Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

The number of homeless people in Illinois is rising, but the state’s spending on homeless prevention and other housing programs is headed in the other direction.

Facing a tight budget year with constrained spending and limited natural revenue growth, the $55.1 billion fiscal year 2026 budget that took effect July 1 reduces total funding for housing programs by more than $14 million, including Pritzker’s signature initiative designed to eliminate homelessness in Illinois.

“Last year homelessness increased 116% in the state of Illinois,” Doug Kenshol, co-founder of the Illinois Shelter Alliance, told Capitol News Illinois. “To be in the midst of this crisis and then have the state cut funding was beyond disappointing.”

Tight budget? Ok, sure, but that $5 million for NASCAR’s operating expenses could’ve come in handy. And I’m sure there were other useless re-appropriations just like this one…

A recently enacted Illinois state budget has listed $500,000 for Lincoln College, a local institution that has been closed since the spring semester of 2022. This is part of the $55.3 billion budget that narrowly passed and went into effect on July 1. […]

State Senator Sally Turner, a Republican from Lincoln, explained that the money has been part of the budget since 2018 and continues to roll over due to its inclusion in a previously passed law. “So that money’s still in there. However, it wouldn’t have any place to go to now,” Turner said.

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Big Beautiful Bill roundup: Pritzker says special session may not be needed, warns 330,000 Illinoisans could lose Medicaid; Planned Parenthood of Illinois pledges to continue care despite cuts

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here for reactions to the budget reconciliation bill’s passage. AP…

President Donald Trump’s big bill to cut taxes and reduce federal spending on some social safety net programs could have large implications for states, but for many it’s too late to do much about it this year.

Tuesday marks the start of a new budget year in 46 states. Though some legislatures are still working, most already have adjourned and finalized their spending plans without knowing whether federal funding will be cut and, if so, by how much. […]

Several states have taken preemptive steps, setting aside money in reserves or tasking committees to monitor the impact of federal funding reductions. Others are tentatively planning to return in special sessions this year to account for potential funding cuts to joint federal-state programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Others will have to wait until their legislatures are back in session next year.

The Tribune’s Olivia Olander wrote a nice explainer last month on the $100 million ’safety valve’ Pritzker can use to fill budget holes.

* Center Square…

Asked during a campaign stop in Chicago Wednesday about the bill Congress was advancing, and whether Illinois legislators should come back to Springfield to react, [Governor JB Pritzker] said that may not be necessary.

“Just to be clear, many of the provisions that are in the big terrible bill, are provisions that don’t go into effect until perhaps a year plus from now,” Pritzker told reporters.

One area Pritzker anticipates action is if there are fewer federal tax funds for things like the Affordable Care Act.

“We might need to take the funds that are matching funds because they’re going to take away their federal funds, take our matching funds, and figure out how we’re going to distribute those among the critical access and safety net hospitals that are threatened to close as a result of what they’re doing in Washington, D.C.,” Pritzker said.

* WTTW…

In Illinois, 1.9 million residents receive SNAP benefits, including more than 891,000 people in Cook County. Approximately 3.4 million Illinoisans are covered by Medicaid.

The legislation would slash $287 billion from SNAP and more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act over the next decade.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said the loss in federal funding could cost the state $1.2 billion annually.

“The food pantries are going to feel it,” said Danielle Perry, vice president of policy and advocacy at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “The lines are already long. We’re at the numbers we were during COVID. Can you imagine what will happen when people lose their SNAP benefits?”

* Capitol News Illinois…

The U.S. House gave final passage Thursday to a budget bill that will cut federal Medicaid spending by an estimated $1 trillion over 10 years.

All three Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation voted in favor of the bill, despite a last-minute plea from Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker who warned the bill will result more than 330,000 Illinoisans losing Medicaid coverage and have a devastating effect on some rural hospitals.[…]

Today, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the [Medicaid] covers about 3.4 million people in Illinois, or a fourth of the state’s population. At a total cost of $33.7 billion a year, it is one of the largest single categories of expenditures in the state’s budget. It pays for about 40% of all childbirths in the state, according to KFF, as well as 69% of all nursing home care. […]

Those include imposing a work requirement on adults enrolled in Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” That law expanded eligibility for Medicaid to working-age adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. About 772,000 people in Illinois are enrolled under that program.

