* ICYMI: Illinois Budget Doubles Child Tax Credit in Major Win for Working Families. Economic Security Project…

Economic Security Illinois (ESIL) applauds the Illinois General Assembly for passing a state budget that includes a historic doubling of the Illinois Child Tax Credit, delivering meaningful relief to working families amidst an affordability crisis. Eligible families with children under 12 will now receive $600 per child on top of their federal credits.

“In a challenging fiscal climate, this budget includes victories that will make a real difference for Illinois families,” said Sarah Saheb, Director of Economic Security Illinois. “Doubling the Child Tax Credit means hundreds more dollars back in parents’ pockets to cover everyday costs like groceries, rent, and childcare.”

Following a robust, multi-year advocacy campaign from ESIL and its partners, the state’s first-ever Child Tax Credit was created in last year’s state budget. This year’s budget doubles the credit to 40% of the state Earned Income Tax Credit, meaning eligible families will now receive $600 per child. Families at or below median income with at least one child under 12 are eligible for the program. As working families continue to struggle with rising costs, the CTC will put even more money back in their pockets.

* At 11:30 am Governor Pritzker will deliver brief remarks at the Chicago Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

* Chicago City Council Black Caucus members Ald. Lamont Robinson (4), Ald. Demon Yancy (5), Ald. Matt Martin (47), Illinois House Black Caucus member State Rep. Maurice West, Illinois Senate Black Caucus members State Sen. Adriane Johnson, State Sen. Christopher Belt, State Sen. Doris Turner, and former State Sen. Donne Trotter and Pastor Dr. Byron Brazier endorsed Sen. Robert Peters for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd District on Tuesday.

* Another contender emerges for the 8th Congressional District…

Junaid Ahmed is joining the race to replace Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in the 8th Congressional District. He’s entering the race as the likely frontrunner thanks to his built-in name ID in the district. Ahmed ran against Krishnamoorthi in 2022 and garnered nearly 30% of the vote, a notable achievement against the well-known incumbent. Ahmed’s campaign demonstrated significant grassroots support and the ability to organize to turn out the vote. He’s looking forward to building on that progress as he talks to voters across the district and outlines his plans to stand up to Donald Trump.

Progressive community leader and small-business owner Junaid Ahmed will formally launch his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District during a kickoff event where he will outline his platform and priorities for the working families of the 8th district.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Crain’s | Lawmakers OK new perks for manufacturers that stick with Illinois: After adding incentives aimed at attracting new manufacturers in recent years, state legislators approved new tax credits to help existing companies. Legislation passed over the weekend allows the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity to offer a tax credit of 3% to 7% for manufacturers who invest at least $10 million in upgrading or expanding their facilities.

* Tribune | Illinois legislators left Springfield without funding public transit (for now). Here’s what that means for CTA, Metra, Pace: Still, service cuts are not slated to start until COVID-19 relief funding runs out in January, or even later into next year. That means there is still time for lawmakers to go back to Springfield to take another stab at passing legislation that would plug the budget gap. However, any legislation passed after May 31 that would take effect before June 2026 requires — per the state’s constitution — a three-fifths majority in both chambers rather than a simple majority. That makes lawmakers’ task harder.

* Sun-Times | Illinois bill to push renewable energy dies after businesses balk: Lawmakers spent months crafting legislation that they hoped would spur development of new wind and solar power as well as large batteries to store the energy. The state is facing a potential shortage of power in the future as big data centers being built are expected to use enormous amounts of electricity. ComEd customers are paying higher rates because of power demand nationwide. The average customer with a $100 electric bill is going to see a jump of almost 11% when July bills arrive.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Amid challenge from banks, Illinois legislators move to delay ban on certain credit card fees: A measure passed by legislators and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker last year would prevent banks and credit card companies from charging retailers a small fee on sales taxes and tips. Pritzker still has to sign off on the legislature’s move to extend the deadline to July 1, 2026. Pritzker on Sunday said that while the delay wasn’t his initiative, he anticipated the interchange fee issue “will probably get resolved over the next year” as it is currently with the courts.

* Hm…

What the?! 🤨

In 2023, @GovPritzker said GardaWorld would eat the cost of the construction of the failed toxic migrant tent camp in Chicago.

But the 2026 state budget includes a line item to pay off a $1.3 million debt GardWorld owes the state?!

