* Politico…

Both House and Senate lawmakers are back at the Capitol this week, and one of the most politically charged debates on the agenda centers on artificial intelligence regulation.

A looming question: Will the state follow the path set by California and New York, or strike out on its own? […]

In the Senate, negotiations are ongoing around a set of bills that aim to create what insiders are calling a “frontier safety” framework — legislation modeled closely on the approaches already adopted in California and New York. The goal is a regulatory structure that aligns Illinois with other large blue states, potentially creating a de facto national standard. […]

Over in the House, lawmakers are advancing multiple bills simultaneously, with subject matter hearings underway this week. State Reps. Daniel Didech, Maura Hirschauer and Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz are carrying those proposals, which address a range of AI issues, including child safety.

* American Innovators Network Executive Director Jeremy Kudon…

The Illinois General Assembly is currently considering a suite of AI bills that aim to address real concerns around AI safety and consumer protection, but the question isn’t whether to find solutions to these concerns—it’s how to do it without crushing the innovators who drive economic growth. […]

Illinois has a chance to join this sensible path. Aligning with California’s and New York’s models would deliver the same consumer protections without creating unnecessary hurdles. Deviating, however, would turn regulation into a compliance puzzle that only deep-pocketed corporations can solve. […]

As Executive Director of the American Innovators Network, I represent some 30 AI and technology startups — what we call “Little Tech.” These companies aren’t the headline-grabbing giants like Anthropic or Meta; they’re the scrappy innovators building tools that revolutionize healthcare, education, and business. From apps that help kids learn to read to platforms streamlining small-business operations, these companies are the future of American innovation.

But right now, they’re at risk — not from market forces, but from well-intentioned but misguided regulations that could drive them out of Illinois. These “Little Tech” companies rarely have a seat at the policy table, which is why AIN exists — to amplify their voices before it’s too late.

* The Electronic Privacy Information Center…

EPIC Counsel Kara Williams testified Monday in support of an Illinois bill that would establish a clear liability framework for chatbot providers.

The bill, H.B. 5044, is based on the liability section of EPIC’s People-First Chatbot Bill. It states that chatbots are products for the purposes of product liability law and establishes that chatbot providers can be held strictly liable for harms their chatbots cause.

“EPIC urges this Committee to advance H.B. 5044 because it is an important step toward accountability for tech companies and justice for people who have suffered severe harm because of these dangerous products,” Williams said in her testimony.

EPIC has supported chatbot bills that include similar provisions in several states and has long advocated for tech accountability.

* HB4557 hasn’t moved in the House yet, but it was heard yesterday in the Judiciary–Civil and Consumer Protection Committee during a subject matter hearing. The synopsis…

Creates the Digital Forgeries in Politics Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery who is an Illinois resident and a candidate for office in this State has a cause of action against any person who knowingly distributes, or enters into an agreement with another person to distribute, a digital forgery if: (1) the distribution occurs within 90 days before a regular election; and (2) the distribution is reasonably likely to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an election. Sets forth exceptions. Allows a court to issue a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction ordering the defendant to cease the display or distribution of the digital forgery. Includes additional awards to a prevailing plaintiff.

ACLU of Illinois is opposed to the bill…

The ACLU of Illinois fully recognizes and appreciates the challenges presented by digital forgeries to our democracy and our understanding of shared facts and a shared reality. But the way in which we meet these challenges should not include suppressing constitutionally protected pollical speech. The bill, in its current form, allows a judge to issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction ordering the defendant to take down or cease distributing the challenged material – before the presentation of evidence that the material is a “digital forgery.”

The First Amendment rarely allows such preemptive orders against speech because of the risk of suppressing speech that is constitutionally protected. And such injunctions are a powerful weapon in the hands of any candidate who wishes to squelch accurate photos and videos that are unflattering to them simply by claiming they are AI forgeries. The bill would more appropriately protect constitutionally protected speech if it provided for a full adjudication on the merits before restricting access to political speech.