The bill also calls for requiring people enrolled through the ACA expansion to verify their continued eligibility for Medicaid twice a year instead of annually. That is expected to filter out enrollees whose incomes rise above the eligibility limit as well as those who simply fail to complete the verification process.

Another provision would limit the ability of states to finance their share of the cost of Medicaid by levying taxes on health care providers. Illinois imposes such taxes on hospitals, nursing facilities and managed care organizations that administer the program. Revenue from those taxes is used to draw down federal matching funds that are then used to fund higher reimbursement rates to health care providers.

The final version of the bill does not, however, include a provision penalizing states like Illinois that also provide state-funded health care to noncitizens who do not have lawful status to be in the United States. That provision, which was included in the earlier House version, was not included in the Senate bill, according to KFF.

* Sun-Times…

The $4.5 trillion in tax cuts that Trump sought would make the current tax rates and brackets permanent, eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, and add a $6,000 deduction for older Americans who make $75,000 or less. It also raises the child tax credit to $2,200.

Workers will be able to deduct $25,000 in tips a year from their income. After that, tips will be federally taxed.

A Congressional Budget Office analysis last month found the wealthiest households would see an average income increase of $12,000 annually, while it will cause low-income Americans to lose $1,600 a year. Middle-income households should see a tax break of between $500 and $1,200.

Consumer watchdogs at the Citizens Utility Board said the measure will mean higher power bills for consumers in Illinois and across the country. […]

The bill ends these tax credits by Dec. 31, 2025. The Joint Economic Committee estimated those tax cuts had helped a typical family save up to $1,080 every year.

* WTTW…

Sarah Garza Resnick, president and CEO of Chicago-based pro-choice advocacy group Personal PAC, said both the judicial decision and Trump’s spending bill will cut access to reproductive care for Medicaid patients, providing them few alternatives. […]

In a statement Thursday, Planned Parenthood of Illinois said it will keep providing all types of sexual health and reproductive services that the organization says patients can’t go without.

“We refuse to stop providing care to our patients even though it’s clear the Republicans in Congress are trying to force us to do so,” Tonya Tucker, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said in a statement. “Over 40% of PPIL patients use Medicaid to cover the cost of their health care and we will not allow people to forgo essential health care!”

* More…

WGLT | LaHood votes yes, Sorensen votes no on Republican spending and tax cut bill:

* NPR Illinois | Miller, Budzinski vote along party lines on Trump’s megabill: Rep. Miller, a Republican from Oakland in east central Illinois, went along with Trump. “The One Big, Beautiful Bill is a once-in-a-generation victory for the American people,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “It delivers on President Trump’s America First agenda with bold, decisive, and immediate action. This is the most pro-worker, pro-family, pro-America legislation I have voted for during my time in Congress, and I was proud to help get it across the finish line for the hardworking Americans across my district.” Miller, in a news release, called it an historic victory for American workers, families, and farmers. It eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, delivers permanent tax relief for small businesses and working families, and expands critical support for American agriculture.

* AP | Rural hospitals brace for financial hits or even closure under Republicans’ $1 trillion Medicaid cut: “Our budget is pretty heavily reliant on the Medicaid reimbursement, so if we do see a cut of that, it’ll be difficult to keep the doors open,” said Sherman, who works at Webster County Community Hospital in the small Nebraska town of Red Cloud just north of the Kansas border. If those facilities close, many locals would see their five-minute trip to Webster County hospital turn into a nearly hour-long ride to the nearest hospital offering the same services.

* Talking Points Memo | Congress Throws More Money at Removing Immigrants than Most Countries Spend on Their Armies: It’s hard to convey just how big the new budget makes the country’s immigration enforcement infrastructure. The Bureau of Prisons? Bigger than that. The FBI? Bigger. The Marine Corps? Bigger even than that, by some estimates. All in all, the bill directs around $170 billion through 2029 to various forms of immigration enforcement, according to an analysis by the American Immigration Council and TPM’s own read of the legislation. ICE, responsible for enforcement, detentions, and removals, will oversee much of the spending.

* KFF Health News | GOP governors stay silent amid plans to slash Medicaid spending in their states: KFF Health News contacted all 19 governors for comment on the legislation’s Medicaid cuts. Only six responded. Most said they backed imposing a work requirement on adult Medicaid enrollees. “Implementing work requirements for able-bodied adults is a good and necessary reform so that Medicaid is being used for temporary assistance and not a permanent entitlement,” said Drew Galang, a spokesperson for Gov. Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia.

