What Illinois can learn from Texas
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WMBD…
Illinois lawmakers held a virtual committee meeting to discuss the increased energy prices, and the resulting conversation doesn’t leave a bright future for the state.
Ameren prices across Illinois have gone up an average of $46 per month since June 1, according to the Illinois Environmental Council. From the same folks, ComEd prices only went up $8 per month. […]
The biggest issue identified was data centers. These large buildings power AI technology, requiring an immense amount of power. A spokesperson for ComEd said he’s had requests from data centers that could take gigawatts worth of energy off the grid. […]
Other ideas discussed during the committee include battery storage, additional nuclear power plants and legislation that would require data centers to build their own power plants.
* Illinois isn’t alone here. Electricity costs are spiking nationwide. NPR…
Across the country, electricity prices have jumped more than twice as fast as the overall cost of living in the last year. That’s especially painful during the dog days of summer, when air conditioners are working overtime. […]
Power-hungry data centers have been popping up all over, to serve the boom in artificial intelligence. The Energy Department projects data centers and other commercial customers will use more electricity than households for the first time ever next year. That’s a challenge for policymakers, who have to decide how to accommodate that extra demand and who should foot the bill. […]
The soaring price of natural gas is also pushing power prices higher. More than 40% of electricity is generated using natural gas. As more gas is exported as liquid natural gas, the competition from foreign customers is driving up the price utilities have to pay here at home. […]
The Energy Department says the cost of gas used to generate power jumped more than 40% in the first half of this year compared to 2024. Another 17% increase is expected next year.
[Note from Rich: That story belies the currently widespread claim that natural gas will solve the affordability problem.]
* So, what lessons can Illinois take from Texas? Invest in battery storage. Bloomberg earlier this year…
“Drill, baby, drill” may be Texas’s unofficial motto, but “store, baby, store” is becoming more accurate.
The Lone Star State may be the heart of America’s oil and gas map, but it’s quickly becoming the biggest installer of a technology key for renewables development: battery storage.
Last year, some 4 gigawatts of battery capacity — enough to power around 3 million homes — switched on in the state, besting the pace of similar projects in California for the first time. Before Donald Trump imposed 125% tariffs on key battery market China, Texas was set to add more than double the state’s total storage capacity in 2025, according to a Bloomberg Green analysis of federal energy data. […]
Big batteries are addressing some of the biggest issues facing the electric grid that now has the most renewable capacity in the nation. On the supply side, they can hold the glut of wind and solar power generated across the state. On the demand side, they are helping meet the surging needs of new residents and a growing number of electric vehicles and server stacks in data centers.
* Inside Climate News last month…
Last year, the risk of grid emergencies during the summer peak risk hour ending around 9 p.m. [in Texas] was 16 percent. This year, [the Electric Reliability Council of Texas] reports, it’s fallen to less than 1 percent. […]
The addition of more than 9,600 megawatts of capacity to the state’s grid since last summer, coupled with conservative operations and reliable management, has produced this result, [ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas] said at an ERCOT board of directors meeting this week.
There’s more solar and batteries on the horizon. The bulk of interest in ERCOT’s growing queue of generation interconnection requests comes from the two renewable energy sources, Hobbs said. Of the roughly 400 gigawatts of capacity accounted for in those requests, about 40 percent each are batteries and solar. About 10 percent are wind and a little less are gas.
* Rhythm Energy Blog…
When demand spikes, electricity prices can soar. Battery storage helps smooth out these spikes by releasing stored energy during high-cost periods. That stabilizes wholesale prices and protects customers from extreme rate swings, especially in volatile seasons like summer.
Texas weather can be unpredictable, and that puts strain on the grid. With battery storage acting as a fast-response energy source, the grid has a better chance of staying online when other power sources fail or fall short.
This isn’t to say Texas is immune to rising energy costs altogether. Trump Administration cuts to federal tax credits for solar and wind may hinder renewable energy growth. But the state is showing that storage can help tame both prices and reliability risks.
* Back to Illinois. Canary Media in June…
Supporters of a major clean energy bill that fell short in the final days of Illinois’ legislative session are licking their wounds and trying to figure out what went wrong — and what comes next. […]
The bill would have made Illinois one of a number of states offering subsidies for battery storage on the grid, with the goal of spurring 6 gigawatts of storage by 2030. Solar industry leaders enthusiastically backed the bill, seeing it as a way to build on the solar boom sparked by the two previous state laws, by facilitating solar-plus-storage projects.
