* Crain’s…

Unable to secure a veto-proof majority in Chicago’s City Council, a coalition led by the Illinois Restaurant Association seeking to freeze the city’s phaseout of the subminimum wage for tipped workers has opened another front in Springfield.

On the same day Mayor Brandon Johnson signed a veto of the City Council ordinance approved last week that would pump the brakes on one of his signature legislative wins, state lawmakers advanced a bill that could pre-empt the city’s ability to regulate wages for tipped workers.

The bill is far from certain to be approved by the full General Assembly and will likely face legal questions if it does, but it would grant the right to regulate the wage of tipped workers to the state.

Progressive Democrats opposed the bill as it advanced out of the House Labor & Commerce Committee in a 22-4 vote, signaling a difficult fight ahead.

The Illinois Restaurant Association…

The Illinois Restaurant Association released the following statement after the House Labor and Commerce Committee approved House Bill 4263, which would prohibit municipalities from passing any ordinance regulating tips, including the elimination of the tip credit.

“We commend the Committee for advancing House Bill 4263, a critical measure that will provide consistency and stability for restaurants and tipped workers across Illinois.

The numbers don’t lie. In municipalities across the country, efforts to eliminate the tip credit have consistently led to lower take-home pay for workers and higher costs for restaurants and consumers. Chicago is the latest example, where the City Council voted to reverse course after less than two years due to rising business closures and job losses. Illinois law already guarantees that every tipped employee earns at least the full minimum wage, with the median tipped restaurant worker in Illinois earning $28.48 per hour—well above the state’s minimum wage.

Protecting the tip credit preserves the earning potential of tipped employees, allowing them to continue benefiting from a system that consistently delivers strong take-home pay. It helps keep menu prices stable, supports job growth, and reduces financial strain on small and independent business owners. We thank bill sponsor Rep. Curtis Tarver and the bill’s co-sponsors for their leadership and commitment to advancing this important legislation,” said Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association.

* Illinois Education Association…

HB 4416, the Unemployment Equity Act sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D-33), passed the House Labor Committee. This is a critical step forward in ensuring frontline, public education workers are eligible to receive unemployment when school is not in session.

“The Unemployment Equity Act is about fairness and justice for all workers by ending the practice of treating one class of workers as less deserving,” said Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “These non-instructional workers are on the front lines every day—getting our kids to school, making sure they have a hot meal at lunch, and keeping classrooms clean and safe. Yet each summer, they are forced to scrape together pennies to get by because they don’t have the unemployment insurance safety net like other workers who are out of work through no fault of their own.” […]

Every summer, thousands of support staff in Illinois public schools and universities are left without a paycheck and access to unemployment insurance. Providing unemployment during the summer months to these employees creates parity with workers doing the exact same work in the private sector. […]

Support staff eligible include school bus drivers, special education classroom assistants, paraprofessionals, lunchroom workers, security guards, janitors, crossing guards and all others in a supportive role in our public schools and universities. […]

These predominantly Black, Latine, and women workers are among the lowest paid in Illinois’ public education system and, unlike almost any other worker in the state, are not covered under the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act. […]

The legislation will now head to the House for a full vote.

* WTTW…

Currently, it’s a toss-up how judges interpret a line in an Illinois state statute that states any “prisoner” engaged in certain programming, like substance abuse or educational classes, can earn time off their sentence via sentence credit.

Some judges understand the word “prisoner” to mean all incarcerated people, both those serving a sentence in prison or pretrial in jail, are eligible to earn credit. Others take the phrase literally, and do not think those who are not actually in prison are eligible to earn credit after a program’s completion.

A pair of Illinois bills seeks to clarify the language in that statute, aiming to ensure that after program completion, judges can issue sentence credit, whether it was completed in a state prison or a county jail. […]

The bill, introduced by state Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), passed out of the Senate’s Criminal Law Committee earlier in March. The companion bill introduced by state Rep. Norma Hernandez (D-Melrose Park) passed out of the House Judiciary’s Criminal Committee on Tuesday. Ellman said she had never introduced any criminal justice-related bills before, but became concerned with the issue after visits to Stateville Correctional Center and other facilities.