* Disability Scoop | Congress Approves Nearly $1 Trillion In Cuts To Medicaid Threatening Disability Services: The Medicaid cuts will take effect at the end of 2026 and roll out over 10 years, according to the American Association of People with Disabilities. “This is a devastating day for disabled Americans,” said Maria Town, the group’s president and CEO. “The catastrophic effects of this bill will reverberate for generations to come.” While the measure does not explicitly include changes to disability services, advocates have been warning for months that there is no way to insulate people with disabilities if the federal government chops its investment in Medicaid.

* Chalkbeat | How Trump’s sweeping tax and domestic policy bill will affect children and schools: “When you take it all together it’s kind of like an assault on children and families policy-wise,” said Megan Curran, the director of policy at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. “We’re going to see that the effects reverberate well beyond what we’re even understanding” right now, she said, “and schools are going to be on the front lines.” The nearly 900-page bill also creates a new voucher-like program that will pay for private school scholarships — a major victory for school choice advocates who have successfully expanded similar programs in several states, but have previously failed to enact a nationwide version. States will be allowed to opt out.

* IPM | Illinois environmental advocates aim to strengthen ties with lawmakers, increase outreach amid federal policy changes: With recent federal rollbacks on environmental protections during the Trump administration, IEC has stated that it has had to rethink its advocacy strategies. Caldwell said a key focus of the organization is to strengthen its relationships with Republican and Democratic government officials. “Something new that we’re bringing in and beefing up is our federal presence in our state-to-federal work,” [Cate Caldwell, the senior policy manager for the Illinois Environmental Council, said.]“You know, [we are] continuing to relationship-build, continuing to advocate for the policies, continuing to listen to the residents and the people and the constituents that are actually being affected.”

* The Hill | Social Security no taxes message on Trump bill raises eyebrows: President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is sending mixed messages about whether most Americans are required to pay federal income taxes on their Social Security benefits. “It’s a mixed bag for seniors, because some seniors will get some tax relief; the cost of that, though, is borne by the entire Social Security system,” Alex Lawson, executive director of left-leaning advocacy organization Social Security Works, told USA Today.

* AP | What’s in the tax and spending bill that Trump has signed into law: It temporarily would add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There’s also a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year, a nod to his pledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits. It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit.

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RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

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Retail creates more jobs in Illinois than any other private sector employer, with one out of every four workers employed by the retail sector. Importantly, retail is an industry in which everyone, regardless of credentials, can find a viable career path.

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‘The Chosen One’ tones himself down

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

Christian Mitchell has had strong detractors ever since Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle elevated the young Black man out of obscurity and backed him for the Illinois House in 2012.

Preckwinkle chose her trusted aide Mitchell over appointed Rep. Kimberly du Buclet (D-Chicago). Preckwinkle’s move upset a lot of people in that part of the world because the du Buclet family’s local influence had been strong for decades and Mitchell was not a born South Sider.

As a result, I somewhat derisively referred to Mitchell as “The Chosen One” in a story I wrote for my subscribers back in the day.

Mitchell’s first House primary race was a proxy battle between Preckwinkle and the Jesse Jackson family, and man was that close race ever heated. He was a brassy, highly educated amateur boxer who didn’t take any guff whatsoever. Mitchell then went on to win two successive Democratic primary races against a Chicago Teachers Union-backed candidate. The enemies list grew as Mitchell fought all opponents tooth and nail.

The complaints really started to fly in 2019 when he was chosen as one of newly elected JB Pritzker’s deputy governors. Statehouse denizens (most of them white men) who were accustomed to deference were shocked at Mitchell’s in-your-face negotiating style and fierce loyalty to his boss. I lost count of the number of white men who reached out with stories about the brash Pritzker lieutenant.

But, hey, Mitchell helped pass a lot of bills. He drove some very powerful folks up a wall during the intense negotiations over the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, but the bill got done.

Now that he’s been chosen as Gov. Pritzker’s running mate, I asked Mitchell last week if he believes he has bridges to build.

“I am proud to have been a tough negotiator in some very, very difficult rooms, trying to get the best deal for Illinois and for working families, for taxpayers. I’m not going to apologize for that,” Mitchell said.

But Mitchell said he’s a “different person” since he left politics in 2023. “Are there times when I spoke when I should have listened? I think the answer is absolutely.”

