The key note: “The jury cannot come to a unanimous verdict on all three counts. No one is willing to surrender their honest beliefs.”
(The other note was a clarification from the juror with a work conflict Friday.)
Judge Wood notes that, depending on how you read this, it could mean they have a verdict on one or two counts, but not all three. Or it could mean they can’t reach any verdict.
AUSA Prashant Kolluri suggests the judge ask the jurors what they mean by their note. Defense attorney Victor Henderson asks for a five-minute recess to speak with Jones.
Judge Wood says, “I’ll allow five minutes.” But she’s still talking through logistics.
Judge Wood points out that “the jury, to this point, has not been informed that a partial verdict is an option.”
The judge goes on to explain that jurors should be told a partial verdict would be a final verdict as to the count in question.
She notes that some jurors might be uncomfortable with that — and could decline a partial verdict.
Court’s in recess for what’s supposed to be five minutes.
Judge Wood to the jury: “In a moment I will ask you to go back to the jury room and provide some clarification as to whether the jury has reached unanimous agreement as to any of the three counts.”
[Prosecutor] Kolluri tells the judge prosecutors want the jury to keep deliberating.
Kolluri also says prosecutors “attempted to confer” with defense.
Doesn’t sound like it went well.
Kolluri asks the judge to send a note asking if any juror thinks “further deliberations would be …”
Judge Wood interrupts: “No. I’m not going to do that.”
Judge Wood says that, if jurors are going to be polled, it should be individually.
Henderson agrees that the jurors should be polled one-by-one in court. Seems likely to happen at sidebar, with the white noise machine on so we can’t hear them.
Hannah Meisel: Judge: I think my position is I ask each juror comes in individually and ask two Qs
1) do you think progress has been made since yesterday?
2) do you believe more deliberations would be fruitful?
After govt worries about public nature, judge says it could be done at sidebar.
Judge Wood: “Only two of the jurors indicated that they felt any progress had been made since yesterday.”
Judge Wood: “One further defined ‘progress’ as ‘we talked more about it, went back and forth,’ but that juror also could not say that any person actually changed their mind about anything.”
Court’s in recess while the lawyers talk about it.
Defense attorney Joshua Adams explained to the judge, for the record, that “the lack of unanimity in the jury room is evidence that the government has not met their burden beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Hannah Meisel: Judge Wood, though, cites some case law and points out that Adams’ reason is not a factor.
Discussing the factors required for a mistrial, Judge Wood estimates that the jury has been deliberating for around 24 to 26 hours.
She says they likely heard 30-34 hours of testimony.
Kolluri argues, and he says they learned while speaking to the jurors that there are “multiple jurors on each side that are entrenched.”
Hannah Meisel: Prosecutors are now laying out their arguments for the judge to declare a mistrial. “Nothing more the court can do” and risks exhaustion of jury. Defense rests on their previous objection [meaning they’re not going to explain their position further].
Judge Wood says it “appears” jurors hadn’t taken a formal vote on Count 2 [interstate commerce] when they sent their note Wednesday.
Judge Wood: “I do think the factors here weigh in favor of a mistrial.”
The federal bribery trial of Illinois Sen. Emil Jones III ended in a mistrial Thursday after jurors told the judge they were “unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any of the three counts.”
The jurors delivered their news in a note that followed nearly 23 hours of deliberations over four days. They had warned U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood on Wednesday that they’d potentially deadlocked on two of the three charges, which have loomed over the South Side Democrat since 2022.
Their disagreement appeared to have worsened after another day of deliberations Thursday.
* From Rich: The April 8 Capitol Fax post about 314 Action Fund’s US Senate poll is retracted until we receive a response from the organization. Despite repeated attempts to contact them (email, phone, tweets), they have so far refused to respond to my very simple question about what pollster conducted the survey. That alleged poll claimed the group’s favored US Senate candidate Lauren Underwood was leading the race and that “77 percent of primary voters identify her by name.” I should’ve been more diligent at the time. Sorry.
Robert Crimo III will spend the rest of his life in prison for opening fire on spectators at the 2022 Highland Park Independence Day Parade.
Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti imposed the expected sentence Thursday after listening to statements from 19 survivors and loved ones of people killed in the mass shooting. He was sentenced to seven consecutive natural life sentences without the possibility of parole − one for each of the seven people he murdered — plus an additional 50 years for the four dozen spectators he injured.
“The court finds that the defendant is irretrievably depraved, permanently incorrigible, irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation,” Rossetti said.
* Rep. Bob Morgan…
“This sentencing marks a solemn but important moment for the Highland Park community. While no punishment can erase the pain or bring back the lives stolen from us, today’s outcome offers a measure of closure for families, survivors, and a city forever altered by senseless violence,” Rep. Morgan said. “I am deeply grateful to Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart and his team for their tireless work securing this sentence. In addition, I extend my continued thanks to the first responders, mental health professionals, and community leaders who have stood by our neighbors over the past three years.”
Rep. Morgan, who was present with his family during the shooting, honored the lives of Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Straus, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo. He reiterated that while today’s sentence brings justice and much-needed closure for Highland Park, the fight to end gun violence must extend beyond this moment.
“Although today’s sentencing provides relief and closure to our community, we must stress that our work is never finished,” Morgan said. “We must continue to ensure that every community across Illinois receives the care, healing, and justice they deserve. No family should have to carry the weight of this kind of loss alone—or in the absence of action.”
Rep. Morgan witnessed firsthand the devastating effects gun violence can have on a community. Highland Park, Illinois, is part of the 58th State Representative District, and he was present at the July 4, 2022, mass shooting with his wife and children, during which 83 rounds were fired in less than 60 seconds, killing seven and injuring 48.
Six months after the Highland Park shooting, Rep. Morgan was the chief sponsor of the Protect Illinois Communities (“PIC”) Act, one of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation. The PIC Act bans the sale of assault weapons—frequently used in mass shootings—as well as large-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds for long guns or more than 15 rounds for handguns.
A federal jury began its fourth day of deliberations Thursday after signaling a potential impasse on two of the charges in the corruption trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III.
Late in the day on Wednesday, the jury sent a note to U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood signaling that they were unable to agree on counts of bribery and lying to the FBI. After consulting with lawyers in the case, Wood told the panel Thursday that a deadlock would be premature at this point in their talks, and to continue deliberating.
The jury also indicated that they would take Friday off from deliberations due to scheduling conflicts, if they do not conclude their work by then.
The panel is faced with determining whether the South Side Democrat is guilty of bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery and lying to federal agents regarding his dealings with a red-light camera company executive over the summer of 2019.
* Illinois Department of Central Management Services…
The unemployment rate decreased in eleven metro areas and increased in one over-the-year for the year ending March 2025, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over- the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in six metropolitan areas and decreased in six.
“Illinois continues to demonstrate the strength and resilience of its labor market across metro areas statewide,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “We remain focused on expanding opportunities that drive progress for workers, businesses, and the state as a whole.”
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+1.9%, +2,300), the Elgin Metropolitan Division (+1.3%, +3,700), the Lake County Metropolitan Division (+0.6%, +2,000), and the Rockford MSA (+0.6%, +900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago- Naperville-Schaumburg Metropolitan Division were up
+10,000 (+0.3%). The metro areas which posted the largest over-the-year decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (-2.5%, -2,400), the Decatur MSA (-2.5%, -1,200), and the Illinois section of the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (-1.8%, -1,600). Industries that saw job growth in the majority of the twelve metro areas included: Private Education and Health Services (eleven areas); Government (eight areas); and Mining and Construction (seven areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Lake County Metropolitan Division (-1.6 points to 4.6%), the Rockford MSA (-1.5 points to 5.0%), and the Elgin Metropolitan Division (-1.4 points to 4.4%). The Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg Metropolitan Division reported the only increase (+0.7 point to 5.5%).
*** Statewide ***
* WBEZ | The Trump administration is pressuring Illinois universities to end a diversity fellowship: Illinois universities are quietly withdrawing from a fellowship aimed at diversifying the state’s college teaching force under pressure from the Trump administration. The U.S. Department of Justice has threatened to sue campuses that take part in the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois, or DFI, fellowship. The program is state funded and was created by Illinois lawmakers in an effort to make the state’s college teaching force look more like the Illinois student body.
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Aldermen spurning Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new budget working group: ‘It points to a larger problem’: Northwest Side Ald. Ruth Cruz, 30th, told the Tribune on Wednesday she declined the invitation because she believes the best way for her to shape the city’s budget is from outside the mayor’s group. “While I appreciate the consideration, I’m concerned that this group may be more about appearances than a genuine desire for input,” said the freshman alderman, who has often voted with Johnson but recently put more distance between herself and the mayor. “We have seen it for quite some time. Input has been provided and the administration decides to continue with their original plan.”
* Brandon Johnson | We need to bring Chicagoans together to continue investing in people: As we look ahead to this year’s budget, our city faces two distinct challenges. We have a structural imbalance due to decades of neglecting our pension obligations while relying heavily on short-term fixes. At the same time, we face a presidential administration that has threatened to cut the services that Chicagoans rely upon, potentially putting an even greater strain on our municipal budget. In response to the chaos we are seeing at the federal level, we must come together as Chicagoans, roll up our sleeves, and get to work protecting our city services while taking steps to address the structural budget imbalance that has burdened Chicago taxpayers for far too long.
* Chalkbeat | Chicago’s partially-elected school board plans changes to charter school oversight: Now, the relatively new school board is proposing changes to how it handles charter oversight. A resolution on Thursday’s meeting agenda would impose new requirements on operators and is already being opposed by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, a special interest group that lobbies on behalf of charter schools. The proposed resolution would, among other new stipulations, require operators to give the district 18 months notice of closing a school and assume financial responsibility related to the closure. It also calls on the district to lobby state lawmakers to change state law to stop charters from closing during their renewal term.
* Illinois Answers | Quiet Use of Bonuses for City Council Aides on the Rise: A review by Illinois Answers Project of publicly available payroll data for 259 ward and committee staffers found that 65 council staffers received increases in their salaries between October and December 2024, representing more than $260,000 in taxpayer funds for bonuses. At least 20 staffers saw temporary bumps of at least $5,000 in one-time payouts. The practice has expanded in recent years. In 2022, 16 aldermanic staffers got temporary pay hikes at the end of the year, records show. In 2023, 33 did.
* WTTW | Federal Judge Blocks Trump from Yanking Funding from 16 Sanctuary Cities, Counties in Ruling That Could Bolster Chicago’s Efforts: The injunction issued by U.S. District Judge William Orrick does not apply to Chicago or Cook County but is likely to bolster efforts by city officials to prevent President Donald Trump from blowing a $3 billion hole in Chicago’s budget. San Francisco officials filed the lawsuit on behalf of nine California cities and counties, including Oakland and San Diego, as well as Seattle, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Santa Fe that argued the administration was unlawfully trying to force local officials to aide federal immigration arrests conducting deportation efforts.
* Tribune | Chicago Housing Authority board member reprimanded for ‘sexually graphic conversation,’ report says: The report did not name the board member, nor did it get into the details of the incident. The “allegations of misconduct,” the report said, were received in January 2023, including that the commissioner “may have communicated inappropriately with multiple employees in public forums.” Per OIG policy, the complaint was referred to outside counsel.
* The Triibe | City sues property owners over slum conditions at South Shore building formerly managed by CKO Real Estate: Nearly two weeks after a private meeting between city officials, the property owner and residents about the unlivable conditions of the building at 6952-58 S. Paxton Ave. in South Shore, the city has filed a lawsuit against the owners of the courtyard building formerly managed by CKO Real Estate. The City of Chicago filed the complaint with the Illinois Municipal Department of the Circuit Court of Cook County on April 22, alleging that the owners of the apartment complex on Paxton Avenue failed to comply with multiple municipal codes for the city. The defendants are listed as GRV Jackson Park LLC, the owner; Merchants Bank of Indiana, the mortgage company; and unknown owners and non-record claimants.
* Crain’s | New parks chief says he’s working to keep the Bears in the city: New Chicago Park District Superintendent Carlos Ramirez-Rosa told reporters today he’s begun a relationship with Bears President Kevin Warren and echoed Mayor Brandon Johnson’s optimism the team will remain in Chicago. “The partnership that we’ve had with the Chicago Bears for decades through Soldier Field has benefited the entire city of Chicago and has benefited the Chicago Park District, and so we look forward to continuing that partnership,” he said.
* Block Club | Trilogy Nonprofit Expands To NW Side For Neighbors Seeking Therapy, Recovery Services: Trilogy Mental Wellbeing opened last month at 6200 N. Hiawatha Ave. in Sauganash. Trilogy, a Chicago-based nonprofit, offers therapy, recovery services, employment assistance, residential programs and more. Trilogy, which has been around for more than 50 years, primarily works with clients who are on Medicaid. The nonprofit has operated a location in Rogers Park for more than four decades, but it has been working to expand its reach in recent years.
* NYT | It’s OK, Chicago, Your Air Was Actually Fine on Wednesday: Readings from several popular weather apps had people across Chicago spending much of Wednesday wondering whether their air was safe to breathe — until the dangerously unhealthy levels were revealed to be a glitch.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Tribune | New Homer Glen Board OKs subdivision, park improvements: The Village Board also swore in Trustee Rose Reynders and new Trustees Michael LePore and Nicholas Muller after the April 1 election results were certified this week. The new board also advanced several recreation projects, including new lighting and an architectural design for a veterans memorial at Heritage Park. The board gave its support for the town house development proposed by Marth Construction after tabling a vote on it earlier this month. The developer plans to build the Villas of Hidden Valley consisting of 25 ranch duplex buildings for a total of 50 homes on about 21 acres of land near Hidden Valley Trail and 159th Street. The land was previously zoned for a potential commercial use.
* Fox Chicago | Lake County Jail transitions to digital mail system to prevent smuggling: Starting May 27, all personal inmate mail—including letters, photos, and drawings—must be sent to a centralized facility, where it will be scanned and delivered electronically to inmates through their tablets. The jail is partnering with TextBehind to implement the new system.
* Daily Herald | Why Lake County forest preserves wants to take lead on Route 53 corridor property and planning: More than 1,000 acres that comprise the corridor is owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has taken the lead in determining the future of the properties. The move to assume responsibilities was sparked by Jessica Vealitzek, a forest commissioner from Hawthorn Woods. Since being elected board president by her peers in December she has made securing long-term protection for the corridor a priority.
*** Downstate ***
* WIFR | Harlem Township of Winnebago County Supervisor Gary Jury dies: Harlem Township offices confirm that Supervisor Gary Jury, 82, died around 9 p.m. April 23. Jury has served as a board member of the Winnebago County Board for 14 years and chaired on the Forest Preserve, Operations and Administration, Finance, Economic Development and Public Works committees.
* WJBD | Marion County Board appoints Taxpayer Association member to open board seat: The Marion County Board has unanimously appointed one of the leaders of the Marion County Taxpayers Association to an open seat on the board. Josh Dunahee will fill the District Three seat vacated by Tyson McHenry who resigned last month due to a work scheduling problem. Dunahee grew up in Salem and returned three and a half years ago to manage the XPO freight facility in Salem.
* WCIA | Another Danville school bus involved in crash; no one hurt: Another Danville School District 118 school bus was involved in a crash Thursday morning. The Danville Police Department said a white SUV hit the school bus in the rear around 7:40 a.m. where it was stopped near the intersection of Fairchild and Jackson streets. No one was injured in the crash, and both vehicles drove away from the scene.
*** National ***
* CNBC | March home sales drop to their slowest pace since 2009: Higher mortgage rates and concern over the broader economy are making for a weak start to the all-important spring housing market. Sales of previously owned homes in March fell 5.9% from February to 4.02 million units on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s the slowest March sales pace since 2009.
* Please take a few seconds out of your day and watch…
Steve 'Mongo' McMichael. 🙏🏽
Four years ago today, Steve shared these words with me—words that will stay with me for the rest of my life. They’re words we can all live by. #RIPMongo | #Bearspic.twitter.com/VzlrXnhWwv
The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments in a case centered on whether a state law passed in 2023 violates the due process rights of Illinoisans outside Sangamon and Cook counties.
A 2023 law restricts certain types of lawsuits – namely challenges to a law’s constitutionality – to courts in those two counties. The law came in response to challenges to the state’s COVID-19 response, a state law ending cash bail and the state’s ban on assault weapons, among others.
These lawsuits – often filed in jurisdictions with sympathetic judges – became a way for some conservatives to make a name for themselves at the state level. Former governor candidate and state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, and former attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore both backed high-profile lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state laws. […]
The case before the Illinois Supreme Court was brought by Piasa Armory, an East Alton gun store. It challenged the constitutionality of an unrelated firearms regulation, the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, which was also signed into law in 2023. That law subjects firearms groups to civil penalties for violating consumer protection laws.
Piasa Armory almost immediately filed a lawsuit challenging that law in Madison County, about a 30-minute drive from the gun store. The state then tried to move the case to Sangamon County – about 90 minutes from East Alton – citing the then-new law.
But a Madison County judge rejected the state’s attempt to move the case, saying that the law violated the due process rights of residents of other counties by “depriving” them of their ability to mount their best possible case.
The judge had applied his decision to the entire state, but the government argued that the Supreme Court should “rule narrowly” and apply it only to the plaintiff.
The question before us is the constitutionality of section 2-101.5 as it applies to plaintiff. […]
We initially examine the State’s contention that the circuit court effectively found section 2-101.5 facially unconstitutional by ruling that the statute violated the due process rights of all individuals who reside or were injured outside of Cook and Sangamon County. The State contends that the ruling invalidates the statute in every case where it would otherwise be enforced. We note that a party raising a facial challenge must show that the statute is unconstitutional under any possible set of facts, whereas a party raising an as-applied challenge must establish that the statute is unconstitutional as it applies to the party’s particular facts and circumstances. A successful facial challenge voids the statute, but in a successful as-applied claim, the party may enjoin the statute’s enforcement against only himself.
Here, plaintiff framed its claim in terms of its individual circumstances, but the circuit court broadened its ruling to encompass everyone residing or injured outside of the two named counties. The fact that the circuit court’s ruling encompassed more than just plaintiff was not a de facto declaration that the statute was facially unconstitutional. In fact, plaintiff and the circuit court expressly acknowledged that the statute would be constitutional in certain applications, which would defeat a facial challenge. By definition, an as-applied constitutional claim depends on the particular facts and circumstances of the party asserting the claim, so an examination of plaintiff’s particular situation remains paramount. […]
In the instant case, the circuit court largely considered the “convenience” of Madison County and the “inconvenience” of Sangamon County as a forum for plaintiff in determining that the first two Mathews factors weighed heavily in plaintiff’s favor. The relative convenience of each forum is central in considering a motion filed pursuant to the equitable doctrine of forum non conveniens. However, a forum non conveniens motion “seeks to move the action from one forum with proper venue to another, more convenient forum with proper venue.” The doctrine of forum non conveniens may therefore be applied only when there is more than one proper venue. It is not the correct test here, where the question is whether a statute limiting venue for certain types of constitutional actions against the State violates a plaintiff’s due process rights. We further note that section 2-101.5(b) explicitly states that “[t]he doctrine of forum non conveniens does not apply to actions subject to this Section.” […]
Plaintiff’s underlying case is a facial constitutional challenge of section 2BBBB of the Act. It will therefore most likely be resolved without a trial and thus without the need for witnesses to travel to any courthouse, as well as without much, if any, documentary evidence. As for the additional driving time for counsel, even in a forum non conveniens analysis, counsel’s location is given little weight. Moreover, counsel has the option to appear remotely for hearings, and witnesses may appear remotely under certain circumstances as well. […]
We conclude that the State has some interest in consolidating actions in certain counties, especially in light of recent statewide litigation asserting duplicative constitutional claims. … Still, the State’s interest is not extremely strong given that the Attorney General’s office was previously able to manage the litigation under general venue principles. As we observed in Williams, the Attorney General has satellite offices throughout Illinois and routinely litigates in every county in the state.
Balancing all of the Mathews factors ultimately yields the conclusion that section 2-101.5 is not unconstitutional as applied specifically to plaintiff because requiring plaintiff to litigate in Sangamon County does not deprive it of the opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner. The inconvenience asserted by plaintiff is insufficient for a due process claim, especially considering that Sangamon County is only one hour further, that this case will almost certainly be resolved without trial, and that remote appearances are possible. We recognize that the Attorney General could also appear remotely, but the government’s interest extends beyond the convenience of appearing in - 12 - particular courtrooms, as it seeks to more efficiently handle the type of constitutional case that plaintiff has filed here. Further, the parties are not starting off on an equal footing in the balancing test because the legislature has the power to determine venue (Mapes, 363 Ill. at 230) and we generally do not “interfere with the legislature’s province in determining where venue is proper” […]
(T)hough litigating in Sangamon County may be less convenient for plaintiff than litigating in Madison County, it clearly does not rise to the level of an unconstitutional deprivation of due process.
This was a 6-1 decision, with Justice Overstreet dissenting. Overstreet essentially argued for a much more broad decision, instead of this narrow path.
All Ed Cetwinski could think was, “God, I’m out of prison. I can live my life a little bit.” He had just been released from Taylorville Correctional Center after five years behind bars. But even though he’s free from his prison cell, he’s still not free.
Most criminal convictions in Illinois include a period of mandatory supervised release (MSR). It’s like parole, but it’s served as part of a prison sentence rather than in lieu of it. People on MSR must adhere to a litany of conditions, like curfews enforced by electronic monitors. For most people, it lasts from one to three years, but for Cetwinski, it’s not clear how long his MSR term will last.
People convicted of certain sex offenses, like Cetwinski, are required to be on MSR for anywhere from three years to the rest of their lives. But there’s an issue: a permanent address is a requirement for supervised release, and Illinois’s housing banishment laws make it nearly impossible to find housing. […]
The Chicago 400, a grassroots organization of people subject to public conviction registries in Illinois and their allies, is pushing legislation to shrink the size of the housing banishment zone and prevent people from being forced to move if a day care opens nearby. The proposal has yet to be heard in committee, the first step in the legislative session that ends in late May; multiple people involved in negotiations, who are not authorized to speak publicly, say conversations are ongoing.
Protesters flooded the rotunda of the Illinois Statehouse earlier this month, urging legislators to increase wages for caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The ‘They Deserve More’ coalition — representing advocacy organizations, families and over 90 agencies providing community care — is asking that these direct support personnel, or DSPs, receive at least 150% of Illinois’ minimum wage.
The coalition is also seeking to avoid a cut to state-funded DSP service hours that would result from a provision in Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget for the Illinois Department of Human Services. […]
Demonstrators called for support for two bills moving through the Illinois General Assembly, House Bill 2788 and Senate Bill 1690, which propose raising the base wage for DSPs. Both bills failed to clear the legislature ahead of recent deadlines, but matters pertaining to state funding are generally included in the end-of-session budget package.
Edwina Hernandez, a DSP Recruiter at Cornerstone Services in Joliet, says her agency has trouble providing services to disabled residents due to employee retention challenges. DSPs are the individuals who provide daily personal care such as assisting individuals with eating, grooming and dressing.
“We do have a lot of workers out there who have a heart to serve and a heart to help the community. It’s just the pay,” Hernandez said at the demonstration.
* House Republicans…
On Wednesday, three Illinois House Republicans, who also work as family farmers, held a Capitol news conference to highlight legislation they are sponsoring to support Illinois’ agriculture industry. Specifically, State Representatives Dan Swanson (R-Alpha), Jason R. Bunting (R-Emington), and Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville) have sponsored legislation they say will help save family farms in Illinois.
State Rep. Dan Swanson is a 6th-generation family farmer near Alpha, Illinois. His family raises various crops and livestock. Swanson says Illinois must do more to preserve agriculture for the future. Swanson has sponsored HB 1501, legislation that creates an income tax credit for the owner of an agricultural asset who sells or rents that asset to a beginning farmer.
“There are young people in Illinois right now who want to get started in farming, but don’t always have the opportunity,” Swanson said. “We need to get that next generation up and running in agriculture. Unfortunately, my bill wasn’t called before the required deadline. We need to get serious about preserving the future of agriculture in Illinois.”
State Rep. Jason R. Bunting operates a family farm in Emington in rural Livingston County. Rep. Bunting noted the very real and dangerous conditions that farmers encounter in several aspects of their work. Rep. Bunting is sponsoring House Resolution 29, which would designate the week of September 15-21, 2025, as Farm Safety Week. Bunting also noted two other bills that would emulate Scott’s Law, which requires drivers to move over and slow down for stopped emergency vehicles. Bunting’s HB 3204 and HB 3205 would make Scott’s Law provisions applicable to farm implements.
“My bill would require drivers to make room for farm equipment on the roads so they can safely pass the equipment,” Bunting said. “This legislation would make the road safer for farmers, and for every other Illinoisan who drives the rural roads of this state, so that we can all make it home safely to our families.”
