* Subscribers know more. CBS Chicago…
The new study from the Cook County Treasurer’s office underlines growing concerns about the impact the [megaproject/Bears bill] could have on the county’s property tax base and overall fiscal health. The study estimates the bill will likely allow the Bears to save tens of millions of dollars in taxes every year, while not guaranteeing the taxes the team does pay will be enough to cover enhanced and needed services.
Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) is one of the lead negotiators behind the megaprojects bill, and his district includes Soldier Field, where the Bears currently play. In a post on X, Buckner said he believes major development deals should be analyzed in a public forum. […]
“With that said; This report is kind of magical,” Buckner wrote. “They’re doing field-of-dreams budgeting: ‘If you kill the bill, the project will still come.’ That’s not analysis. That’s fantasy accounting.”
Buckner wrote that there is no alternative in which the problems the Treasurer’s office is worried about are averted by the Bears paying full property taxes. The alternative to a state deal to facilitate the stadium, he wrote, is the stadium never being built.
* Press release…
State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) released the following statement after introducing House Bill 2335.
“We look forward to the enactment of the transformational reforms and funding in Senate Bill 2111 that will put us on a path to providing a safe, reliable, accessible, and integrated world class public transit system for our entire state. The legislation introduced today consists of technical changes to further streamline the implementation of and provide additional clarity to the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act ahead of its June 1st effective date.”
* Bond Buyer…
[A] bill would allow cash basis accounting rather than the more rigorous Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for municipalities with under $35 million in annual cash receipts.
It would let municipalities classify themselves in the lowest category for which they qualify based on their three previous years of cash receipts, with the lower three of four categories eligible for cash basis accounting rather than GAAP. […]
The Government Reporting Enhancement and Transparency Act, HB 5391, would also sunset the requirement for an annual municipal comptroller’s report showing information such as the bonds and debts payable during the year. For fiscal years ending after Jan. 1, 2028, the municipal comptroller would no longer be required to send a copy of that report to the state comptroller. […]
“We need to hit a strategic pause (on the bill), because we know this is going to take longer, [said Marty Green, vice president of government relations for ICPAS], noting the legislature’s May 31 adjournment date.
* Rep. Bob Morgan this morning…
* NPR Illinois…
Illinois lawmakers are considering a sweeping rewrite of state cannabis regulations aimed at easing financial pressure on dispensaries and preparing for possible federal marijuana policy changes.
Discussed Tuesday during a subject matter hearing before the House Executive Committee, House Bill 5784 would remove a requirement that dispensaries hire third-party security contractors, expand cannabis possession limits and create pathways for hemp businesses to enter Illinois’ regulated cannabis market.
The proposal would also make changes involving medical cannabis access, licensing, testing requirements, taxes, drive-through pickup and social equity business programs. […]
Industry groups generally supported the concept but said negotiations are continuing over amendment language.
* Center Square…
A push to regulate artificial intelligence products in Illinois has taken a major step toward becoming law. The plan, which has broad support from industry leaders, would require transparency and expanded safety measures from many AI companies.
Senate Bill 315, officially known as ‘The Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act,’ would require AI companies such as OpenAI – sometimes referred to as ‘frontier’ AI companies – to conduct and share findings of annual third-party audits and disclose safety incidents to the state.
According to Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, who is carrying the bill in the House, said the bill is nearly the same as measures passed in New York and California. […]
Jeremy Kudon, the director of American Innovators Network, said while the Illinois proposal is similar to the other states, the inclusion of an additional provision requiring third-party audits is nowhere to be seen in other states.
“There is no company in the United States that’s actually accredited or credentialed to audit AI generative models or frontier models,” Kudon said.
* WAND…
Sponsors said the state’s 2019 law legalizing adult-use cannabis created regulations that were necessary at the time but were overly burdensome for many small and social equity cannabis businesses.
House Bill 5784 and Senate Bill 20 could reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens to help those businesses thrive.
The legislation would also address major changes in federal policy surrounding THC.
“If you want to keep selling CBD hemp products, non-intoxicating hemp products, we want to make it as easy as possible to register with the state,” said Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago). “We propose a $200 registration fee. You fill out a form and you can just keep selling these products.” […]
The proposals were heard during two separate subject matter hearings Tuesday. Neither plan received a committee vote.