Mitchell pledged to be far more open in the future. “Anybody who wants to have a conversation, wants to reach out, wants to do well on behalf of the people of Illinois, I’m going to greet them with an open hand. And I’m going to remember to listen more than I speak. And I’m really excited to work with everybody, even people with whom we may have had some past friction.”

Mitchell was a fearless boxer back in the day, and he audaciously used “The Chosen One” moniker I gave him when promoting two charity fights.

Asked if he still boxes, Mitchell said, “I do not. I’ve been off for a few months. I had a wrist injury, but I’m hoping to start back next Friday.”

I jokingly wondered aloud whether his wrist injury was from breaking somebody’s skull. “I did not,” he said. “I don’t spar that often anymore,” Mitchell said, alluding to the fact that he was getting a bit too old to spar. “But I still love to hit the bag and love shadow boxing. It’s how I relax.”

And now he’s “The Chosen One” all over again as the billionaire governor’s running mate and possible successor should Pritzker win the presidency or is appointed to a Cabinet position.

Mitchell has a lot of work to do. But he seems committed to pulling this off.

Asked what his role would be in the upcoming campaign, Mitchell said, “My role is going to be to go everywhere, to talk to everyone, to articulate the issues across the state of Illinois, to meet people in their houses, at their churches, on the stoop in the town square. And ultimately, it’s going to be to articulate the message that the governor is putting forward about continuing the progress we’ve made over the last seven years, protecting that progress, investing in the jobs of the future, and making sure that we have a 21st Century education and health care system that people can afford. That’s gonna be my role.”

If Pritzker does somehow move up, or even if he doesn’t and retires, Mitchell will need the support of powerful people and groups in 2030 who thoroughly despised him when he was a deputy governor.

“The Chosen One” will then have to stand on his own.

However, he’s always been “The Chosen One” for good reason.

* Space limitations precluded me from including this part of the interview…

I told Mitchell that a mutual friend had described him as “insanely smart,” and said he didn’t mind that Mitchell was also, “a person that can be an a**hole when they’re right, as long as they get things done.”

I asked Mitchell if that was a fair assessment.

“I think a fair assessment is that I am a tough negotiator on behalf of the people of Illinois. And I think that when you do that, there are going to be some entrenched interests in Springfield, some lobbyists who are used to getting their way who hear and know, and I think that that can be very difficult for some people to deal with.”

But, Mitchell said, “I have certainly learned, certainly grown. There are certainly times when I may have been more flippant than I should have been, and those have all been lessons for me. And ultimately, I am willing to reach out and repair any bridges with anyone who is very interested in advancing the cause of Illinois. So, I’m always open to that kind of feedback, but I will not apologize for being a tough negotiator.”

Mitchell also talked about how his service in the Illinois Air National Guard had changed him. “People have been overwhelmingly welcoming to me, incredibly supportive. I felt very lucky to be able to help Airmen with not just some of their legal issues, but even life issues, and offer some advice. It’s been a really wonderful experience. The 182nd Airlift Wing is full of wonderful people, and it really is the best of Illinois. They talk about the ‘Peoria Way,’ and that’s about excellence, and it’s about kindness, and it’s about lifting each other up. And I feel really lucky to be a part of it.”

Discuss.

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Open thread

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Black Sabbath played their final concert over the weekend. The Louisville Leopard Percussionists will open our day…

Ozzy met the band later. That video is also worth a watch.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers have mixed results in efforts to rein in AI. Tribune…

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Supreme Court ruling means ‘harder work’ for Illinois and others fighting Trump administration actions: At this point, no one knows the full implications of last week’s decision, said Carolyn Shapiro, former Illinois solicitor general. In the decision, the Supreme Court said lower courts generally can’t issue an injunction to prevent the federal government — or any defendant — “from doing an illegal thing to people who aren’t in front of the court,” Shapiro said.

* WAND | IL EATS program ends, cuts access to local produce and meats: For more than a year, the Illinois Equitable Access Towards Sustainable Systems (IL EATS) connected local farmers with their neighbors in need. Farmers would sell their products to food banks and be reimbursed by the federal government. When the funding ran out earlier this year, the Illinois government stepped in to fill the gap. However, that funding ended July 1, 2025, so now the IL EATS program is done.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | President Donald Trump promises clean water. His proposed budget guts needed protections: Clean water grants to states would be cut to $303.5 million, down from $2.76 billion set aside in President Joe Biden’s last budget. Illinois’ share would dip to $11 million, compared with $105.5 million this year. States loan the money to cities and towns at low interest rates, enabling communities to spread out the cost of critical government services people take for granted, such as replacing leaky street mains, maintaining treatment plants and rehabbing water towers.