State Rep. Wayne Rosenthal is the former Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and a 4th-generation family farmer. Rosenthal argued for the Illinois estate tax exemption to be raised to help save family farms from double taxation.
“I know first-hand what this unfair estate tax means to my family and to every other family farm in Illinois,” Rosenthal said. “This isn’t just a tax, it’s a threat to our way of life. Too often, I have heard from families, friends, and neighbors who have been hit hard by this unfair tax. Illinois estate taxes are levied on farm owners when they pass on. Unlike monetary assets that can be moved, land cannot, so our family farms are penalized. Illinois has not adjusted the estate tax on farmland in more than a decade. Inflation has risen, and we haven’t made the necessary changes to our estate tax. We still have time to fix this problem this Session, we need to get to work so we can save Illinois family farms.”
The Illinois House Education Policy Committee approved a bill Wednesday to stop police from giving tickets and citations to students for breaking school rules. […]
Lawmakers and advocates filed this plan after ProPublica found 11,800 tickets were handed to students from 2019 to 2022.
“The goal of the bill is to basically say that if it is minor enough to be a municipal violation like vaping or minor fights, keep it in the school,” said Aimee Galvin from Stand for Children Illinois. “School is a unique environment for offering discipline, unlike a business. If something happens at Walgreens, they don’t have an after school detention or say ‘you can’t come to the dance.’” [….]
The legislation passed out of committee on a 9-3 vote and now moves to the House floor for further consideration. Senate Bill 1519 passed out of the Senate on a 37-17 vote earlier this month.
The Illinois House Ethics & Elections Committee met Tuesday evening to discuss the Safeguard Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. […]
The ethics & elections committee also discussed several election-related bills currently under consideration in the Statehouse.
State Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, said she proposed HB 1445 to make polling places accessible for young voters.
“It makes me excited that we have a potential opportunity to make it easier for young voters to have a say in their political process and feel like they are deciding their future and they are deciding the people that elect them,” Syed said. […]
State Rep. Adbelnasser Rashid, D-Bridgeview, proposed House Bill 2998, which provides that all local election authorities shall post requirements and qualifications for running for local offices and petition filing deadlines on the website of the local election authority.
An Illinois bill that would ban that would ban schools from using Native American names, mascots and logos has passed the Illinois House and is now under review in the Senate. […]
For decades, Collinsville High School has used a “Kahok” mascot name. The name represents a fictional Native American tribe, and many school leaders view it as a symbol of local identity and heritage.
Dr. Mark Skertich, superintendent for the Collinsville School District, issued a public statement on April 10 outlining the district’s stance. The statement reads, in part:
“Our Collinsville High School Kahok mascot is a treasured part of our local community. Our district is home to the Cahokia Mounds World Heritage and State Historic Site, which is located where a large, influential Native American city once stood. Artifacts indicate it was the center of Mississippian culture in its day.
In 2020, our district received a formal written endorsement from the Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri to continue using our Kahok mascot. Their support is based on their belief that the people of the Western Cherokee could be descended from the Cahokia mound builders.”
He tools around town in a pickup truck with the license plate “Rabbi R.” He has bought several downtown buildings and is transforming them into retail, entertainment and living spaces. He’s going to bring actual World War II tanks to town and have them fire off a few rounds. He’ll even officiate at a wedding from time to time.
Just who is this man who has in a very short time left an indelible mark on the Jacksonville community?
Meet Rabbi Rob Thomas, 57, a native son of Jacksonville who has returned to his hometown with a mission as bold as the rumbling tanks he likes to drive in his spare time. That mission is to address two chief concerns among current community leaders – the need for more housing and entertainment opportunities. […]
Thomas, an ordained rabbi, is practicing what he preaches with the purchase and rehabilitation of four downtown Jacksonville buildings. The former Kresge Store building on the southeast corner of the square now houses Pizza Records, a retail and entertainment establishment, on the ground floor with two apartments being developed above. A similar plan with retail, restaurant or entertainment establishments below and residential units above is underway for the Andre & Andre Building, formerly the site of Sears; the former Osco Building known locally as the “green monster” and a red brick corner building at 201 E. Morgan St.
“This is the sort of thing that feeds on itself,” Thomas said. “You’ve got a critical mass of people living on the square; therefore, the square needs services for them of every type.”
* The governor was in Jacksonville earlier this week to award the city a $2 million downtown development grant. Pritzker has also included funding in his budget to tear down the abandoned Jacksonville Developmental Center. Rabbi Thomas attended the event and Rich talked to him about his downtown revitalization project…
Rich: How much longer do you think it’s going to be before this task is complete?
Rabbi Thomas: Oh, It’ll never be done. As it says in the Talmud ‘It is not for us to desist from the work, neither are we expected to complete it.’
Rich: Do you have a ballpark of how much you put in?
Thomas: I know an exact figure.
Rich: Can I ask you to tell me what that is?
Thomas: It’s a lot more than you think. […]
Rich: Do you really feel that Jacksonville is going to be back?
Thomas: Since COVID, you can work anywhere. Here’s the key bit of infrastructure you need, high capacity internet. So in the back of that Andre & Andre building (Thomas pointed across the square) is more fiber than you can get in downtown Chicago or downtown Manhattan. I dragged it all in there. And in the back of that building is Google, Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, I could keep going. I brought them all in.
Rich: So do they have servers over there?
Thomas: Yeah, I’ve got a network Point of Presence (PoP) […] And that connects all over the world to bring in that connectivity. So if you come here and you’ve got a tech or technical business. I need 1,000 lane highway but I need to be 10 feet long anywhere I want to go? Jacksonville. At a much lower cost of living, much more pleasant in many ways.
Rich: You can get a really nice house here.
Thomas: That’s exactly right. So you don’t have to go to Manhattan or Chicago. Come here, buy a lovely home. Maybe you want to fix up a home […] Maybe you want to move into a home. We’ve got options.
* You can kind of see the governor amidst the crowd (President of the Morgan County Democrats Judith Nelson said she sent out a blast email to members), but you can really see four colorful buildings owned by Thomas, who said the top floors will get turned into residential space…
Thomas is the chairman and CEO of Team Cymru, a cybersecurity company. According to the Illinois Times, “Thomas became a venture capitalist investing primarily in tech companies.”
* The event was held next to the Strawn Opera House, another one of Thomas’ projects. Journal Courier…
Jacksonville developers are aiming to resurrect an iconic 163-year-old opera house in downtown Jacksonville.
Rabbi Rob and Lauren Thomas took ownership Thursday of the property at 31 S. Central Park Plaza that housed Strawn Opera House. The couple says they plan on rebuilding the opera house to what it looked like when it opened in the mid-19th century. […]
Missouri author Mark Twain spoke at the building on Feb. 1, 1869, during which he delivered a speech on “The American Vandal Abroad.” Irish poet Oscar Wilde delivered a lecture at the hall on March 7, 1882, which the Journal-Courier — then the Jacksonville Journal — reported on the following day.
“Doubtless in his travels in this country Oscar Wilde has had the pleasure of lecturing to larger audiences than the one assembled at the Opera House last night,” the paper said. “But then again, it has been his lot on not a few occasions to face a larger proportion of empty seats that greeted him upon his appearance here.”
The opera house burned down on June 27, 1889. The building erected in its stead had its roof collapse more than a century later in May 1988, leading to its second floor being removed.
Rabbi Thomas told us yesterday that one addition to the opera house, not included in the original designs, will be a clock tower—“because every square should have a clock tower.”
* Thomas and his wife Lauren pose in front of the future opera house…
Thursday, Apr 24, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Every hour of every day, Illinois hospitals provide lifesaving care to the communities they serve. Care delivery within their facilities is at the core of what hospitals do—but it’s not all they do. Illinois hospitals prove indispensable to communities by looking at healthcare, health and well-being from several vantage points. Watch our video about how hospitals are working outside their four walls.
Most people don’t see the critical care hospitals provide 24/7 or how hospitals are partnering with local organizations and investing in communities. Yet their benefit to the community is everywhere. Learn more about how Illinois hospitals are healing communities.
Carlos Santana was rushed to the hospital ahead of his San Antonio show.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, a representative for Santana, 77, confirmed that the guitarist will postpone the show at the Majestic Theater scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, April 22.
Michael Vrionis, president of Universal Tone Management and a representative for Santana, said, “It is with profound disappointment that I have to inform you all that tonight’s show in San Antonio has been postponed. Mr. Santana was at the venue (Majestic Theatre) preparing for tonight’s show when he experienced an event that was determined to be dehydration. Out of an abundance of caution and the health of Mr. Santana, the decision to postpone the show was the most prudent course of action.”
He continued, “He is doing well and is looking forward to coming back to San Antonio soon as well as continuing his US Tour. Thank you all very much for your understanding. The show will be rescheduled soon.”
Thursday, Apr 24, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Findings of a recent economic study were clear — the retail sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and crucial to our everyday lives. Retail in Illinois directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually – more than 10 percent of the state’s total Gross Domestic Product.
Retailers like the Boyer family in Quincy enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.
* ICYMI: Illinois Joins 11 Other States in Suing the Trump Administration Over ‘Tax Hikes’ Through Tariffs. CNN…
- The lawsuit seeks a court order to halt the tariffs under International Emergency Economic Powers Act, saying Trump does not have the authority he claims he does.
- “In the nearly five decades since IEEPA was enacted, no other President has imposed tariffs based on the existence of any national emergency, despite global anti-narcotics campaigns spearheaded by the United States and longstanding trade deficits,” the lawsuit argued.
- The coalition of states joins other groups that have sued the Trump administration on tariffs. A group of small U.S. businesses filed a lawsuit last week.
* The race is on: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced she will run for Durbin’s Senate seat this morning. Our coverage is here.
* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* Sun-Times | Stellantis still on track to reopen Belvidere plant, as automakers adjust for tariffs: “The launch timing for the plant has not changed,” Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson said in a statement. “We’ll honor the timing indicated in the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, so still expecting to launch in 2027.” The reopening of the idle Belvidere plant was announced in January, alongside plans to build a new Dodge Durango at its Detroit Assembly Complex. In addition to Dodge, Stellantis owns brands such as Chrysler, Jeep and Ram.
* Sun-Times | Jurors say they are stuck in bribery trial of Illinois Sen. Emil Jones III: “At this point, it doesn’t look like the jury can reach a unanimous agreement on Counts 1 and 3,” one of their notes read. “Is there any assistance that can be provided?” Prosecutors have leveled three criminal charges against Jones. Count 1 is the substantive bribery charge. Count 2 accuses the senator of using an email account to facilitate bribery. And Count 3 accuses him of lying to the FBI.
* Sen. Dick Durbin | Why I chose to retire: The challenges facing the Senate with this new administration are historic. They go to the heart of our democracy, and I am anxious to be part of that debate. I can assure you that I will continue to do everything in my power to fight for Illinois and the future of our nation every day of my remaining time in Senate service.
*** Statehouse News ***
* NBC | Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker takes steps to boycott El Salvador in protest of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s detention: In a release, Pritzker’s office said that it had directed various Illinois pension funds to review whether they are invested in any companies that are based in El Salvador and that it had ordered the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to evaluate whether any state procurement contracts have been granted to companies based in or controlled by El Salvador.
* Center Square | Calls grow for reforms to Illinois’ mass transit systems before awarding funding: With a massive funding shortfall on the horizon, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is calling on state lawmakers to enact reforms for the state’s mass transit systems before considering funding. The chamber released a report that contains business principles for mass transit reform. Some of the recommendations include prioritizing public safety and making sure the business community has a seat at the table in future policy making.
*** Statewide ***
* Illinois Times | A loss for Illinois farmers and food banks: The decision to eliminate federal funding for programs that support farmers and food banks goes against the Trump administration’s commitment to “Make America Healthy Again” according to advocates for local producers and nonprofit hunger abatement organizations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture in February cut two federal programs, the Local Food for Schools program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, that collectively received about $1 billion in funding nationwide. The LFPA buys fresh products from farmers at a fair market value, then distributes the food to communities through local food pantries. The USDA has since decided to let the remaining 2024 LFPA contract be spent but has canceled the LFPA contract for July 1 through June 30, 2026.
*** Downstate ***
* WGLT | McLean County health providers worry about Medicaid cuts: “I’m concerned. I’m alarmed. I’m scared by what I hear, by what this administration is trying to do,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, who represents parts of Bloomington-Normal and Greater Peoria. […] Chestnut Health Systems CEO Dave Sharar said federal money is 60% of Chestnut’s budget, and 70% of its clients are on Medicaid. He said that could threaten Chestnut’s integrated care model.
* Capitol News Illinois | State reports first measles case in southern Illinois: The measles diagnosis involving an adult in far southern Illinois was confirmed through laboratory testing, according to a press release sent out by IDPH. […] “This is not considered an outbreak at this time. IDPH will update the public should there be any notable developments,” the release stated.
* WSIL | Mt. Vernon Airport honors Everett Atkinson; WWII hero passes at 102: The Mt. Vernon Airport is mourning the loss of Evertt Atkinson, a cherished member of the community. Airport officials said Atkinson passed away on Easter Sunday at the age of 102, marking the end of an era for the airport and its community. Airport officials shared some details about his life. Atkinson was a distinguished World War II aviator who started with just a high school education and worked his way up to become an Aircraft Commander in the Boeing B-29 “Superfortress.”
* WJBD | Salem’s new Police Chief sworn in: After being sworn in, Boles addressed those gathered in the city council chambers. “My family is from here,” he said. “My parents were born and raised here. It’s an honor to be here. It’s kind of why I chose here, and we’re going to raise our son here. Thank you for the welcome, and everybody showing up. Everybody’s been great. I love the town and the small town vibe, and I’m happy to be here.”
*** Chicago ***
* ABC Chicago | ABC7 I-Team gets exclusive 1st look at massive Illinois solar farm powering Chicago: On a swath of land about three-and-a-half hours southwest of downtown Chicago, on what was once soybean fields, sits a farm of a different kind: 1.6 million solar panels sprouting up, now helping to power the city. Considered the largest solar park east of the Mississippi, Double Black Diamond’s nearly 4,000 acres straddles both Sangamon and Morgan counties in central Illinois.
* WTTW | Long-Stalled Push for Reparations in Chicago Moving Forward, Johnson Says: A task force formed by Mayor Brandon Johnson nearly a year ago to determine whether and how the city should pay reparations to Chicagoans who are the descendants of enslaved African Americans will start meeting this summer to craft a plan to tackle the thorny issue. The 40-member task force will be charged with developing “Chicago’s first comprehensive reparations study, a critical step forward in acknowledging, addressing and repairing generations of harm experienced by Black communities,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
* Block Club Chicago | West Side Legal Center’s New HQ Includes Apartments For Restorative Justice Program: The Lawndale Christian Legal Center’s Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center opened Tuesday at 1449 S. Keeler Ave. The $22.5 million multi-use location will function as the central office for the free legal practice to meet with clients and provide referrals to social services. On average, the legal practice sees 300 clients annually. The Deer Center will also offer 20 free apartments to men ages 18 to 25 years old who are sentenced to probation in Cook County Circuit Court as an alternative to incarceration.
* Sun-Times | Steve McMichael, former Bears star and Hall of Famer, dies at 67: In a statement, Bears chairman George McCaskey said it was a “cruel irony that the Bears’ Ironman succumbed” to ALS. The man known as “Mongo” and “Ming the Merciless,” a player with crackling energy and a nonstop mouth who played a record 191 games for the Bears, was robbed of the ability to speak and move. It was almost as though he was being mummified, fellow Hall of Famer Dan Hampton said.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Sun-Times | Highland Park parade shooter’s sentencing to extend to second day: The daylong hearing also included testimony from over a dozen victims and their families about how their lives had been irreversibly changed since the attack on July 4, 2022, which left seven dead and 48 people wounded. “How do you rebuild a life when it’s been shattered?” Sheila Gutman, who was struck by a bullet in her foot in the attack, told the court.
* Daily Herald | ‘Heavy and heartbreaking’: Highland Park survivors testify as sentencing begins: In a statement read by his daughter, the widower of victim Jacquelyn “Jacki” Sundheim described the pain of his wife’s loss as “fresh, visceral and sometimes too much to bear.” Bruce Sundheim also berated the absent murderer for his “wanton cruelty” and wished him “a life filled with torment, pain and regret.”
* Daily Herald | Barrington breaks ground on long-awaited Route 14 underpass: Several Barrington area dignitaries attended the groundbreaking for the underpass, which will stretch from Valencia Avenue to Hough Street, running underneath the Canadian National Railway tracks. The underpass aims to alleviate traffic congestion and improve emergency response times by separating vehicle and rail traffic. Construction is expected to conclude by July 2027.
* Daily Herald | Smackdown at village hall: Elk Grove mayor wrestles with trash talk, agrees to tag team match: In a spectacle that had all the theatrics of professional wrestling, Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson accepted a challenge at a village board meeting this week to a summer slugfest. The battle royale involving the colorful seven-term mayor — a former high school wrestling coach — will be part of a series of matches in the ring at this summer’s Elk Grove Rotary Fest.
* Shaw Local | Downers Grove native still on road to COVID recovery: In the five years since the U.S. first reeled from COVID-19, leaving no one unscathed, the novel coronavirus has remained all too familiar to one Downers Grove native, former village commissioner Rich Kulovany. “Family became so much more important after all of this,” Kulovany said.
*** National ***
* WaPo | Trump orders changes to civil rights rules, college accreditation: Separately, Trump signed another order that also dealt with the enforcement of civil rights law as it relates to racial disparities in school discipline. The Biden administration had advised school districts that they may be in violation of civil rights law if they unfairly discipline students from different groups. The new executive order revokes the Biden-era discipline guidance.
* The Atlantic | Tesla’s Remarkably Bad Quarter Is Even Worse Than It Looks: Yesterday evening, Tesla reported first-quarter earnings for 2025, and they were abysmal: Profits dropped 71 percent from the same time last year. Musk sounded bitter on the call with investors that followed, blaming the company’s misfortune on protesters who have raged at Tesla dealerships around the world over his role running DOGE and his ardent support of far-right politicians. “The protests that you’ll see out there, they’re very organized. They’re paid for,” he said, without evidence.
Jody Dabrowski, CEO of Illinois Educators CU: IFPA Will Harm our Members and our Communities.
“My members would be so frustrated.”
Stop the Chaos for Our Hard-Working Educators!
* Yesterday, Sen. Dick Durbin said at least a dozen names have expressed interest in his seat. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton was the first out of the gate this morning to declare her candidacy…
Stratton currently oversees the administration’s Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative and chairs the board of the Restore, Reinvest and Renew Program, which reinvests a portion of cannabis tax revenue into communities experiencing high rates of shootings, unemployment, child poverty and incarceration.
Her campaign touted her work in the Ag Connects Us All Initiative, which helped to highlight the ways in which the agriculture industry could address inequities and food security. It’s also been a way for her to stay connected to the more rural areas of the state.
Last year, Stratton led a Black maternal health initiative that invested $15 million in closing the maternal mortality gap through expanding home visits, capital dollars for community-birth centers, a free diaper program and a child tax credit for low-income families.
Among the potential contenders, Stratton can boast that she’s a statewide official — meaning she’s traveled across the state and has had a visible presence at events with Pritzker for more than six years. She can also take credit for many progressive policies passed during Pritzker’s two terms, including expanded abortion care, an assault weapons ban and raising the minimum wage. That may also serve as easy fodder for a Republican opponent, who could challenge her on some of the administration’s most liberal policies.
…Adding… The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association…
(DLGA) endorses Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton in her campaign to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate. With the endorsement, the DLGA is proud to commit seven figures in support of her campaign.
DLGA Chair and Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Austin Davis released the following statement:
“The Democratic Lt. Governors Association is proud to commit to making an impactful investment to support Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton in her run as Illinois’ next U.S. Senator. Democratic lieutenant governors are the Democratic Party’s bench, and with these types of investments, we look forward to helping to elect the next generation of Governors and Senators across the country.”
…Adding… Governor Pritzker was asked about the announcement at an unrelated news conference this morning…
Reporter: Your colleague, Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor, has announced her bid for US Senate to take over the Dick Durbin seat, what’s your reaction to that? And do you plan on endorsing her for Senator Durbin’s seat as his successor.
Pritzker: I apologize to my colleagues for the off topic question. […] In Illinois our senior Senator Dick Durbin announced his retirement yesterday. Our Lieutenant Governor in Illinois announced this morning that she’s going to be running for US Senate.
Well, I think you know, Jeremy, how I feel about her, and she is truly one of the most accomplished people that’s ever held the job of Lieutenant Governor. She’s done so much as a partner in governance of the state. As you know, I think very highly of her. She’s somebody who not only cares deeply, is passionate and compassionate, but again, highly accomplished.
That’s all I can say for now. And you know, I just, I feel strongly about her, and think very highly of her, and I think the voters will too.
…Adding… Earlier this month, Congressman Krishnamoorthi announced he had $19 million cash on hand…
* 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.
The first: “If the jury is still deliberating at the end of the day Thursday, 4/24, can the jury unanimously decide to not convene on Friday and continue Monday? Or can an exit time on Friday be unanimously agreed for an early exit?”
The second: “At this point, it doesn’t look like the jury can reach a unanimous agreement on Counts 1 and 3. Is there any assistance that can be provided?”
Judge Wood says she’s inclined to let jurors know she’ll respond to them in the morning.
The judge also says the third note is more substantive, so she’s holding off on it for the moment. She’s bringing the jury in to give them her standard end-of-day instruction.
JUST IN: The jury considering the bribery case against Illinois Sen. Emil Jones III signals it may not be able to reach an agreement on two of three counts.
Count 1 is a bribery charge, and Count 3 is lying to the FBI.
Lots of hung juries lately in these corruption trials.
Count 2, by the way, is an alleged “Travel Act” interstate commerce violation.
…Adding… The judge just read the third note…
Judge Wood just read the jurors' third note. It's long. Basically, it boils down to "must the jury agree that both things of value [the $5K or the money for the ex-intern] were accepted …? Or is it enough that one of the things of value were accepted?"
The gloves are off in one of the most competitive Senate primary races Illinois has seen in decades.
Expect Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Lauren Underwood to launch bids within hours and days of Sen. Dick Durbin’s announcement that he will not seek reelection in the Senate, a seat he has held since winning his first term in 1996.
In an Illinois exclusive interview with WBEZ on Tuesday, Durbin said more than a dozen people have expressed interest in his seat.
“There are at least a dozen names that I think are serious,” Durbin said. “There is a larger number that has approached me and said they might be interested in it, so I don’t want to rule anyone in or out at this point.”
Some are calling for Illinois to create a new tax credit worth $1.50 per hour per employee for restaurant owners who do not take the tip credit before it is eliminated in 2027.
Advocates working with the national One Fair Wage organization told reporters in Springfield Tuesday that Black tipped workers are forced to rely on tips from customers instead of guaranteed wages from their employers. They argue raising the wage from $9 to $15 could help roughly 65,000 Black tipped workers across the state. […]
The Illinois One Fair Wage plan passed out of the House Executive Committee on a 8-4 vote on March 20. However, House Bill 2982 was kicked back to the House Rules Committee after representatives failed to move the bill on third reading by April 11. The legislation could be brought back to the floor if Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) receives a deadline extension or tosses the language into a shell bill. Although, statehouse insiders have told WAND News that the bill is dead for the spring session.
Advocates are determined the get the legislation across the finish line, even if it takes several more years.
* 217 Today | Armadillos aren’t just in Texas anymore, they are expanding territory in Illinois: When you think of armadillos, you may associate them with Texas. But scientists tell us they have found a permanent home in Illinois. On farmland near Carbondale, F. Agustin Jimenèz walks past acres of soybeans into a wooded area. Jimenèz is a Zoology professor at Southern Illinois University. He’s setting up camera traps to catch images of an elusive animal coming in and out of a burrow.
* WCIA | How basalt could help farmers with carbon capture, mitigate climate change: A relatively new practice is allowing some farmers to capture carbon, leaving the door open for them to profit through carbon credits. A small percentage of farms are using basalt — or crushed rock — in their soil. Crushed basalt in soil absorbs carbon dioxide indirectly, trapping the carbon. Andrew Margenot, a professor of crop sciences at the University of Illinois, said it traps CO2 by speeding up a natural process called rock weathering.
*** Chicago ***
* WTTW | Judge Holds Off on Dismissing Indictment of Ex-Ald. Carrie Austin, as Feds Insist She Is Healthy Enough to Stand Trial: A federal judge said Wednesday he will not dismiss the indictment against ex-Ald. Carrie Austin (34th Ward), even after a court-appointed expert found she is too ill to help craft a defense to the charges she took bribes from a developer and lied to FBI agents. U.S. District Court Judge John F. Kness granted federal prosecutors’ request to hold an evidentiary hearing to question the expert “about her analysis and conclusion” before dismissing the charges that Austin, 75, took bribes in the form of home improvements including new kitchen cabinets and granite countertops from a developer and lied to federal agents.