Make this make sense. 🤦 pic.twitter.com/9OBigkFmZJ

— Citizen 𝑣𝑠 Machine, PhD (@CitizenVMachine) June 2, 2025

* WAND | Pharmacies get lifeline vs PBMs: PBMs are the middlemen between insurance companies and pharmacies. Pharmacies have claimed PBMs are keeping prescription drug prices high while driving smaller pharmacies out of business. “There have been independent pharmacies hanging on by a thread for the last couple of years,” Lauren Young of Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy in Decatur told WAND News. “Over 80 pharmacies closed across the state of Illinois last year alone, including one of our pharmacies.”

* WICS | Democrats celebrate passage of new state budget while Republicans slam budget process: While Democrats are celebrating the approval of a new state budget plan before May 31st’s midnight deadline, Republicans say a lack of transparency over the budget process is doing a disservice to all Illinois residents. The $55.2 billion spending plan is the largest in state history and relies on a revenue omnibus bill to fund.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | ICE detains two in Pilsen without warrants, Ald. Sigcho-Lopez says: In a social media post Monday afternoon, the 25th Ward office said one person was detained inside a business and another inside a home in the 1800 block of South Carpenter Street about 8:30 a.m. “With the footage submitted to our office, it was apparent no warrant was provided for either of the arrests,” the statement said. “We are calling for a full investigation that brings great concern to our community with these trends happening across the country.”

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s photographer fired after allegedly bringing gun on city property: Terence Crayton was found to have violated City Hall policy by bringing a gun “on to City of Chicago property and in a City of Chicago vehicle” in April, according to a copy of his personnel records obtained via a public records request. He was terminated April 24, the same day his co-workers reported him. Crayton’s boss, communications director Erin Connelly, wrote in an April 29 memo that two of her staffers alerted her about the firearm and after that, a third employee reported that Crayton had mentioned carrying a firearm to previous mayoral events “at his own personal discretion.” That employee said they reported Crayton to his former boss, Ronnie Reese, but Reese “did not report the incident or issue any report or disciplinary action,” per Connelly’s note.

* NBC Chicago | ‘Doomsday’ scenario possible, experts warn, as Illinois transit reform stalls: “The doomsday is very real,” said transportation expert Joe Schwieterman with DePaul University. “The numbers speak for themselves. Without that funding, we are looking at 30-40% cuts”

* Tribune | Chicago Fire plan to build $650M soccer stadium at The 78 in South Loop: After nearly a decade of big swings and misses, including a recent failed bid to build a new White Sox ballpark, The 78 and developer Related Midwest may have finally found an anchor tenant to kick-start the proposed mixed-use megadevelopment in the South Loop. The Chicago Fire announced plans Tuesday for a privately financed $650 million soccer stadium at the mostly vacant 62-acre site along the Chicago River at Roosevelt Road, giving the team a “world-class home,” and potentially turning the former rail yard into a bustling South Side Wrigleyville.

* Block Club | CTA Launches Annual ‘Pride Train’ To Run On Red Line Through June: With “Ride with pride!” emblazoned on its side, the train features a design with vertical splashes of color along the entire length of the eight-car train. Its design not only features the colors of the classic pride flag, but also includes black and brown and the trio of colors found on the transgender pride flag. The black and brown stripes traditionally represent queer people of color, and the black stripe also represents those who died during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* NBC Chicago | Construction begins on pipeline to bring Lake Michigan water to SW suburbs: The GPWC formed after the Illinois State Water Survey determined the suburbs’ current water source, a nearly century-old aquifer, is quickly depleting and by 2030, will no longer be able to meet demand. “Initially, this will serve about 250,000 residents, and it can expand up to about half a million,” said Clarence DeBold, the chairman of the GPWC and the mayor of Shorewood.

* Daily Herald | A new data center off I-88? Naperville officials leery of potential development: The developer of a potential data center in Naperville will reimburse the city for the costs of a study about its electricity demands. Naperville’s electric utility has decided to contract with ICF Resources to conduct a “network interconnection study” related to the possibility of a data center being built along the I-88 corridor. All costs associated with the study will be billed to the developer. Mayor Scott Wehrli made the future of the I-88 corridor a focal point of his State of the City address last month, calling it “the largest and most significant redevelopment opportunity in our city’s history.”

