* ICYMI: Illinois proposes lowering scores students need to be deemed proficient on state tests. Chalkbeat Chicago…

- Under the proposed changes, 53% of students would be considered proficient in English language arts, 38% would be proficient in math, and 45% would be in science, according to a presentation shared by state education officials Tuesday. Last year, 41% of students were proficient in English language arts, 28% were proficient in math, and 53% were in science.
- On the ACT, a college entrance exam all Illinois high schoolers must take, juniors would need to score an 18 in English language arts and a 19 in math and a 19 in science to be labeled as proficient. In the past, students needed to score a 540 on the SAT in both math and English languages arts.
- Illinois is not the only state to change the cut scores of its standardized tests. States such as Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Alaska, and New York have made similar adjustments to their assessment systems, according to a report by The 74.

* Related stories…

∙ CNI: State education board to vote on new test scoring system
∙ Sun-Times: Illinois wants to lower the bar for passing state tests, saying the standard is unfair to students
∙ Tribune: Illinois students could see new testing standards with proposed state board revisions

* Governor Pritzker will be at the Orr Building at 11 am for a naturalization oath ceremony, at the Director’s Lawn at 12:30 pm for Governor’s Day, and will wrap up the day at the Coliseum at 4:30 pm for the Governor’s Sale of Champions. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WGLT | First major public defense reform in decades awaits governor’s pen: The Funded Advocacy and Independent Representation [FAIR] Act establishes a statewide public defender’s office aimed at providing relief, oversight and independence for public defenders. “The right to an attorney is not just the right to a warm body in court, but the right to a meaningful defense,” said Stephanie Kollmann, policy director of the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

* Tribune | Anjanette Young ordinance slated for vote — without no-knock warrant ban: Instead the Anjanette Young ordinance, named after the Black social worker who police handcuffed and left naked in her home while serving a warrant at the wrong address, will require cops to wait 30 seconds before entry. It’s a compromise accepted by both Young and her main council ally, Ald. Maria Hadden, one that reflects the shift in the political climate since demand for police accountability reached a fever pitch during the Black Lives Matter movement that exploded in 2020.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | State Senator Mary Edly-Allen Announces Candidacy for 10th District State Central Committeewoman: State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (Grayslake),  proudly announces her candidacy for the open seat for State Central Committeewoman for Illinois’ 10th Congressional District. A lifelong advocate for Democratic values, Senator Edly-Allen brings over 25 years of experience living, working, and organizing in the district she calls home. For nearly two years, Edly-Allen has served as the President of Lake County Democratic Women (LCDW) and has led with energy, vision, and purpose.  She has worked hard mentoring, supporting, and helping elect a new generation of strong Democratic candidates to local offices across the 10th Congressional District and throughout Lake County. Her leadership has revitalized local engagement and strengthened the Democratic bench.

* Journal-Topics | State Rep. Moylan Gearing Up For 7th And Final Term: One of the primary reasons he wants to serve for another two years is to work on completion of the Chicago area’s mass transit funding bill. Moylan explained that he has been working on that legislation for the last year. While a proposed bill could be approved in the November General Assembly Veto Session, it’s unlikely because it would require a larger than usual number of votes in favor. After January, the number of votes required for passage is 60, said Moylan.

* Evanston Now | Hanley officially kicks off bid for state senate: Hanley, an environmental activist, business owner and political organizer who co-founded Operation Swing State last year, announced Tuesday night his name will officially be on next March’s ballot after receiving enough signatures exactly one week after petitioning kicked off. The biggest name backing Hanely is U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who is retiring from Congress at the end of her term. Over a dozen Democrats, including Fine, are vying to replace her in Washington.

* Tribune | In Illinois, Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries says affordability could be key message for the midterms: “Housing costs are too high. Grocery costs are too high. Utility costs are too high. Insurance costs are too high. Child care costs are too high,” Jeffries said, flanked by U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, both of Springfield. “America is too expensive. We need to drive down the high cost of living. Donald Trump has failed to do it.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Trump kills union contracts for Chicago EPA workers: A local union official said she believes Trump’s motive is to actually remove workers’ rights as his administration begins to dismantle the government agency charged with keeping air, water and land protected from polluters. Businesses have long complained about their costs to comply with environmental regulations. “No one with half a brain thinks that we are a national security organization. This is an attempt to just silence federal workers,” said Nicole Cantello, an EPA lawyer and the president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 704 for the last six years.

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson resolves contract with firefighters union, without major concessions: Pay raises included in the six-year agreement — up to 20% depending on the rate of inflation — are identical to those awarded to Chicago police officers in the contract that Johnson extended and sweetened. Local 2 was demanding 20 more ambulances, along with paramedics to staff them. Johnson wanted to reshape the Chicago Fire Department to handle emergency medical assistance demands that make up two-thirds of all calls for service. But there will be no increase in the 80 ambulances on the streets of Chicago, and no change to the minimum staffing requirement that mandates five employees on every piece of fire apparatus.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joins Mauser packaging picket line in Little Village: Teamsters Local 705 made the announcement that the mayor will speak at the picket line. More than 100 employees walked off the job on June 9. Teamsters said the company “broke the law and refused to bargain in good faith.”

* Sun-Times | Illinois’ regressive tax structure is ‘crime of the century’ that needs to be solved, Chicago’s CFO says: Jill Jaworski, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief financial officer, said the state’s tax inequities can only be solved by switching from a flat state income tax to a graduated tax, and by extending the state sales tax to professional services.