Solar and batteries may also be the nation’s best bet to quickly meet growing electricity demand, as equipment backlogs slow down plans to build gas-fueled power plants. “The only resource that we believe can [be deployed] in a time frame of a few years is energy storage,” said Andrew Linhares, the Solar Energy Industries Association senior manager for the Central U.S. “And of course, pairing it with solar is by far the cheapest new generation you can bring online.”
* More…
* Rhythm | What the Battery Storage Boom in Texas Means to You and the ERCOT Grid: When demand spikes, electricity prices can soar. Battery storage helps smooth out these spikes by releasing stored energy during high-cost periods. That stabilizes wholesale prices and protects customers from extreme rate swings, especially in volatile seasons like summer.
* Texas Tribune | Hundreds of old EV batteries have new jobs in Texas: Stabilizing the power grid: East of San Antonio in Bexar County, 500 electric vehicle batteries at the end of their automotive lives will soon be repurposed to provide energy storage for Texas’ electric grid, a California company, B2U Storage Solutions, announced last week. The batteries, housed in 21 cabinets the size of shipping containers, create a second life for the technology made from critical minerals, including lithium, nickel and cobalt, for another eight years, said Freeman Hall, co-founder and CEO.
* Chron | Energy company unveils 100MW South Texas battery storage facility: Yet another battery storage facility is operational and adding energy capacity in Texas. Apex Clean Energy, a Virginia company that has already planted seeds in the Lone Star State, announced this week that its 100-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) in Hidalgo County is up and running. […] Texas is ranked second in the nation behind California in battery storage; as of September, the state had about 4,832 MW of energy inside batteries.
* Bloomberg | How Big Batteries Could Prevent Summer Power Blackouts: When power demand peaked around 4:30 in the afternoon, almost half of the electricity on the grid was coming from renewables, according to the energy analytics platform GridStatus.IO. As the sun set, battery banks that had been soaking up electrons in the heat of the day stepped up to cover 8% of demand, keeping power flowing.“Batteries are very good at handling these types of events,” said Andrew Gilligan, director of commercial strategy at Fluence Energy Inc., a battery developer with three storage sites in Texas. “Things have gotten a lot better than a couple years ago.”
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Democratic press release…
State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked with multiple statewide education stakeholders to pass a law that will address unnecessary and burdensome Illinois School Code mandates.
“Public school teachers play a critical role in shaping our young minds and preparing them for the future,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “The School Code Mandate Reduction Council will begin evaluating the 699 mandates introduced since 1982 – an essential step toward improving our laws to fit with the evolving education landscape.”
Senate Bill 1740 initiates the reduction of unnecessary school code mandates agreed upon by statewide educational stakeholders. The law creates the School Code Mandate Reduction Council, comprised of eight members of the General Assembly and one member from each of the 12 statewide educational organizations, to identify and recommend the removal of mandates that align with the state’s goal of providing high-quality education tailored to each student.
The bill was signed into law last week.
* Republican press release…
Senator Seth Lewis Appointed to Key Education Reform Council Focused on Protecting Taxpayers by Reducing School Unfunded Mandates
Carol Stream, Illinois — In a major step toward easing the burden on local taxpayers and schools, State Senator Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett) has been appointed to the newly formed School Mandate Reduction Council, a bipartisan group tasked with streamlining and reducing state mandates placed on Illinois schools.
Senator Lewis, a longtime advocate for fiscal responsibility and efficient governance, says the council’s work is essential to ensuring schools can focus on educating students.
“I’ve always believed that well-intended doesn’t always mean well-executed,” said Lewis. “When the state issues mandates without providing funding, it places an unfair strain on local districts and taxpayers. I’m committed to reviewing every requirement with a simple test: Does it improve the quality of education or keep our students safe? If not, it’s time to rethink it.”
The School Mandate Reduction Council brings together lawmakers and education professionals from across the state. It includes:
* 8 legislators appointed by leaders of the General Assembly
* 21 additional education stakeholders appointed by the State Superintendent, representing teachers, administrators, principals, school boards, special education, and school districts from diverse regions of the state
The council’s charge is to identify outdated, redundant, or overly burdensome mandates, and recommend which should be eliminated, modified, or consolidated without compromising the quality of education or student safety.
Council members will serve without pay and meet at least four times between October 1, 2025, and September 1, 2026. A comprehensive report must be submitted to the General Assembly by October 1, 2026.
“This is about smart reform,” Lewis added. “We can support teachers, protect students, and respect taxpayers all at the same time. I’m honored to be part of a council that’s working toward a more efficient and effective education system for Illinois and property tax relief for taxpayers.”