* Tribune | Illinois nursing homes ranked among the worst in the nation; residents call for action: And a Tribune search of records kept by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services showed Illinois has some 250 homes with a quality rating of just one star out of five. To be sure, more than six dozen of the roughly 1,200 long-term care facilities in the state have earned all five stars. But advocates like Payne say that at too many nursing homes, profits are prioritized over care. “They all operate on the same business model,” Payne said. “That’s getting as much money out of each facility as possible.”

* IPM News | Students in Illinois will be automatically admitted to colleges under a new law. Eastern Illinois University is already trying the strategy out: Direct admission has been successful at Eastern, according to Tierney. “It’s still early this year, but we’re projecting our third year of enrollment growth within the areas that we are completing direct admission.” Like half of the state’s universities, Eastern experienced overall decline in freshmen enrollment last year. Tierney said direct admission is one way to stabilize that.

* WGLT | Midwest states east of ‘tornado alley’ are bearing the brunt of severe storm season: “We have had quite an active season altogether, when we’re looking at the United States as a whole,” said Jana Houser, an associate professor in the atmospheric sciences program at The Ohio State University. The national tornado count is just above where it was at this time last year, which was a particularly high tornado year overall. Since 2010, 2025 is the second-most active year up to this time, with 1,297 tornadoes reported as of the end of June.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WGLT | State Rep. Dennis Tipsword seeks reelection: “Democrats in Illinois continue to raise taxes, increase the cost of living, empower criminals, and protect their own power — all of which drive our families and businesses out of state,” Tipsword said in a news release. “I’m running for re-election because we need someone who fights back.”, the chief deputy of the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office and a small business owner, was lead sponsor on 10 bills in the last legislative session, many of them law enforcement-related, including one that calls for members of the Illinois General Assembly to participate in an annual law enforcement education program. None was called for a vote.

* WCIS | Sangamon County Sheriff anticipates Pritzker to enact Sonya Massey Bill: As Sonya Massey’s death anniversary is just days away, that bill is still sitting on Governor Pritzker’s desk. As community members wait for Governor Pritzker’s decision, the Sangamon County Sheriff, Paula Crouch, said she is in full support of the bill. Crouch said a lot of the changes Senator Turner is asking for, have already been implemented into their background check processes.

* Quad-City Times | Rock Island state senator explains vote against budget: Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, broke with his party and voted against the state’s fiscal year 2026 budget. In a sit-down interview with the Dispatch-Argus/Quad-City Times, Halpin discussed the 2025 spring session, saying he voted no on the budget due to it failing to address the needs for the Quad-Cities region and higher education. Specifically, he said, for Western Illinois University-Quad Cities. However, he said the budget had many good aspects that he supported.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | CPS struggling to cobble together retroactive teacher raises promised in contract: Chicago Public Schools is so cash-strapped that its new interim CEO and board president are scrambling to find a way to send out back pay owed to teachers and staff that was negotiated in the Chicago Teachers Union contract, which was settled in March. The CTU won 4% raises plus additional salary increases for experience and advanced degrees. Because the old contract expired last June, the raises cover a whole school year and will cost the district more than $100 million. Teachers and staff are expecting CPS to deliver that retroactive pay this summer. “The district has every intention of satisfying the obligation and will continue to work feverishly to do so,” said Chicago Board of Education President Sean Harden. “Any delay should not be taken as we are not going to pay. We have an absolute commitment.”

* Sun-Times | Fatal lifeguard shooting at Douglass Park was ‘years in the making’: Ald. Monique Scott (24th) and her brother, ex-Ald. Michael Scott, both of whom served as Douglass Park supervisors, feared a tragedy like the June 26 shooting death of a teen, allegedly by a lifeguard, would happen because they say the park district has too few lifeguards, too little staff training and inadequate park security.

* Tribune | Supreme Court ruling casts doubt on birthright citizenship for immigrant families in Chicago: The 6-3 high court decision doesn’t directly address whether birthright citizenship, which is spelled out in the 14th Amendment, applies to the children of immigrants. But the ruling has opened the possibility that President Donald Trump can fulfill the executive order he signed on his first day in office of his second term and block U.S.-born children of immigrants from obtaining citizenship in most of the country — although not, for now, Illinois — until courts decide whether Trump’s efforts are constitutional. The ruling has spurred a scramble among immigrants, activists and legal experts who worry that well-established rules for citizenship could suddenly change. While immigration law is notoriously complex and can change rapidly, one bright line has remained constant for more than a century: People born in the United States are considered citizens.