* Daily Herald | What’s next for Bears after legislature punts on stadium assistance?: [Sen. Mark Walker] said the parties are “fairly close conceptually on what a deal could be,” but no bill will pass without buy-in from the General Assembly’s Chicago delegation. Suggestions in the past have included a stadium ticket tax to pay off Chicago’s debt from the 2002 renovation of Soldier Field. “That’s always been part of the assumption that if there was a deal in Arlington Heights, there would have to be some kind of agreement with Chicago to get the votes,” Walker said

* Daily Herald | After decades of complaints, Mount Prospect is looking at ways to slow drivers in popular cut-through route: Mount Prospect is wrapping up a three-week trial of traffic-calming measures designed to address nearly three decades of resident complaints along a popular cut-through route. The complaints range from drivers ignoring “no through-traffic” signs to motorists flouting the 25 mph speed limit.

* Daily Herald | Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias visits West Northfield middle school: Approximately 340 students in sixth to eighth grade gathered for a special assembly with Giannoulias, who shared insights about his role in state government, his personal journey, and the importance of leadership at all stages of life. During his visit, Giannoulias spoke about the responsibilities of the Secretary of State’s Office and emphasized the values of gratitude, civic engagement, and giving back to one’s community. The assembly concluded with a lively Q&A session, where students asked thoughtful and wide-ranging questions, demonstrating their curiosity and enthusiasm for public service.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Homeless encampment residents in Normal continue to relocate after planned deadline: A tent encampment near AutoZone in Normal was set to disperse Sunday due to a coming construction project, but a few residents still remain. Some of the encampment residents have been placed into housing, with most relocating to other encampments in town, according to Kim Massey with God’s Mission Ministry.

* Pantagraph | Illinois to raze and redevelop some state-owned properties, including in Lincoln and Dwight: In total, $300 million in capital funds have been set aside toward remediation efforts and ultimately razing dilapidated structures at five state-owned sites, including the former Lincoln Developmental Center and the former Dwight Correctional Center.

* Smile Politely | Rep. Carol Ammons discusses protecting the Mahomet Aquifer from carbon capture: The bill to protect the Mahomet Aquifer, though steadfast in its protections of the aquifer itself, has undergone changes that some, including Rep. Ammons, has expressed disappointment with. These revisions, made to appeal to those in opposition to the bill (including energy labor unions), include the removal of recharge zones under its protection. However, according to Senator Faraci, this is also due in part to lack of clarity as to exactly where these recharge zones are. Furthermore, the bill now calls for a five-year study led by the Prairie Research Institute to assess the risks of carbon storage within the footprint of the aquifer as well as the boundaries of its recharge zones.

* WAND | Ameren price hikes means 20% increase in power bills: “Ameren’s electricity price went up by 50% … that’s going to cost customers about 18 to 22% in higher electric bills this summer,” said Jim Chilsen, spokesperson for CUB. “Ameren has estimated that that would cost a typical residential customer about $38 to $46 per month during the four month summer season, which is June through September, so that’s about 150 to $180 total over the summer.”

*** National ***

his husband just confirmed it was a homophobic hate crime on facebook I’m so sick to my stomach https://t.co/51×8Ki0V8a pic.twitter.com/JxmiIOvOlz

— frankie steins gay uncle (@kuntimora) June 2, 2025

* WaPo | Red states tell colleges: Race and gender classes are out, civics in: Lawmakers in conservative states are taking more control over what is taught and required at public colleges and universities, an effort that some faculty say threatens the foundation of higher education and academic freedom. New laws in Ohio, Utah and Florida are reshaping general education, the core classes college students take to meet graduation requirements. The laws mandate that students take civics courses focused on Western civilization and bar classes centered on race or gender from counting toward core requirements.

* NYT | F.T.C. Investigates Ad Groups and Watchdogs, Alleging Boycott Collusion: The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether roughly a dozen prominent advertising and advocacy groups violated antitrust law by coordinating boycotts among advertisers that did not want their brands to appear alongside hateful online content, four people familiar with the inquiries said. The inquiries include the agency’s previously reported investigation of Media Matters, a liberal advocacy organization that has published research on hateful and antisemitic content on X, the social media company owned by Elon Musk.

* Huffpost | Republicans Big Mad At Elon Musk For Telling The Truth About The Big Beautiful Bill: Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) said Monday that Musk, who complained the bill increases the budget deficit, doesn’t know what he’s talking about. “I would disagree with Elon in the sense that he doesn’t understand how the tax bill works,” LaHood said on CNBC. “This is going to be rocket fuel for the economy.”