* The Question: On a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the most likely and 1 being the least likely, how would you rate the chances of this legislation being a success in eliminating a substantial number of school mandates? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Meanwhile… in Opposite Land
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Starting off with Oklahoma. AP…
Oklahoma will require applicants for teacher jobs coming from California and New York to pass an exam that the Republican-dominated state’s top education official says is designed to safeguard against “radical leftist ideology,” but which opponents decry as a “MAGA loyalty test.”
Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s public schools superintendent, said Monday that any teacher coming from the two blue states will be required to pass an assessment exam administered by PragerU, an Oklahoma-based conservative nonprofit, before getting a state certification. […]
The state did not release the entire 50-question test to The Associated Press but did provide the first five questions, which include asking what the first three words of the U.S. Constitution are and why freedom of religion is “important to America’s identity.”
Prager didn’t immediately respond to a phone message or email seeking comment. But Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, told CNN that several questions on the assessment relate to “undoing the damage of gender ideology.”
More from USA Today…
Oklahoma is offering teaching bonuses that go up to $50,000 to attract teachers from across the nation and has seen “a dramatic increase in teachers wanting to come to Oklahoma,” Walters said. The new test is meant to ensure they weed out teachers with opposing views from the state’s standards. The state, like many others, has a persisting teacher shortage. […]
Nonprofit conservative media company Prager U is helping Oklahoma’s state department of education develop the test.
The company previously helped develop the state’s new high school history curriculum standards, which includes lessons on how to dissect the results of the 2020 election, including learning about alleged mail-in voter fraud, “an unforeseen record number of voters” and “security risks of mail-in balloting.”
The new curriculum also teaches the contested theory that COVID-19 emerged from a lab leak and removed a prior proposal for lessons about George Floyd’s murder and Black Lives Matter.
Last month, two state board members said they saw explicit images of women displayed in Superintendent Walters’ office during a closed-door meeting. Fox 23…
Two members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education told FOX23 News they saw sexually explicit images of naked women on a TV screen connected to a computer inside State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ office during an executive session on Thursday.
Board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage said they were in Walters’ office when the images popped up mid-discussion on a TV screen that began playing videos of naked women. […]
“I was appointed to the State Board of Education to serve Oklahoma students to the best of my ability. The images that board members were exposed to yesterday in this meeting were shocking and at the very least inappropriate. There has to be accountability,” Carson said in a statement to FOX23. […]
The allegations are particularly shocking because they involve a public official who has made public statements for years that Oklahoma’s public schools have an issue with rampant nudity and explicit sexual images in their libraries and classrooms.
Walters has campaigned by saying there is porn in the classroom and he is the one who will get rid of it. Walters has also called teachers “perverts” and has actively worked to rapidly revoke teaching certificates from any teacher who has ever been in trouble with the law or even accused of wrongdoing in certain situations.
* Mississippi and Louisiana…
The governors of Mississippi and Louisiana said on Monday that they would deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, joining three other Republican-led states that have recently heeded President Trump’s request to fill the nation’s capital with troops.
Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi, a Republican, echoed Mr. Trump’s exaggerated portrayal of Washington as lawless, saying in a statement that he would send 200 troops because “Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of.”
Violent crime has fallen rapidly in Washington in recent years, reaching a 30-year low. Mr. Trump claims, without evidence, that the city is fabricating crime statistics to hide its descent into a dystopian hellscape and has fudged statistics himself to justify his takeover. District leaders say the Trump administration has made combating crime harder through budget cuts and inaction.
The Louisiana National Guard said in a statement that “as directed by the president of the United States,” it was sending 135 members to Washington to “protect federal buildings, national monuments and other federal properties.”
Axios…
Eight of the top 10 cities with the highest murder rates and populations of at least 100,000 were in red states — Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio and Louisiana, Axios found. Jackson, Miss., had the nation’s highest homicide rate— nearly 78 per 100,000 residents, more than 15 times the national average.
* Nevada…
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte argued Monday in state court that a Nevada law requiring minors to get parental approval or a judge’s order to obtain an abortion was vague, unconstitutional and should be put on pause.
The law, unenforced since the Legislature passed it in 1985, gained new life with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and a federal right to an abortion. Called Senate Bill 510, the law is now enforceable. […]
The Nevada law requires the parent or guardian of an unmarried or unemancipated minor to receive notification before the minor can have an abortion. Alternatively, the minor can get an abortion if they navigate what plaintiffs have called “a hazy, inadequate judicial bypass process.”
