* WGN…

State Rep. Brad Stephens (R-IL 20th), who also serves as Mayor of Rosemont, met with other House Republicans on Wednesday, along with Deputy Gov. Andy Manar and members of Gov. JB Pritzker’s staff on Wednesday to discuss the future of the Bears’ mega-projects bill, also known as the PILOT bill [HB910].

“I’ve been able to work together with various stakeholders, putting real estate deals together, and, you know, making sure that they’re good for both the government side of things and the people that are making the investment,” Stephens said. “I think that we want to make sure that this is right. That it’s not just a handover of a bunch of cash to a professional football team.”

Stephens hopes to sway more GOP votes for a stadium deal in Arlington Heights to prevent the Bears from moving to Indiana. The stall in support behind legislation in Illinois has paved the way for a stadium to be built in Hammond.

Illinois House Bill 910 (HB910) would give the Bears tax certainty, allowing the team to negotiate a special payment-in-lieu-of-property taxes (PILOT) for at least 20 years at the Arlington Park Racecourse site in the northwest suburbs. So far, the bill has yet to meet a 60-vote threshold to bring HB910 to the house floor for a vote. […]

“I think that the language has got to be right to be able to garner enough votes to get it across the finish line,” Stephens said. “That’s first and foremost. But it’s got to be crafted in a way where it makes sense for both government and the private investor.”

* Subscribers know more. WIRED…

Anthropic has come out against a proposed Illinois law backed by OpenAI that would shield AI labs from liability if their systems are used to cause large-scale harm, like mass casualties or more than $1 billion in property damage.

The fight over the bill, SB 3444, is drawing new battle lines between Anthropic and OpenAI over how AI technologies should be regulated. While AI policy experts say that the legislation has only a remote chance of becoming law, it has nonetheless exposed political divisions between two leading US AI labs that could become increasingly important as the rival companies ramp up their lobbying activity across the country.

Behind the scenes, Anthropic has been lobbying state senator Bill Cunningham, SB 3444’s sponsor, and other Illinois lawmakers to either make major changes to the bill or kill it as it stands, according to people familiar with the matter. In an email to WIRED, an Anthropic spokesperson confirmed the company’s opposition to SB 3444 and said it has held promising conversations with Cunningham about using the bill as a starting point for future AI legislation. […]

Representatives for Cunningham did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Illinois governor JB Pritzker sent the following statement: “While the Governor’s Office will monitor and review the many AI bills moving through the General Assembly, governor Pritzker does not believe big tech companies should ever be given a full shield that evades responsibilities they should have to protect the public interest.”

* Tribune…

A coalition of unions representing workers from bus drivers to construction workers converged on the statehouse Tuesday to lobby against legislation that would create pilot programs for driverless vehicles in Chicago and other parts of Illinois, calling the legislative effort the start of “a major domino effect against the middle class.”

The coalition, which includes the Teamsters, Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor, raised concerns about the bill, saying they fear it could jeopardize public safety and the jobs of some or all of its hundreds of thousands of workers with problematic technology. […]

The bill hasn’t gained any traction, however, remaining stuck in the House Rules Committee, which means it’s unclear whether it’s going to advance through the legislative process anytime soon. Other bills that would regulate these pilot programs also remain in limbo. […]

[Mayor Brandon Johnson’s] office also indicated the city would oppose any automated-vehicle legalization efforts that would prohibit Chicago from regulating self-driving cars on its own.

* Yesterday, Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson sent out this letter to members of the Chicago Board of Education…

Dear Members of the Chicago Board of Education:

In light of concerns raised about HB4416, a bill that aims to extend unemployment benefits to non- instructional employees of public schools during the summer months when school is not in session, the Civic Federation has reviewed the bill and its potential impacts.

The Federation is deeply concerned about the adverse consequences this bill would have for school districts statewide, especially Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The Federation does not object to the goal of providing unemployment benefits to seasonal school district employees during the summer. However, it emphatically opposes any unfunded mandates to local governments, including school districts. This bill could impose hundreds of millions of dollars in costs on Illinois school districts without providing them with commensurate funding. Many school districts operate tightly balanced budgets with few options for additional revenue, and some are likely to be driven into fiscal crisis by the sudden addition of substantial costs.

For Chicago Public Schools, this bill could add annual costs of up to $100 million. However, CPS cannot simply raise additional revenue to match this new cost. As a non-home rule government, the only major tax CPS has the authority to levy is the property tax, which is subject to an annual cap under State law. Moreover, due to longstanding fiscal pressures, CPS already raises its property taxes by the maximum amount allowed by State law each year. Most of the District’s remaining revenue comes from the State or the federal government. Thus, CPS would have no way to raise new revenue to meet the otherwise unfunded obligations imposed by this legislation.