* Tribune | Student sues, alleging CPS failed to do a ‘thorough’ background check on guard charged with assaulting her: Before the alleged assault and prior to being hired at Farragut in 2021, Campoverde was arrested more than 15 times and was found guilty of disorderly conduct, one cannabis possession case in Lake County and trespassing in Will County, the lawsuit and court records state. He’s never been convicted of a violent crime, however, and most of the charges against him were dismissed.

* Block Club | The Chicago Air And Water Show Returns This Weekend. Here’s Everything You Need To Know: This year’s show recognizes the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Headliners include returning acts from the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park District 135 Board seeks more involvement in hiring decisions amid community frustration: Other board members also expressed empathy for community members who spoke during recent public comment periods, many expressing concerns about district administrators creating a toxic workplace and criticizing the recent hiring of Tremaine Harris as assistant principal of the Century Junior High. In response, the seven-person board that includes three members voted in this year discussed ways to better scrutinize the district’s hiring picks before approving them and to vet the social media accounts of candidates.

* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights hits the brakes on full-scale ban for youth on e-bikes, e-scooters: Police Chief Nick Pecora’s initial draft ordinance called for an all-encompassing ban on minors under 16 operating so-called “motorized mobility vehicles or devices” on sidewalks and streets. But following comments from adult advocates and even some youth riders, village board members late Monday agreed to claw back the proposed regulations. The rules — pending a final vote Sept. 2 — would bar youth from operating Class 3 e-bikes, which can go 28 mph, but permit anyone of any age to ride Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, e-scooters and other devices.

* Daily Herald | Kane County Board rejects solar electricity site near Elgin: Currently, soybeans are being grown in the northern area. The southern part of the site is a flood plain. Forty-four people signed a petition against the proposal. Neighbors were concerned about the loss of the pastoral view from their homes. They also raised concerns about traffic to the site, the fencing, and the types of trees and plants that would have been used to screen the view of the panels from their properties.

* Daily Herald | ‘Tremendous potential’: ULI Chicago to present ideas for Naperville’s 5th Avenue area: “It’s really an important node for the city,” says Jon Talty, CEO of Chicago-based OKW Architects. “The idea of that train station deserves kind of some gravitas in terms of one getting off the train and feeling like they’ve arrived somewhere.” Talty chairs an Urban Land Institute panel bringing fresh eyes to an underdeveloped area that has “tremendous potential.”

* Daily Herald | Northwest Cook drivers among Illinois’ best, Naperville drivers some of the worst, study says: That’s according to an analysis of self-reported data collected by insurance marketplace platform LendingTree. “The state has pretty good drivers in general, but there are places people can do better,” said Rob Bhatt, an insurance analyst with North Carolina-based LendingTree. Naperville was the only suburb in the bottom five of the analysis, reporting 16 driving-related incidents per 1,000 drivers, placing its drivers fourth worst in the state.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Opponents, supporters of solar farm at Belleville cemetery face off at meeting: “It looks like it’s going to court,” said opponent Jesse Berger, who had warned earlier that the city was opening itself up to legal challenges if it proceeded with the controversial project. “It may be the only way to get it stopped. (Officials) aren’t backing down,” he said. About 60 people gathered on Thursday evening at the Southwestern Illinois Justice and Workplace Development Campus. The city had been required to hold the meeting under guidelines of a state program that’s providing financial incentives for the project.

* WGLT | City of Bloomington to host free symposium to discuss future of inclusion and access: The City of Bloomington will host an Inclusion & Access Compliance symposium from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 26 at Heartland Community College’s Astroth Building, 1500 W. Raab Road in Normal. The theme of the free symposium, “Navigating Inclusion: Bringing Divides in a Shifting Landscape,” will bring experts, leaders and community members to dive into strategies for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] in a changing professional and political landscape.

* WCIA | Urbana City Council approves new Deputy Police Chief: The council unanimously approved the appointment of Zachery Mikalik to Deputy Chief during its meeting on Monday. Mikalik, an 18-year veteran of the department, formerly served as a Patrol Officer, Patrol Sergeant and as a Lieutenant with the Illinois National Guard. He currently serves as Services Division Commander, leading initiatives in officer training, wellness, community engagement, and system modernization.

* WCIA | Marching for a contract: PBL teachers starting school year with expired contracts: A group of teachers in Ford County flooded a highway with a message, while also trying to get the attention of their administrators. Dozens of teachers from the Paxton-Buckley-Loda School District marched to show their unity in a trying time. School starts on Thursday, and they will begin without a new contract. “We wanted to walk in to the meeting together to show that we are all in this together,” President of the Paxton-Buckley-Loda Education Association (PBLEA) Union, Amy Johnson, said.

*** National ***

* 404 Media | UK Asks People to Delete Emails In Order to Save Water During Drought: It’s a brutally hot August across the world, but especially in Europe where high temperatures have caused wildfires and droughts. In the UK, the water shortage is so bad that the government is urging citizens to help save water by deleting old emails. It really helps lighten the load on water hungry datacenters, you see.

* AP | What to know about Trump’s potential change in federal marijuana policy: Trump said Monday that he hopes to decide in the coming weeks about whether to support changes to the way marijuana is regulated. The renewed focus on marijuana comes more than a year after former President Joe Biden’s administration formally proposed reclassifying marijuana. No decision was made before Biden left office. Meanwhile, many states have already gone further than the federal government by legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults or allowing it for medical purposes.