Schrager asked how a doctor would verify a patient was single or emancipated, or what action a doctor could take to contact a parent that would meet the “reasonable effort” mark. He also questioned how a doctor would verify the patient’s last known address.
“Are you taking the word of the patient?” he added. “Can you do that?”
* The Texas Tribune…
The 2025 legislative session was transformative for public education in Texas.
Lawmakers approved a $1 billion school voucher program that will let Texas families use taxpayer funds to pay for their children’s private schooling. They invested back into the public school system with a $8.5 billion boost after years of stagnant state funding. In addition, they passed legislation that banned cell phones; barred diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 schools; and ordered that they display Ten Commandments posters in classrooms. […]
Senate Bill 12, authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, eliminates DEI programs in K-12 schools. It prohibits schools from considering race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation in hiring and training practices. The law also prohibits public schools from sponsoring or authorizing a club based on gender identity or sexual orientation. […]
The Legislature passed Senate Bill 13, authored by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, which will allow parents and school boards to challenge any school library material.
The law will allow school boards to delegate this responsibility to parents if 50 parents or 10% of parents in the district — whichever is less — sign a petition calling for the creation of a local school advisory council.
* Bloomberg…
Wyoming launched its long-promised stablecoin, designed to offer instant transactions and reduced fees for consumers and businesses, in the latest effort by the Cowboy State to attract digital asset businesses.
The Frontier Stable Token, or FRNT, will be backed by dollars and short-term Treasuries and is meant to track the value of the US currency one-for-one. The Wyoming Stable Token Commission is working with LayerZero to issue the tokens and plans for the coins to be overcollateralized by 2%. The reserves backing FRNT are managed by Franklin Advisers with financial audit and monthly attestations provided by The Network Firm. The stablecoin will be available on the the Arbitrum, Avalanche, Base, Ethereum, Optimism, Polygon and Solana blockchains.
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It’s now a law
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
The governor signed 266 laws on Friday, moving closer to finalizing his part in approving — or rejecting — over 430 laws sent to him by lawmakers this spring.
The new laws include measures to make public defenders more independent, tighten safety regulations at warehouses and increase the age for required annual driver tests. […]
Drivers tests for seniors: Under House Bill 1226, only drivers 87 and older will have to take an annual driver’s test. The previous age for a mandatory yearly driver test was 79. Illinois drivers between 79 and 86 won’t be required to take a driver’s test to renew their license; instead, they’ll only have to take a vision test, and if they have a driving violation, a written test. The law takes effect July 1, 2026. […]
Warehouse tornado safety: House Bill 2987 requires that warehouses provide a tornado safety plan and build new warehouses with stricter safety standards. The measure follows a lethal warehouse collapse in 2021. […]
Home births: House Bill 2688 allows certified nurse midwives to enter a written agreement with a physician to provide or assist with home births. In designated maternity care deserts, they can enter into such an agreement even if the local physicians don’t provide home births.
* Frank Main and Tom Schuba at the Sun-Times…
[R]eal-life examples of people falling prey to scammers and using cryptocurrency kiosks to send them large payments prompted Gov. JB Pritzker to sign two bills into law Monday that will allow the state to regulate the booming crypto industry.
One of the new laws gives the state broad regulatory power over the crypto industry, and the other provides specific consumer protections surrounding kiosks that handle digital currency transactions. […]
To prevent fraud, the state will cap daily transaction amounts at kiosks at $2,500 for new customers, limit transaction fees at kiosks to 18% and provide full refunds to new customers who get defrauded.
“While the Trump administration is letting crypto ‘bros’ write federal policy, Illinois is implementing common sense protections for investors and consumers,” Pritzker said.
* More from the governor’s press release…
According to the FBI, Illinois consumers lost $272 million in fraud cases involving cryptocurrency in 2024, representing the most common type of financial fraud in the past year. […]
The Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act (SB1797) grants Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) authority to regulate and supervise digital asset exchanges and other digital asset businesses. The legislation also creates strong customer protections in line with those that currently apply to traditional financial services, such as investment disclosures, customer asset safeguards, and customer service standards. Companies in the digital asset marketplace will be required to hold adequate financial resources to operate effectively and have plans and procedures for addressing critical risks, including cybersecurity, fraud, and money laundering, consistent with regulations for traditional financial services. […]
Certain consumer protections included in the legislation (such as the refunds for victims of fraud and scams) take effect immediately. Digital asset businesses in Illinois will have until July 1, 2027, to register with IDFPR.