* WTTW | 2 Months After Mayor Johnson Formed Task Force to Rid CPD of Extremist Groups, No Public Sign of Progress: Two months after Mayor Brandon Johnson formed a task force to examine how to rid the Chicago Police Department of officers with ties to extremist and anti-government groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, the effort has yet to show any sign of public progress. Johnson launched the effort in February, nearly eight months after Inspector General Deborah Witzburg urged him to take that step as part of an effort to “implement a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to preventing, identifying and eliminating extremist and anti-government activities and associations within CPD.”
* Block Club | Chicago Landlords Are Charging Hundreds In Move-In Fees. Renters Want To Know Why: “I think a typical move-in fee for a one-bedroom apartment ranges from $500 to more than $1,000,” DeVon said. “I think it should probably be closer to $150 to $500, depending on actual costs tied to the move-in. There just aren’t enough expenses directly related to the tenant moving in to justify the higher numbers.”
* Sun-Times | Veteran Chicago fire captain dies after garage collapse in Austin blaze: ‘A hero, courageous, brave, bold’: “He spent most of his career on the West Side of Chicago in busy firehouses doing what he loved to do,” Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt told reporters Wednesday morning at Stroger Hospital. Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 said Meyer, 54, joined the department in October 1996. “He was a loyal member doing his job. It’s a dangerous job,” Patrick Cleary, president of Local 2, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Our condolences to his family and co-workers.”
* Sun-Times | Hall of Famer Steve McMichael entering hospice care: Former Bears defensive lineman Steve McMichael, who fought against the ravages of ALS long enough to see himself chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will soon enter hospice care, a source confirmed Wednesday. McMichael had been on a ventilator in intensive care.
* WBEZ | Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer to headline Riot Fest in Chicago in September: On the nostalgia front, the Sex Pistols will perform at the fest just after kicking off their first tour in 20 years. The fest is also bringing the Beach Boys back to Chicago. The lineup also features Chicago band Dehd as well as Dropkick Murphys, The Linda Lindas, All Time Low, Hanson, Rico Nasty, The Front Bottoms, Cobra Starship and Alkaline Trio.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Sun-Times | Highland Park parade shooter skips sentencing as prosecutors lay out evidence of attack for first time: Sighs could be heard from the courtroom gallery as Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart displayed graphic photos of the July 4, 2022 attack that left seven dead and 48 wounded. Testimony began with a recently retired Highland Park police commander who witnessed the first moments of the attack and personally transported three victims to the hospital.
* Naperville Sun | Gun arrest No. 9 made by Naperville police at Topgolf parking lot: With Rogers’ arrest, there have been nine firearm-related busts in or near the Naperville Topgolf parking lot this year, Krakow confirmed. After a nearly four-month break, gun-related arrests outside the Naperville Topgolf started up again in early February. […] Ahead of this year, Naperville police made 25 arrests on gun-related offenses in the Topgolf lot between August 2023 and October 2024.
* Tribune | How Northwestern and its business school are helping coaches take on college sports’ new challenges: Analytics, the transfer portal, name, image and likeness (NIL) and now potentially revenue sharing with athletes have forced coaches to frequently adapt to new rules and norms. “It’s changed a lot just because of the growth of our respective sports, the growth of college athletics, the opportunities we have and the opportunities the student-athletes have,” Drohan said. “It’s a lot more than teaching the X’s and O’s of the sport. It’s about how we can build programs that are going to have really impactful results on our student-athletes.”
*** Downstate ***
* WCIA | Murder trial date for Sean Grayson announced: A judge has announced the trial start date for the former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy accused of the murder of Sonya Massey. Sean Grayson’s murder trial is set to start Oct. 20. It will take place in Peoria County.
* WSIL | John A. Logan College extends president’s term through 2029: “We believe Dr. Overstreet has the College moving in the right direction,” Smith said. “Enrollment is trending up, we have grant-funded construction projects underway or soon will be underway, and we wanted to ensure we have continuity throughout this important phase for the College.” Dr. Overstreet has been leading the college since January 2021, focusing on student success and institutional growth.
*** National ***
* WSJ | In a First, Scientists Sent Quantum Messages a Record Distance Over a Traditional Network: Scientists have sent quantum information across a record-breaking 158 miles using ordinary computers and fiber-optic cables. It is the first time coherent quantum communication—an ultrasecure means of transmitting data—has been achieved using existing telecommunications infrastructure, without the expensive cryogenic cooling that is typically required.
* WaPo | World’s largest bleaching event on record has harmed 84 percent of coral reefs: The massive blow to marine habitats reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — the highest share ever recorded — comes as the planet experiences its fourth global coral bleaching event, which occurs when bleaching is confirmed in every one of the oceans’ basins at once. It raises new concerns about the precarious nature of a living network that sustains vibrant fisheries worldwide and helps protect vulnerable coastal communities from flooding.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky is planning to announce next month she won’t seek reelection after 14 terms in the House and has started informing allies of her retirement decision, according to two people granted anonymity to describe the private conversations.
The veteran Illinois Democrat, 80, confirmed in a statement that an announcement is forthcoming, though she did not say what it would entail: “I’m going to announce my plans on May 5th. Stay tuned,” she said. Schakowsky’s annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch is set for that date in Chicago. […]
Schakowsky’s decision to retire comes as Democrats face an internal reckoning over age and seniority as seasoned lawmakers face primary challengers who are arguing for generational change. On Wednesday, longtime Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, also 80, announced his own retirement. And David Hogg recently sparked a firestorm in the party by saying he’d put millions towards primary challenges to Democrats in safe seats, though he said he wouldn’t back challenges to Schakowsky or former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
…Adding From Rich… The simplistic “analysis” by national reporters bugs me to no end sometimes…
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) has told colleagues she plans to retire rather than seek reelection to a 15th term in Congress, two House Democrats familiar with the matter told Axios.
* Yesterday, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union spoke to the House Transportation Committee about safety. Daily Herald…
As CTA workers described harrowing violence on buses and trains, city and suburban lawmakers pledged to help make the transit system safer during a Tuesday state hearing in Springfield. […]
“It’s important that we don’t get stopped by interagency fights,” Moylan said. “We have to get a full-time police force on these systems as soon as possible.” […]
“I’ve witnessed (the system) go from a strong police and undercover presence to nearly none,” said Keith Hill, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241. […]
In the short term, union officials advocated for larger, more robust shields for bus drivers.
Republican state Rep. Brad Stephens of Rosemont, whose district includes Chicago, endorsed that idea and said the status quo was “just insane. It seems unfathomable that somebody’s not taking this a little bit more seriously.”
Just as with riders, safety is a chief concern of train operators these days. [Pennie McCoach, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308] says there aren’t enough Chicago Police Department officers working the CTA — fewer than 100 are assigned to the whole system, she said at a recent state senate hearing. One operator, who asked to remain anonymous, told me that since the start of the pandemic, the level of harassment and violence toward frontline CTA employees has escalated. The agency hired more unarmed private security guards in 2022 to supplement CPD efforts, but the operator says those guards have little impact, spending much of their time standing around, looking at their phones. The operator described a recent meeting between CTA employees and an official from the security force. The operator asked why the guards don’t have handcuffs or hold people in custody until CPD officers arrive. The executive responded, “You don’t want one of our guards to get jumped, do you?”
* ATU members told the committee the Chicago Transit Authority spends about $83 million on its private security contract. The CTA board of directors recently approved a $1.2 million contract to expand an AI-powered gun detection surveillance program. Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans sharply criticized the private security contract during the hearing…
[Operators] should not be police officers. You all should not be security officers. In addition, the current security contract is a joke. Let’s get rid of that. Let’s have dedicated Transit Police. […]
Other cities are already doing it, don’t let them lie to you. And every Chicago member, I want to see them talking about this, and I’m making a demand. And thank you Chairman Marty Moylan because he’s facilitating these conversations. Y’all gotta speak up. They’re trying to get all this money, give it to the next person to run CTA so they can make $300,000.
The CTA’s transit police force was disbanded in 1979.
* From one operator’s testimony yesterday…
My name is Eric Sylvester, I’ve been with the CTA for 17 years, and fortunately, I’ve never had a dangerous situation until March 13. I was curbing the bus to let people off. And the individuals got off the rear of the bus, one of them came around to the front and shot a young man right at the door. And my shield shattered, it didn’t crumble it shattered. If it wasn’t the fact that I was looking back. There was a bullet hole directly by my head. Meaning if I had been sitting straight up. [I’d be dead.]
Transit operators brought photos to the committee showing injuries and damage to buses and trains caused by violent passengers. Click here to view some of the images—please note that a few are graphic.
* Amalgamated Transit Union 241 President and Business Agent Keith Hill on what immediate changes could help with security issues…
The first thing we can do is close us in, give us a fully enclosed shield [for bus drivers]. They can retrofit the older busses on that. Give us the shield to go all the way in the winter to reduce the objects being thrown, there’s people spitting on us. That’s one of the quickest things we can do. The other quickest thing is the security firm, and they have right now is a joke. […] We ask the police today, even if you see a bus and you stop at the light with us, just roll your window down and say, Hey, is everything okay?
Sometimes the presence is a bigger deterrence than the actual person standing there. Those are two that we can get, which I don’t believe the agencies are partnering well with law enforcement. I’m begging to sit in the room with some of the law enforcement leaders. We can make their job easier when they can make our job easier, just a presence, so a conversation, but the most important thing right away is the shield.
Thoughts?
…Adding… 47th Ward in comments…
There is a bit of a chicken/egg thing going on here. I ride the CTA every day. Pre-COVID, the trains were generally crowded during the day, especially during morning and evening rush. Now, with remote work, trains are less crowded.
It used to be that so many regular commuters made it difficult if not impossible for smokers or other rule breakers to get away with their bad behavior. Now, it seems like the CTA is a rolling mental health shelter, and those bad actors out number the regular commuters.
If more people got back on CTA, fewer people would think it was a safe space for drug use and crime. But because of the drug use and crime, more people are avoiding CTA.
I’d love to tell the idiots to put out the cigarettes and smoke their dope somewhere else, but I don’t want to get stabbed over it. We’re on our own, and that is a major reason the CTA can’t get riders back.
* This statement from US Rep. Darin LaHood’s political director is also posted below, but I wanted to isolate it here…
Senator Durbin’s retirement was long overdue. For decades, Illinoisans have known him as the face of Washington dysfunction — pushing liberal policies that have made life more expensive, our borders less secure, and our streets less safe.
While we wish him well in retirement, Illinoisans are ready to turn the page. Voters are tired of out-of-touch liberal policies that have failed working families, and prioritized illegal immigrants and far-left ideological agendas over hard working American taxpayers.
Congressman LaHood has earned strong support from voters across the 34 counties he’s represented in Congress, winning each election by overwhelming margins. He’s championed impactful economic growth policies and been a leader in strengthening our national security against growing threats like China and Iran. His leadership has consistently driven strong financial backing, resulting in nearly $6 million in cash on hand at the end of last quarter.
As the 2026 election approaches, Congressman LaHood remains focused on delivering conservative leadership for all Illinoisans that offers a clear alternative to the failed liberal policies driving families and businesses out of Illinois.
Folks… it sure looks like he’s running.
* The Question: If LaHood does run for US Senate, what do you believe are his chances in both the primary and the general? Explain.
In an interview revealing his plans, Mr. Durbin, who is in his fifth Senate term, said it was not an easy choice to step away from his prime perch doing battle with President Trump, whom he considers a dire threat to democracy. He described moments in recent days “where I thought, ‘Man, I don’t want to miss this fight.’”
“But you know,” he continued, “I have to be honest about this. There are good people in the wings, good people on the bench ready to serve, and they can fight this fight just as effectively as I can. There comes a point where you have to face reality that this is the time to leave for me.”
Several Illinois Democrats have indicated an interest in running if the seat opened up and have been readying for a potential candidacy. They include Representatives Lauren Underwood, 38; Raja Krishnamoorthi, 51; and Robin Kelly, 68, along with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who is 59.
It is likely to be one of several highly competitive primaries in both parties over the next 18 months, as Democrats embark on an uphill slog to reclaim the Senate majority and Republicans grasp to hang on to it.
A major reason for his decision boiled down to one thing: his age. By the time a sixth term would end, Durbin would be 88.
“It’s time,” Illinois’ 80-year-old senior senator said. “You observe your colleagues and watch what happens. For some of them, there’s this miraculous aging process where they never seem to get too old. […]
Durbin has been a frequent and tough critic of Trump’s trade policies, cabinet appointments and dismantling of the federal government through mass layoffs and agency closures.
It’s an opposition role Durbin says he’ll continue to perform during his remaining 20 months in office, a period when he says the future of American democracy is at an “inflection point.” The Trump administration’s flouting of court orders and his attacks on constitutional norms have Durbin uncertain how America’s second fixation with Trump will end.
…Adding… Governor JB Pritzker…
“MK and I want to express our sincere congratulations to Senator Dick Durbin on his retirement and our utmost gratitude for representing the people of Illinois with integrity and honor.
“Throughout his career, Senator Durbin has been a consistent champion and reliable leader for our working families, civil rights, healthcare, climate, and beyond. From first introducing the DREAM Act, to leading the historic confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to bringing in major federal infrastructure projects to our state, Senator Durbin has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of everyday Illinoisans.
“His legacy is defined not just by the legislation he passed, but by the undeniable positive impact his character and moral leadership has had on the nation. Together with his talented wife Loretta who has trained and encouraged so many women who have become successful public servants, Dick remains a clear voice for truth, equality, and justice.
“The people of Illinois should take great pride having a leader like Dick Durbin represent us in the U.S. Senate. I have been proud to be his partner and am even more proud to call him my friend. He will leave some extraordinary shoes to fill – and has given us all an example of courage and righteousness for the work ahead. No doubt we will all celebrate him during his final 20 months in office.
“On behalf of the entire state of Illinois, I want to wish Senator Durbin a peaceful, fulfilling, and family-filled retirement.”
…Adding… Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez…
“For four decades in Congress, Senator Dick Durbin has served Illinois with heart, courage, and conviction. He stood with working families. He defended civil rights. He fought for compassionate immigration policy. He helped shape some of the most important legislation of our time—and through it all, he stayed grounded in the values that define our party and our state.”
The Chair continued: “Senator Durbin’s leadership exemplified what it means to be a Democrat in Illinois: principled, compassionate, and unafraid to take on tough fights. His retirement marks the close of an extraordinary chapter. But the work isn’t over. At the Democratic Party of Illinois, we are focused on protecting the progress he helped build and preparing for what comes next. We will organize, mobilize, and fight to keep this seat blue in 2026, and to carry his legacy into the future.”
Thank you, Senator Durbin, for 44 years of dedicated service to the people of Illinois and to all Americans as a leader of the U.S. Senate and as a congressman before that. You set a standard that will be hard for others to follow, always leading with kindness and compassion towards the people of this great country. You and Loretta and your family have more than earned a restful retirement. Thank you from all the DREAMers, the veterans, the patriots and those of us who like breathing clean air. We couldn’t have asked for a kinder, humbler, and more effective senator. I know how much you love serving the people of Illinois and all of America and how hard this decision must have been to make. I applaud you for the work you’ve done, your passion and dedication to America, and your selfless decision to pass the torch. We have no doubt that given the historic challenges that lie ahead, we will continue to see you fighting for America in your most important role, that of American citizen. Thank you, Senator Durbin.
…Adding… ILGOP Chairman Kathy Salvi…
“After decades of speeches and zero real progress for Illinois families, Dick Durbin is stepping aside—proof that even the most entrenched eventually find the exit. Illinois families have a long-overdue chance to turn the page and elect a leader who will fight for lower taxes, less government spending, true support for Israel and our national and economic security.”
…Adding… Illinois AFL-CIO…
“Throughout his more than 40 years of public service, Sen. Durbin has been an advocate, a friend and an ally to the working families of Illinois and across this country. His career is defined by standing up for working people and the vulnerable. From his humble roots in East St. Louis to leadership in the nation’s highest legislative body, Sen. Durbin has reflected the best of us. On behalf of Illinois’ labor movement, the Illinois AFL-CIO wishes him the very best in his well-deserved retirement.”
…Adding… Congressman Eric Sorensen…
“It has been an honor serving alongside Senator Dick Durbin in Congress. I have long admired his focus on creating jobs in Illinois, bringing down costs for working families, and protecting benefits for veterans and seniors,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen. “As a dedicated public servant for more than four decades, Senator Durbin has been a strong voice for Illinoisans, ushering into law many historic bills as a long-time leader in the U.S. Senate. I am grateful for the legacy he leaves behind that has helped improve millions of our Illinois neighbors.”
…Adding… Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi…
“Today is a day to celebrate Senator Dick Durbin for his exemplary career of public service as well as the profound and lasting positive impact he’s had on Illinois families and our nation. Known for his legendary work ethic, Senator Durbin has led the fight to expand access to affordable health care, invest in our state’s infrastructure, tackle gun violence, defend Dreamers, improve public health, protect working families, and more. His expert leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee ensured the confirmation of a record 235 federal judges, shaping the courts and securing our most fundamental American rights for many years to come.
“A champion for everyday families and an unyielding advocate for the underdog, Senator Durbin represents the true meaning of public service. Over the next two years, I know he will continue to fiercely advocate for our state, and I will be honored to fight alongside him as we continue to deliver for Illinois. From one son of downstate to another: Thank you, Senator.”
…Adding… Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski…
“I cannot overstate my admiration for Senator Durbin and the remarkable legacy he leaves behind. As a young student at the University of Illinois, I was proud to volunteer for his first Senate campaign in 1996. Ever since, his leadership has been an inspiration not only to me, but countless others in public service.
“His tireless advocacy has brought historic investments to our state — particularly in East St. Louis, Senator Durbin’s hometown. It has been an honor to represent his hometown in Congress and to work alongside him to address the long-standing challenges facing these communities. His residency in Springfield, the home of Lincoln, has allowed us to collaborate on the city’s most critical priorities, including the Springfield Rail Improvement Project. I was proud to work with him to secure the federal funding to make this project a reality. His mentorship has been invaluable and has shaped the leader I strive to be.
“I know this decision was not made lightly. Senator Durbin has led our delegation — and the Senate Democratic caucus — with conviction and principle, especially in defending our democracy during some of its most trying moments. All members of Congress should look to Senator Durbin as a shining example of standing up for what is right and putting the people of your state first.”
…Adding… U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth….
“The first time I met Dick Durbin was just 12 weeks after my shootdown—at a point so early in my recovery that I could barely sit up for any length of time, even in my hospital bed.
“But when Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair. He saw a Soldier in search of her next mission. And he recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn’t mean that I couldn’t find a new way to serve my nation.
“It is only because of Dick’s empathy, patience, support and mentorship that I am in the United States Senate today. It has been the honor of a lifetime to get to work alongside a leader who embodies what it means to be a true public servant. Someone who has never, ever stopped speaking out for those who far too often feel voiceless. Someone who has never, ever stopped fighting to hold the special interests in our country accountable. Someone who has never, ever stopped caring enough about our nation to do the hard, grueling work necessary to make her a little more fair, a little more just—one day, one bill, one constituent at a time.
“Dick Durbin is, and will always be, a giant of the United States Senate. He has dedicated his life to making our state—as well as our nation—stronger, and we are all better for it. There are no words to adequately express how grateful I am to call him a friend or how honored I’ve been to call him a mentor. And while I will miss working with him so closely in the Senate, I know he will find a new way to keep serving his country in the years ahead—just as he encouraged a wounded Soldier in a Walter Reed hospital room to do, all those years ago.
“Thank you, my friend. For everything.”
…Adding… House Speaker Chris Welch…
“Senator Dick Durbin’s service to Illinois leaves a legacy that stands alongside some of our finest statesmen. For more than 40 years, people have counted on Dick Durbin to be our leading voice in Washington. And time and time again—whether working with President Obama to expand access to affordable healthcare, leading the fight for fair and representative courts on the Judiciary Committee, or working to build a smart, sustainable future for all—Senator Durbin has delivered. And one of the greatest testaments to his legacy is the work he has done to train and prepare generations of new leaders who are now tasked with building on his historic legacy of service, integrity, and compassion.”
…Adding… Congresswoman Robin Kelly…
“I would like to congratulate my friend, Senator Dick Durbin, on a remarkable career in public service. Senator Durbin has always served with integrity and common sense, and I am one of millions of Illinoisans who are grateful for his leadership during challenging times. We are lucky to have his voice in the Senate to stand for our farmers, veterans, small businesses, and children for the next year and a half. I wish him and Loretta the best as they plan for the next chapter.”
…Adding… Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant….
“Will County and the entire state of Illinois owe a debt of gratitude to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. His record of service on behalf of our county and our state is immeasurable. Senator Durbin’s commitment to Will County resulted in the creation of a National Veterans Cemetery, the largest inland port in North America, historic levels of investment in infrastructure, and countless jobs. I am proud to call Senator Durbin a friend and look forward to working closely with him for the duration of his term.”
…Adding… Congressman Sean Casten…
“Senator Dick Durbin’s career of public service is a gold standard for anyone who holds or aspires to hold public office. He has been a model and a mentor. A model in his actions, where he has always led with intellect and humility. And a mentor to all of us learning how to do the job he has done so well.
“When I was first running in 2018, he told me that I should never judge how politicians behave if they don’t have any political capital to spend – but that I could learn a lot about politicians by how they choose to spend the political capital they have. It’s always struck me as quintessentially Durbin. Humble, in its insistence that we not rush to judgment. But insightful for understanding how others will – and should – judge us. It’s the kind of advice that makes you better at your job, just as it pushes you to be better still. May we all live up to that standard.
“The Congress, Illinois, and the country are a better place because of his service. Thank you, Senator Durbin.”
…Adding… Jake Ford, Political Director, LaHood for Congress…
“Senator Durbin’s retirement was long overdue. For decades, Illinoisans have known him as the face of Washington dysfunction — pushing liberal policies that have made life more expensive, our borders less secure, and our streets less safe.
While we wish him well in retirement, Illinoisans are ready to turn the page. Voters are tired of out-of-touch liberal policies that have failed working families, and prioritized illegal immigrants and far-left ideological agendas over hard working American taxpayers.
Congressman LaHood has earned strong support from voters across the 34 counties he’s represented in Congress, winning each election by overwhelming margins. He’s championed impactful economic growth policies and been a leader in strengthening our national security against growing threats like China and Iran. His leadership has consistently driven strong financial backing, resulting in nearly $6 million in cash on hand at the end of last quarter.
As the 2026 election approaches, Congressman LaHood remains focused on delivering conservative leadership for all Illinoisans that offers a clear alternative to the failed liberal policies driving families and businesses out of Illinois.”’
…Adding…Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson…
“I want to thank Senator Durbin for over 40 years of fighting for the people of Illinois. Senator Durbin is a principled and pragmatic leader and deeply committed to his constituents. Throughout his career, he understood the importance of reaching across the aisle and working in partnership to deliver for our people, while never abandoning his Democratic values. In his role on the Senate Judiciary Committee, he fought to preserve democracy when it faced the most unprecedented threats of our lifetime. Time and time again, he delivered real results to the working people of Chicago – investing in our airports and our train stations, defending Dreamers and immigrants, and fighting to end gun violence. He was a champion for young children and early childhood education, and he fought for mental health services for our young people. Our city, our state, and our country are stronger due to his decades of service.”
…Adding… Congresswoman Delia Ramirez…
“Senator Durbin has been a trusted leader, a mentor to many, and a champion for working people in Illinois, who has always led with compassion and integrity. For over 40 years, he has worked to expand healthcare access, to protect our communities from gun violence, to transform our justice system, and led the fight advocating for Dreamers. As he announces his much-deserved retirement, I am feeling thankful for his work and service to the people of Illinois and our nation.
Thank you, Senator, for the opportunity to learn from you and partner with you on so many important issues. As the proud daughter of immigrants, the spouse of a Dreamer, and the Congresswoman of IL-03, I also extend my deepest gratitude for your unwavering commitment to defending our immigrant communities.”
…Adding…Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García….
“I want to thank Senator Dick Durbin for his decades of service to the people of Illinois and for being a steadfast voice for justice and progress in Washington. His decision to forego another re-election marks the close of a remarkable chapter in our state’s history. Senator Durbin has been a moral anchor in the U.S. Senate—fighting for working families, standing up for immigrants, protecting our democracy, and leading with courage and compassion.
Senator Durbin’s deep integrity, strategic mind, and consistent focus on human dignity leave an incredible legacy in Illinois and across the nation. His work in authoring the DREAM Act, his unshakable belief in advancing comprehensive immigration reform, and shepherding landmark judicial appointments changed lives and shaped the national conversation.