We also are concerned that HB 4557 applies too broadly, subjecting average folks to harsh civil penalties under the bill. A more appropriately tailored bill would apply to the distribution of digital forgeries by the sorts of entities that are regulated under campaign finance laws, such as candidate political committees, political party committees, and political action committees and those acting on their behalf.

And finally, the measure makes no exceptions for satire or parody a potent form of political commentary that is constitutionally exempt from defamation and other speech-based torts.

We continue to communicate with the sponsor and supporters of the bill to express these concerns.

* Press release…

Who: State Representatives Jeff Keicher (Sycamore), Dan Ugaste (Geneva), Jennifer Sanalitro (Hanover Park), and Nicole La Ha (Lemont)

What: As lawmakers consider the megaprojects bill and efforts to provide property tax relief, House Republicans will outline their property tax relief agenda to deliver meaningful assistance to working families across Illinois who need it most.

When: Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 10:30 AM

Where: Capitol Blueroom

* ACT Now Illinois…

ACT Now Illinois will hold a press conference on Wednesday, May 6 calling out the escalating crisis for Illinois families as proposed state budget cuts threaten to gut critical afterschool and summer programs. Educators and program directors will underscore the real-world impact of Governor Pritzker’s proposal to slash support for Teen REACH, After School Matters and other out-of-school time programming that working parents and kids depend on. They will also lay out the Illinois State Board of Education’s delay in getting already-appropriated funding out the door, cutting grants short by almost 8 months, meaning programs can’t utilize those dollars in a way that meaningfully benefits the communities they serve.

The press conference will also spotlight ACT Now’s ongoing fight against the federal government’s abrupt cancellation of Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grants, which pulled the rug out from under students mid-year and how the Out-of-School Time for All campaign can stop the hemorrhaging.

The message is clear: Illinois families are being left behind, and it’s time for accountability and action.

WHO:
Susan Stanton, Executive Director of ACT Now Illinois
Sen. Graciela Guzmán, Co-sponsor of HB3081
Dr. Lolita Cleveland, Program Manager of Youth Guidance in Chicago
Rebecca Kinsey, Community School Supervisor of Baby Fold in McLean County
Michael Hannan, Program Director from Alternative Schools Network in Chicago

WHEN:
Wednesday, May 6 at 1 p.m.

WHERE:
Blue Room
Illinois State Capitol
Springfield, IL

Virtual option on ACT Now’s Facebook page

BILL BREAKDOWN:

- HB5362 would appropriate $20 million to the Illinois State Board of Education to fund a grant to ACT Now Illinois to support community schools statewide.
- HB5363 would establish a permanent state grant structure – separate from federal appropriations – issued to ACT Now Illinois through its fiscal sponsor, Metropolitan Family Services, and disbursed to Illinois Community Schools.
- HB3081 would create a statewide OST Advisory Council to strengthen coordination, access and long-term sustainability.
- HB3082 would ensure full state funding for afterschool programming.

* WRAM…

A major part of work being done with the Illinois Funeral Directors Association is reviewing bills that come into the Illinois House or Senate to make sure that when they are presented in Springfield the language is correct for not only the funeral service, but the families. President and local funeral home Owner Trevor Davies informs House Bill 4525 has been evolving in legislation:

“House Bill 4525, which is the Human Composting Bill, it is called NOR, Natural Organic Reduction; this is one that did pass the House, but is in the Senate. It is still working on implementation and regulatory details, those are all still evolving. We are just kind of keeping an eye on that and seeing where that goes,” says Davies.

“NOR is something that has been legalized in several states. It is really another form of disposition. We have burial, we have cremation, we have aquamation; you’re placing the body in a vessel and adding organic materials. Those things create a balance of the right environment for natural decomposition. When the process is completed, the family is left to decide what to do with that compost material,” Davies adds.

* More…

* NBC Chicago | New menopause legislation aims to expand coverage, workplace protections in Illinois: If signed into law, the bill would require the Department of Public Health to make educational materials about symptoms and evidence-based treatment options available to the public, and voluntary educational resources available to support clinicians. Fewer than 20% of primary care doctors receive formal training in menopause, according to the nonprofit organization the Menopause Society.