* Subscribers know more. Press release…

Who: State Representatives Ryan Spain (Peoria), Dan Ugaste (Geneva), and Amy Elik (Alton)

What: After Speaker Welch filed HJRCA 28 on redistricting, House Republicans will highlight Illinois Democrats’ record of gerrymandering and discuss the consequences of their latest proposal.

When: Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 1:30 PM

Where: Capitol Blueroom

* Capitol News Illinois…

Plastic pellets are tiny, white, round objects — about the size of a grain of rice — fabricated at plastic factories. They are the building blocks of plastics manufacturing, but if they make it into waterways, they pose a danger. Kowalski said the pellets can look like food to birds, turtles and fish, and that if they ingest too many of them, they can become ill, starve or be poisoned by the accumulation of toxins from the pellets.

As the hazards they pose become increasingly known, state legislators are seeking to give the Illinois EPA more leeway to attack the problem, which often is traced to spills from factories. Spills are not intentional. But given how light the pellets are, they can easily end up in the state’s waterways, blown by the wind or carried by stormwater.

House Bill 4418 grants the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency emergency rulemaking powers to create “stormwater pollution prevention plan” that specifically addresses plastic pellet spills. The bill directs the IEPA to, within one year of its passing, devise best practices for facilities that produce the pellets.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, recently passed the House 69-33 and awaits action in the Senate.

* Rep. Mary Beth Canty…

With some states increasingly hostile toward bodily autonomy, state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, is fighting to keep personal health information private with the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act, which limits abortion-related medical information from crossing state lines.

On Thursday, this legislation passed the House and will soon be heard in the Senate. […]

To help keep abortion records safe, the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act requires entities that facilitate the electronic exchange of health information, or health information exchanges, to:

· Limit user access to systems containing abortion-related medical information,
· Refrain from sharing this information across state lines,
· Technically segregate information related to abortion services from the rest of a patient’s record, and
· Create the means to automatically disable access to segregated information for out-of-state entities.

The bill also empowers the Attorney General to enforce these requirements with civil penalties, and for private causes of action to be taken by patients who have had their right to privacy violated.

* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…

State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Romeoville, is cleaning up abandoned gas tanks that can leak chemicals into our drinking water and hold back neighborhood development by passing legislation to promote the removal of abandoned, underground storage tanks containing fuel or hazardous chemicals. […]

Avelar’s House Bill 5317 gives cities and towns the ability to step in, clean up these abandoned tanks, and get reimbursed for the cost. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will fund up to five cleanups a year, helping communities tackle sites that would otherwise sit polluted for decades to comply with the requirements of the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program.

Orphan tanks are underground storage tanks that do not have owners or operators and are considered abandoned.

“Across Illinois, old gas stations and abandoned properties still have underground tanks with no owner responsible for cleaning them up, leaving communities stuck with pollution risks and stalled development,” said Avelar. “When tanks leak fuel and waste into our soil and groundwater, they contaminate local ecosystems, water supplies, and ultimately our drinking water. This legislation will help create cleaner neighborhoods, safer water, and transform abandoned properties into spaces that generate jobs and opportunity. It’s a meaningful step toward protecting our communities and future generations.”

This bill has passed out of the House unanimously and goes to the Senate for further consideration.

* Rep. Lisa Davis…

State Representative Lisa Davis, D-Chicago, is highlighting a step toward improving Illinois’ criminal justice system after legislation creating the Emerging Adult Criminal Justice Task Force passed the House. […]

House Bill 5434 creates the Emerging Adult Criminal Justice Task Force within the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. The task force will hold public meetings in different regions across the state while reviewing laws and practices that affect young adults, including pretrial processes, sentencing, corrections, supervision, and reentry. Based on its findings, the group will develop recommendations to improve state laws, policies, and programs, and will submit an initial report by January 31, 2027.

“This task force allows us to hear from communities, review the data, and make informed improvements,” Davis said. “By understanding what’s effective and what isn’t, we can create a system that holds people accountable while also encouraging rehabilitation and making our communities safer.”

The legislation now advances to the Senate for further consideration.

* 25News Now…

Students from K-12 are getting the chance to help choose the state’s official colors, an idea that germinated in Central Illinois.

Elizabeth Austin of Pekin came up with the idea for the Illinois State Colors Project two years ago, and it’s gaining momentum, with help from State Rep. Travis Weaver (R-Edwards).

Public, private, and homeschooled kids are all invited to fill out a survey. […]

“Our hope is that when we get thousands of surveys completed by students, we can go back to the General Assembly, file the legislation and then get a bill passed that reflects the will of the students,” said Weaver.

* More…

* 25News Now | Illinois House passes bill to create abortion access fund: The Illinois House has passed legislation that would create a state-run abortion access fund, shifting oversight of existing insurance-based funds from health insurance companies to the state. HB5408, sponsored by State Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin), would require the Department of Public Health to establish an Abortion Access Fund to award grants providing abortion care services for patients who are underinsured or have no insurance.

* Repairer Drive News | Illinois House passes bill that regulates auto glass claims: The Independent Glass Association (IGA) opposes the bill and warns that it could harm consumers, reduce choice, and further consolidate the auto glass market. “HB 4373 is not about consumer protection, it is about control,” said Gary Hart, IGA executive director, in a press release issued when the bill was introduced. “This bill follows the same NCOIL template that is being promoted nationwide by the Safelite Group and their insurance partners to tighten their grip on the auto glass claims process. It is being sold to lawmakers under the false premise of widespread auto glass fraud, a problem that simply does not exist.” HB4373 requires glass repair shops to notify the insured if their vehicle is ADAS-equipped, whether calibration is necessary, and whether the shop will calibrate to OEM specifications or, instead, send it to a qualified specialist capable of performing the calibration.

* Press release | Mason Passes Bill Establishing Emergency Training Standards at Child Care Centers: House Bill 2190 requires every child care institution to have a minimum of two non-administrative staff members on site that are first aid certified, CPR certified, and Heimlich maneuver certified. Accidents can happen very quickly, especially with young, small children. This bill adds protections for the children and ensures adequate supervision and response times by staff members directly involved with child care. House Bill 2190 is also referred to as “Calum’s Law,” in memory of Calum, a toddler who lost his life in a tragic accident at his child care center. His mother, Felicia Walters, bravely championed this legislation and testified about her family’s loss in Mason’s Child Care Accessibility & Early Childhood Education committee. It is because of her, and her late son Calum, that this bill was brought forth and unanimously passed the House.