* WGLT…
State Rep. Sharon Chung has introduced a bill she hopes will start a conversation between state lawmakers and insurance companies about regulatory oversight.
Chung is a Democrat who represents parts of Bloomington-Normal where State Farm and Country Financial have their headquarters. She filed the bill in response to a bill Gov. JB Pritzker backed last year that would have placed Illinois homeowners insurers under more strict pricing controls. […]
Chung’s bill would allow the Illinois Department of Insurance to approve or stop a rate change by an insurance company. Illinois does not currently have authority to regulate insurance rates.
The bill clarifies the requirements insurance companies need to meet to get approval on a rate change and does not require any reimbursement if the rate is denied. […]
Chung said something is going to have to get passed this spring session, but Pritzker’s bill is a “non-starter.”
* Economic Security Illinois…
Springfield press conference around policies to put more cash in families’ pockets, including the announcement of new Newborn Equity Support Transfer (NEST) Program and discussion of how to remove federal barriers from Illinois Child Tax Credit.
WHEN: 2:15 PM, Today, Wednesday, February 25, 2026
WHERE: Illinois State Capitol Rotunda, Springfield
WHO:
Sarah Saheb, Economic Security Illinois Action
Senator Omar Aquino
Senator Graciela Guzman
Representative Kelly Cassidy
Representative Mary Beth Canty
Parent advocates
Partner organizations
DETAILS:
Economic Security Illinois Action will unveil the Newborn Equity Support Transfer (NEST) Program, a transformative proposal that provides direct prenatal and postpartum cash support to new mothers on Medicaid. The program would deliver $1,500 during the third trimester of pregnancy, followed by $500 per month for the first six months of a baby’s life.
NEST is modeled after a highly successful Michigan program that led to dramatic reductions in preterm births, NICU admissions, and evictions, while generating savings for Medicaid and strengthening the local economy. Michigan recently expanded the program statewide in a bipartisan vote.
More on the NEST proposal from Capitol News Illinois…
Identical bills have been filed in the House
by state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, and the Senate by state Sen. Graciela Guzmán, D-Chicago. Lawmakers and advocates with the group Economic Security Illinois Action will hold a news conference in the Capitol today.
Under the program, dubbed the Newborn Equity Support Transfer, or NEST, eligible mothers would receive $1,500 during the third trimester of pregnancy and $500 per month for the first six months of the baby’s life. Proponents estimate that 40% of all new mothers in Illinois would be eligible.
The program is modeled after Rx Kids, a 2024 pilot program in Flint, Michigan, that proved so successful that it was expanded statewide in 2025. According to research from Michigan State University, Flint saw drops in preterm births (-18%), low birthweight births (-27%) and NICU admissions (-29%) in 2024 compared the previous year.
Advocates did not attach an appropriation request to the plan, but the statewide expansion in Michigan cost $270 million.
* Chalkbeat Chicago…
Chicago Public Schools officials are voicing concern about a pair of bills targeting pension costs for employees, particularly one that would force the district to take on a controversial payment into a municipal retirement fund.
But the Chicago state lawmaker who introduced the proposals says the bills are simply “placeholders” meant to spur conversations between district, city, and state officials.
One of the bills authored by Sen. Robert Martwick, a Democrat, would compel the district to start paying into a city pension fund that covers Chicago Public Schools support staff as well as city employees. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has pressed CPS to foot these costs — an issue that contributed to the firing of the district’s former CEO and bitterly divided its partly elected school board.
Martwick’s other bill would shift all costs of paying into the district’s separate teacher pension fund from CPS to the state — a move he acknowledged is a long shot this year. District leaders have long decried that Illinois largely covers teacher pensions in all school districts except Chicago, where it pays for roughly a third of these costs.
* Rep. Aaron Ortiz…
Responding to his community’s concerns over mid-year charter school closures and crises, state Rep. Aarón Ortíz, D-Chicago, is fighting for legislation that would institute safeguards and deliver greater stability to safeguard charter school students and teachers.
“With everything the Trump Administration is trying to do to our state’s public education, we need to do all that we can to best protect students and teachers from chaotic, abrupt and mid-year charter school closures,” Ortíz said. “This legislation would ensure that operators properly execute their renewal responsibilities. I have been a lifelong advocate for our children’s future, and this bill is another step we can take to keep Illinois schoolkids on track to succeed.”