I’ve been proud to work alongside him, and I join many across our state in wishing him and Loretta all the best in the years ahead. Illinois’ next senator will need to carry forward his legacy of leadership grounded in courage, compassion, and an enduring drive for equity.”
…Adding… The Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Kevin McLaughlin…
“On behalf of the hardworking men and women of the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, I want to offer our profound gratitude to Senator Durbin for his decades of service in the United States Senate. Senator Durbin has been a true champion for working families and a steadfast ally of organized labor throughout his distinguished career. Time and again, he’s stood with us—not just in words, but in action. From supporting Davis-Bacon protections and prevailing wage laws, to defending collective bargaining rights and using his considerable clout to fund infrastructure projects that created thousands of good-paying union jobs, Senator Durbin has never wavered in his commitment to the middle class. He’s been a frequent guest at our Delegate meetings who never fails to charm the audience with his tales of growing up in a union household and knowing what it was like to fight for everything you got. He’s done so much uncredited work behind the scenes to help his constituents – that’s just who he is. We’re proud to call him a friend.”
…Adding… Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) President Mark Guethle…
“I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with Senator Durbin since he first ran for the U.S. Senate 1996. What impressed me then and continues to impress me now is his selflessness. Whether he was fighting for working families or attending a County Party event somewhere in Illinois, we know we can count on him. His leadership in the Senate and in the Democratic Party have been invaluable. He is a true statesman in every sense of the word.
Senator Durbin understands the importance of building the Democratic Party at the grassroots level in all corners of Illinois. He continues to be a fierce advocate for the IDCCA, and we will forever be grateful for his leadership. We are a stronger IDCCA and a stronger Democratic Party because of Dick Durbin.
On behalf of all 102 County Democratic Party Chairs, I wish to thank Senator Durbin for everything he has done for our state, our country, and our Democratic Party. We wish him well in retirement.”
…Adding… Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid…
“Senator Durbin has been a tireless advocate for the people of Illinois and his leadership in Washington will be missed.
“For someone who had been in DC for decades, Durbin frequently rejected the political status quo and fought for what he believed in – even if the votes were tough. Durbin’s support for the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval blocking arms sales to Israel was incredibly needed leadership at a time when too many lacked such courage and moral clarity.
“He stood up to powerful interests here and abroad because it was the morally right thing to do. His efforts on healthcare, DACA, criminal justice reform, and many other issues have made life measurably better for millions of people.
“Senator Durbin has left big shoes to fill. Our next senator will be measured by their willingness to reject America’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza and say no to sending billions of dollars worth of weapons to Israel. Senator Durbin’s successor must be ready to carry out his legacy of fighting for all people.”
…Adding… Senate President Don Harmon…
“I want to congratulate my friend Senator Dick Durbin on an extraordinary career in public service. His leadership made a lasting impact on Illinois. Senator Durbin spent his career fighting for all Illinoisans, and the trust the people placed in him over his tenure speaks for itself.
“I extend my thanks to Senator Durbin, Loretta, and their family, and wish them the very best in the years ahead.”
…Adding… Rep. Maurice West…
“Dick Durbin represents the very best of Illinois. He has served our state and its people with honesty and integrity as a statesman, an advocate, and a fierce fighter for justice. His record as a legislator and leader in Congress is truly exceptional, and he provided myself and so many others in public service with a sterling example of moral leadership in our modern world. I am particularly grateful that he brought his downstate Illinois roots to the highest levels of government, ensuring the experiences and values of all of Illinois would be represented in Washington, D.C. I wish him and his family the very best as he concludes his term in office and begins a long and happy retirement.”
…Adding… Illinois Retail Merchants Association…
“Senator Dick Dubin has been a tireless advocate for Illinois and a true champion for the retail community. We extend our sincere congratulations to Senator Durbin on his retirement and thank him for his many years of dedicated public service,” said Rob Karr, president and CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. “We are grateful for his decades-long recognition of the vital role retail plays in our economy, and his commitment to ensuring a fair and competitive marketplace for consumers and retailers. In particular, we appreciate his leadership on debit-card reform and, more recently, his support of the Credit Card Competition Act, which has been instrumental in bringing attention to skyrocketing credit card swipe fees that are harming businesses and driving up costs for working families. We thank him for his partnership and his unwavering dedication and wish him the best in his next chapter.
…Adding… Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery…
“Senator Durbin’s career has been defined by principled leadership, fierce advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to working people. His legacy will be held in high regard alongside other great senators from Illinois such as Paul Douglas and Paul Simon. As someone who began his career working alongside Senator Paul Simon, Durbin stepped into his mentor’s shoes and not only continued the legacy but built on it. His contributions have shaped Illinois and the nation for the better.
“Throughout his decades of public service, Senator Durbin stood up time and again for teachers, school staff, higher education, public employees, and the right of every worker to organize and be treated with dignity. He was a vocal champion of immigration reform, co-authoring the DREAM Act and standing strong for DACA recipients when their futures were most at risk.
“On behalf of the more than 103,000 IFT members, we extend our gratitude for his lifetime of leadership. His retirement marks the end of an era, but his legacy will inspire generations to come.”
…Adding… Congresswoman Lauren Underwood…
“Senator Durbin is the best. He defends our values, always fights for what’s right, and time and again delivers for Illinois families.
“I’ve known Senator Durbin to be a generous and thoughtful leader. He has always set a standard of excellence: accelerating progress in access to health care, growing the middle class, and championing a judiciary that reflects our country. As a steady force for good, Senator Durbin always dedicates himself not just to our state, but the country. I’m so grateful for his decades of service which has made life better for millions of people.
“Thank you Senator Durbin for your sacrifices and leadership for Illinois!
This afternoon, Underwood rallied against the Trump Administration’s continued attack on international students and faculty across the country at the Northern Illinois University Campus in DeKalb.
…Adding… Treasurer Mike Frerichs…
Sen. Durbin worked tirelessly for the families of Illinois and our country. He was a voice for the voiceless. He stood tall on the issues that matter like health care, workers’ rights, and the environment. He brought home money for our roads, bridges, and public transit.
When I first ran for elected office 27 years ago, Sen. Durbin was the first and only statewide official to support me. After I lost, he sent me a handwritten letter and encouraged me to stay in public service. Were it not for Sen. Durbin, I would not be writing this today as Illinois Treasurer. I am not alone. He has mentored and supported countless people over his decades in public service.
…Adding… Sen. Robert Peters…
“Dick Durbin has served our state and its people with honor and integrity, standing up for what is right above all else. His many accomplishments in Congress have shaped our state and our nation for the better, from fighting for clean air to standing up for immigrant families to delivering major investments in our infrastructure.
“His legacy and leadership are forever etched in Illinois history. I wish him and his family the very best as he completes his term and transitions to a very well-deserved retirement.”
…Adding… Greg Kelley, President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois…
Senator Dick Durbin has been a devoted advocate for the working people of Illinois. In his four decades of public service, he has defended not only the right of workers to have a voice on the job and in their communities, but a society in which those who work for a living can build rich and satisfying lives for themselves and their families. As a union of frontline care givers, we have long known that Senator Durbin believes in a society in which we care for one another and in which we invest in care, and especially in care for the most vulnerable among us.
He showed his own commitment to care in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic by showing up to engage with our members and advocate for the needs of care workers and those they served in a time fraught with anxiety and uncertainty.
On a personal note, I was fortunate to enter the political arena as a young man by interning on Senator Durbin’s first run for the office he has held for so long. Over the years, my experience of him has been that he not only shows up for working people, but that he does so with kindness and compassion.
Senator Durbin—many thanks for your steadfast leadership.
…Adding… Congressman Mike Quigley…
“After serving the people of Illinois for over 40 years in Congress, my colleague Senator Dick Durbin has shared that he plans to retire at the end of his term.
“From securing federal funds to extend Chicago’s Red Line and bolster anti-flooding infrastructure, to supporting full LGBTQ+ equality, Senator Durbin has been an essential partner in solving problems right here at home. As the Senate Democratic whip for two decades, Durbin has also mobilized my Democratic colleagues to vote for transformative legislation, including the Affordable Care Act, First Step Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In recent years, I have also been honored to work with Senator Durbin in advocating for Ukraine in the war against Russian aggression.
“Senator Durbin’s decision to retire embodies the essence of public service—doing what is best even when it is difficult. I will miss his partnership and advocacy in the Senate, but I look forward to seeing him thrive in this next chapter.”
…Adding… The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce…
“I want to express my sincere congratulations to Senator Dick Durbin on his historic career of public service. I have had the privilege of knowing Senator Durbin personally for many years and worked directly with him to create jobs and economic opportunity throughout our state. It has been an honor to witness his steadfast leadership and powerful voice for Illinois businesses in Washington, advocating tirelessly for policies that drive growth, innovation, and opportunity. His decades of leadership have made a lasting impact on our state and our nation.
On behalf of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, I want to thank Senator Durbin for his unwavering dedication to public service and to the people of Illinois. We wish him, his wife Loretta, and the entire Durbin family all the best as they embark on this new chapter,” said Jack Lavin, President and CEO of Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
…Adding… Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter…
“For more than 40 years, Dick Durbin has been a steadfast champion for working families in Chicago and across our state. The Chicago labor movement has been proud to partner with Sen. Durbin on countless legislative initiatives, from delivering new investments in our local infrastructure to fighting for healthcare benefits for workers during the pandemic. His integrity as a legislator and statesman are unmatched, and we are deeply grateful for his service to our city and state. We wish Sen. Durbin, Loretta, and his entire family all the best as he continues his work in office over the next 20 months and then begins what will be a well-deserved retirement.”
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With SOO Green all ratepayers will enjoy a more reliable grid, protection from rising energy costs, and a stronger economy for Illinois.
Mayor Brandon Johnson will return to Springfield next week to ratchet up the pressure on his funding requests for Chicago, but under a local and national political landscape that has shifted starkly since his last excursion to the statehouse — and with Gov. JB Pritzker preemptively throwing cold water on his visit.
At his Tuesday City Hall news conference, the mayor confirmed he will head to the Illinois General Assembly and meet with Pritzker as well as House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. A flyer obtained by the Tribune shows the mayor’s political organization also plans to host a reception for the Chicago delegation at a Springfield venue next Tuesday evening.
The top of his agenda, Johnson told reporters, “hasn’t changed,” before his chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas elaborated that it includes securing funding for Chicago’s public schools and transit systems; “creating additional revenue, or sustaining revenue” from the prepaid cellphone and personal property replacement taxes; and investing in the joint city-state shelter system for migrants and homeless people.
The mayor last visited the General Assembly in May 2024 and saw lackluster results. But this time, Johnson hinted that President Donald Trump’s second term — and a “serious conversation about what Chicago means in this moment” — would increase the urgency for state leaders to move on his Springfield agenda.
* Full exchange…
Isabel: What do you not want to hear from Johnson in any meetings you have with him?
Pritzker: Whatever the mayor of Chicago wants to come talk about, I’m open to talking about. I’m open to talking about that. Doesn’t mean that we’re going to agree on everything, but always, my door is always open to the mayors of cities all across the state, and in particular the city of Chicago, where, no doubt, the mayor is coming to ask for things to happen.
I will say it’s April, and we put our budget together in actually, in the latter half of the prior year, and then present it in February. So it’ll be hard for us to talk about things in the current budget. Though, again, maybe there are things we can move around in the budget that’ll be beneficial to the city of Chicago.
Isabel: He mentioned today in reference to transit there might have to be progressive revenue involved on getting that funding secured. Are there any ideas that your administration has with funding that?
Pritzker: That’s a decision to be made by the city of Chicago about whether they will find sources of progressive revenue.
Wednesday, Apr 23, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Formerly Southpoint Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the newly renamed facility is a case in point illustrating the ongoing short staffing crisis in Illinois nursing homes. Landmark’s numerous inspection reports demonstrate the impact of its record of providing only 60% of the care hours that residents need. In the last three years, Landmark accrued an astounding $745,000 in fines for failing to provide adequate care.
State Representative Justin Slaughter, co-sponsor of HB2507, spoke outside the facility on the need for public dollars to be properly invested in improving resident care. “It’s important that we protect our nursing home workers. That’s why I’m on the front lines pushing and advocating for a bill that protects our staffing levels as well as the quality of care.”
Landmark CNA Sharletta Jeffrey described the challenges of working short staffed. “I work in the dementia unit…some of our residents will get up and just wander off…I can’t always watch them closely. It’s just not possible when you’re taking care of so many people.”
It’s past time to end chronic understaffing for nursing home patients. Support HB2507 to ensure public funding goes to care and not to profit because Care Can’t Wait.
* ICYMI: IL tourism chief out amid ethics probe. Capitol City Now…
Daniel Thomas, head of the Illinois Office of Tourism, a bureau within the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, was accused of a massive conflict of interest by doing state business with Time Zone One, a company he owned.
Asked about the situation at an economic development event in Jacksonville Tuesday Gov. JB Pritzker called it a one-off: “The challenges with the gentleman that was fired by DCEO are ones that will not happen again. The (Illinois) Office of Tourism, frankly, has helped us to enhance tourism all across the state of Illinois. Our numbers have been going up every single year, but that one gentleman broke the rules, broke the law, and he’ll be held accountable.”
* The Governor will be in Decatur today at 11:30 to celebrate the opening of TCCI Clean Manufacturing Hub. Click here to watch.
* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* WCIA | West Nile bird testing suspended in Illinois to prevent bird flu spread: Usually, County Health Departments in Illinois begin collecting dead birds and testing them for West Nile Virus between May and October. This year however, the ongoing spread of bird flu has put that on pause. […] The Illinois Department of Public Health said that to prevent a risk of exposure to bird flu, they are temporarily suspending the collection and testing of dead wild birds for West Nile virus. […] But, the IDPH added, the department will continue to collect and test mosquitoes, which will serve as a way to track the virus in Illinois.
* WAND | Advance Illinois asks for an additional $350 million for FY2026 amid potential federal cuts: Advance Illinois’ Director of Government Relations Jelani Saadiq said even though the federal government hasn’t cut funding yet, the state needs to be prepared to step in. “While we recognize the budget is tight and are grateful for the consistent investment over the years, we continue to recommend the state invests more than the $350 million in EBF for Financial Year 2026,” Saadiq said.
* WaPo | Whooping cough cases surge as vaccine rates fall: The U.S. has tallied 8,077 cases of whooping cough in 2025, compared with 3,847 cases in the same period last year, the CDC’s data shows. The bacterial illness, formally known as pertussis, spreads easily and is especially dangerous for infants. […] In 2024, the number of whooping cough cases in the U.S. climbed to the highest level in a decade. The latest figures show the disease’s spread continues to accelerate — and indicates that the country is backsliding in keeping children from dying of preventable diseases, said Paul Offit, an infectious-diseases physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who directs its vaccine education center.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Press release | Healthy Illinois holds Springfield rally to maintain healthcare for all: Hundreds of supporters of health care for all will rally in front of the Illinois State Capitol to support 33,000 Illinois residents who are at risk of losing essential health coverage on July 1, 2025. WHEN: Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 10:30 AM
* WAND | IL Secretary of State shares new video highlighting dangers of texting and driving: All people looking to receive their learner permit in Illinois will be required to watch the video. It lasts 1 minute and 30 seconds, showing how eating, texting or generally being distracted while driving can cause fatal accidents in seconds. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said distracted driving is an epidemic and the drunk driving of this generation that causes 3,500 deaths per year in the U.S.
* WAND | Illinois House committee debates consequences of Trump’s SAVE Act for married women, disabled voters: Trump and congressional Republicans hope to require Americans show a passport or their birth certificate when they register to vote or renew their registration. Yet, many nonpartisan organizations have criticized the idea due to the fact the vast majority of Americans don’t have those documents and the plan would prohibit online voter registration. Over 2.5 million women in Illinois would also be blocked from voting under the SAVE Act because they changed their surname when they got married.
*** Statewide ***
* ABC Chicago | Illinois, Indiana college students celebrate temporary victory after judge orders visas reinstated: More than 100 international students are celebrating a victory Tuesday after a lawyer representing the students says the Trump administration complied with a Georgia District Court Judge’s order to reinstate their student visas for now. That group includes students from the University of Illinois, Western Illinois University, and the Indiana Institute of Technology.
* SJ-R | ‘It just seems so unfair:’ Illinois families brace for possible Medicaid cuts: For Marilyn Webster of Jacksonville, Medicaid means being able to work, as opposed to probably having to quit her job to look after her 20-year-old daughter, Rebekah, who has autism with high support needs. Camilla Nicoletta, 23, of Springfield, who has Down’s syndrome, is trying to enter a day program that offers routine, independence, and community. Louis Pisani, 27, who has autism, has found a job that he has held for five years with the help of job coaching and transition programs. Here’s what potential cuts to Medicaid could mean for them and for others in Illinois.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson takes aim at Rahm Emanuel, ex-mayor’s ‘neoliberal agenda’: Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday he was watching an interview with Rahm Emanuel recently and was “incredibly bothered” by the former mayor’s “temerity.” “The playbook that Donald Trump is running is a playbook that Emanuel executed in this city,” Johnson added.
* Crain’s | Bally’s is juggling both Chicago and federal politics with its revised casino IPO: Under the original plan, Bally’s sought approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an IPO targeting women and minority investors and collected deposits from more than 1,500 accounts as of late last year. That structure was challenged in multiple lawsuits in January by white would-be investors alleging the offering violated federal anti-discrimination laws. And while a judge refused to block the IPO, the SEC — which is now in the grip of President Donald Trump’s administration — never gave Bally’s clearance to issue shares, prompting the company to temporarily scrap the offering in February and return deposits.
* WBEZ | ‘This is real rehabilitation’: A Chicago program that keeps young men out of prison is expanding: The program gave him the basic necessities he needed to gain stability — shelter, work and community — in a state where close to 40% of people released from prison return within three years. […] Alonzo Waheed, a program director at Equity and Transformation, a group focused on formerly incarcerated residents on the West Side, said the work of the legal center “has been foundational in providing much-needed resources to the community.”
* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools CEO Martinez picked to lead Massachusetts schools: Martinez, who was fired from CPS without cause in December, was one of three finalists for the Massachusetts job and one of 42 people who had applied. If he takes the job, he will be responsible for overseeing and providing state support for Massachusetts’ roughly 400 school districts. He would also become the first Latino to have the job.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | Lake Zurich among the latest communities to approve local grocery tax to replace expiring state measure: Shoppers won’t notice a difference as the local grocery tax will remain 1%, allowing the village to maintain a “critical, stable revenue stream needed for municipal operations.” Lake Zurich has six or more large grocery stores and receives about $1.3 million annually. That revenue goes into the general fund, which supports core village services including police, fire and public works.
* Daily Southtown | Area’s ancient landscape and human impact showcased at Orland Grassland: Sandhill cranes and other migratory species now use the reserve for stopovers during spring and fall migrations. Grassland birds such as bobolinks, dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks and Henslow’s sparrows consider the reserve a prime breeding area. Native amphibians, reptiles and insects also have returned.
* Daily Herald | 80 years ago this week, a Cook County forest preserve was converted into a POW labor camp: There’s likely only a few still around who remember the time — 80 years ago this week — when the U.S. Army commandeered the site and converted it into a German prisoner of war labor camp to help farmers in the area harvest their crops. “It kind of sounds worse than it was,” said Kathleen Fairbairn, a volunteer researcher at the Des Plaines History Center. “The prisoners, they weren’t very interested in going home anyway as it turns out most of their homes had probably been destroyed in the bombings and they were being better fed than if they were still on the front lines.”
* Daily Southtown | Andrew High School musician named state’s top young composer: When Dash Wilson composes a new piece of music, it’s not just the notes that are important but the story they tell, and his creativity earned him first place this year in the 2025 Illinois Young Composer contest. His composition “Echo of a Raindrop – From Within the Cave” also received an honorary mention at the Illinois Music Education Association Student Composition Contest in the Senior Instrumental Large Ensemble Category.
*** Downstate ***
* WCIA | Pritzker goes to Jacksonville to announce money for downtown revitalization projects: The projects are focused on either improving infrastructure or building out housing options “Our state government treated these towns across the state as a relic of the past rather than a key part of our future,” Pritzker said. “Main streets and downtowns were losing their small businesses, in part because they needed upgrades and improvements that local governments sometimes could not afford.”
* WCIA | City of Urbana finalizes last property tax payment to Carle Health: A 20-year legal saga in Urbana is coming to a close. City leaders approved a settlement agreement on Monday night to pay off the remaining balance in the lawsuit involving Carle Health and property tax exemptions. It’ll cost the City of Urbana, Cunningham Township and Champaign County more than six million dollars.
* WGLT | Heartland Community College Board to vote on $6.4 million in spring construction projects: The proposed developments include new classrooms and networking labs, a student center and an extension of the Constitution Trail. The combined cost of the projects is estimated at $6.4 million. The second phase of Heartland’s new student center is projected to cost $2.75 million and aligns with the college’s 2020 facility master plan, according to Heartland staff. The proposed space will include a wellness room, a multipurpose food pantry and clothing closet, updated areas for student counseling and esports and a student lounge overlooking the atrium.
*** National ***
* WaPo | DOJ cancels grants for gun-violence and addiction prevention, victim advocacy: The grants sent millions of dollars to organizations that support intervention programs for nonviolent youth offenders; programs to avert opioid-related deaths in Newark; programs aimed at identifying community-based approaches to preventing hate crimes against Arab, Jewish and Asian Americans; and a confidential hotline run by the National Center for Victims of Crime to inform crime victims about their rights. The Boston-based Community Resources for Justice, for example, lost $37 million spread over several grants. Some of those funds were used to provide crime data analysis and other services to local governments, according to government grant data.
* WSJ | Tesla Profit Sinks, Hurt by Backlash Over Elon Musk’s Political Role: Tesla’s TSLA 4.60% net income slid 71% in the first quarter, as the company struggled to overcome competitive pressure overseas and a reputational hit from Chief Executive Elon Musk’s polarizing role in the Trump administration. Musk said he would be devoting significantly less time to his federal cost-cutting work at the Department of Government Efficiency starting next month, but struck a defiant tone against critics. “I believe the right thing to do is to fight the waste and fraud and try to get the country back on the right track,” Musk said on a call with analysts after the quarterly earnings report Tuesday.
* 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.
The treasurers of eight US states have written an open letter to Tesla Inc.’s board of directors questioning the direction of the company and the level of attention Elon Musk is paying to its mounting challenges.
The overseers of funds and investments for Illinois, California and half a dozen other states cite Tesla’s sagging stock, disappointing first-quarter deliveries and surge of trade-ins by vehicle owners as being among their causes for concern.
“Meanwhile, CEO Elon Musk continues to divide his attention across multiple companies and a high-profile advisory role within the federal government,” the treasurers wrote. “These external commitments raise serious questions about whether Tesla’s leadership is fully engaged in addressing the company’s core challenges.”
The letter — pulled together in coordination with the advocacy group Americans for Responsible Growth — heaps more pressure on Tesla and Musk ahead of the company releasing first-quarter earnings results after the close Tuesday.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Tribune | Jury sends out questions during deliberations in state Sen. Emil Jones III bribery trial: Jurors resumed deliberations in the federal corruption trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III, and early Tuesday afternoon sent questions to the judge during their talks. Included in them was whether Jones needed to agree to accept something worth $5,000 or anything of value, and whether a decision to do so needed to remain in place without Jones changing his mind. The panel also asked about the difference between federal and state laws against bribery. The judge gave lawyers in the case an hour to come up with proposed answers to the jury’s notes.
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker balances messaging as some Dems encourage party to avoid LGBTQ issues: Pritzker was confronted with polling data on LGBTQ issues during his first FOX News interview as governor earlier this month. The March FOX News poll showed 68% of respondents favor President Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to ban transgender women from women’s sports, and 54% support federal policy that recognizes only two genders. Pritzker brushed aside the poll. “You can go issue by issue and you can ask a question whether people support this issue or that,” he told the FOX News host. “Here’s what people really care about: They care about their health care, they care about their affordability, they care about the kitchen table issues that really matter every day.”
* Chicago Mag | With ridership lagging and a fiscal reckoning looming, the L is in trouble. Here’s why our train is worth saving: Even acknowledging that the CTA is underfunded, it’s fair to wonder whether the agency could be doing more with the resources it has. Stephen Schlickman, the head of the RTA from 2005 to 2010, recalls that in 2007 his agency faced a $400 million shortfall, so he requested that the Illinois auditor general conduct a review to ensure that the problem wasn’t mismanagement. He questions why the CTA doesn’t undertake a similar probe. (The CTA says it conducts its own audit annually and is subject to triennial audits from both the Federal Transit Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation.) And he can’t make sense of how the CTA spent its COVID relief money: “I’m sorry, they got billions of dollars from the federal government, and why the service, crime, filthiness of the CTA became so bad is beyond me.”