* Fox News…
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a major Democratic leader and rumored presidential candidate, signed a bill into law opening student financial aid to all residents, regardless of immigration status, opening a pathway for illegal immigrants residing in the state to receive educational financial benefits. […]
The move was slammed by conservative Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., as rewarding illegal immigrants and a “slap in the face” to Illinois families and students. […]
The bill reads that “a student who is an Illinois resident and who is not otherwise eligible for federal financial aid, including, but not limited to, a transgender student who is disqualified for failure to register for selective service or a noncitizen student who has not obtained lawful permanent residence, shall be eligible for financial aid and benefits.” […]
“If you live in Illinois and are pursuing higher education, you should have access to the same opportunities as your peers,” said [Sen. Celina Villanueva]. “Illinois invests in all of our students, and we’re committed to helping them succeed.”
* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…
Nationally, an estimated $2.8 billion worth of medications are wasted annually. State Senator Mary Edly-Allen partnered with State Representative Laura Faver Dias to champion a new law to provide Illinoisans with cheaper alternatives and transparency within the Illinois Drug Reuse Program. […]
House Bill 2346 strengthens the effectiveness of the Illinois Drug Reuse Opportunity Program by increasing transparency for consumers, expanding access to safe, unused medications, and helping reduce medication waste.
Under the new law, the Illinois Department of Public Health will develop and maintain a website listing the names and locations of participating pharmacies in the program. Information on the website would provide pharmacies and the public with steps on how to participate voluntarily.
In 2021, the governor signed legislation creating the Illinois Drug Reuse Opportunity Act (I-DROP) to ensure prescription medication can be safely repurposed for residents in need. This formalized the legal process for donating unused prescription drugs to certified pharmacies or health departments.
By establishing a prescription drug repository program, prescription and over-the-counter medication that remains unexpired and unopened can be returned to pharmacies and reused for eligible populations at little to no cost. […]
House Bill 2346 was signed into law on Friday and goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
* WAND…
A new state law will empower schools to punish students who use artificial intelligence to bully other kids.
The law will ban students from using a digital replica to bully one of their peers and asking an AI algorithm to create explicit images of students. […]
House Bill [3851] passed unanimously out of both chambers earlier this year. Democrats and Republicans said AI has played a role in the rise of bullying, mental health and anxiety problems for minors. […]
This legislation was supported by ACLU of Illinois and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
The new law will take effect before the 2026-2027 school year begins.
* Sen. Karina Villa…
A new law led by State Senator Karina Villa addresses the mental health concerns of defendants who have been determined to be unfit for trial languishing in county jails. […]
The new law clarifies standards to determine whether someone unfit to stand trial should be diverted to outpatient state mental health treatment programs. Additionally, the law lays out a process for reducing the maximum time a person placed in inpatient treatment spends in custody through earned credit for good behavior. This will ensure individuals who are unfit for trial do not spend more time in confinement than fit people who were convicted of similar offenses.
According to the Cook County Public Defender, on any given day, approximately 190 people in county jails are awaiting admission to the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Forensic Treatment Program, and another 100+ people are awaiting evaluation. […]
House Bill 3572 was signed into law on Friday.
* WGLT…
Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a bill into law that aims to address a shortage of health care workers.
The bill, which passed unanimously in the Illinois House and Senate in the spring, allows retired health care workers in Illinois to work as volunteers without having to pay a license fee.
Republican state Rep. Bill Hauter, a medical doctor from Morton, sponsored the bill. He said the legislation covers doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, optometrists and other health care professionals.
“We leave so much talent and knowledge ‘on the bench’ when health care professionals’ licenses lapse at retirement — now they can remain licensed in Illinois for free!” Hauter said in a social media post.
* WAND…
Illinois will soon pay landowners if their property is disturbed by carbon capture construction, thanks to a bill signed into law Friday.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers approved the plan to provide compensation if crops, trees, fences, shrubs, livestock, or other objects are damaged during carbon capture construction.
“It further clarifies just compensation for landowners and it gives further protections for surface owners in case their land is hurt or destroyed in the process of laying down a pipeline,” said Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview). […]
“It may not be perfect yet, but we’ve watched a lot of bills go through here that weren’t perfect,” said Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville). “We are making things better for the property owners out here in the state of Illinois with this.”
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Consumers across Illinois are seeing massive increases in their bills because of inadequate energy supplies and rising demand. And yet a tool that numerous studies have shown could have averted some of these increases now and in the future, battery energy storage, waits for legislative action.
Last session, without evidence, opponents claimed adding energy storage in Illinois would spike ratepayer bills. But no fewer than a half dozen studies in Illinois and across the country from groups like the Illinois Power Agency, Clean Grid Alliance and NRDC have shown that storage saves billions for ratepayers.