Ortíz is championing House Bill 5063 which makes several critical improvements to the Charter School Law of Illinois’ School Code, including:
- Requiring charter school executors to execute renewal agreements within 90 days of receiving an approved renewal;
- Requiring charter schools, in the case of closure, to maintain sufficient reserve funds to transition students, pay outstanding salaries and fulfill transition responsibilities;
- Outlining other requirements for operators of charter schools and penalties for failure to maintain proper financial and operational plans; and
- Allowing the state to intervene and save financially distressed charter schools should the need arise; among other provisions.
“Many in my community came to me with a simple ask: protect our students and teachers,” Ortíz said. “I am committed to doing just that with this bill. If a school is being funded, wholly or in part, with public, taxpayer dollars, accountability cannot just be a top priority, but a necessity.”
* ACT Now Illinois…
Lawmakers, educators and community leaders are calling for immediate passage of HB5362, HB5363, HB3081 and HB3082 to protect Full-Services Community Schools (FSCS) and afterschool programming, which serve thousands of students statewide. Each piece of legislation is critical to maintaining stable, long-term funding and preventing the collapse of programs that provide academic support, mental health services and career pathways for students.
“Passing these bills is more than protecting programs – it’s about protecting the futures of thousands of Illinois children,” said Susan Stanton, Executive Director of ACT Now Illinois. “Community Schools and afterschool programs are lifelines for our families, and they work. In just one year, our FSCS network has served nearly 19,000 students across 32 schools, improving attendance and family engagement by incredible margins. With legislative support, Illinois can ensure these gains are not lost and students will get the support they were promised.”
HB5362 and HB5363 respond to the abrupt termination of $18.5 million in federal FSCS grants, which led to hundreds of staff layoffs and the cancellation of programs that provide essential educational and social supports. […]
A new report highlights the measurable benefits of Illinois’ Community School model, showing that integrating academics with social, emotional and family-focused services improves student outcomes.
Early implementation data shows:
- 2.12% decrease in chronic absenteeism – more than double the statewide reduction
- 2.61-point increase in school climate scores – a measure of how safe and supported students feel at school – while the statewide average declined
- 2.97% increase in parent engagement, compared to a statewide decrease […]
HB5362 would appropriate $20 million to the Illinois State Board of Education to fund a grant to ACT Now Illinois to support community schools statewide.
HB5363 would establish a permanent state grant structure – separate from federal appropriations – issued to ACT Now Illinois through its fiscal sponsor, Metropolitan Family Services, and disbursed to Illinois Community Schools.
After School Programs:
HB3081 would create a statewide Out-of-School Time (OST) Advisory Council
to strengthen coordination, access and long-term sustainability.
HB3082 would ensure full state funding for afterschool programming.
* WAND…
State lawmakers could pass a bill this spring to allow local election authorities to opt into a voter center model rather than the traditional precinct model of voting. […]
Illinois voters choosing to vote early and in-person would already be familiar with the vote center model, as anyone is able to cast a ballot at the same building.
State lawmakers passed a proposal in 2020 requiring each county to have at least one vote center where all voters could vote on Election Day. House Bill 2770 would allow election authorities to have multiple voting centers open throughout early voting and election day.
“This bill is modeled on the system used by Colorado for vote centers,” said Kane County Clerk Brian Pollock. “So if an election authority chooses to go with the vote center model, the minimum number of vote centers is based on the number of registered voters in the county.”
* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…
State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Grayslake) is championing a new measure to help more students earn their associate degrees by making it easier to transfer credits back to community colleges at no cost.
Senate Bill 3720 would expand reverse credit transfer so eligible students can earn an associate degree automatically once they reach 60 combined credit hours. The bill also would ensure that students are not charged any fees related to the reverse transfer process. […]
Under the measure, community colleges would also be required to provide clear instructions for students seeking to complete their associate degree using transferred credits.
The initiative, developed in partnership with the Illinois Community College Board, builds on existing transfer policies by strengthening pathways not just from community colleges to universities, but also in the reverse direction, ensuring students can maximize the value of the credits they have already earned. […]
Senate Bill 3720 passed the Senate Higher Education Committee Wednesday and heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