* American’s Work force | Reviving the Springfield and Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council: Yelverton began by sharing his journey from Las Vegas to Illinois, where he said he found a home in the labor movement. He has spent the past 19 years with the Illinois Federation of Teachers. In 2020, after being named Interim President, Yelverton was elected President of the Springfield and Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council. Under his leadership, the council has been rebuilt from the ground up, as he was the first President elected after the Council came out of Trusteeship. Now, the council has grown within the community through engagement and supporting young people with scholarship programs, Yelverton said.
* WMBD | 1% grocery tax approved by Washington City Council: It’s become a hot topic across Illinois after Gov. JB Pritzker and the General Assembly eliminated the statewide 1% tax on groceries beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Since then, municipalities from Pekin to East Peoria and across the state have adopted similar ordinances in an effort to maintain the sales tax revenue that would be lost if they go along with the state’s repeal.
* Daily Egyptian | SIU admin, faculty seek clarity as ‘multiple’ international students affected by visa crackdown: At an SIU Faculty Senate meeting on Tuesday, April 15, Provost Sheryl Tucker told concerned faculty members that “multiple” students had been affected – though she declined to give an exact number, citing federal privacy laws under FERPA. […] This marks the first acknowledgment from SIU that more than one international student has been caught in the federal dragnet. Previously, the university had only confirmed a single case – a student whose visa was revoked and who has since left the country.
* WGLT | Bloomington council weighs housing incentive options, hears annual report from police chief: The housing shortage is on the minds of many in Bloomington, including the city council. During a meeting Monday, Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus presented an update on the issue. Tyus discussed changes the council could make to incentivize developers to build in Bloomington. In a time of economic uncertainty, he emphasized the value of putting forth a clear “standardized incentives” plan. Knowing what help they can expect to receive in advance, Tyus said, would help dispel developers’ reluctance.
* WCIA | Classes cancelled at Tri-Point schools due to threat: Tri-Point Superintendent Jay Bennett said in a letter to the school community that administration received notice early Tuesday morning of an anonymous threat. He cancelled school on all three campuses in the district on Tuesday as student and staff safety is their top priority.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Yusef Jackson invests in company that’s reaped big profits from state of Illinois program: Yusef Jackson — a son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and brother of U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill. — invested in a company that has profited for more than a decade from a controversial, lucrative arrangement with the state of Illinois, records show. The financial interest of Yusef Jackson surfaced recently in court records in a federal civil case involving Vendor Assistance Program LLC. The clout-heavy, Chicago-based VAP has pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars through a state program that allows it to buy up government debt to vendors and later collect the late-payment penalties from the state. VAP started to work on the state program in 2011, amid a huge backlog of payments to vendors; politically connected lawyer Brian Hynes co-founded the company and was a main investor for many years, according to public records.
* Chicago Mag | A History of Violence: In Chicago, as in so many American cities, it’s hard to imagine a more intractable public policy problem than gun violence. But University of Chicago Professor Jens Ludwig, 56, cofounder and director of the school’s Crime Lab, delivers some hope in his groundbreaking new book, Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence. Based on a wealth of scientific data on decision making by violent criminals and his own fieldwork in Chicago, he offers social policy strategies for transforming neighborhoods into safer spaces.
* Borderless | Chicago’s Venezuelan Community In Limbo Amid Trump’s Push To End Deportation Protections: The Venezuelan community in Chicago is grappling with fear and uncertainty after President Donald Trump’s attempt to terminate Biden-era deportation protections. Although a federal judge recently blocked the effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS), many immigrants say the damage is done, reigniting anxieties that they may be forced to return to a country they fled amid violence, political persecution and economic collapse.
* Crain’s | Prime Healthcare, new owner of Joliet hospital, shutters its pediatric services: Prime Healthcare, the new, for-profit owner of St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, is suspending pediatric care at the former Ascension hospital that its owned since March 1. The hospital will continue to provide pediatric emergency care as a certified Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics, but will offer alternative roles at St. Joseph or one of its seven other Chicago-area hospitals to eight pediatric care staff members, a spokeswoman for the health system said in a statement last night. Its two pediatricians have been offered positions with Prime’s affiliated medical group.
* Sun-Times | ‘Long and rather wrenching’ sentencing expected for Highland Park parade shooter on Wednesday: Robert Crimo III will likely get life in prison for killing seven people and wounding four dozen on July 4, 2022. But it is unclear whether he will show up in court since much of the hearing could take up hours of survivors’ victim-impact statements. Prosecutors have not said how many victims are set to talk in court. If enough do, the hearing could stretch into a second day.
* Illinois Answers Project | Cook County Jail Restrained People In Chairs 874 Times — And Never Reported It To The State: Cook County Jail used restraint chairs nearly 900 times from 2019 to 2023 and failed to report the incidents to the state unit that monitors jails, as required by state regulations, Illinois Answers found. “They’ve admitted somewhat of a … failure and misunderstanding,” said Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford, who represents part of Cook County. State standards require jails to report use of a restraint chair as an “extraordinary or unusual occurrence” to the Jail and Detention Standards Unit (JDSU) within the Illinois Department of Corrections within three days of the incident. But Cook County Jail never did that.
* Daily Herald | Illinois PGA again trying something new: The Illinois PGA Open Series tees off on Monday at White Eagle in Naperville. That’ll be the first of six one-day tournaments open to IPGA professionals (members and associates), amateurs with a handicap index under 10.0 and other professionals at least 18 years old. Players under 18 may be accepted but must submit a playing resume first. […] “We have been talking internally, and branching out to more of our staff,” said Andy Mickelson, the IPGA tournament chairman, director of golf at Mistwood in Romeoville and the section vice president. “We went to the CDGA (Chicago District Golf Association) to get their blessing. It’ll be good for tournament golf in Illinois. We think it’ll be a big hit.”
*** National ***
* TNND | Tariffs will stifle US and global economic growth, slow progress on inflation: IMF: President Donald Trump’s far-reaching tariffs and the chain reaction of countermeasures they’ve triggered, if sustained, are likely to curb economic growth in the United States and the rest of the world this year, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. Economic growth in the U.S. is forecast to slow to 1.8% in 2025, ninety basis points lower than the IMF’s prediction from January. In 2024, America’s economy grew at a pace of 2.8%.
* Reuters | US FDA suspends milk quality tests amid workforce cuts: The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for testing of fluid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. The suspension is another disruption to the nation’s food safety programs after the termination and departure of 20,000 employees of the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the FDA, as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to shrink the federal workforce.
* LA Times | DOGE layoffs of federal mediators leave grocery chain talks, other labor disputes in limbo: In fiscal 2024, the agency, which has a budget of $54 million, employed about 143 full-time mediators who conducted more than 5,400 mediated negotiations and provided some 10,000 arbitration panels. And recent estimates show that the mediators’ services save the economy more than $500 million annually, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit cites data from the agency’s website that have been scrubbed in recent weeks. Just five mediators and a few support staff workers remain at the agency after the cuts, according to the lawsuit.
Lawmakers could pass a plan in the final weeks of session to protect the state’s power grid from surging energy demand from data centers. While Illinois has made significant investments in clean energy since Gov. JB Pritzker took office, the power grid is struggling to keep pace with demand.
This legislation could force data centers to produce 100% of the power required for their technology. […]
The proposal could also add batteries to the grid to store excess power from solar and wind energy when the sun is down and the wind is slow. Energy experts said Illinois must prioritize advance planning for data center demand. […]
The Senate version of this bill has a third reading extension until May 9. That means senators still believe they have enough support to move the plan out of both chambers before session ends May 31.
A bill to crack down on squatting is one step closer to becoming law.
The proposed law would make it easier for police officers to remove squatters from someone’s home, bypassing the months-long eviction process. It was passed in the Illinois Senate and is heading to the House for review. […]
Illinois State Senator Lakesia Collins of the 5th District is the author of the bill. She believes it’ll give property owners in Illinois the protection they need and deserve. […]
[Rep. La Shawn Ford] and Collins strongly believe the bill will pass. In the meantime, they’re putting together a squatter task force, bringing landlords tenants and real estate professionals together to discuss squatting cases, come up with solutions and educate the public on how to protect their property.
* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…
Pushing back on an alarming new trend that can affect a young person’s future ability to obtain housing, state Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, recently advanced legislation out of the House chamber that bars landlords from suing children along with their parents or guardians in eviction cases.
“This bill is a commonsense step toward protecting the future of our children and ensuring that a single eviction doesn’t become a lifelong barrier to stable housing for minors being wrapped up in eviction cases,” said Avelar. “I’m hopeful the Senate will move swiftly to pass this measure and help us stop a damaging trend that drags innocent children into the courtroom over matters they’re not responsible for.”
Avelar passed House Bill 3566 out of the House chamber, ensuring that an eviction complaint can be dismissed if a minor is named as a defendant, or if the person was a minor when the complaint was filed. Because evictions remain on tenant screening reports, public records, and background checks even if the minor was never responsible for the lease, this bill mitigates the likeliness of future housing instability, negative credit reporting and potential homelessness when the minor becomes an adult.
While baseline 10% tariffs on all imports to the United States and higher tariffs on specific countries — up to 125%, in China’s case — are affecting the experienced costs of goods for consumers, they’re also affecting small businesses in multiple, sometimes conflicting, ways.
“I just got a notice today from my glass distributor … they used to have a U.S. factory, but they closed that. They’re located in India. They will be affected by tariffs,” said Derrick Mancini, the owner of Quincy Street Distillery, 39 E. Quincy St., in Riverside. “Some of my raw material, particularly some of the malt I purchase, comes from Canada. That will be affected by tariffs.” […]
However, a bill in the Illinois General Assembly could alleviate some of these issues. Senate Bill 1618 would amend the Liquor Control Act of 1934, established after the end of Prohibition, allowing distilleries to ship product directly to consumers and self-distribute while maintaining on-site bars. Mancini said the Quincy Street Distillery self-distributes a small amount of product already due to its specific state license.
“I would argue, probably, that self-distribution is the only way we think, currently, we can survive because we’re growing that self-distribution as we’re seeing the amount of product move through our distributor has been dropping,” he said. “For us, we think it’s critical.”
SB1618 and its companion bill in the House missed deadlines to make it out of committee.
* Rep. Mike Kelly…
Illinois’ firefighters may soon be safer while protecting their communities because of a bill passed by state Rep. Mike Kelly, D-Chicago, that phases out the use of chemical substances in firefighters’ protective gear that has recently been linked to long-term health problems in many firefighters.
“Our firefighters risk everything to keep their communities safe and to save lives and property, but recent studies show that they’ve been risking—and too often sacrificing—even more than we knew,” Kelly said. “PFAS chemicals are present in a wide range of firefighting equipment and the impacts on the health and wellness of our firefighters is unacceptable. That’s why I’m taking action.”
PFAS—also known as per-and-polyflouroalkyl substances or “forever chemicals”—are long-lasting, man-made substances currently used in a wide variety of industrial and home applications. More recent science has revealed that these chemicals remain in the environment, including inside the bodies of living things, indefinitely. Additionally, this research links PFAS to cancer and other health conditions.
Kelly’s House Bill 2409 phases out the legal sale or distribution of firefighting equipment that contains PFAS by January 1, 2030. The delay is necessary because PFAS are contained in such a wide range of firefighting equipment that an immediate ban would risk making it difficult for fire departments to obtain sufficient amounts of critical equipment.
The bill is named after Deputy Chief Pete Bendinelli, a veteran firefighter who passed away due to health conditions related to PFAS exposure.
Kelly advanced the bill through the Illinois House of Representatives and it now awaits further consideration in the Senate.
The Illinois House is set to debate legislation that the state Senate already approved. Senate Bill 1797 provides that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation regulate digital asset business activity.
State Sen. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, said his approach is to use IDFPR’s capabilities in the area of financial institutions. […]
State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said the bill framework mirrors current laws applied to banks and credit unions.
“It’s counterintuitive, as the cryptocurrency industry was specifically set up to provide consumers with alternative financial options that aren’t as regulated or as centralized,” Rezin said. “There are already numerous regulations at the federal and state level which protect consumers participating in the cryptocurrency market.” […]
The chief House sponsor of the bill is state Rep. Edgar González, Jr., D-Chicago. The measure is now in the House Financial Institutions and Licensing Committee.
* Nick Uniejewski announced a bid for Sen. Sara Feigenholtz’s seat in the 6th District. From his campaign’s Facebook page…
Today, I’m announcing my campaign for Illinois State Senate in the 6th District. I’ve spent my career as an organizer, community leader, and policy analyst—working at the federal, state, and city levels. I’ve seen our government up close and I know we can do better.
People are ready to fight and get things done. The incumbent has spent 30 years in office and is not the fighter we need for the future. In the last year, I’ve hosted 80 listening sessions—called salons—focused on important topics like housing and transit. The response has been tremendous. We need a new generation of leadership to help renters and homebuyers, modernize our transit systems, and build a future focused on equity, justice, and caring for our neighbors.
Right now, we have a president who pits people against each other and encourages hate and division and an incumbent Senator who has faced numerous calls for her resignation because of her frequent racist and Islamophobic remarks. We deserve better. We, as Democrats, can not expect to escape the mess our party is in by electing people who seek to divide rather than unite.
I’m running for the State Senate to bring people together and help build people up—no matter where they live, who they love, or where they were born. We need new energetic leadership so we can get back to making this a fabulous place to live, work, and play for everyone. I believe we can have a better future if we elect leaders who aren’t afraid to fight for that future.
It looks like, at least in part, this primary is a result of ‘Islamophobic’ tweets made by Sen. Feigenholtz. Background is here and here if you need it.
Sen. Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) has been in the General Assembly since 1995 after she knocked out fellow Democrat Rep. Ellis Levin. As far as I can tell she hasn’t faced a primary since. But she hasn’t announced if she’s planning to run for a third term in the Senate.
According to its last D-2, Sen. Feigenholtz’s committee is sitting on a million dollars in available funds. Uniejewski’s committee hasn’t reported any contributions yet.
Uniejewski is a seasoned advocate, having worked as an organizer for NARAL Pro-Choice America (now Reproductive Freedom for All) and Indivisible. He served as Outreach Manager for former Rep. Marie Newman’s 2020 campaign, when she ousted an anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ+ Democrat, and managed her 2022 campaign. Currently, Uniejewski works as a policy analyst for the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services.
Newman lost her 2022 primary campaign to Sean Casten (63-33).
A spokesman for Feigenholtz defended her record saying she is “a powerful voice” in protecting constituents “against Trump’s attacks on reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights and the gutting that we see underway of our federal government.”
State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who’s also mayor of Calumet City, paid tens of thousands of dollars in the first quarter of this year to a law firm that specializes in criminal defense, records show, amid a multiyear federal investigation into tax issues involving his campaign funds that sources said is ongoing.
The U.S. attorney’s office more than three years ago issued a grand jury subpoena to the Illinois State Board of Elections pursuant to an “official criminal investigation” for records on three campaign funds controlled by Jones. No charges have been filed against Jones, but two people with knowledge of the issue said recently the investigation was still active. […]
State records covering the first quarter of 2025 show one of Jones’ campaign committees reported spending $35,000 on legal fees to Cheronis & Parente, which describes itself online as a criminal defense firm. Records show the Jones’ campaign has paid the law firm nearly $200,000 since February 2024. […]
His campaign fund additionally paid nearly $10,000 to Mullen Law Offices. The firm did not immediately return a request for comment.
The IL Freedom Caucus today held a press conference to demand answers to some of the concerns Manteno residents have with a Chinese company building a battery plant in their community.
The Chinese company Gotion High-Tech Co. is in line for $ 7.5 billion in federal tax credits over five years, while the State of Illinois is kicking in an additional $536 million in subsidies to build the plant. The cost to build the plant is $2 billion and the subsidies add up to an astounding $3 million per job. […]
“We need to put our money where our mouth is on human rights, and we need to lead by example when it comes to China,” said State Representative Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City). “JB Pritzker signed a law divesting Illinois from Russia because of the war in Ukraine. If we are condemning Russia – how can we not have the same policies in regard to the CCP? We say we are for human rights but not only are we blindly doing business with a company whose corporate papers pledge loyalty to the CCP, but we are handing over millions in subsidies. And instead of a substantive thoughtful response from JB Pritzker – all we get is insults and hyperbole. Illinois deserves better. Manteno deserves better. We need to put the brakes on this project and return sanity to our state.”
* I reached out to the Illinois Freedom Caucus, and their response was provided by Rep. Blaine Wilhour himself…
Let me know when Donald Trump sends half a billion taxpayer dollars to a company that pledges allegiance to the Chinese communist party-like JB Pritzker did-then we will be concerned. I’m glad you’ve finally taken some interest in this important issue.
Dude, I’ve been writing about Gotion since the get-go, thank you very much. And, as far as I can tell, the allegation of CCP subservience has not been proved.
Also, it’s OK for the president to take a contribution from an alleged “company that pledges allegiance to the Chinese communist party” but it’s not OK for the state to help that company create jobs after it invests $1.9 billion into the plant? Please.
To be clear, I don’t care if Gotion gave money to the president’s inauguration committee. It’s fine by me. But I’m not in the club complaining about Gotion for months on end.
I sent follow-up questions to Rep. Wilhour about whether President Trump should return the contribution to the alleged commie company and what his reaction was to Mercury’s relationship with Gotion, but for some odd reason I never heard back.
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Casey Martin, CEO of Midwest Coalition of Labor CU: IFPA Will Harm our Members and our Communities.
“My members are going to come to me to explain something I don’t understand.”
Stop the Chaos for Our Hard-Working Union Members!
* Local governments banning hemp shops might be the only thing that will bring the intoxicating hemp lobby to the table to negotiate in good faith. It’s happening in the suburbs and in Chicago. Press release…
Chicago Aldermen’s Hemp Bans Threaten Small Businesses, Veterans, and Consumers
ILHAA Calls for Reasonable Regulation, Not Prohibition
CHICAGO, IL — Several Chicago Aldermen have recently introduced sweeping bans on the sale of federally legal hemp products in their wards, a move that Illinois Healthy Alternatives (ILHAA) and community members say is both short-sighted and harmful. These bans are being enacted without community input, despite the far-reaching impacts on consumers, veterans, seniors, and small business owners.
In what appears to be an attempt to prevent underage access to hemp-derived products like CBD and Delta-8 THC, Aldermen are pursuing outright bans rather than implementing responsible regulations such as age restrictions, independent product testing, and clear labeling standards.
“These bans are throwing the baby out with the bath water,” said Justin Ward, ILHAA President]. “If the goal is to protect children, there are proven, reasonable approaches available. Banning all hemp products punishes responsible retailers and hurts the very people these products are helping.”
Hemp-derived products are widely used for wellness purposes, including pain and stress relief, anxiety management, and sleep support. Veterans, seniors, and even pet owners rely on these legal products, which were made federally compliant under the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp seeds also offer valuable nutritional benefits. Hemp is being used increasingly for sustainable building materials, fuels, and even clothing.
The hemp industry has created thousands of jobs and provided economic opportunities for independent farmers and small businesses nationwide. These local actions undermine federal law and set a dangerous precedent for policymaking without public participation.
“In Chicago, if a community wants to remove a liquor establishment, it requires a local vote,” added Everett Berry, owner of Mia’s Heart. “Yet Aldermen are unilaterally banning hemp without any public process. This is not how democracy is supposed to work.”
ILHAA is calling on the City Council to pursue thoughtful regulation rather than heavy-handed prohibition. Reasonable policies can protect young people while allowing lawful businesses to continue serving their communities. If the bans are enforced, consumers can move to online purchases with no city regulation or taxation.
Nothing is really going to happen until the Illinois House Democratic leadership finally realizes that its outlier position against intoxicating hemp regulations could ultimately backfire on that industry. Some quality hemp establishments exist, but there are way too many janky places which openly sell who knows what to underage kids. I doubt that any members of House leadership want their children buying questionable products from these places. Why, then, do they continue to protect them?
Other than the inherent criminal justice reform that came with cannabis legalization (and using some of the tax proceeds to help communities harmed by the so-called War on Drugs), the greatest benefit was transparency for consumers. They now know what they’re buying because the product’s production, distribution and retail processes are regulated. Intoxicating hemp consumers currently have zero quality guarantees.
As prosecutors gave their closing arguments Monday in the trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III, they cast doubt on Jones’ testimony last week that red-light camera entrepreneur Omar Maani made him “uncomfortable” when he hinted at a bribe in the summer of 2019, asking the jury why — if that was true — did he keep meeting Maani for dinner and answering his calls and texts?
Maani, who’d been acting as an FBI cooperating witness for 1 ½ years by the time he and Jones kicked off what would eventually be a series of three dinners that summer, “littered” their meetings with words that should’ve been “screaming red flags,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam said.
She pointed to the times when Maani told Jones he wanted to get “creative” in how he’d pay a potential campaign contribution or otherwise “conceal” it from public reporting requirements — lest it look “goofy” or “funky” to either the media or other leaders inside his company, SafeSpeed.
“These words are giant red flags. These words should’ve had the defendant running for the hills,” Ardam said. “Instead, the defendant does the opposite.”
His defense attorney, Victor Henderson, made a bid to dodge that label by pitching the case as a David versus Goliath battle between the government and one man, arguing that federal investigators deployed the executive to try to entrap Jones into taking a bribe.
Jones, Henderson said, never took a bribe and instead aimed to get a contribution of food for a legitimate campaign event.
“He doesn’t go to Omar. They send Omar to him,” Henderson said of the FBI. […]
Henderson, Jones’ lawyer, told the jury his client only met with Maani to try to overcome a roadblock in his long-stalled legislation for a statewide study on red-light cameras, seeking to balance a complex array of viewpoints and motivations in the state capital surrounding efforts to study the effectiveness of the technology.
But prosecutors argue it doesn’t matter that Maani never paid Jones, nor does it matter that the senator never amended his legislation in the way that Maani asked for.
“He doesn’t need to do it,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri told jurors during the government’s rebuttal arguments Monday afternoon. “The agreement is the crime.”
Henderson, though, reminded the jury that the only reason Jones was invited to multiple dinners with Maani was because the FBI directed it, accusing Maani of trying to “set him (Jones) up.” Since he began cooperating with the government in January 2018, Maani had secretly recorded “dozens and dozens and dozens” of others caught up in the feds’ public corruption probe. […]
[Henderson] argued that the longtime senator had been set up. He questioned why the FBI never sent Maani with an envelope full of cash to offer Jones.
And on the whole, he accused prosecutors of the “Dirksen Two Step.”
“They knew he wasn’t dirty,” Henderson insisted. “They knew he wouldn’t take it.”
The jury deliberated for about two hours Monday before heading home for the night without reaching a verdict. The panel is expected to resume deliberations Tuesday morning.
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Several bills proposed this legislative session seek to ban certain factors that insurance companies use to set fair and accurate insurance pricing for customers. The bills would ban the use of credit-based insurance scores, zip codes, age, and gender in insurance pricing.
Case in point: When the use of credit was banned in Washington in 2021, more than 60 percent of Washington drivers saw an increase in their insurance premiums. Should similar legislation pass in Illinois, the majority of Illinoisans with better-than-average credit could see premium increases.
With stubbornly high inflation and high property taxes, now is not the time to pass bills that could end up hiking insurance premiums for most Illinoisans.
* I’m betting the legislature’s only Vietnam War veteran Sen. Mark Walker will love this one. More importantly, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Bobby Keys and a cast of dozens of Mad Dogs and Englishmen just totally rock it out…
I don’t care how much I gotta spend
So much joy. Love it.
Please keep your discussion Illinois-centric. Thanks.
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
What if Illinois could expand its energy grid, attract AI and emerging tech companies to the state, and provide over 60,000 new jobs with no impact on communities or the environment?
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Built along existing rail corridors, this underground transmission project will deliver 2,100 MW of low-cost reliable power making the electric grid more resilient in the face of extreme weather while unlocking billions in economic investments for Illinois.
The SOO Green Advantage:
• Accelerates Illinois’ Clean Energy & Jobs Act goals
• 60,000+ new jobs
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With SOO Green all ratepayers will enjoy a more reliable grid, protection from rising energy costs, and a stronger economy for Illinois.
- AG Kwame Raoul is asking state lawmakers for a $15 million increase in his General Revenue Fund budget for the upcoming year, saying his office needs a more “stable” system of funding as it takes on greater responsibilities.
- Raoul’s proposed increase would bring next year’s general revenue fund budget to more than $120 million.
- Since Trump was sworn into office for a second term on Jan. 20, Raoul has joined in filing 11 federal lawsuits challenging administration actions and has filed another 14 amicus briefs in support of other legal challenges.
* At 2:30 pm, Gov. Pritzker will announce grant awards to support downtown revitalization efforts across the state in Jacksonville. Click here to watch.
* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* Crain’s | Counties sue Illinois over delinquent tax sales that Supreme Court calls unconstitutional: Officials in seven counties are suing Illinois, claiming the state’s property tax code requires them to run sales of delinquent property taxes in a way that the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed unconstitutional. It’s a tangly issue, but one that has considerable implications for the protection of Illinoisans’ property rights under the U.S. Constitution.
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois scrambles to boost locally produced farm products after Trump’s funding freeze: Illinois was approved for $43 million in federal reimbursement funds for two food programs designed to strengthen statewide food systems, but when the Trump administration took office it informed the stated, without explanation, that the remaining $17.8 million in federal agriculture reimbursements still owed to Illinois would cease after Jan. 19, 2025. Farmers like Ryder have asked the state to consider new models for subsidizing, planning and regulating agriculture to help them keep Illinoisans fed. Illinois lawmakers are trying to help by pushing two bills through the legislature.
*** Statehouse News ***
* WCPT | Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton talks administration’s successes, standing up to Trump: As lawmakers prepare to vote on the fiscal year 2026 budget before the legislative session ends May 31, the lieutenant governor emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility for the state of Illinois, pointing to the six consecutive balanced budgets Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has signed into law. “It becomes more challenging as we’re seeing chaos coming out of Washington,” Stratton said. “So our goal is to provide that steady leadership to make sure that we can keep taking care of the work of the state of Illinois, and keep caring for the people of our state who need it, and I think that’s my top priority right now.”
* Center Square | Illinois officials share concerns tariffs will impact state’s agricultural sector: Illinois soybean farmers sell much of their harvest to China. Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said the Trump administration’s tariffs could be harmful to the state’s farming industry in general, but especially to soybean farmers. “Illinois farmers have seen how this played out before,” said Frerichs. “During Trump’s first term, his tariffs drove China to start buying soybeans from Brazil.”
*** Statewide ***
* Uptown People’s Law Center | Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Systematic Abuse of People with Mental Illness in Illinois Prisons: The lawsuit, Hilliard et al., v. Hughes, builds on legal violations previously raised in the 2007 Rasho v. Walker litigation (later renamed Daniels v. Jeffreys), which ended judicial oversight in 2022. IDOC abandoned all reform efforts made under that case after court supervision ended. Approximately 44% of all individuals in IDOC custody (approximately 12,817 people) are on the mental health caseload, with approximately one-third designated as having serious mental illness. Yet IDOC has stopped staffing mental health providers at shocking levels. As of Dec 2024, only 67 full time mental health positions filled out of 175 budgeted positions for nearly 13,000 people.
* NBC Chicago | Illinois anti-distracted driving program features new requirement for students: Under provisions of the “One Road, One Focus” campaign, student drivers in Illinois will be required to watch a video that state officials say “details the consequences of dangerous driving behaviors.” The new video requirement, along with other elements of the “One Road, One Focus” campaign, will be unveiled at a Tuesday press event in Chicago, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office said.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Sun-Times | Federal prosecutor alleges Glenview medical journal is politically biased: The letter, signed by acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia, was sent to Chest Journal on April 14. Martin, a Republican, echoes President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen and defends the work of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. “It has been brought to my attention that more and more journals and publications, like Chest Journal are conceding that they are partisans in various scientific debates,” Martin wrote in the letter.
* Sun-Times | PPP fraud, perjury charges filed against Dolton cop: William Frederick Reed of Hazel Crest was charged Monday with providing false statements to the federal Small Business Administration, bankruptcy fraud, concealment or destruction of bankruptcy records, failure to file a tax return and perjury on tax returns. […] Prosecutors said Reed fraudulently applied for three PPP loans by falsifying the monthly payroll of his Off Duty Security private security business. They said he received $5,862 in June 2020, $5,862 in March 2021 and $5,860 in May 2021.
* Oak Park Journal | Finally official, Gertz wins 4th seat on OPRF school board: It’s been a rough month of April for Josh Gertz – waiting and wondering. Did he have enough votes to win a seat on the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 board of education? Turns out, he did. […] Schaafsma’s campaign netted 4,603 votes, according to unofficial results finally posted by the Cook County Clerk. While that was by far the most votes of any write- in candidate in suburban Cook County, is left Schaafsma well behind Gertz, who finished with 5,522 votes. The new board is expected to be installed May 1, according to current President Tom Cofsky.
* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights retains firm to vet Bears’ economic impact study: The contract approved unanimously by the village board is with Hunden Strategic Partners, a Chicago-based firm that’s formed a niche in advising the public and private sectors on destination real estate development projects, including mixed-use districts anchored by major league sports stadiums. The $200,000 lump sum fee — initially charged to the village — will be reimbursed by the Bears through an escrow account. That fund has $150,000 in it from the team’s initial deposit.
*** Downstate ***
* WGLT | Hearing set for Lorenz campaign complaint; local GOP omits $28K from new disclosure report: A new disclosure filed by the McLean County Republican Party failed to report the transfer of $28,000 to former Normal mayoral candidate Kathleen Lorenz – the same money that sparked a complaint against her with the State Board of Elections. […] McLean County GOP chair Dennis Grundler called it a “straightforward clerical error” that was “due to a brand-new volunteer treasurer using the online system for the first time.”
* WSPY | Conservative Group looks to form Kane DOGE: Deputy State Director Brian Costin of Americans for Prosperity‑Illinois will headline the program, outlining what organizers call a road map for creating a Department of Governmental Oversight and Ethics (DOGE) in Kane County and across the state. Costin, who oversees AFP‑Illinois policy initiatives such as the Prairie State Promise and its Watchdog Club, has earned awards for government‐transparency advocacy. THEA says his presentation will focus on “restoring integrity, transparency and accountability” and “eradicating corruption” in Illinois.
* WAND | Pre-existing grocery tax could help bring more money back into Decatur: “This is not a tax increase. It is just simply transferring who collects the tax,” said Councilwoman Lisa Gregory. […] If this ordinance does not take effect, the City of Decatur could lose $2.7 million in tax revenue. After further discussions and a vote, six members of the council were in favor of the ordinance, while one member opposed it.
* Advantage News | Former Macoupin S.A. employee accused of stealing from office: She is charged with one count of theft of government property less than $10,000, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison; as well as five counts of wire fraud and six counts of official misconduct, all Class 3 felonies punishable by up to five years in prison. Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office alleges Walker was employed by the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s office when she transferred a total of $7,000 from the office’s drug asset forfeiture account between November 2023 and May 2024.
* Farm Progress | How U of I plans to boost large-animal vet numbers: Starting this spring, sophomores at the U of I with a demonstrated interest in food-animal care could apply for early acceptance into the Food Animal Veterinarian Early Acceptance Program. According to Anna Dilger, animal sciences professor, the veterinary medicine program will hold five of 160 class spots annually for these students.
*** Chicago ***
* Fox Chicago | Chicago Public Schools failed to protect student with disability from sexual assault: lawsuit: Casper emphasized that the student had an individual education plan because of his disability, which required that an adult be with him at all times. The victim is “virtually” non-verbal, so his ability to defend himself “is sadly non-existent,” Casper said. He has ADHD, Autism and requires full-time teacher assistant supervision, according to the lawsuit. The attorney alleged that the school failed to abide by that requirement of the student’s education plan.
* Crain’s | Baker Tilly merging with Moss Adams to create sixth-biggest U.S. accounting firm: Baker Tilly, one of Chicago’s largest accounting and consulting firms, has agreed to merge with Seattle-based Moss Adams in a deal creating the sixth-largest U.S. CPA firm. Private-equity firms Hellman & Friedman and Valeas Capital, which took stakes in Baker Tilly in February 2024, will boost their investments as part of the deal. The merger is expected to close in early June, the companies said in a statement. The combined firm will use the Baker Tilly name.
* AP | Four White Sox pitchers - all from Massachusetts - made their Fenway mound debuts within 24 hours: And within a 24-hour span, Sean Burke, Mike Vasil, Jared Shuster and Shane Smith each pitched off Fenway’s mound as major leaguers for the first time. “It’s awesome,’’ said Burke, a 25-year-old right-hander from Sutton who started Sunday in Chicago’s 8-4 victory. “These are three guys I knew even before the White Sox, too,” he said. “To kind of all meet here to be able to do it in the same weekend is really cool.”
* Chicago Reader | The Lager Beer Riot of 1855: The name blames the beer, but the uprising that rocked Chicago 170 years ago was born from a nativist, anti-Catholic movement that swept the U.S. in the 1850s. It was the culmination of years of clashes between an increasingly militant working class desperate to assert its autonomy under a new system of industrial capitalism and an increasingly terrified business class that sought new ways to exert its control.
*** National ***
* Post-Tribune | ‘Sin tax’ looms over Indiana budget as legislators face shortfall of more than $2 billion: “Everything is on the table right now. All topics have to be discussed at this point, and we’ll kind of see how it shakes out in the next 48 hours,” [budget architect Jeffery Thompson] said. Raising cigarette taxes by $2 a pack would result in an additional $800 million over the 2-year budget, Qaddoura said. Increasing alcohol and gaming taxes would raise $250 million over the biennium, he said.
* NBC | New images could change cancer diagnostics, but ICE detained the Harvard scientist who analyzes them: Dr. Leon Peshkin, a principal research scientist at Harvard’s Department of Systems Biology and Petrova’s manager and mentor, received a call from Customs and Border Protection on Feb. 16 after agents detained Petrova at Logan International Airport in Boston for failing to declare samples of frog embryos to be used in scientific research. […] [Petrova’s Lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky,] said that CBP typically imposes two penalties for such customs violations: the forfeiture of the items and a fine, usually around $500, and that “for a first-time violation, the fine is typically reduced to $50.” Instead, officials canceled Petrova’s J-1 scholar visa.
* AP | Harvard sues Trump administration to stop the freeze of more than $2 billion in grants: For the Trump administration, Harvard presents the first major hurdle in its attempt to force change at universities that Republicans say have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. A part of that is targeting research funding which has fueled scientific breakthroughs but has become an easy source of leverage for the Trump administration. In its letter earlier this month, the administration told Harvard to impose tougher discipline on protesters and to screen international students for those who are “hostile to the American values.”
* Nieman Lab | National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation: Elon Musk’s DOGE — the questionably constitutional initiative that shares a name with a meme coin — celebrated that the NSF had cancelled at least 402 grants as part of the cuts. The cuts were made to awards “that are not aligned with NSF’s priorities,” according to an announcement on the NSF site, “including but not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation.”
* 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.
[Now-former Deputy Director of the Tourism Office, Daniel Thomas] began at DCEO in July 2023 after being the owner and Chief Executive Officer of TimeZoneOne, a communications agency and DCEO vendor. The OEIG’s investigation showed that when Mr. Thomas was hired, he did not reveal to DCEO he was still being paid by TimeZoneOne and DCEO made only a cursory inquiry about his previous ownership of the company. The OEIG’s investigation determined, in part, that after his hire at DCEO Mr. Thomas violated conflict of interest policies by participating in contractual decisions involving TimeZoneOne’s business with the state while he continued to be paid by TimeZoneOne.
The investigation revealed that when Mr. Thomas started working at DCEO, he continued to receive approximately $117,000 in earnout payments from his 2020 sale of TimeZoneOne, and was actively involved in negotiations of the earnout amount, expressing in an email to the new owner of TimeZoneOne, that he continued to be a “true champion” of TimeZoneOne. Meanwhile, TimeZoneOne’s billing for subcontracted work for the state increased by over $600,000 during the fiscal year after Mr. Thomas began working at DCEO. For instance, in that fiscal year, he was involved in the decision to award TimeZoneOne a project under a subcontract, to produce 30 additional videos over the 15 videos it was contracted to produce in the previous year. In addition, the state’s payments to TimeZoneOne under its contract directly with DCEO increased by about $1 million in the fiscal year after Mr. Thomas began working for DCEO.
In addition to the increase in state funds going to TimeZoneOne, the OEIG also found that DCEO paid significant amounts of money to TimeZoneOne for years without supporting documentation or reconciliation of the expenses. […]
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that TimeZoneOne regularly paid for travel expenses incurred by Mr. Thomas as part of his state duties, as well as travel expenses for at least one other DCEO employee, even though this was not specified in TimeZoneOne’s contract. At least some of the expenses raised red flags under the State travel rules, such as business or first class flights and alcoholic beverages, and there was no advance written approval for the payments by the Executive Director of the Executive Ethics Commission, as required by Executive Order 15-09.
The OEIG determined that DCEO committed mismanagement by placing Mr. Thomas in charge of the Tourism Office, despite knowing about his prior relationship with TimeZoneOne, but not taking reasonable steps to determine if there was an actual or perceived conflict, as well, allowing contractual payments to be made with state funds without ensuring reconciliations were performed to support such payments In addition, it was clear to DCEO management that TimeZoneOne was paying for at least some of Mr. Thomas’s and his subordinates’ travel, yet no action was taken to ensure such payments were appropriate and that the travel rules were followed.
As a result of the investigation, Mr. Thomas was discharged and another DCEO employee’s contract was terminated. In addition, DCEO is conducting an audit of TimeZoneOne’s billings and reconciliations, and is implementing new or updated policies and procedures for conflicts of interest, vendor billing, and travel expenses. The Office of the Governor also directed the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget to develop training for agency fiscal offices relating to necessary documentation and reconciliation for vendor payments.
Illinois residents on both sides of the political aisle strongly support increasing state funding for public colleges and universities, according to a new study released Monday by the nonpartisan research group Public Agenda. […]
The results are based on a survey of 2,062 Illinois adults aged 18 or older conducted in January.
The poll found that roughly half of Illinois residents don’t have any college credentials. Many respondents said they wanted to pursue a degree after high school but couldn’t afford to, or thought that their best option was to enter the workforce straight after high school. Almost 3 in 4 of those surveyed who don’t have a degree said that not earning one has negatively impacted their lives, with many citing limited career opportunities. Black and Latino residents reported more often than white residents that they don’t think they can afford to earn a degree.
Illinois lawmakers passed more than 600 bills ahead of their self-imposed deadline to move legislation out of the House or Senate and into the other chamber. There are always exceptions, but the deadline stands for most bills.
Altogether 378 House bills were moved to the Senate and 203 Senate bills advanced to the House. It represents only about 9% of the nearly 6,700 bill that were filed this session. […]
Senate bills that passed:
Senate Bill 32, sponsored by state Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, would make households with one or more veteran and/or service member eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits if gross household income is at or below 200% of the poverty line. It would be subject to federal approval. […]
Senate Bill 93, sponsored by Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, would ban food additives such as red dye 3 and brominated vegetable oil from being used in food products produced and sold in Illinois. The federal Food and Drug Administration earlier this year banned red dye for use in food and ingested drugs.
*** Statehouse News ***
* CBS Chicago | Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias awards $1.3 million to school libraries: The grants, which are awarded each spring, support school library services for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and include library books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, technology, programs and multilingual materials. Districts receive 88 cents per student through a state-determined formula based on enrollment at each school that has a qualified library. Chicago Public schools received more than $78,000 for libraries through his year’ grant. Other major recipients include Elgin School District U-46 which received more than $26,000; Rockford Public School District 205 which received over $21,000; Plainfield CCSD 202 which received just over $20,000.
* Keith Whyte | Illinois could set a new gold standard for responsible gambling: As Illinois legislators debate legalizing iGaming, problem gambling concerns remain at the forefront. Opponents of online gambling, often traditional gambling companies motivated by competitive concerns, raise some understandable fears about potential increases in problem gambling. However, they should also acknowledge that account-based online wagering is driving a revolution in responsible gambling. […] With over 20 years of experience tackling gambling addiction and advising policymakers, I know a legal, regulated market is far safer than offshore platforms. Illinois should embrace the potential for setting a new gold standard in consumer protection and responsible gaming through a regulated, taxed market.
*** Statewide ***
* WSIL | Illinois State Police operations recover 243 stolen cars, arrests dozens across the state: The ISP received a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year and an additional $677,000 grant in June 2024 from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council. From January to March 2025, ISP operations led to the recovery of 243 stolen or hijacked vehicles, 16 stolen vehicle arrests, and 18 hijacked vehicle arrests. They used a K9 officer 16 times and there were 39 air operations which targeted stolen or hijacked vehicles. They also seized seven firearms during these operations as well.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | The Tri-State, Route 53, the Kennedy, oh my — What to expect on this year’s road construction menu: As the Illinois Department of Transportation wraps up a seismic, three-year Kennedy redo, the agency is pivoting to an ambitious Route 53 fix. “This year, in addition to our smaller maintenance and improvement projects in the northwest suburbs, we are rehabilitating 9 miles along Illinois 53 from I-90 to Lake Cook Road,” IDOT District 1 Bureau Chief of Construction Jonathan Schumacher said.
* Daily Herald | Niece of man killed by Carol Stream police gets pretrial diversion for threat: Dajanae Barnes, 23, of Carol Stream admitted April 17 to one count of threatening a public official, according to DuPage County court records. Under the terms of her plea deal, Barnes will enter a pretrial diversion program. If she completes it successfully by April 16, 2026, she will be allowed to withdraw her plea and prosecutors will dismiss the charge. […] During a detention hearing after her arrest, prosecutors told a judge Barnes said “I’ll blow this building up, watch when I get out. So take me to jail for saying that too.”
* Evanston Now | NU to fund research paused by feds: In a statement, administrators wrote that the university has still not received a formal notice of the reported funding pause totaling $790 million, including “a significant portion of our federal research funding.” But on Thursday, administrators wrote that the university, “after consultation with the Board of Trustees, will fund research that is subject to stop-work orders or the federal funding freeze.”
* Tribune | Construction of new Chicago Sky training facility in Bedford Park delayed into 2026 to accommodate expansion: The $38 million facility originally was expected to be completed in October 2025. The building is being constructed in partnership with the village of Bedford Park as part of the second phase of development at the Wintrust Sports Complex, which also will add two turf fields, a hotel, a gas station and two restaurants this year. After altering the original construction plans to expand the facility, the Sky and the village now anticipate that completion will be delayed several months. Despite the additions, the Sky told the Tribune they expect the facility to be available for training camp in April 2026.
* Tribune | Niles Township High School District 219 cuts seven administrators in restructuring plan: Niles Township High School District 219’s Board of Education voted 4-1 at its April 7 meeting to cut seven administrator positions and create four assistant principal positions. The move followed Superintendent Tom Moore’s earlier announcement that the district has a greater percentage of administrators per student than surrounding districts, and a desire to be more efficient with taxpayer dollars.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson cracks the door open to city layoffs, service cuts: With a $1.12 billion budget shortfall and $3 billion more in federal funds on the chopping block, Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday cracked the door open to the prospect of layoffs and service cuts that he has previously ruled out. “We will have to deal with the realities of the billions of dollars that are being threatened by the federal government. That’s a different scenario than we were under before,” Johnson said as he signed an executive order establishing a working group to advise him on ways to confront the city’s fiscal challenges.
* Crain’s | Johnson creates budget working group to search for efficiencies and revenue: Hoping to get ahead of what’s anticipated to be an arduous 2026 budget cycle, Mayor Brandon Johnson is creating a working group to put forward plans to cut spending and raise revenue that have thus far not had political support during his nearly two years in office. It’s unlikely the group will identify solutions that are not already known or haven’t been put forward previously, but a set of policy ideas supported by a broad coalition, if they materialize, could lead to better buy-in from a City Council that has made life difficult for the first term mayor.
* Crain’s | Congress calls on DePaul president to testify in antisemitism probe: Manuel will be joined by leaders from California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and Haverford College as part of the the Republican-led committee’s probe of allegations of antisemitism on college campuses. In a letter sent to the Chicago college today, committee chairman Tim Walberg, a Republican congressman from Michigan, wrote: “Tragically, Committee oversight shows that antisemitism persists on college campuses, specifically at DePaul University.”
* WTTW | Tonight You Can Look for the Lyrids, the Year’s First Meteor Shower. Here’s How to View in Chicago: The Lyrids will be active through Friday, but tonight is peak viewing, starting around midnight. Under dark skies, the best time to catch the meteors would be 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., but the moon will be rising and obscuring the dimmer Lyrids. So experts recommend either finding an object — such as a tree — to block the moon, keep the moon at your back, or head out while the moon is low on the horizon.
*** Downstate ***
* BND | Environmental group and metro-east coal plant agree to dismiss federal lawsuit : A lawsuit that alleged a metro-east coal plant operated without proper state documentation has been dismissed after the company and the environmental group reached an agreement this week. […] The Sierra Club staff said that no coal plant is above the law. “We are looking forward to now participating in that process to make sure the permit reflects the most stringent requirements to protect Illinois and Missouri citizens from pollution from this plant,” said Megan Wachspress, a staff attorney with the Illinois Sierra Club.
* WSIU | SIU pioneers mental health response program for emergency calls: Thanks to a new grant-funded program, responders with specialized skills in mental health are available to assist when needed in emergency calls at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, de-escalating situations, improving outcomes and helping students stay in school, officials said. SIU’s Department of Public Safety, Counseling and Psychological Services and others have developed a collaborative response team, funded by an Illinois Board of Higher Education Mental Health Early Action on Campus Competitive Grant of $290,000.
* NPR Illinois | Springfield’s mayor announces a series of community meetings: Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher and her administration have announced a series of what are being called “departmental open houses” where residents can speak with City staff and ask questions. “This initiative is part of a broader push to increase transparency, provide consistent access to resources, and gain a deeper understanding of agency operations while learning about the community’s needs,” an announcement said. “These events will not only create direct, face-to-face communication but will also serve as a foundation for an ongoing community needs assessment to help guide future policies, services, and investments.”
*** National ***
* WTTW | Walgreens Agrees to Pay $300M to Settle Opioid Lawsuit Claims: As part of a settlement with the U.S. government, Walgreens, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the country, has agreed to pay at least $300 million to settle claims it illegally filled millions of invalid opioid prescriptions. […] According to the feds, the settlement amount will jump another $50 million in the event Walgreens is sold, merged or transferred prior to 2032.
* AP | 60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts: But the program, Emergency Housing Vouchers, is running out of money — and quickly. Funding is expected to be used up by the end of next year, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and obtained by The Associated Press. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent.
* The Atlantic | The scramble to save rural health care from DOGE: The reason wasn’t only because so many patients relied on Medicaid, which was currently being targeted by the Trump administration for $880 billion in cuts. Cahaba’s clinics also depended upon an array of more obscure federal grants of the sort that President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency had been summarily deleting before fully understanding the lives that would be upended in the real world. In the gray language of the federal bureaucracy, the funding that mattered most was from the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program—THCGME—and it was the reason the clinic in Perry County and others in some of the poorest corners of rural America had any doctors at all.
The Illinois High School Association [last] week said it would keep in place its policy to allow transgender athletes to compete in high school sports competitions despite an executive order from President Donald Trump because the order may conflict with state law.
In a Tuesday letter, the IHSA’s board president and executive director said the Illinois Human Rights Act “requires that transgender athletes be permitted to participate in events and programs aligning with the gender with which they identify.”
“Compliance with the Executive Order could place the IHSA out of compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act and vice versa,” IHSA Board President Dan Tulley and Executive Director Craig Anderson wrote in response to a March letter from 40 Republican lawmakers demanding to know how the IHSA was going to “amend policy to comply with federal directives.” […]
The IHSA clarified that its transgender policy only applied to state series competition with which it sponsors. Member schools determine the participation of transgender students during the regular season.
* HGOP Leader Tony McCombie…
Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie issued the following statement today in response to the Illinois High School Association’s (IHSA) April 15 response to the House Republican Caucus, nearly a month after receiving a formal letter requesting clarity and action on federal protections for women and girls in sports:
“The IHSA has once again chosen deflection over direction, and ambiguity over action. Their response is not just late—it’s weak. Saying, ‘It’s not our problem,’ doesn’t serve the students of this state. It’s not leadership—it’s a cop-out.
“This is not about politics but student safety and delaying clarity on this issue only prolongs the problem. If state law contradicts federal law, then the path forward is to work in good faith to resolve that conflict—not hide from it and risk losing federal dollars.”
“The House Republican Caucus stands united. We call on the IHSA, the Attorney General, the Governor, and all state officials to engage with federal authorities and bring clarity to this issue before a student gets hurt—because one incident is one too many.”
I asked over the weekend what particular federal statute the state law is contradicting. Still waiting.
Rep. Blaine Wilhour, who led the initiative to send the first letter to IHSA over the issue, told Fox News Digital he is calling on Illinois school districts and school boards to pass local resolutions banning trans athletes from girls sports. […]
Wilhour condemned Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democratic majority in the state’s legislature for the state’s laws that enable trans inclusion in girls sports. Wilhour added that he is calling on the Trump administration to intervene and potentially cut funding in response. […]
“[The Trump administration is] going to have to engage here, and the leverage that they’ve got is federal funding. We take millions in federal funding from the government every year. And we don’t really savor the situation where that would be withheld. … But I’ll take my chances with doing the right thing. … Banning boys from participating in girls sports is the right thing to do, so we need to do the tough things to make it happen.”
