* Daily Herald…

Illinois electric vehicle owners could be reckoning with a new $320 fee or a tax on miles traveled if legislation filed in the state Senate gains traction. […]

Senate Bill 3566 comes as revenues from gas taxes used to fix roads are dwindling with more fuel-efficient cars and electrics. If it passes, EV owners would have two options:

• Pay a $320 annual surcharge on top of existing fees starting July 1, 2027. That registration surcharge will go up annually by the Consumer Price Index starting July 1, 2028.

• Or, join a new road usage charge program that involves reporting mileage driven and paying 1.5 cents a mile effective July 1, 2027. The fee would be capped at $320 a year and annually adjusted by the CPI.

For someone who drives the U.S. average of 13,476 miles a year, the total would be about $202, according to 2022 federal data.

Sen. Villivalam’s bill has been sitting in assignments for almost a month and has no co-sponsors.

* Director of water policy at Prairie Rivers Network Robert Hirschfeld in the Sun-Times…

Illinois is dangerously dry. Decades of policy negligence have left the state unprepared, and the crisis is only beginning.

Last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed parts of 19 Central Illinois counties are suffering from “extreme drought.” That means we’re looking at “major crop/pasture losses, extreme fire danger, widespread water shortages or restrictions,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All of Champaign County, where I live, is in an extreme drought. […]

Historically, Illinois has been water-rich. If anything, our problem has been too much water, evidenced by flooded fields, roads and basements. That abundance bred complacency. The state never updated its water use laws, which remain rooted in English common law from centuries ago. The “reasonable use” rules we still rely on today were literally made for another place and another time, and are not equipped to address the water consumption of a highly industrialized society. […]

The proliferation of data centers has led advocates to draft and introduce the Protecting Our Water, Energy and Ratepayers, or POWER, Act, which would require data centers to disclose their water use and its impact on other users, while also ensuring they pay the true cost of their energy consumption rather than shifting it onto communities. The bill is necessary and urgent. But data centers are just one class of high-capacity users. Even if it passes, every other large withdrawer remains ungoverned. […]

This drought should be ringing alarm bells in Springfield. The emergency is here. And even if rain comes this spring and the drought temporarily eases, the future of water in Illinois looks very different than the past. We’ve had decades of policy negligence. We have to start managing this most essential of resources, and we have to start now.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Youth advocates against substance abuse swarmed the Capitol this week, navigating their way into lawmakers’ offices, sharing their experiences in school and addressing what they viewed as gaps in Illinois’ drug and alcohol regulations.

Brought together by the Illinois Prevention Network – a coalition of organizations working to create safe, healthy and drug-free communities in Illinois – high schoolers canvassed the Capitol on Wednesday in support of bills aimed at reducing and regulating substance use throughout Illinois. […]

Kratom is a plant that’s used as a stimulant and opioid substitute. Currently, it is only regulated by the 2014 Kratom Control Act, which makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase the substance. Five bills currently in House committees seek to amend or replace the act. […]

House Bill 1303 and House Bill 3127 seek to raise the age restriction to 21 and prohibit child-attractive products while imposing a 5% retail tax. House Bill 3215 would create a registration and labeling system for kratom products.

House Bill 3129 would add kratom’s active compounds as Schedule III controlled substances and repeal the existing Kratom Control Act. It would essentially ban the substance in Illinois with the exception of some medical uses. Another bill, House Bill 4930, would take the hardest line, prohibiting the distribution, manufacture and sale of kratom entirely unless they have been approved by the FDA. All five were referred to the House Rules Committee in March, 2025, meaning they all have a long way to go legislatively.

Senate Bill 1570, which is also awaiting a committee assignment, would effectively ban kratom for all individuals, regardless of age. […]

The group also pushed for House Bill 4333, which aims to lower the legal blood-alcohol content limit from 0.08 to 0.05 for DUIs. The bill is awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.

* Press release…

Patients, health care providers, community leaders, and lawmakers from across Illinois gathered today for a powerful 340B ACTION Day at Chicago State University, 9501 South King Drive in Chicago, uniting to celebrate the life-saving impact of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program and to urge lawmakers to protect and strengthen this vital patient lifeline.

Hosted by health care and community leaders from the south side of Chicago, the event highlighted how 340B helps community health centers and safety-net hospitals provide affordable medications and essential services to people who otherwise would go without care. From cancer treatment and chronic disease management to behavioral health, maternal care, and “meds-to-beds” programs that ensure patients leave the hospital with prescriptions in hand, 340B is a cornerstone of Illinois’ health care safety net. […]

“340B affords me the ability to get life sustaining medications, to have a better quality of life and a healthy life overall,” said Perla Herrera, a patient speaker.

Dr. James Brooks, CEO at Lawndale Christian Health Center said that community health centers and safety-net hospitals “all stand together and want to protect 340B.” He then went on to ask House leadership to “call the bill.”

Illinois providers warn that recent actions by pharmaceutical manufacturers are undermining the program by restricting how and where discounted medications can be dispensed. These unilateral limits have already reduced savings for many hospitals and clinics, forcing difficult choices and threatening access for patients in rural, urban, and suburban communities alike.

Advocates praised the Illinois Senate for taking a critical step last spring by advancing SB 2371, legislation designed to protect patient access to 340B medications by preventing manufacturers from interfering with hospitals’ and clinics’ pharmacy partnerships. The bill restores the long-standing structure of the program and ensures that patients can fill prescriptions in their own communities.

* Sen. Darby Hills…

The Senate Child Welfare Committee will hear Senate Bill 2895, filed by Illinois Senator Darby Hills (R-Barrington Hills). The bill creates the Healing Through History Act, which requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide prospective adoptive families with a complete, unredacted copy of a child’s full case record at least 30 days before adoption finalization.