* WAND…
Decatur leaders are hopeful Illinois lawmakers will pass a bill by Sunday to develop a new horse racing track in Macon County. […]
“Opportunities like this don’t come around every day for Decatur,” said Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe. “While we work really hard to grow our own success stories and make economic development happen, something like this is a game-changer.” […]
State senators passed a plan to create the Decatur racino on a 49-8 vote in October, but that bill has stalled in the House.
“This is a crucial piece of legislation because it creates a unique opportunity for economic benefit in both counties located within the 48th district,” said Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “There is also a commitment for infrastructure upgrades at the Illinois State Fairgrounds that will expand year-round training opportunities while strengthening the entire regional horse racing ecosystem.”
* Sen. Steve Stadelman…
To protect renters from unfair and excessive housing costs, State Senator Steve Stadelman is spearheading legislation that would prevent landlords from passing broker and leasing agent fees onto tenants. […]
Broker and leasing agent fees are common in the rental housing market to compensate agents for marketing properties, showing units, screening applicants and facilitating lease agreements. These fees are often structured as either flat fees or percentages of annual rent and can add thousands of dollars to the cost of securing housing. In many cases, landlords hire brokers to manage rental transactions but require prospective tenants to pay the broker’s commission in addition to application and screening fees.
Senate Bill 329 would prohibit landlords and property owners from requiring tenants or prospective tenants to retain, engage with or pay a fee to a real estate broker or residential leasing agent hired by the landlord. The measure would also prohibit landlords from directing brokers or leasing agents to collect payment from tenants for services performed on behalf of the landlord or property owner. […]
Senate Bill 329 passed the Senate Executive Committee Tuesday and heads to the full Senate.
* Sen. Mike Simmons…
To help communities preserve affordable, accessible housing and protect residents from displacement, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced legislation that would provide tenants with the right-of-first-refusal to purchase their property, specifically with a 90- day notice to tenants from the property owner before accepting or listing a building sale. […]
To help communities preserve affordable, accessible housing and protect residents from displacement, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced legislation that would provide tenants with the right-of-first-refusal to purchase their property, specifically with a 90- day notice to tenants from the property owner before accepting or listing a building sale.
“As housing costs continue to rise and private equity gentrification continues to threaten communities like Edgewater, Rogers Park and all of Illinois, we need practical tools that help keep working families, seniors and long-time residents in the communities they call home,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “This legislation balances the need to expand and preserve housing with strong protections for property owners through the right of first refusal, fair valuation requirements and a transparent acquisition process.”
* Sen. Mattie Hunter…
State Senator Mattie Hunter is leading sweeping legislation that would reform exclusionary zoning laws and open new pathways for affordable, diverse housing across the state. […]
The measure would require local governments across Illinois to allow middle housing – such as duplexes, triplexes, and similar multi-unit buildings – in single-family zoning districts, while giving municipalities the option to set their own design standards – or default to state standards – governing things like building height, setbacks and lot coverage.
All qualifying developments would be required to designate at least 40% of units as affordable for households earning between 80–120% of the area median income. The bill also would allow municipalities to establish Protected Small Rental Housing Areas, where new development cannot displace existing 2–4 unit rental properties unless demolition is municipality-initiated or safety-required, in which case any redevelopment must include at least as many units as were previously on the site.
Illinois, like much of the nation, faces a significant housing shortage driven in large part by decades of restrictive single-family zoning. By legalizing a wider range of housing types in established neighborhoods – near jobs, transit, schools and other services – Hunter’s measure would help lower housing costs, reduce displacement and create more equitable communities throughout the state. […]
Senate Bill 640 passed the Senate Executive Committee Tuesday and heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
For more press releases on legislation and other matters, click here.
- crockett - Wednesday, May 27, 26 @ 9:39 am:
I wonder how the research report from the Treasurer’s Office concluded that Arlington Heights is 38 miles from the City of Chicago.
- Sue - Wednesday, May 27, 26 @ 9:56 am:
“The alternative to a state deal to facilitate the stadium, he wrote, is the stadium never being built.”
Oh, boo hoo hoo.
The former Arlington Park site will not stay vacant. That’s absurd.
- just because - Wednesday, May 27, 26 @ 10:21 am:
After watching Pappas interviewed last night on WGN, it is so obvious that she has drank the same koolaid that the mayor has. Her goal is to tank the bill and thinks that the Bears will stay in Chicago. She thinks that there is another location in the city that they can find to build on but of course she did not state where. Mostly it was just how giving them a tax break in Arlington hts would cause the locals property taxes to rise to make up the short fall. Nothing about how the build up of an entertainment district would make up that short fall with new taxes.