Republican State Representative Amy Elik from Alton was one of the signers of the letter to the IHSA. […]
Alton High School athletic director Chris Kusnerick said that in his six years at AHS, the issue has not come up.
“We’ve have not, to my knowledge, had any requests,” Kusnerick said. “I don’t know if there have been any at any school in our conference.”
Kusnerick indicated that the Alton School District does not have a specific policy on transgender participation and that any cases would be taken up and handled by the district’s board of education.
* You’d never know it to look at the breathless coverage, but the numbers are infinitesimally small…
Out of more than 320,000 high school athletes across the state, only three students assigned male at birth were approved in the past year to compete in girls’ sports, while two were approved the previous year.
Just three people and yet Wilhour wants all public schools in the state to lose their federal funding.
* Subscribers were briefed on the trial this morning. Last week, Sen. Emil Jones III testified in his own defense. The Tribune…
“Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to be a state senator like my father and I decided to run,” Jones told the jury, leaving out that his father orchestrated a time-honored Illinois political maneuver to make it happen, retiring abruptly after winning the primary and pitching his son as his replacement to favorable Democratic committeemen. […]
Jones provided the jury a sort of nuts-and-bolts description of how the state legislature operates and how bills move through committees to the floor for a vote. He testified about his work on committees, including the Transportation Committee, which was helmed by Sandoval until September 2019, when the FBI raided Sandoval’s offices and the investigation became publicly known. […]
Earlier Tuesday, the jury heard Jones as he told FBI agents who knocked on his door in September 2019 that he never felt “comfortable” talking to his longtime colleague, Sandoval, particularly about a red-light camera company executive who wanted to be his “friend.”
“Because he’s an intimidating guy, you know?” Jones said about Sandoval on the morning of Sept. 24, 2019, the day the FBI raided Sandoval’s offices in Springfield along with more than a dozen other locations. “And you hear rumors about him … that he’s just shady.”
Amid his defense, Jones accused the late Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval of blocking his efforts to conduct a statewide study on red light cameras. Jones says he wanted to strengthen the law regarding ‘no turn on red.’ Referring to the late senator at the time, Jones said, ‘He won’t let my bill see the light of day.’
Jones said former Safe Speed executive Omar Maani reminded him of a used car salesman, but the late Sandoval told him he would need Safe Speed’s support if he wanted his bill passed.
In reference to the FBI recordings, Jones says Maani asked him about any future fundraisers. In a June 2019 dinner, Maani brought up fundraisers again and asked Jones how much he could contribute to his campaign.
In the audio transcript, Jones replies, “I don’t give folks numbers,” but later adds, “You can raise me $5,000. That’d be good.”
On the stand, Jones emphasized, “I didn’t say…give me $5,000; I said if you can raise me $5,000.”
The South Side Democrat testified that he’d realized Maani had been “trying to buy me off.” And in a July 2019 text message, Jones made a crack: “LMAO Omar trying to make sure I don’t file my red light camera bill anymore. He thinks steak 48 will do it.”
But a federal prosecutor seized on that exchange in court Thursday. She forced Jones to admit, under oath, that he didn’t contact his ethics officer, he “didn’t call the FBI,” and that he knew from his training that he needed to report an attempted bribe to the Illinois State Police.
Instead, Jones admitted that he “set up” his 23-year-old ex-intern to be hired by Maani, who also promised to raise $5,000 for Jones’ campaign while pressuring the senator to change a bill in Springfield.
“You understand a campaign contribution could be part of a bribe, correct?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam asked during her cross-examination of Jones.
“Yes,” Jones told her.
* More on Jones’ testimony from Capitol News Illinois’ Hannah Meisel…
Deciding to testify in his own defense was a risky move, as it opened Jones up to grueling cross-examination from prosecutors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam on Thursday attempted over and over to impeach the senator’s prior testimony, pointing out inconsistencies between the previously played secret recordings and what Jones told the jury. […]
Ardam also pointed out that Jones’ contention earlier in his testimony that Sandoval was arrested on Sept. 24, 2019, wasn’t true; in fact, federal agents had executed search warrants on his home and offices. He began cooperating and later pleaded guilty to bribery and tax fraud charges. […]
But Ardam had some mixups of her own. To catch Jones in a lie over his claim Wednesday that he’d never had one of his bills die on the Senate floor, the prosecutor pointed out that in 2019, roughly 30 bills that Jones had introduced died at the end of session. As Jones attempted to tell her, that’s different than the rare and fairly embarrassing scenario in which a senator allows for a bill to be called for a vote only to see it fail to garner the minimum number of votes for passage.
Ardam also spent time suggesting that Jones benefitted from nepotism as his father, Emil Jones Jr., had been a longtime legislator and served as president of the Illinois Senate from 2003 until 2009.
“You were elected in 2008?” Ardam asked, after reminding the jury of Jones’ testimony that “ever since I was a child,” he’d wanted to be a state senator like his father.
“Yes,” Jones said.
“You didn’t tell the jury how that happened, did you?” Ardam said, before falsely asserting that Jones was appointed to his father’s seat when the elder Jones announced his retirement in August 2008.
* Closing arguments are underway at the Dirksen US Courthouse. Tribune…
Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood their initial argument and rebuttal will total over two hours, while Jones’ attorneys said they likely have at least two hours of argument as well. Given the judge also has to instruct the jury, they likely will not get the case until late in the day at the earliest.
* Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam is up first. Sun-Times Federal Courts reporter Jon Seidel is in the courtroom…
* More on Jones’ testimony from last Thursday. Tribune…
Jones said that in early 2020, the feds asked him and his then-attorney to come in and give a proffer-protected statement, which is a often prelude to cooperation and means he could not be charged based on anything he said.
Jones said a prosecutor gave “almost like a little PowerPoint presentation” for him and “did all the talking.” The prosecutor told him “we believe you solicited, asked for a bribe, acted corruptly,” Jones said.
They gave him a few days to think about it, Jones testified, adding that he left the meeting “devastated and confused.” […]
In September 2021, Jones said, his new attorney had a relationship with the U.S. attorney’s office and was able to get a sit-down where they listened to the full recordings for the first time. “I felt the government was misleading me when they had me in their office in February,” Jones testified.
* Jones denied he told the feds he made a deal with Maani. The Tribune’s Jason Meisner…
About half an hour into closing arguments that capped the nine-day trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam asked jurors how Jones allegedly changed his views on red-light camera legislation over the course of the summer of 2019. Jones had been handling it for years by the time he met red-light camera executive Omar Maani, Ardam said.
How do we go from “I can’t give you that commitment” to “I got, you, I got you?” she said.
Ardam argued that it was the promised donation and a minimum-wage job for intern Chris Katz, negotiated over steak dinners and workshopped to avoid state reporting requirements, that made him pledge to “protect” Maani’s red-light camera company, SafeSpeed LLC, in the General Assembly and limit a proposed red-light camera study.
“Legislation and legislators should not be up for sale, for any price. That is a crime….That is why the defendant lied to the FBI when they came knocking at his door,” Ardam told the jury.
A group of partners have left the firm founded by long-established politico Gery Chico to start their own practice.
As a smaller office, the new firm, called Leach King Klinger Law, or LKK Law, will be able to offer better client service, said Tim King, one of the founding partners.
“We are a tighter group,” King told Crain’s in an interview. “We are hands-on, and it is kind of a changing of the guard.”
* From the actual press release…
Attorneys Jon Leach, Tim King and Bill Klinger announce the launch of Leach | King | Klinger Law LLC (LKK Law), a full-service law firm providing legal, lobbying and business advisory services in Chicago and across the nation. LKK Law brings decades of collective experience from top law firms and executive roles in local government agencies. The firm’s key areas of practice include governmental and regulatory issues, aviation law, litigation, employment law, whistleblower and false claims act cases, real estate and land use and business advisory services.
Leach, King and Klinger are former Partners at Chico & Nunes PC, the boutique firm owned by perennial political candidate and former Mayor Richard M. Daley and Ald. Ed Burke protégé Gery Chico.
In Illinois, solar installers often face “complex and cumbersome” permitting requirements that can add months — and hundreds of dollars in cost — to the simplest residential roof project, according to a new report from environmentalists and consumer advocates.
In some places, installers reported having to submit applications in person, rather than via email or an online portal.
One installer complained about having to place six calls just to obtain a permit that had already been approved; others said they navigate needlessly complex and drawn-out review processes or face “wacky” formatting requirements.
Among the results: The state is viewed as “a very good market because of all the incentives, but an absolute nightmare to operate in,” an Illinois solar installer was quoted as saying. Aurora, Elmhurst and Joliet were among the places where installers reported problems.
Formerly Southpoint Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the newly renamed facility is a case in point illustrating the ongoing short staffing crisis in Illinois nursing homes. Landmark’s numerous inspection reports demonstrate the impact of its record of providing only 60% of the care hours that residents need. In the last three years, Landmark accrued an astounding $745,000 in fines for failing to provide adequate care.
State Representative Justin Slaughter, co-sponsor of HB2507, spoke outside the facility on the need for public dollars to be properly invested in improving resident care. “It’s important that we protect our nursing home workers. That’s why I’m on the front lines pushing and advocating for a bill that protects our staffing levels as well as the quality of care.”
Landmark CNA Sharletta Jeffrey described the challenges of working short staffed. “I work in the dementia unit…some of our residents will get up and just wander off…I can’t always watch them closely. It’s just not possible when you’re taking care of so many people.”
It’s past time to end chronic understaffing for nursing home patients. Support HB2507 to ensure public funding goes to care and not to profit because Care Can’t Wait.
Illinois doesn’t allow children under 10 to be held in detention facilities. But last year, there were about a dozen admissions of children under 12 and more than 60 of children who were 12 years old, according to data from the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.
Cases like those are the subject of a bill that was passed in the state Senate last week that, if approved by the House and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, would essentially ban the detention of kids 12 and under, with some exceptions for 12-year-olds accused of certain violent crimes. […]
Advocates argue detention can add to trauma for children who in many cases have already experienced problems before they ever get into trouble with law enforcement, adding to risk factors that may lead them to act out again. […]
The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association opposes the change and its executive director, Jim Kaitschuk, questioned whether there are sufficient alternatives available to what is essentially jail for 10- or 11-year-olds accused of violent crimes.
“Who’s gonna take them?” Kaitschuk asked, pointing as an example to the difficulty the state’s Department of Children and Family Services has in finding placements for hundreds of children in its care. “That’s the rub, right out of the gate.”
A bill that would tighten homeschooling regulations in Illinois missed a key deadline on Friday. But its sponsor, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, said it’s still alive — and she’s working on changes recommended by fellow lawmakers to get it passed.
“We recognize that there’s some more changes that need to be made and so we want to be respectful of the process,” Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, told Capitol News Illinois. “I want to pass a bill that we can be proud of. And even though I’m proud of the bill now, I want to be able to take into consideration some of the other suggestions that have been made.” […]
The bill missed a procedural deadline on Friday for non-budget bills to clear their chamber of origin. But lawmakers can request an extension, which Costa Howard has done. […]
Costa Howard says changes to the bill have already been made to address concerns, and that she’s working on more. The amendment that passed a House committee on Wednesday, April 9, provided more specific details for the declaration form, ensured that an online version would be available, and clarified that a truancy investigation would be required to compel families to turn over homeschooling portfolios.
Almost immediately after President Donald Trump was elected to a second term in November, Illinois Democrats began stressing the need to provide legislative protections against potential action by the White House on issues such as immigration and abortion. […]
With six weeks left in the spring legislative session, lawmakers have a range of measures before them that backers say are necessary to protect Illinois’ progressive policies. […]
One initiative Pritzker supported was filed with the General Assembly earlier this year amid concerns that Trump could take federal action to roll back abortion rights protections, even though Trump indicated that issue should be left up to the states.
The legislation would provide more protections under Illinois’ 2023 shield law that prevents health care workers from facing disciplinary action by the state if, for instance, they provide abortion care to someone from another state that has more stringent abortion restrictions.
In a fiery debate after 6 p.m. on the statehouse floor as a legislative deadline loomed, a decade-long fight between Chicago Heights and Ford Heights came to a head last week as two Democratic lawmakers argued until proposed legislation was pulled from debate.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, who represents Chicago Heights as is former mayor there, would have allowed the state comptroller to collect debts between local governments if the entities reached an agreement or filed a court order. It would have created a pathway to resolve close to $2 million in unpaid water bills Ford Heights owes Chicago Heights, its water supplier.
Chicago Heights has attempted to collect the money for about a decade, including suing Ford Heights.
But state Rep. Thaddeus Jones worried state intervention could further hike the water bills for the Ford Heights, which already has some of the highest water bills in the south suburbs, after Chicago Heights threatened to turn off the water in 2018.
“This bill does not allow me to represent a poor community that can barely pay their water bills,” said Jones, who is also mayor of Calumet City.
With many county public defender offices pushed to the limits throughout Illinois, state lawmakers are moving forward on legislation to create a statewide public defender office.
Many public defender offices in Illinois, especially in rural areas, are in desperate need of resources to provide adequate defense services. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1963 on Gideon v. Wainright that anyone accused of a crime has a right to a defense attorney, setting the basis for public defenders that judges often assign to defendants to represent a person for free. […]
Legislation in front of the General Assembly would create the “Office of State Public Defender” which would primarily be responsible for providing public defender offices around the state with more resources. House Bill 3363 passed the House last week on a 72-41 vote. It now heads to the Senate where President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, has tried to pass similar legislation in recent years. […]
If lawmakers approve the bill, the office may provide public defense services — but not for several years. Over the first few years, the office’s primary responsibility would be to assess the needs of public defenders in Illinois and collect data about their workloads.
“We are really lacking any type of data gathering across public defender offices in the state of Illinois because we just have never had the resources to really even count the number of cases that we have,” Pollock said.
Independent pharmacy owners have long complained that PBMs are part of massive conglomerates that have led to higher out-of-pocket costs for patients. They say PBMs steer patients to pharmacies in which they have a financial interest, don’t reimburse pharmacies enough for medications and don’t adequately pass along rebates they get from drugmakers. […]
After years of outcry, Gov. JB Pritzker has thrown his support behind efforts to require PBMs to change how they do business in Illinois. Pritzker has called for legislation that would prevent PBMs from directing patients to pharmacies where they have a financial interest, bar them from pocketing certain savings on medications and require them to open their books to state regulators, among other changes. […]
Despite Pritzker making the issue a top priority for the spring legislative session, his allies in Springfield have yet to introduce a formal proposal. Closed-door negotiations are ongoing, but key Democratic lawmakers said the involvement of the governor’s office should make the difference in getting a measure passed before the General Assembly’s scheduled May 31 adjournment.
“I expect we will pass the bill, I just don’t know exactly when,” Pritzker told the Tribune in a brief interview last week. Lawmakers and the governor remained tight-lipped, however, about whether whatever legislation emerges from those discussions would achieve all the goals Pritzker outlined earlier this year.
“The world is is going away from fossil fuels and going towards electric,” cautions State Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford). “Unless we want to burn a whole bunch of fossil fuels, we go to nuclear because solar and wind’s just not enough.”
In Springfield, Vella sponsors HB3603, a house bill changing the limitations on constructing nuclear power reactors. While Governor J.B. Pritzker lifted a 30-year moratorium on reactors 2 years ago, the lift didn’t impact larger units.
Vella’s bill would allow any “advanced nuclear reactor” to be built. A similar bill moves through the Illinois Senate, where State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) and State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) sponsor SB1527.
Syverson explains nuclear power is “common sense.” The lawmaker points to “brownouts,” or power drops, in Texas and California – where renewable energy makes up more of the states’ electrical supplies v. a “consistency” in nuclear.
“That’s going to help us keep and attract good paying manufacturing jobs that are high energy users,” argues Syverson.
Both bills have failed to advance in committee. However, SB1527’s deadline has been extended to May 9.
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
Following the Senate passage of Senate Bill 42, State Senator Rachel Ventura made clarifying remarks on the bill, explaining its intent and background.
The legislation makes clear that the smell of raw or burnt cannabis alone cannot justify a search of a vehicle, driver, or passenger. The goal is to ensure consistent law enforcement practices in situations involving cannabis. While the odor may still be noted, it cannot be the sole reason for a stop or search.
“I want to ensure there is no misunderstanding about the core intent of this bill — to clarify existing statute and address ambiguities in the law that currently create challenges for law enforcement,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Dispensary workers and Illinoisans who legally use cannabis should not be penalized and targeted on smell alone. If a driver is exhibiting erratic behavior in addition to the scent of cannabis, then law enforcement may conduct a search. This bill not only protects people’s Fourth Amendment rights from unreasonable search and seizure, but also addresses due process.”
Senate Bill 42 removes the requirement for odor-proof cannabis packaging, while maintaining the mandate that cannabis must be stored in a secure, sealed, or resealable child-resistant container. The bill also prohibits law enforcement from stopping, detaining, or searching a vehicle solely based on the smell of cannabis if the driver or passengers are 21 or older. However, it does not instruct officers to disregard the odor entirely.
The Illinois Supreme Court recently ruled on two separate cases contradictory to each other on whether the scent of cannabis is a probable cause. The Court held in People v. Redmond that the odor of burnt cannabis alone is insufficient to provide probable cause for police officers to perform a warrantless search of a vehicle. In People v. Molina, the Court ruled that the odor of raw cannabis alone gave police probable cause to search a vehicle because the statute mandates odorless packaging.
The bill makes these clarifications for law enforcement:
· Officers can still consider odor during a stop, but odor alone can no longer justify search – other factors must be present to establish probable cause
· Should law enforcement have reasonable suspicion based on the driver’s or passenger’s behavior and speech, a sobriety test would be conducted before probable cause is determined
· The measure still allows odor to be considered as a part of the totality of circumstances, but odor alone cannot justify a vehicle search
· Cannabis still must be inaccessible to those in the vehicle […]
Senate Bill 42 passed the Senate last week and awaits action in the House.
Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford is again pushing to protect school kids at the forefront of his agenda.
Ford said he is all in on a measure proposed by Democratic State Sen. Karina Villa that would ban police from issuing any tickets or citations to students for breaking school rules like truancy. Senate Bill 1519 would also require officers to receive extra training to become a school resource officer, including how to deal with students with disabilities.
“I’m going to pick it up,” Ford told The Center Square. “I had one, but I’m going to advance the one that passed the Senate and we’ll do that when we go back in two weeks. We know that anytime young people have to deal with law enforcement as minors, as young people, it’s a pipeline to the criminal justice system.” […]
With SB 1519 passing out of the Senate Education Committee by an 8-2 vote, Ford said he is reminded of a resolution he recently proposed honoring Amara Harris “for her courage and perseverance to defend truth and fight for justice.”
Following an Illinois Supreme Court decision that weakened protections for journalists, State Senator Steve Stadelman successfully passed a measure out of the Senate that protects the rights of Illinois residents and the press to freely express their view in the media.
“Protecting the right to share opinions – whether it’s an individual or a news outlet – is essential to democracy,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “Free speech, especially in the media, ensures transparency and accountability, which is why we needed to pass this legislation.”
Senate Bill 1181 builds on existing law to ensure the Citizens Participation Act protects individuals and the press from lawsuits intended to silence or intimidate them, regardless of the motive behind the lawsuit. A Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) is a legal tactic used to silence or intimidate critics by burdening them with costly and time-consuming litigation, often targeting individuals or organizations who speak out on issues of public interest.
The Supreme Court ruled the state’s anti-SLAPP law did not protect media outlets or journalists. Stadelman’s legislation clarifies news organizations should be shielded from retaliatory lawsuits.
“The media shouldn’t have to face these lawsuits for simply doing their job,” said Stadelman. “This measure helps us ensure we are protecting freedom of the press.”
Senate Bill 1181 passed the Senate April 10.
* Rep. Patrick Sheehan…
State Representative Patrick Sheehan is excited to announce that HB1842, his bill to improve how municipalities handle code violations, has passed the Illinois House. This legislation updates the rules for administrative hearings, making the process clearer, faster, and more balanced for everyone involved.
“This bill is about empowering communities and building trust,” said Rep. Sheehan. “By simplifying the process for addressing code violations and ensuring fairness every step of the way, we’re helping municipalities focus on what matters most—serving their residents and improving their neighborhoods.”
Key provisions in HB1842 include:
- Giving hearing officers clear authority to handle code violations.
- Requiring hearing officers to complete formal training to ensure fair and consistent rulings.
- Setting reasonable limits on fines and penalties to protect individual rights.
HB1842 also introduces new safeguards to ensure hearings are conducted transparently and fairly. By streamlining enforcement, municipalities will be able to tackle violations faster all while maintaining trust in the system.
HB1842 will now move on to consideration in the Senate.
A bill led by Senate Republicans that would require schools to expel students if they’ve sexually assaulted another student is blocked from moving in the Illinois Senate.
The proposal originally came from a sexual assault case that happened in a school in Taylorville. […]
The plan received bipartisan support, but the proposal was never sent to a committee by Democratic leadership. […]
[Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield)] also said there is still a chance this plan could be passed later this year. For now, the bill stays in assignments, where it will most likely stay and die until session restarts next year.
The Illinois General Assembly has six weeks left in its session, and soil and water conservation advocates are following several topics of discussion very closely.
This includes Senate Bill 2387, which could be a permanent fix to funding for local offices, according to Eliot Clay, state executive director of the Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
“What this bill would do is assess what we’re calling an AG impact fee on every acre of agricultural land that is taken out of production in Illinois. The fee would be $275 an acre,” Clay said. “After that fee is collected, it would be put into a fund underneath the Department of AG that would be earmarked specifically for operations for soil and water conservation districts moving forward.”
A bill under consideration in the Illinois House may make it difficult for school districts to contract for supplemental bus drivers.
SB1799 has already cleared the Senate.
Under the new bill, if there is a chronic shortage of drivers and emergency supplemental bus services is required for more than 90 days, a contract would require union approval.
School officials fear it could mean no bus service for special education students.
The Palatine Elementary School District, for instance, claimed there are days when up to 20% of their regular bus drivers call in sick, despite recent pay hikes, bonuses, and benefits.
Illinois House members last week unanimously passed a major change to rules on behind-the-wheel road tests for older drivers but the bill still lingers in the Senate.
The legislation raises the age for mandatory driving tests from 79 to 87 and also would allow family members to report unsafe drivers.
Previous reform attempts have withered in Springfield but Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who led the initiative, said he’s cautiously optimistic this time. […]
Giannoulias said he didn’t want to speak too soon, “but I feel we’re in a good place.” […]
State Sen. Ram Villivalam, who sponsored the Senate bill, said he was excited the legislation cleared the House. “I look forward to continuing to work with the secretary of state, AARP and a bipartisan group of colleagues to break down barriers for our seniors and ensure the safety of our residents,” the Chicago Democrat said Friday.
* Rep. Lisa Davis…
On Thursday, state Rep. Lisa Davis, D-Chicago, passed a measure through the House that will improve outcomes for all mothers and babies in the state of Illinois by providing doctors, doulas and other maternal healthcare providers with implicit bias training.
“Our healthcare professionals should listen to patients and do their best to assist them, but oftentimes patients, especially those from certain backgrounds, have serious needs ignored from a place of unconscious bias,” said Davis. “This bill raises the bar for our healthcare workforce and will produce better results for families and communities everywhere.”
Davis’ House Bill 2517 will direct the department that healthcare professionals report to develop and implement a directive that will ensure all maternal healthcare professionals receive training on implicit bias. The bill is intended to address longstanding disparities and outcomes for mothers of marginalized racial groups. For example, there is the Black Maternal Health Crisis. Black mothers are at a higher risk of death, stillbirth and other serious complications during pregnancy when compared to their white counterparts.
House Bill 2517 passed the House with bipartisan support and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
As an attorney with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, now state Sen. Darby Hills, R-Barrington Hills, spent a lot of her time involved with cases dealing with children.
So, within six weeks of replacing former state Sen. Damn McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, after he resigned in February, she introduced her first bill that would toughen laws against people committing sex crimes against children.
“Protecting children is my passion and my purpose,” Hills said. “A person who records or livestreams a minor for a sexually material purpose will be placed on the (sexual offender) registry.” […]
With her first bill moving from the Criminal Law Committee to the Senate floor earlier this month, Hills said she is adding co-sponsors — she has 12 so far, seven Republicans and five Democrats — and trying to get enough votes to pass it.