WHO:

Illinois State Senator Darby Hills, Representing the 26th Senate District and Minority Spokesperson for the Child Welfare Committee.

Melissa Khamkhounnavong, Foster Care Advocate and Parent, whose family’s experience inspired the Healing Through History Act.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Illinois State Capitol, Room 409

Sen. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Grayslake), a sponsor of the bill, serves as vice chair of the Senate Child Welfare Committee.

…Adding… Press release…

State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid, State Senator Graciela Guzman, State Representative Anne Stava, fellow lawmakers and sexual abuse survivor advocates today announced legislation to establish the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission (HB5723), an independent, bipartisan investigatory body charged with examining crimes connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s network that occurred in Illinois, targeted Illinois victims, or involved individuals subject to Illinois law.

The Commission would have subpoena authority enforceable in court and the power to refer evidence of criminal violations — including trafficking, racketeering activity, public corruption, and obstruction of justice — to the Illinois Attorney General. The legislation grants the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction and the authority to seek a Statewide Grand Jury — even if local prosecutors decline to participate — ensuring accountability is not blocked at the local level.

“Illinois cannot afford to sit around while the Trump administration obstructs justice,” said Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid. “The Epstein class didn’t just commit crimes — they corrupted the institutions that were supposed to hold them accountable: the courts, the banks, law enforcement, even our universities. For too many powerful people, tolerating violent sex crimes was simply the price of admission to financial networks and sweetheart deals. The Epstein Class have their tentacles in Illinois, and the people of our state have a right to know how far the rot spreads.”

“This isn’t about politics or about any one name,” said Sen. Graciela Guzman. “This is about accountability and due process. We are not going to wait for a Justice Department that is covering up the relationship between Epstein and Trump. Illinois has jurisdiction, Illinois has the will, and as of today, Illinois has a bill to do just that.”

“Imagine what the Epstein survivors have been through,” said Lauren Lehman Carter, an advocate for Epstein survivors and sexual abuse survivors, and a survivor herself. “People have been screaming about wanting justice for children who have been trafficked, but once it turns out that the person who was doing the trafficking and the raping, is not a convenient person to go after, all of sudden they are defending that abuser. They are inflicting greater trauma, not only on the Epstein victims, but on other sexual abuse survivors. We’re not going to shut up. We’re going to hold you accountable.”

“When the federal government stands silent, the states must lead the way; and that’s exactly what Illinois is doing,” said Jane Ruby of the League of Women Voters of Chicago. “These survivors have paid an enormous price to come forward, only to watch those who harmed them walk free. We need more states to follow Illinois’s example: investigate every crime tied to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, rebuild trust in our institutions, and stand up for the rule of law.”

“The rule of law means nothing if it only applies to people without money or connections,” said Rep. Nabeela Syed. “This commission is a test of whether Illinois believes that. This is how a democracy investigates itself: transparently, fairly, and without giving the powerful a veto over the process.”

Key provisions of the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act (HB5723) include:

• Establishes an independent, bipartisan Commission with investigatory authority over crimes committed in Illinois, against Illinois residents, or by public officials or entities subject to Illinois law, including public corruption and potential cover-ups.
• Grants the Attorney General concurrent authority to investigate and prosecute violations of Illinois law arising from matters uncovered by the Commission, and authorizes the Attorney General, upon certification and judicial approval, to seek a Statewide Grand Jury when a statewide nexus exists or when good cause is shown, even if local prosecutors decline to participate.
• Expands eligibility for Statewide Grand Jury proceedings to include trafficking, sexual exploitation, racketeering activity, bribery, official misconduct, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and related offenses.
• Requires regular public hearings and transparent reporting, with appropriate safeguards to protect ongoing investigations and confidential information.
• Ensures survivor participation is voluntary, confidential where requested, and supported through trauma-informed services and whistleblower protections.

* More…

* WAND | IL bill could require 988 info in public buildings, suicide prevention curriculum in health courses: A plan moving in the Capitol could improve access to mental health resources and suicide prevention efforts in Illinois. Sponsors and advocates told reporters in Springfield that the state must do everything possible to save more lives. […] “Suicide prevention requires awareness, education and access to resources, all the things that this bill addresses,” said Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea). Belt said 988 information should be visible in county shelter care homes, daycares, public libraries, colleges, hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. His plan also requires school boards to include age-appropriate suicide prevention curriculum in health courses for students in sixth through 12th grade.

* Rep. Joyce Mason | Mason Introduces Legislation to Build on Childcare Policies: House Bill 5204 establishes that members of the Illinois Early Learning Council appointed by the governor will be parents or caregivers of children who are 5 years of age or younger, ensuring the needs of young families are accurately represented when it comes to improving the lives of Illinois children. House Bill 5373 moves the licensing function to the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood and makes significant updates to create a comprehensive, equitable model for daycare licensing that is safer for families, easier for providers, and anchored in a continuum of quality. House Bill 5099 prioritizes the safety of children by updating the Department of Early Childhood Act, requiring all child care providers to be fingerprinted for criminal history by the Department of Early Childhood. Additionally, the bill allows multiple providers access to an individual’s background check, rather than having to complete a new report for each potential employment opportunity.

* WCIA | Illinois bill aims for better mental health resources for coroners, medical examiners: The law would classify coroners and medical examiners as first responders. This would allow them to utilize mental health counseling without having to pay themselves. It’s something experts in the field think is much needed. “First responders, including coroners and deputy coroners, are at an increased risk of burnout, PTSD, compassion fatigue,” said Grit and Grace owner Jessica McClellan. “We say that we want them to be cool, calm and collected, but if we’re not offering them a space to be cool, calm and collected, they won’t be.”