* Crain’s…

Illinois representatives passed out of committee a bill that would establish a board to set price limits for expensive prescription drugs. But rather than advance to the House floor for a vote, the bill will be yo-yoed back into committee as legislators continue hashing out details amid pushback from Big Pharma.

The legislation is one of a number of health care-related bills pending in Springfield this session, some of which are pitting providers against pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Yesterday, eight democrats on the Health Care Availability & Accessibility Committee voted to pass HB 1443 to the full house, with four republican representatives voting against passing it out of committee. […]

[Rep. Nabeela Syed] said committee Chair Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Romeoville, was concerned there were a number of questions about the bill, so it should return to committee before facing any House vote.

* WAND…

The Illinois House Education Policy Committee unanimously approved a statewide school cell phone ban Wednesday morning.

This bill could require school districts to adopt policies to ensure students do not use their cell phones during class time in a way that meets the needs of their own community.

Districts would need to allow exceptions for high school students, children fulfilling an IEP, emergencies, student health, or when the device is used for translation services. […]

Senate Bill 2427 now moves to the House floor for further consideration.

* WCSJ…

A piece of legislation called the Solar Powered Road Signs Pilot Program Act filed by State Representative Jason Bunting was passed out of a house committee this week.

Bunting said House Bill 2630 requires the Department of Transportation to develop a pilot program to test the use of solar powered LED road signs in five counties.

Bunting said the LED lighting would be used on warning signs to give drivers a better chance of seeing what is coming up.

Bunting said the bill is a constituent concern, first brought to the representative in January of 2025 following an accident that was avoidable. The bill now heads to the House floor for consideration.

* Politico…

HIV/AIDS advocates say Illinois could lose ground in its fight against the virus as funding pressures build at both the state and federal levels.

State Sen. Mike Simmons joined other lawmakers and the AIDS Foundation Chicago in Springfield on Wednesday to back Senate Bill 2814 and House Bill 4410, which would increase support for prevention, treatment and housing.

“I reject any reduced quality of life for someone living with HIV/AIDS,” Simmons said in a statement, stressing the need to stay on track toward zero new diagnoses by 2030.

The push comes as Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed cutting more than $1 million from HIV programs, including prevention efforts and access to the HIV prevention medication PrEP, as part of a tighter state budget. Advocates for maintaining current funding levels say it’s a “perfect storm” of flat federal funding, possibly decreasing state funding, rising care costs and possible Medicaid changes.

* Sun-Times…

Under a bill that moved out of an Illinois House committee Wednesday, new immigration detention centers would be prohibited within 1,500 feet of schools, churches, day care centers, cemeteries, public parks, forest preserves, private residences and public housing.

Testifying in support of the legislation was House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, both of whom represent the Broadview area, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center played a major role in Operation Midway Blitz last fall. The bill got broad support from Democrats, but was unanimously opposed by Republicans. […]

Welch noted that within 1,500 feet of the Broadview facility, there are two day care centers, a park, a place of worship and several private residences. The bill would not close the current Broadview center. […]

The bill awaits votes in both the House and Senate. Several committee members asked to be added as co-sponsors to the bill.

* Press release…

At 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, State Senator Rachel Ventura, State Representative Daniel Didech, and clean energy advocates will hold a press conference to urge passage of the Plug-In Illinois Act – legislation that enables plug-in solar in Illinois (SB3104/HB4524). At a time when electricity bills are rising, Illinois can’t afford to let affordable clean energy solutions like plug-in solar get sidelined, and this legislation ensures Illinois families have access to safe plug-in solar units without having to navigate red tape.

WHEN: Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. CT

WHAT: Press conference in support of the Plug-In Illinois Act (SB3104/HB4524)

WHERE: Blue Room, Illinois State Capitol Building

* The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) today released the following statement regarding HB3762, which creates widespread liability concerns for employers related to temperature thresholds:

“The health and safety of employees is the greatest priority for manufacturers, as their success relies on a strong, skilled workforce. While well-intentioned, this legislation creates an unworkable model and introduces uncertainty for businesses navigating Illinois’ often unpredictable weather conditions. The bill also exposes businesses to new legal liabilities that will make it more difficult for manufacturers to operate and grow in Illinois,” said Donovan Griffith, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “We urge lawmakers to reject this proposal, as businesses continue to face growing regulatory and cost pressures that threaten to hamper economic growth and investment.”