executive order makes new requirements for federal immigration enforcement: A new executive order in Champaign County will subject federal immigration officers to two requirements if they enter county property for enforcement. The executive order, signed by County Executive Scott Summers, requires that a judicial warrant be presented to the Executive’s security and/or reception office. It also requires officers to remove any face coverings and to ensure “continuous visibility” of their badges. Summers said in the order that concerns among county residents was one reason behind this order.

* 25News Now | Too many kids leave PPS without learning the basics, say 2 school board hopefuls: The two candidates running for Peoria Public Schools, representing the central portion of the district, believe PPS is at a turning point, facing academic struggles, leadership changes, and questions about transparency. District 2 candidates David Daye and Andres “Andy” Diaz say too many students are leaving District 150 without the critical reading, writing, or math skills.

* WSIL | Herrin Tiger Sharks Swim Team Raising $80K to Save Community Pool: Head coach Jonathan Kraus said the pool’s filter system requires $80,000 in repairs to operate this summer. If the funds are not raised by the end of February, the pool might not open in time for the swim season. The swim team serves about 100 young athletes each year, ranging from ages 5 to 18. Kraus emphasized the pool’s importance as a community hub during summer. “My earliest memories of playing outside that pool while my older siblings were swimming and then the next year I was on the team when we came back here,” Kraus said.

*** National ***

* AP | Trump is recruiting thousands of local officers to aid immigration effort. Some states are saying no: Laws banning cooperative agreements with ICE were signed earlier this month in New Mexico and took effect last month in Maine. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also is backing legislation that would ban local law officers from being deputized by ICE. And Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger recently terminated state ICE agreements signed under her Republican predecessor, though her order didn’t cancel existing arrangements with local sheriffs.