With no available revenue options, CPS would likely be forced to offset these new costs with curricular and classroom cuts, directly harming students. This would likely mean reductions in staffing and cuts to programming and services for students. CPS already faces a significant structural budget deficit that will force it to make difficult decisions in its coming fiscal year, even without this added burden. The same story is true in many other school districts throughout Illinois.

The Civic Federation urges the Chicago Board of Education to work in coordination with other school districts to oppose HB4416. The Board and other districts should call on the Illinois General Assembly to refrain from passing any unfunded mandates and making any decisions that make precarious financial situations worse for CPS and school districts throughout Illinois.

* WAND…

State representatives passed a plan Tuesday to address youth who are repeat gun offenders. […]

This bill would require probation agencies to conduct an assessment of the minor’s needs and identify restorative justice programs for high-risk youth, cognitive behavioral therapy, family engagement and mentoring options.

“Without this help and without the services that are provided through this legislation, the direction of their life is not going to be a positive one,” said Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights). “We believe that we can help some kids with this version.”

House Bill 4091 passed unanimously out of the House and now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

* More…

* Eye On Illinois: House endorses prison mail bill as DOC touts tablet-based education: On April 9, the House voted 101-0 to approve House Bill 4235. In addition to a provision ensuring there can’t be additional fees for sending items into or out of prison, the bill also would bar DOC itself from generating any revenue on communications services, according to Restore Justice, which notes other states charge printing fees. The bill doesn’t address the barrier between inmates and the original mail, nor does it resolve all questions about the vendor supplying tablets – free to the state but prisoners pay to access entertainment and communication services. DOC’s glowing education release stands in stark contrast to inmates who just want to hold a birthday card from a child or parent, but along with HB 4235’s broad support, it does foster optimism for commitments to prepare inmates for healthy returns to society.

* Press release | Grasse Legislation Easing Pathway to Marriage for People who are Physically Impaired Passes the House: House Bill 4508 amends the Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to allow eligible individuals to apply for a marriage license remotely or have a clerk come to them with medical authorization. The bill builds on policies first used during the COVID-19 pandemic and removes unnecessary barriers for people already facing profound challenges. This legislation passed the House on Tuesday and will soon be heard in the Senate.

* WAND | IL Senate unanimously passes bill protecting domestic violence survivors from digital harassment: The plan would update the state’s definition of harassment to include conduct like doxxing, electronic tracking, repeated surveillance and digitally altered sexual images. Sponsors said the bill also allows survivors to request a remote order of protection hearing so they don’t have to be in the same room as their abuser. “Abusers often use technology to stalk, monitor and maintain control over their victims,” said Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Waukegan). “That is why we must empower survivors by allowing them to use the court to hold their abusers to account.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Will this be the year the state legislature approves a cellphone ban in schools?: An amendment to Senate Bill 2427, which passed the Illinois House Education Committee unanimously on March 25, would require all Illinois public and charter schools to adopt policies restricting student use of cellphones, tablets and other devices during class time. The bill still needs approval from the full House, where it’s not subject to a Friday deadline for final action, because a previous version already passed the Senate 55-0 last year. Because it was amended in the House, however, the Senate will need to approve the amended version before it can head to Gov. JB Pritzker, who’s been pushing for the measure for two years.

* WAND | IL House passes bill requiring diaper ingredients transparency for consumers: This bill requires each package or box of diapers sold in Illinois to include a printed list of all ingredients for consumers. Sponsors said the Attorney General or state’s attorneys could enforce this change and collect civil penalties from companies that violate the policy. “We will be having a runoff period for packaging currently on the shelves,” said Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl (D-Northbrook). “The order that the ingredients [are] listed is from most to least with the exception that the very small 1% elements can be whatever order, as it becomes hard to distinguish at that level.”

* WAND | IL bill requiring insurance coverage for preventative heart scans heads to Senate: The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services initially opposed the bill due to the potential cost for state employee health insurance coverage. However, the current language exempts state employee insurance from the mandate. “If the cost was significant enough that the state cannot absorb it within its own health plan, it raises important affordability concerns for those in the marketplace as well,” said Kate Morthland from the Illinois Life & Health Insurance Council.

* Press release | Villivalam advances measure through Senate to ensure townships may provide additional food assistance to residents: Senate Bill 3565 would allow townships to use funding received and collected for public aid to establish and administer food banks as well as pantries for people who are in need – regardless of their eligibility for general assistance. This would ensure that townships can continue to provide aid to residents, despite federal eligibility requirements for equivalent or similar programs, and that they can continue to invest funding into these services.