The Facts:
- The IPA analysis of SB40 found that Ameren customers would save “from $5.48/month to $12.15/month by 2030 and $13.82/month to $20.54/month by 2035.”
- ComEd customers would save “from $1.52/month to $2.32/month by 2030 and $7.89/month to $8.52/month by 2035.”
The facts don’t lie – consumers are seeing the cost of doing nothing in their spiking electric bills NOW. Adding energy storage to Illinois’s electric grid will save consumers billions.
That’s why CUB is asking lawmakers to pass SB40 as the best way “to contain costs for electric customers while managing unprecedented energy demand.”
Illinois must follow the facts and enact SB40 this fall to deploy 6 gigawatts of energy storage by 2035. Click here for more information.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Don’t be fooled by the same front groups, associations and companies that are backing Trump’s predatory MAGA agenda of raising prices, slashing Medicaid, and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, Food & Drug Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
They want Illinois to turn its back on people who have been harmed by the negligence and malfeasance of big corporations, and wrongly believe our state can’t be pro-worker and pro-business.
The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association is proud to stand with state elected officials who are aggressively fighting Trumpian policies and those who support them.
While the federal government and other states abandon their responsibilities to protect Americans from preventable harms, Illinois is a beacon in the nation’s dark night, showing what responsible government looks like. Our state balances the needs of business with workers’ rights and consumer protections to create opportunities for everyone to thrive, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
Trial lawyers will always fight for working people and the most vulnerable, helping them to receive justice and holding corporate wrongdoers accountable.
For more information about the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, click here.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Energy prices become huge issue to tackle for Illinois lawmakers next session. WMBD…
- Illinois lawmakers held a virtual committee meeting to discuss the increased energy prices yesterday. According to the Illinois Environmental Council, since Jun 1, Ameren prices across Illinois have gone up an average of $46 per month, ComEd prices went up $8 per month.
- The biggest issue identified was data centers. These large buildings power AI technology, requiring an immense amount of power. A spokesperson for ComEd said he’s had requests from data centers that could take gigawatts worth of energy off the grid.
- Ideas discussed during the committee include battery storage, additional nuclear power plants and legislation that would require data centers to build their own power plants.
* Related stories…
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* Former gubinatorial candidate Darren Bailey teases another run against Gov. Pritzker…
* WBEZ | Illinois joins federal lawsuit against Trump plan to withhold crime victim funding: The lawsuit filed in Rhode Island is the latest in a series of clashes between Illinois, which has positioned itself as a “sanctuary” state for those without legal status, and the federal government. Under Illinois’ TRUST Act, police are greatly limited in how they cooperate with federal authorities for the purpose of immigration enforcement, and Trump’s move puts more than $50 million at risk for the state.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Ira Weiss | A personal plea for JB Pritzker to forgo a third term: The governor has announced he’ll seek a third term. Yet many of us in the business community sense his heart isn’t fully in it. We know he’s considering a run for president, and we understand why: He’s talented, ambitious and has a national vision. If he runs for president, I will likely vote for him just as I voted for him multiple times as governor. But running a state like Illinois — a state that, for all its assets, faces serious structural challenges — requires undivided attention. And right now, we are not convinced that a third term is about Illinois.
* Fox News | ‘Slap in the face’: Major blue state governor signs bill opening financial aid to illegals: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a major Democratic leader and rumored presidential candidate, signed a bill into law opening student financial aid to all residents, regardless of immigration status, opening a pathway for illegal immigrants residing in the state to receive educational financial benefits. The move was slammed by conservative Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., as rewarding illegal immigrants and a “slap in the face” to Illinois families and students. The bill purports to establish “equitable eligibility for financial aid and benefits” for all students in the state.
*** Chicago ***
* Crain’s | CPS seeks $1 billion of short-term debt as cash gone: A delay in local property-tax bills is exacerbating Chicago Public Schools’ cash crunch, leading the junk-rated district to rely more on short-term borrowing. The school system plans to seek authorization to issue $1.25 billion in tax-anticipation notes. For the first time in three years, the district closed the fiscal year ending on June 30 with a negative net cash position, according to budget documents. Making matters worse, it’s unclear when property-tax collections, originally due on Aug. 1, will arrive.
* Sun-Times | UChicago gets federal grant to expand U.S. semiconductor, chip production: The announcement comes just weeks after President Donald Trump said he would impose a 100% tariff on computer chips, raising the specter of higher prices for electronics, autos, household appliances while trying to spur more domestic production.