* I asked Mark Denzler with the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association to send me his thoughts on what he thinks the state needs to do on the economic development front…
One of only five states with a Gross Domestic Product surpassing $1 trillion a year, Illinois is an economic powerhouse fueled by innovative manufacturers, abundant agricultural resources, a wide array of energy producers, vibrant financial and insurance sectors, dynamic tourism and hospitality, and a strong retail sector. Illinois has numerous advantages that make it attractive for businesses to locate and grow here, including our central location, strong transportation infrastructure, robust higher education system and skilled workforce.
These attributes, and others, helped secure 664 business expansions and relocations last year. This marks tremendous progress from where we were a few short years ago, when our state struggled to pay its bills and had what could only be described as anemic economic development tools.
This didn’t happen by accident. It took the full force of the Governor’s office, working in conjunction with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Intersect Illinois, the General Assembly and businesses groups throughout the state to identify problems and chart solutions. Working together, we’ve established historic incentives to attract a quantum campus, electric vehicle production, reshore microchip manufacturing, foster energy and agricultural innovation. We’ve invested in programs to train employees, implement apprenticeship programs and fill open positions.
Despite these important gains, data shows we are still falling short on several key economic benchmarks. Illinois was the last state to fully recover employment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and we continue to lag in GDP growth, wages and job creation. These are warning signs that trouble lies ahead unless we take decisive action. Luckily, recent history proves that we can accomplish great things by working collaboratively.
Key areas of opportunity include:
1. Energy: Eliminate the moratorium on new nuclear construction, extend the life of gas plants, invest in transmission infrastructure and encouraging new technology like battery storage. Illinois needs safe, reliable and abundant energy to support emerging industries and technology including quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, data centers, and AI.
2. Education: Create a modern and skilled workforce by continuing to invest in K-12 education, higher education, and Career & Technical Education. Students should be allowed to waive the foreign language course requirements in favor of enrolling in CTE classes. We need to encourage education innovation, such as creating community college classrooms inside businesses.
3. Affordability: Assist families who face challenges finding affordable housing and day care. Creating incentives to build affordable housing and streamline day care permitting so businesses can operate and provide free, onsite day care for their employees.
4. Permitting and Regulatory Reform: Site selectors and businesses often ask how long it will take to put a shovel in the ground. Illinois streamlined many laws during the pandemic such as the One Day in Seven Rest Act, daycare licensing, and truck delivery times only to revert back to burdensome systems. Double down on the successful vetted sites program.
5. Tax Modernization: Create a tax system reflective of today’s society that reduces the crushing burden of property taxes that stunts growth and negatively impacts homeowners. Economists note that the best tax systems are broad-based with low rates.
6. Small Business Relief: For decades, policy makers exempted small businesses from most state mandates, but that is no longer the case. Small businesses that are the backbone of our economy now face costly and cumbersome mandates.
7. Invest in Existing Companies: While attracting new companies is important, we must ensure existing employers stay and grow in Illinois. Revise state incentives to include CapX incentives for small and mid-sized companies who are investing annually in their facilities. Grow technical assistance programs and build supply chains to encourage growth. Programs offered by IMEC, MxD, 1871, P33, Current, and others provide a key strategic advantage for Illinois.
8. Grow Trade: Foster international trade for manufacturers, farmers, and businesses. Illinois is the 4th largest exporting state and 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States.
9. Modernize O’Hare Airport: Stop delays and limit cost overruns while creating a modern regional transportation system.
Illinois is now open for business when the doors were previously closed. It’s time to build on our success and double down to make sure that we not only lead the Midwest, but the nation, in economic development and job growth.
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Ironworkers are essential to Illinois’ clean energy future, bringing unmatched skill and precision to energy storage construction. With major investments in renewable energy from Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly, expertly trained union ironworkers are driving progress—one weld and rebar tie at a time.
On battery storage sites across the state, ironworkers are responsible for installing the structural backbone of these critical facilities. They lay and tie rebar with the highest level of craftsmanship to reinforce foundations capable of supporting massive battery systems. Their precise welding ensures the strength and stability of steel frameworks that protect and support advanced energy storage infrastructure.
These aren’t just construction tasks—they’re high-skill, high-impact jobs performed by union professionals trained to meet the demands of cutting-edge energy projects. As Illinois expands its energy storage capacity to meet the goals of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), ironworkers are not only building physical structures—they’re laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and resilient energy grid.
By prioritizing union labor in renewable energy projects, Illinois is investing in both quality and equity. Our clean energy future is stronger, safer, and more secure thanks to the expert work of union ironworkers who are building it from the ground up.
A former Republican nominee for Illinois attorney general, downstate lawyer Thomas DeVore, should have his law license suspended for 60 days for a series of infractions, including having a sexual relationship with a client whom he represented in challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, a legal disciplinary hearing board has recommended.
DeVore, who became well-known for spearheading legal fights over pandemic mandates before his unsuccessful 2022 run for attorney general, began dating a married Springfield salon owner shortly after sending letters challenging the pandemic mandates to government agencies on her behalf in May 2020, according to an Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission hearing board report issued Monday.
The two began a sexual relationship sometime that June, though the exact date was disputed in testimony before the board at a December 2024 hearing.
DeVore argued the sexual relationship with Riley Craig began after his initial work for Craig ended and before his work representing her in other legal matters began. But the hearing board found evidence showing “an unbroken continuation of his attorney-client relationship,” including DeVore preparing pleadings in Craig’s divorce case filed by a law firm associate.
The Administrator charged Respondent with violating Rules 1.7(a)(2), 1.8(a), 1.8(j), 3.1, 3.4(c), 4.2, 4.4(a), and 8.4(d) by engaging in a conflict of interest and sexual relationship with a current client, entering into a prohibited business transaction with that client, copying the client on an email disparaging her, bringing frivolous chancery and order of protection proceedings against the client with no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, burden, or delay her, knowingly disobeying the automatic stay in the client’s bankruptcy case, emailing the client twice about her bankruptcy despite knowing she was represented by another attorney in that matter, and being sanctioned by the bankruptcy court for his conduct. The Hearing Board found that Respondent engaged in all of the alleged misconduct except the Rule 3.4 charges and some of the Rule 3.1 and Rule 4.4(a) charges. The Hearing Board recommended a 60-day suspension based on the proven Rule violations, substantial mitigating factors, and absence of aggravating factors.
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Findings of a recent economic study were clear — the retail sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and crucial to our everyday lives. Retail in Illinois directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually – more than 10 percent of the state’s total Gross Domestic Product.
Retailers like the Boyer family in Quincy enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.
* ICYMI: Illinois could see cuts to services for disabled residents. Our Quad Cities…
- Direct support professionals warn that Gov. Pritzker’s budget proposal would cut over 900,000 hours of care for people with developmental disabilities, leading to reduced services and job losses.
- While the state says the change is about efficiency and includes a 50-cent hourly pay increase, advocates argue that the reduction in hours would have a more significant negative impact.
- The Illinois Department of Human Services says a system exists to fairly distribute the remaining hours.
* WTTW | Segregation, Restraints and Mace: Lawsuit Alleges Mental Illness Met With Punishment in Illinois Prisons: After making an attempt on his life while incarcerated, Irving Madden alleges that an officer transporting him to the hospital joked that he “didn’t do it right.” […] Madden’s allegations are part of a class action lawsuit filed Wednesday claiming the Illinois Department of Corrections has systematically failed to provide adequate mental health treatment to those incarcerated. Uptown People’s Law Center and Equip for Equality filed suit against IDOC Director Latoya Hughes on behalf of the nearly 13,000 people with mental illness in the state’s prisons — approximately 44% of the population.
* Capitol News Illinois | Jones testifies that FBI asked him to wear a wire on hospital CEO, other lawmakers: The senator took the witness stand for a third day Thursday in his trial over alleged bribes he agreed to take from a red-light camera entrepreneur-turned-FBI witness in exchange for limiting legislation he had proposed that worried the red-light camera industry — and lying to agents about it. Not too long into questioning from his own attorney, Jones’ testimony was halted for more than an hour after he named Tim Egan, the CEO of Chicago’s Roseland Hospital in Jones’ South Side District, as someone the feds wanted him to help investigate.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Subscribers know more. Crain’s | Transit agencies launch ad blitz asking riders for backup in Springfield: The Regional Transportation Authority rolled out its Save Transit Now campaign yesterday with ads on radio, television and social media platforms, as well as billboards and signs on trains, buses and transit shelters. Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and Pace — which provide rail and bus service in the city and suburbs — face a funding shortfall or “transit cliff” of $771 million a year when federal pandemic-relief funding dries up next year.
* AG Kwame Raoul | Law firms’ capitulation to Trump harms Illinoisans: The capitulation to these unlawful threats inflicts harm on Illinoisans, our judicial system and the rule of law. A just and well-functioning judicial system depends on the willingness of lawyers to take on difficult cases or unpopular clients without retribution by their government. Without that representation, courts will be denied a full presentation of all arguments necessary to resolve a case in an informed and independent manner.
* WBEZ | New medical license pathway for international doctors could alleviate Illinois shortage: Before moving to Chicago from Russia, Dr. Filipp Prikolab had a thriving medical practice. […] He is one of thousands of Illinoisans with an international medical degree. And despite receiving similar training as students at American medical schools and residency programs, the pathway to becoming a licensed doctor for Prikolab and his peers is difficult and can take years. But that’s all changing thanks to a law that went into effect this year in Illinois to make it easier for people like Prikolab to get their state medical license.
* Jim Dey | Ammons on the injured but functional list: Two area Illinois House members — Democrats Carol Ammons of Urbana and Sue Scherer of Decatur — are on the disabled list. Ammons, an Urbana Democrat, is using a wheelchair and crutches to get around because she suffered a torn meniscus, according to office spokesman Grant Chassy. Medical experts say that, like many knee injuries, a meniscus tear is a painful, debilitating and common injury often associated with athletics. The meniscus is described as “a piece of cartilage in your knee that cushions and stabilizes the joint, acting as a shock absorber to protect the bones from wear and tear.”
* NPR Illinois | Former Illinois Ag Director Chuck Hartke has died: A longtime lawmaker and former Illinois Department of Agriculture Director has died. Charles “Chuck” Hartke died Sunday at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. He was 80. A farmer, Hartke was the Agriculture Director from 2003 to 2008. The Department issued a statement Monday that said “his leadership, vision, and commitment to the ag community left a lasting mark on our state.” While at the helm of the agency, Illinois created a statewide veterinary emergency response team to identify and contain animal disease outbreaks. He was also able to increase corporate sponsorship at the Illinois State Fair.
*** Statewide ***
* IDES | Illinois Payroll Jobs Climb to Record High: The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that nonfarm payrolls increased +14,800 (+0.2%) over-the-month to a record high of 6,172,300 in March. The previous record was set in December 2024, with 6,161,000 jobs. Additionally, the February monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report of -6,500 to +900. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8 percent in March, while the revised unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, unchanged from the preliminary February unemployment rate. The March payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
* PJ Star | Film and TV productions have spent over $650M in Illinois over the past year. Here’s why: Film and TV producers have spent over $650 million in Illinois over the past year, thanks to a tax credit shepherded by a Peoria-based state representative. Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, who serves as the assistant majority leader in the Illinois House, said in a news release Friday that the recently expanded Film Production Tax Credit helped provide $653 million in film production expenditures and $351 million in estimated wages to the state last year. Gordon-Booth praised the work done by House Democrats in preserving the tax credit and providing front-facing jobs and money to Illinois.
* Chalkbeat Chicago | Glitch with ACT prevented 11,000 Illinois students from finishing the test: The students who could not finish the test on April 8, the first day of testing, have to retake the exam within the testing window, which ends May 2. The testing window between April 8 and May 2 is to ensure students fulfill the state’s graduation and accountability requirements. The hiccup made for a rocky start to the state’s shift back to the ACT as the test required to graduate from high school. Illinois used the ACT for 15 years before switching to the College Board’s SAT in 2016. The problem delayed the start of the exam for thousands of other students. But state education officials and the company that administers the ACT said there have been no issues with testing since April 8.
* Capitol News Illinois | Social Security rescinding its plan to end phone-based filing called a win for Illinois seniors: In Illinois, about 2.3 million people receive some form of Social Security benefits. More than 40% of Illinois residents age 65 or older rely on Social Security for at least half of their income, while around 20% rely on it for at least 90% of their income, according to AARP. The SSA was planning to end phone-based claims as an anti-fraud measure, saying the move would strengthen fraud prevention by forcing individuals to go online or visit local field offices to prove their identities and file for benefits.
* Frank Manzo IV | Project Labor Agreements deliver on policymakers’ promises to taxpayers and workers: With tariffs, market volatility, and mass government layoffs dominating headlines lately, much of our national economic discourse has centered around whether public policies and investments are maximizing value for taxpayers and opportunities for American workers. Here in Illinois, tens of billions of dollars have been invested over recent years to repair and modernize the roads, bridges, buildings, parks, and critical infrastructure that we rely on. These investments offer a great opportunity to assess whether specific policies are delivering.
* Eye On Illinois | How was voter turnout in your local elections?: Perhaps races in your community weren’t decided by fewer people than attend high school football games. Maybe a margin of 122 makes you think “my one vote still wouldn’t have mattered.” But trust these officials understand very well how few citizens actually participate. They’ve conducted public meetings without a single interested spectator or speaker. They know the likely low turnout percentages. As such, they realize they’re directly accountable to the people who do show up, initiate communication and reliably vote. They know those few active citizens can mobilize others to action. Think not in terms of threat or intimidation, but influence and electoral consequence.
*** Chicago ***
* The Triibe | Pritzker, Johnson applaud Peacekeepers violence prevention program as crime drops in Chicago: On Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson applauded a new Northwestern University study that found the Peacekeepers Program led to a 41% reduction in victimizations within violence “hotspots” in 2023 to 2024 compared to the previous two-year period. Peacekeeper community areas saw a 31% decrease in shooting victimizations from 2023 to 2024 compared to the previous two-year period, according to the study. Additionally, the study also found that 68% of the conflict mediations conducted by Peacekeepers were “successfully resolved.”
* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson reports bigger fundraising numbers, but so do potential opponents: Mayor Brandon Johnson reported raising nearly $300,000 in the first three months of the year, a sizable chunk of which came from gambling interests that want Chicago to legalize sweepstakes machines, as well as some longtime friends and political allies. The mayor’s political haul means he has about $1.16 million in the bank at the near-halfway point of his first term in office, which is about how much ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot had at the same juncture, state campaign records show. While Johnson’s fundraising appeared relatively healthy, so too were the efforts of other Chicago politicians, including some potentially eyeing a bid to take on Johnson for mayor in 2027.
* WBEZ | Chicago’s robbery surge is over: From September 2021 to June 2024, almost every month saw a year-over-year robbery increase, a WBEZ analysis of city data has found. Robberies peaked at 1,213 in August 2023. In July of last year, however, the numbers started to plummet. Every month since then has had a double-digit drop in robberies from the previous year. The first three months of 2025 had the fewest robberies of any quarter in decades.
* Block Club Chicago | Bowen HS Science Program Gets $10K From PsiQuantum, A South Works Campus Tenant: The $10,000 donation will purchase virtual reality equipment, robotics, rockets, drones and other technology to “enable hands-on learning” in Bowen’s engineering, math and science classes, PsiQuantum executive Mo Green said. […] PsiQuantum’s donation is about four times the average annual budget for Bowen’s science department, allowing teachers to “go outside the parameters of the budgets they’re normally used to [and] plan something phenomenal for the kids,” principal Priscilla Horton said.
* Block Club | City Sues Englewood Junkyard Property Owner, Mechanic Living On Lots: City officials are “seeking maximum penalties and an injunction” against Paul Cawley, Achadboy Properties, Jerry Bell and Melvin Woods for the vacant lots harboring cars at 7150-52 S. Normal Blvd., a spokesperson for the city’s Law Department said in an email Monday. […] The city’s lawsuit comes days after Block Club Chicago published an investigation on the illegal junkyard in Englewood, highlighting the city’s failure to clear the lots of cars, bikes and boats after nearly a decade of neighbors complaining and Cawley blowing off city fines.
* WBEZ | Chicago street festivals sound alarm on rising costs, including security: The coalition called “Save Our Street Fests,” which went public with its concerns Friday, also includes nonprofit street festivals such as Wicker Park Fest, Northalsted Market Days, Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest and several others. The group says that the cost of producing a street festival in Chicago has “skyrocketed,” from fees for security, entertainment, staffing and insurance to expenses for portable restrooms. At the same time, donations from the public at festival gates have dropped dramatically. Pamela Maass, executive director of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, said there’s often confusion over how the events are funded and why street festivals ask for a donation at the entrance, while downtown city-run events, like Blues Fest, do not.
* WTTW | Chicago Park District CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa on Riot Fest, Homeless Encampments and Top Priorities: On Riot Fest: “For the first time ever, we’re going to do a pre-event walk-through with community advocates. The Park District always does a walk-through with the festival organizers. We’re going to invite the community along so we can have greater accountability, so we can make sure that the event is keeping the park up to the same level that they found it at. The Park District previously created a 10% give-back policy where 10% of the money generated from an event would go back into the local park.”
* Sun-Times | WGN interested in airing Chicago Sports Network broadcasts, confident a deal can work: The sides would have to sort out a lot of details, such as how many games would be included and who would sell advertising for them. Though WGN isn’t positioned to pay a substantial rights fee — the teams would have to treat it as a marketing expense — it could deliver the teams their largest TV audience since they launched CHSN in October.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Tribune | With Cook County Jail’s population again on the rise, officials weigh the reasons: In an internal report obtained by the Tribune via a public records request, the Cook County sheriff’s office found that the average daily jail population has risen by about 12% in recent months, reaching its highest level in eight months at the end of March. The report also found sharp increases in detention for some charge types for which State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has implemented policy changes. […] Sheriff Tom Dart, in an interview with the Tribune, made clear that he supports policies that keep high-risk defendants incarcerated, but said he is concerned about how long inmates remain in jail as court cases move sluggishly through the system.
* Tribune | Bankruptcies at suburban senior homes collectively cost residents millions of dollars in entrance fees: A recent bankruptcy filing by a network of senior living facilities in Illinois and Indiana highlights the financial risk posed to residents who pay large entry fees to continuing care retirement communities, but get limited government protections, senior advocates say. In February, a Lutheran not-for-profit that operates several long-term care facilities — including Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, seeking to continue operations while shedding debt. The latest bankruptcy follows a Chapter 11 filing in 2023 by Schaumburg’s Friendship Village, now called Encore Village. The Oaks at Bartlett also filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and 2019, went into receivership in 2024 and was sold.
* NBC Chicago | Longtime Skokie mayor who fought antisemitism retires, cites Trump worries: After more than 40 years of public service, Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen is packing up his office and embarking on a new adventure: retirement. In an interview with NBC Chicago, he shared the highs and lows of his career, including his work to combat antisemitism and promote tolerance. […] Another tense time came the following year when the Klu Klux Klan came to Skokie. Nowadays, a big challenge has been combating the surge in antisemitism following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. “It’s hard to describe the pain that Jewish people feel. I think for many of us, it was very unexpected,” Van Dusen said.
* Sun-Times | Senate contenders share face time with Cook County Democrats ahead of Durbin decision: Krishnamoorthi spent about 45 minutes shaking hands during a lunchtime break. After a bit of scurrying from reporters, the congressman chose his words carefully. Both Krishnamoorthi and Stratton are widely seen as potential Senate candidates should Durbin decide to retire. But with that decision still not public, the two tried to pay respect to the veteran senator while making sure to schmooze with high-profile Democrats.
* Daily Herald | Lisle trustee candidates separated by single vote, while Queen Bee school board race ends in a tie: The race for the fourth and final available school board seat in Queen Bee Elementary District 16 has ended in a tie, according to results that are technically still unofficial. Merima Biacan and William Staunton each received 895 votes. Marjorie Fierro, the top-vote getter, finished with 1,044. “For most of the people, the race was done on the first or the second of April. For me, it’s still not done,” Biacan said, adding that “it was kind of nerve-wracking to live through this.”
* Daily Herald | Should Cook County dissolve its four suburban mosquito abatement districts?: Some Cook County Board members are requesting closer scrutiny of the mosquito districts following an investigation by the county’s inspector general that resulted in calls for members of the appointed oversight board at one district to resign. “It would seem best to me to consolidate them,” said 12th District County Board Commissioner Bridget Degnen. “I think it’s more a patchwork now and having it consolidated under the county would provide a streamlined approach with consistent services throughout all of Cook County.”
* Tribune | Will County Board approves solar projects near Monee, Peotone: The Will County Board voted Thursday to approve two new solar projects for the south suburbs. The board voted 13 to 9 to approve TurningPoint Energy’s request to build a 3.4-megawatt commercial solar energy facility on about 35 vacant acres near the northeast corner of La Grange Road and West Monee-Manhattan Road in Monee. TurningPoint has been granted special use permits for eight projects in Will County near Crete, Monee, Peotone and Joliet, county documents said.
* Sun-Times | Former Glenwood cemetery worker charged with stealing $100K in funeral fees: Latrecia Marshall-Parris, 48, handled funeral plans and assisted with headstone payments, which often were made in cash, at Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens in south suburban Glenwood, the Cook County sheriff’s office and court documents said. She took cash from families but deposited lesser amounts into the cemetery’s accounts and pocketed the difference, the sheriff’s office alleges. Marshall-Parris is accused of stealing more than $114,200 from 49 payments made between April 2022 and August 2023.
* Sun-Times | Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launched in Lake County to inspire young readers: The Imagination Library isn’t a brick-and-mortar project but a collaborative. Each month, a high-quality, age-appropriate book is mailed to children’s homes at no cost to participating families. The books are meant to foster early learning skills, help close literacy gaps and promote educational equity, supporters say.
*** Downstate ***
* BND | As he prepares for final meeting, O’Fallon mayor reflects on decades of service: As he looks back on what the city has achieved in eight years, he thanked the city staff and council for working together on growth and concern for tax dollars. “Our staff is second to none. Our council may disagree, but they come together, by and large, to get things done for the residents,” he said.
* WGLT | 2 public forums scheduled on shelter village plan in Bloomington: The City of Bloomington has announced two forums have been scheduled to collect public input on a proposed cabin village to serve the unhoused. An official with Bloomington-based Home Sweet Home Ministries said in February the agency wants to build a 50-bed non-congregant village near Main Street and Oakland Avenue south of downtown to help address the overflow of unhoused residents who are unable to stay in either of Bloomington’s homeless shelters.
* WGLT | McLean County working to become fully ADA compliant online: The McLean County Board heard an update on the effort during its meeting on Thursday, led by Craig Nelson, the county’s chief information officer, and digital media director Dan Leary. The ADA does not specifically address online accessibility, but the Department of Justice published a rule in 2024 setting technical requirements for accessibility on state and local government websites and social media. Earlier this year, the DOJ published a resource document with more information to explain how to maintain compliance that can help avoid lawsuits.
* CBS Chicago | 4 killed when small plane hits powerlines and crashes in central Illinois: The crash occurred at around 10:15 a.m. local time on County Line Road in Trilla, Illinois, about three miles south of Mattoon in Coles County, according to Illinois State Police and the Coles County Sheriff’s Office. Trilla is about 200 miles south of Chicago. The National Transportation Safety Board said a Cessna 180 single-engine plane struck powerlines and crashed into a field.
* PJ Star | How a robot does the heavy lifting marking athletic fields across the Peoria area: There is an artist named Tank whose canvas is a growing number of athletic fields in the Peoria area, painting with machine-like precision. That’s fitting, because it’s a robot. Turf Tank is a programmable robot on four wheels that looks like a tiny tank. Loaded with a reservoir of paint, and guided by computer, it works unsupervised, painting the lines on soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse and other athletic fields.
*** National ***
* AP | Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88: Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Farrell from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” said Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff’s death.
* CNN | DHL to suspend global shipments of over $800 to US consumers: DHL blamed the halt on new US customs rules which require formal entry processing on all shipments worth over $800. The minimum had been $2,500 until a change on April 5. DHL said business-to-business shipments would not be suspended but could face delays. Shipments under $800 to either businesses or consumers were not affected by the changes.
* Bloomberg | How Did This Suburb Figure Out Mass Transit?: Brampton, Ontario, is a large industrial suburb of Toronto, indistinguishable from many across North America. Six-lane-wide arterial roads lined with strip malls course through residential developments full of detached single-family homes with garages. The city is also home to many factories and distribution centers — massive warehouses with blank walls surrounded by parking lots. Yet, with a population of about 700,000, Brampton has 226,500 bus riders on an average weekday. Compare that to Orange County, California, with 3.2 million people and 112,000 daily bus riders. Orange County has a similar suburban built form, and its population density in core areas like Santa Ana is higher than that of Brampton. Comparison with other areas is just as stark: Columbus, Ohio, with about 900,000 residents, has only 34,100 bus riders per day; the Pace bus network, serving 5.7 million residents of suburban Chicago, averages 56,900 riders per day.
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