* National Association of Social Workers - Illinois…

The Illinois primary is over, and the good news is that crypto companies, online gambling giants, and social media platforms are apparently doing just fine.

Fairshake, the PAC backed by Coinbase, Ripple Labs, and Andreessen Horowitz, spent more than $10 million in Illinois races, including a single $10 million push to defeat one Senate candidate. DraftKings and FanDuel’s PAC spent $2.5 million across 10 Chicago-area state legislative races. Meta’s PAC threw in hundreds of thousands more. Total outside spending in Tuesday’s primary topped $50 million. In a primary.

These are not struggling industries. These are industries spending lavishly to make sure the people writing Illinois tax law stay friendly. So, General Assembly, here is NASW-Illinois’s humble suggestion: raise their taxes and fund school social workers with the revenue.

The logic is not complicated. The same social media platforms profiting off teen anxiety and the same gambling apps targeting young adults are now funding campaigns to make sure nobody in Springfield makes them pay for the damage. Most Illinois schools do not have a single licensed mental health professional for the general population of students. The youth mental health crisis is only getting worse, and thanks to Tuesday’s primary, we finally know which industries have the money to help fix it.

These industries have made abundantly clear they have money to spare. The General Assembly has the power to redirect some of it toward the kids paying the price. Using tax revenue from the industries creating this problem to hire school social workers is, frankly, the least they can do.

Apparently finding money for school based mental health is hard. Finding $50 million to influence a primary is not. The General Assembly should correct that imbalance and raise taxes on these industries to fund school social workers

* WTVO…

Illinois lawmakers are working to sharply restrict how police and other law enforcement use biometric technology, a bill that privacy advocates say could become one of the strongest surveillance-limiting laws in the country.

House Bill 5521, introduced by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, creates the Illinois Biometric Surveillance Act, which would prevent law enforcement from accessing, obtaining, or using any biometric identification system.

Under the bill, law enforcement agencies would be prohibited not only from using biometric tools directly but also from partnering with outside vendors, government entities, or federal agencies to obtain biometric data. […]

The bill would also amend the Illinois Identification Card Act and the Illinois Vehicle Code, preventing the Secretary of State from using facial-recognition search services except for when verifying someone’s identity to issue a mobile driver’s license or ID.

* WTVO…

Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33rd) introduced HB4737, the Illinois Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which would create statewide standards for labeling, testing, and selling kratom products. The bill would also repeal the state’s existing Kratom Control Act and replace it with significantly stronger consumer protections.

Under the proposal, kratom retailers would be prohibited from selling any product intended for ingestion if it contains:

- More than 2% 7‑hydroxymitragynine in its alkaloid composition,
- Synthetic kratom compounds,
- Any controlled substance,
- Products marketed in ways “attractive to children,”
- Or forms that are combustible, injectable, or designed for vaporization. […]

Violations would carry penalties ranging from civil fines of $5,000 to $10,000, escalating to a two‑year ban from selling kratom after multiple offenses. Sales to anyone under 21 would become a misdemeanor, while selling kratom mixed with a controlled substance could result in a Class 4 felony.

HB4737 has been assigned to the House Cannabis & Intoxicating Products Subcommittee.

* Center Square…

An Illinois proposal would require shelters and rescues to register pet microchips in a national database before dogs and cats are adopted.

Microchips are already a standard requirement for pets adopted from shelters and rescue organizations in Illinois. Animals must be implanted with a microchip before leaving the facility, and adopters typically pay the cost as part of the adoption fee. […]

The bill’s most debated provision would bar shelters from adopting out dogs previously deemed dangerous by animal control or ruled vicious by a court. Opponents have largely focused their concerns on that restriction. […]

Lawmakers advanced the bill from committee with the understanding that supporters and opponents would work on possible amendments.

* Canary Media…

Illinois could soon follow in the footsteps of Utah and Virginia with a law allowing plug-in solar arrays, often called ​“balcony solar.”

A bill that would make it simpler to install plug-in solar passed out of the state legislature’s Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee on March 12. It’s now scheduled for a hearing in the full Senate, and a House committee on utilities is also considering the bill. Advocates are hopeful that the measure will pass both Democratic-controlled chambers this legislative session, which runs through the end of May, and then be signed by the state’s Democratic governor, JB Pritzker. […]

Despite the fast-growing enthusiasm for plug-in solar, some bills, like one in Wyoming, have failed. Utilities have raised safety concerns, such as danger to lineworkers if the arrays don’t shut off during power outages and continue sending electricity onto the grid, or a home’s electric system becoming overloaded. […]

In Illinois, utilities have thus far not raised opposition. ComEd spokesperson David O’Dowd said the utility does not have a position on the bill. Ameren did not respond to a request for comment.

* WAND…

A bill moving in the Capitol could increase awareness of agriculture education programs.

The Illinois State Board of Education would be required to submit a report on the status and availability of ag education programs on or before March 1, 2027. […]

This bill passed unanimously out of the House Education Policy Committee and now moves to the House floor.

Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is the sponsor of the same bill in her chamber. Senate Bill 3226 passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee March 3 and awaits further action.

* Fox Chicago…

Former Chicago Bulls All Star Joakim Noah stood alongside community leaders Thursday to push state legislation aimed at expanding housing support for people returning from prison, arguing stable housing can shape whether someone successfully rebuilds their life.

Advocates with the Home for Good Coalition gathered at the National Public Housing Museum to raise awareness of the proposal, which would increase funding for rental assistance and wraparound reentry services across Illinois.

Supporters say the timing matters. Some housing programs already exist, but strict funding limits cap how many people they can help. As more people leave prison each year, advocates say the gap between need and available support continues to grow. […]

Advocates say the legislation would expand rental subsidies and strengthen partnerships between housing providers and service organizations. Supporters argue that could help stabilize people during the critical months after release, when recidivism risks are often highest.

* WAND…

A new bill in Springfield could ban the sale of DIY machine guns in Illinois.

The proposal would prohibit the future sale of semi-automatic handguns that can be easily converted into fully automatic weapons using switches. […]

“It’s not just about Chicago. We’re seeing these incidents all throughout the state,” said Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago). “In 2023, a 19-year-old outside of East St. Louis was charged with illegally trafficking switches from China to St. Clair County. In Peoria, teenagers have been arrested for possessing and trafficking 3D printed switches.” […]

House Bill 4471 is assigned to the House Firearm Violence Prevention Committee. The deadline to pass House bills out of committee is March 27.