* Sun-Times | Thunderbirds ‘clearly’ caused sonic booms at Chicago Air and Water Show practice, expert says: Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) said residents have told him the boom was louder than any they had ever heard at an air show. He said the window damage was primarily confined to the first floors of four residential high-rises along the lakefront: 3180, 3600 and 3950 North Lake Shore Drive and 4200 N. Marine Drive. Lawson said he has advised residents and managers of those buildings to file a claim with the city because the Air and Water Show was a “city-sponsored” event.
* Crain’s | Sterling Bay puts its only finished Lincoln Yards building up for sale: It’s unclear what prompted the duo to hire brokers to sell the property, and spokesmen for Sterling Bay and J.P. Morgan declined to comment. A Harrison Street spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. But the listing comes as the developers face an imminent deadline to pay off a $125 million construction loan — also from Bank OZK — they used to build the structure. That mortgage is due to mature next month, though the sale offering has not come at the direction of the lender, according to sources familiar with the property.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Sun-Times | Eileen O’Neill Burke’s top aide out at state’s attorney’s office after just 8 months: O’Neill Burke credited the resigning First Assistant State’s Attorney Anna Demacopoulos’ “tireless efforts on behalf of the people of Cook County” in an email to her staff. “Anna Demacopoulos stepped away from a thriving private practice in order to utilize her legal expertise to help stabilize the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and implement innovative and needed restructuring,” O’Neill Burke wrote of the former judge and prosecutor. “Now that those restructures are complete, Anna is resigning her position as First Assistant and returning to her private practice.”
* Daily Southtown | Court orders former Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau to stop posting, remove information from blog: Cook County Judge Kate Moreland granted a temporary restraining order Aug. 7 barring Pekau from publishing “future statements disclosing the village’s attorney-client privileged communications and confidential non-public information contained in village personnel files,” and ordered he remove any publications of such information. Moreland denied the village’s request that Pekau return village records containing confidential information and destroy copies of the records. She also denied their request for Pekau to “itemize the ways in which he has published or distributed” confidential information and identify people to whom he gave the information.
* NBC Chicago’s | The half-million-dollar superintendent: Up to today, Nohelty has been in charge of Dolton School District 148, which oversees 10 grade schools. He’s been there since 2016. In that time, his salary has nearly doubled. But during that same period, the district’s financial profile has fallen from the Illinois State Board of Education’s top rank to its lowest rank, and Dolton 148 is now the only public school district in Cook County on the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Watch List.” That spurred NBC 5 Investigates to start asking questions about a possible disconnect between Nohelty’s income, the district’s low financial status with the state, and the tax burden of the residents who pay his salary. No one, however, would talk to us, until Thursday afternoon. That’s when Nohelty’s attorney contacted NBC 5 to say that Nohelty retired from his job, effective immediately, citing “a smear campaign…. riddled with baseless allegations, innuendo and repeated threats of investigations and discharge” which he alleges is being orchestrated by the board’s new president. His attorney says Nohelty’s retirement has nothing to do with NBC 5’s inquiries.
* ABC Chicago | Arlington Heights Village Board approves streaming subscription tax: The Village Board approved Monday night a new five percent tax on streaming entertainment subscriptions. The new tax will help pay for six new paramedics who will staff a fifth fire department ambulance. In addition, a one percent local grocery tax, which was set to expire at the end of the year, was extended by the board.
* Tribune | Evanston commission corrects error after preventing citizens from speaking on controversial project: Commission officials acknowledged their error at the meeting, saying they had misinterpreted two conflicting government codes. They rescheduled the hearing for Aug. 27. The building has been controversial because in addition to its proposed 31 stories and 331 feet in height, some have spoken about density, parking and potential wind issues at its proposed site in downtown Evanston at 605 Davis St. The proposal calls for 430 apartment units and 80 on-site parking spaces, with an agreement proposed for 120 more at a city-owned garage.
* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan casino opens poker room ahead of schedule; ‘We decided not to wait’: American Place and Waukegan officials cut a ribbon to officially open the casino’s six-table Harbor Poker Room Saturday in Waukegan adding another activity as its profitability continues to grow. Before the poker room opened this month, American Place owner Full House Resorts released its second-quarter earnings report with record net revenue and operating profit for American Place. Babinski also met with city officials several times to discuss plans for the permanent facility.
