* Daily Herald…

Once welcomed in the suburbs, potential operators are seeing greater pushback from residents and industry critics concerned about the impacts on water and electricity utilities as well as the role of data centers in artificial intelligence.

For instance, Aurora recently put new regulations on data center locations, along with noise and utility use thresholds after a six-month moratorium on approvals. […]

Illinois Senate Bill 4016, known as the Power Act, came shortly after a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists that suggests legislation to promote clean energy sources to meet the rising electricity demand from data centers. It also argues data centers should cover their effect on the electrical grid. […]

“The concern generally is that there are no regulations,” [Alison Lindburg, Aurora’s director of sustainability,] said. “I think the public is starting to catch up. I think people are starting to see real impacts.”

The new regulations haven’t scared away developers. Two companies have expressed confidence they will meet the new standards, she noted.

* Tribune…

While supporters say the proposal would make it harder for criminals to obtain fully automatic firepower, gun rights advocates are already lining up to counter that it unfairly punishes manufacturers for the actions of people who illegally modify weapons.

The legislation focuses largely on Glock-style pistols, said Alison Shih, senior counsel for Everytown for Gun Safety. Compared with other brands, Glocks and similarly designed firearms are particularly prone to being manipulated with machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto-sears” — small devices attached to the back of handguns that transform them into automatic weapons. With “15 minutes and common household tools,” Shih said, a person can convert a semiautomatic pistol into one capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. […]

In addition to Glock, pistols with a cruciform trigger bar — including the Palmetto State Armory Dagger and the Ruger RXM — would need to be redesigned, according to Everytown spokesperson Isabel Aptman. Most major manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson and Taurus, would not be affected because their designs are more difficult to modify.

The proposal would not require Illinois residents who already own such firearms to give them up. Manufacturers and gun shops could sell existing inventory to licensed out-of-state buyers or to those exempt from the ban, including prison officials, nuclear facility security personnel, members of the state or federal National Guard and current and former law enforcement officers.

* Press release…

On Wednesday, April 8 at 12pm, hundreds of community leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business representatives, consumer groups, students, and state legislators will rally in the Rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol Building to urge state lawmakers to pass the POWER Act, Wetlands Protection Act, and Polystyrene Foam Foodware Ban.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 12:00pm CT

WHAT: Environmental Lobby Day rally

WHERE: Rotunda, Illinois State Capitol, 401 S. 2nd St. Springfield, IL 62756 and live-streamed via facebook.com/ilenviro/live_videos.

* House Republicans…

In an interview with Politico, House Speaker Chris Welch once again tried to blame Washington for Illinois’ fiscal failures instead of taking responsibility for the Democrat policies that have made our state’s outlook worse.

If Speaker Welch wants to know why Illinois is facing budget trouble, he doesn’t need to look any further than his own party’s record in Springfield. Governor Pritzker has proposed yet another record-setting state budget at $56 billion, after signing a $55 billion budget last year that included more than $700 million in new taxes and fees.

And when the state had an opportunity last year to show restraint, Democrats chose politics over priorities. Speaker Welch helped direct $40 million
to his former high school. While Democrat pork projects ran wild, not a single dollar went to Republican districts.

Now, according to Politico, Speaker Welch says Democrats want to focus on lowering the cost of living, including “gas, groceries, rent, mortgages,” and are reviewing legislation that “helps bring costs down.”

That is welcome news, because House Republicans have already introduced real proposals to do exactly that. Representative Ryan Spain has filed HB 5738 to suspend the state sales tax on gas and HB 1383 to implement “No Tax on Tips” in Illinois. If Democrats are serious about lowering costs, those bills should be at the top of their list.

The problem is that while Republicans are offering solutions to Illinois’ affordability crisis, Democrats keep making things worse.

The bills mentioned above have not made it out of committee.

* WAND…

The Illinois House could vote on a bill this month to increase access to behavioral healthcare by requiring insurance companies to expand coverage.

Insurers currently shift the cost for mental health crisis services onto Medicaid and taxpayers, resulting in avoidable emergency room visits, hospitalizations, or involvement with the criminal justice system. Although some lawmakers believe Illinois should adopt an annual fee on health insurance companies to help sustain critical services.

Sponsors said that money would go directly into the state’s 988 trust fund. […]

The plan passed out of the Human Services Committee last month on an 8-4 vote. House Bill 4785 now awaits action on the House floor before the deadline to pass bills on third reading April 17.

* Capitol News Illinois…

For the last year, legislators in Springfield have been trying to work through a variety of issues raised by skeptics of the autonomous vehicles, known as AVs. Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said AV legislation has a long road ahead to address constituent concerns over safety, insurance and job losses for rideshare and cab drivers. […]

Labor lobbyist groups are at the forefront of opposition to Waymo, arguing that automation will threaten driver and laborer jobs.

Ronnie Gonzalez, a representative of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said it’s vital that labor is part of the conversation before any legislation is passed.

“In labor, throughout the industrial revolution, we’ve been watching technology replace workers year after year, and it’s only sped up in the recent decade,” Gonzalez said. “The realization is it’s going to happen, so having a seat at the table lobbying for legislation that implements the use of autonomous vehicles responsibly, that is mindful of workers, mindful of safety, is what labor is pushing for.”

His association is part of the Illinois Drivers Alliance, a coalition of thousands of rideshare drivers across the state fighting for unionization. He said he hopes to engage in conversations with Buckner about specifics in the bill.

“We are still in the negotiation phase,’’ Buckner said, “walking and talking through what the issues may be, what the concerns may be, and trying to find a way to arrive at a version of this bill that works for everybody.”

* WAND…

A bill moving in the Illinois House could require the collection and public reporting of demographic data for people in Illinois prisons and county jails.

Sponsors said lawmakers, state agencies and the public should have accurate and consistent information when making decisions about criminal justice policy, corrections funding and public safety programs. […]

“This bill also makes clear that implementation is subject to appropriation,” said Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago). “It protects personal privacy and allows the department to develop reporting templates to reduce burden on local facilities.”

The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association opposes the idea, as they argue it would be another unfunded mandate for county jails.