* Daily Herald | Naperville teachers rally again as strike threat looms: NEUA President Ross Berkley, however, said going on strike is not a foregone conclusion. The last time the union took similar action, in 2021, a strike was averted when both sides reached an agreement, Berkley said. “The gaslighting of the teachers and the community needs to stop,” Berkley said before Monday’s school board meeting. “This is always and always will be about our students, and the district is being disingenuous about its information.”
* ABC Chicago | Federal mediator to assist negotiations between Naperville School District 203, teachers: “We have the number one academically performing district as far as student performance goes as unit districts in the state of Illinois. Our compensation does not reflect that,” Naperville Unit Education Association President Ross Berkley said. “The union’s current proposal is simply not sustainable. If we were to accept their proposal, our board would have to make tough choices that would directly impact you and your families,” said Naperville 203 Board President Charles Cush.
* NBC Chicago | Relentless rain leads to major flooding, street closures in Chicago suburbs: Flood warnings were issued for portions of DeKalb, Kane, Kendall and LaSalle counties, with the National Weather Service saying flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. […] A flood watch was issued for nearly the entire Chicago area until 4 a.m. The NWS reported numerous streets were closed or covered with significant standing water.
*** Downstate ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Billboard promoting far-right group Proud Boys springs up in southern Illinois: A billboard rising from a Clinton County cornfield near Breese that appears to be a recruiting tool for the Proud Boys — a far-right extremist group tied to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — has touched off outrage in the small southern Illinois community. The sign is located at Old U.S. Route 50 and St. Rose Road, about 1,000 feet from the entrance to Central Community High School. It lists a local phone number for people to call. Repeated calls to a phone number on the recruiting billboard went to a voicemail that is full.
* WGLT | Origin unknown for ‘March on Bloomington’ flyers with swastika imagery: The flyers’ message reads, “We have the White House, Congress, the courts, and the Bloomington Mayor,” and refers to taking back the state while calling for a march in Bloomington-Normal on Aug. 30, from Miller Park to the downtown farmers market. It urges participants to proudly wear military or patriotic organization colors. The flyers claim “the time of ‘not in our town’ is over” and they are claiming Illinois for “REAL CITIZENS.” […] The City of Bloomington said it’s aware of the “inflammatory flyers” and is “looking into the matter.”
* WCIA | ADA shortcomings in Mattoon leads city to step up: A paralyzed man in Mattoon says he’s tired of accessibility problems at the train station. Recently, Amtrak told him the elevator wasn’t working when he needed to get to an appointment… But a good Samaritan made sure he could make it. Mattoon’s City Manager Kyle Gill saved the day and made sure everything was working properly to help 48-year-old Christopher Cunningham travel safely to Chicago. But the advocacy doesn’t stop here for Gill and Cunningham. They said the situation has brought up another conversation for the city to have with others.
* WGLT | Town of Normal will expand electric vehicle infrastructure with help from Ameren Illinois: The funding allocated to Normal will allow it to potentially install EV charging stations at priority locations and participating businesses and organizations, as well as develop a plan to expand the amount of EVs in Normal’s own fleet vehicles. The partnership also wants to educate the public and businesses about EVs. Eric Sackett, senior manager of beneficial electrification and business development of Ameren Illinois, said they hope more people will learn EVs could be accessible to them, with the planned launch of an EV outreach and education program from Normal.
* WGLT | Bloomington seeks solutions to ‘missing middle’ housing gaps: Bloomington city leaders continue to explore potential methods for addressing the “missing middle” portion of the city’s housing shortage, as the administration seeks guidance on possible zoning and subdivision code changes. “We see this as a potential piece in the housing puzzle. This is not going to solve all of our housing problems,” City Manager Jeff Jurgens said at the outset of a 50-minute discussion during Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting with city council members.
*** National ***
* Semafor | Red-state Republicans’ next promise: No property taxes: Yet Republicans who want to end property taxes have a big problem on their hands — namely, a lack of alternative funding that could replace lost revenue for popular public services that the taxes pay for. Efforts to end property levies with ballot measures have floundered for the same reason, and some politicians who pitch abolition face related accusations that eliminating property taxes will inevitably lead to higher sales taxes. But those risks haven’t stopped an anti-tax campaign that sees property taxes as inherently unfair from gaining momentum in a party that likes the idea of slashing voters’ more visible tax bills. Republicans like DeSantis have warned of homes lost to unelected assessors. Grassroots groups have found new recruits for once-obscure ax-the-tax efforts.
* WaPo | Defying RFK Jr., pediatric group urges covid shots for young kids: The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tuesday urged parents to get their youngest children vaccinated for covid, part of a broader effort by medical organizations to bypass Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his criticism of broadly administering coronavirus vaccines.
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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
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