* Sun-Times | Chicago doc was called out of retirement to fight COVID-19, now state pension fund demands he repay $80,000: But the lead UIC researcher who enlisted him lamented that Ghassemi could be paid only a part-time salary so his state pension would remain intact. “I said, ‘Don’t worry. The people are dying right and left. We should not talk about the compensation,’ ” Ghassemi says. Eventually, Ghassemi was bumped to full-time pay but only after getting assurances from UIC and the State Universities Retirement System that his grant-funded work wouldn’t threaten his pension, according to Ghassemi. But now the state pension system has accused Ghassemi of double-dipping — and it’s demanding that he pay back more than $80,000.

* Crain’s | Hospital air conditioning failures put pressure on for-profit owner: With temperatures poised to soar into the 90s this long holiday weekend, Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown remains without air conditioning for inpatient services, while its sister hospital in Oak Park is experiencing its own issues. And the company that bought the struggling Medicaid-dependent hospitals in 2022 has given few updates on when Weiss may return to normal operation or the status of conditions at West Suburban Medical Center.

* WTTW | ‘I Need to Know the Truth’: Krystal Rivera’s Family Calls for Additional Investigation After Officer Fatally Shot by Partner: The family’s attorney, Antonio Romanucci, on Wednesday criticized the Chicago Police Department’s narrative of the incident thus far, saying something “isn’t right” about Rivera’s death. […] Rivera’s family called for a separate investigation into the shooting led by the Illinois State Police and sought to pressure Chicago police officials to publish the not-yet-available body and dash camera footage from the fatal shooting. […] Prosecutors said Rivera’s partner then “accidentally discharged” his firearm, striking and killing Rivera. No other shots were fired during the encounter. Romanucci on Wednesday argued that Baker shouldn’t have even been with the police department at all, as the Chicago Sun-Times and the Illinois Answers Project reported he racked up three suspensions and two reprimands since becoming an officer in 2021.

* Sun-Times | Mayor mum on NASCAR’s future in Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson dodged direct questions along pit row Sunday afternoon about whether the NASCAR Chicago Street Race returns for another lap next year, while Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said Chicago needs a deal that benefits both parties. When asked if he or his administration would be meeting with NASCAR to discuss a future extension, Johnson deflected to talk about the weather, a topic of concern for many race attendees this weekend. “Right now, we’re just going to talk with God and make sure we keep the clouds back. That’s the most important conversation right now,” Johnson said. “When I get done praying, and the weather holds up, then we’ll have a conversation afterward.”

* Tribune | Rains hold off until after NASCAR race but outcome is the same as Shane van Gisbergen wins again: Shane van Gisbergen of New Zealand swept the Chicago Street Race weekend, winning his fourth of six eligible races. “I’m a lucky guy, I got to drive for two great teams in JR Motorsports and Trackhouse,” Van Gisbergen said. “Cool to win here again, I’ve had a great run with this place and I’ve really enjoyed it. “(Chicago) has changed my life. I hope it stays next year,” he said.

* Tribune | As the WNBA expands, Chicago Sky players are looking ahead to new CBA after rejecting the league’s 1st offer: Expansion has been a primary goal of the WNBA for years. But initial responses to the three new teams around the league were mixed. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham drew particular ire after saying she didn’t “know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or (Cleveland)” for games. Sky forward Angel Reese and Williams voiced more enthusiasm for the incoming teams, noting the rich history of women’s basketball in Detroit and Cleveland and the passionate sports fandom of Philadelphia. But their excitement for the league’s growth was tempered by the reality of the ongoing CBA negotiations.

* Block Club | Damen Silos To Be Demolished After City Approves Permits, Ending Preservation Battle: The city’s Department of Buildings on Thursday issued the demolition permits for the Damen Silos, 2900 S. Damen Ave., records show. Demolition is set to begin after the Fourth of July weekend, Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) said on Facebook. The five demolition permits — one for each building on the site — were approved less than a week after city officials outlined a safety and environmental plan for the silos’ removal. That plan was criticized by some Southwest Side neighbors at a community meeting, with neighbors highlighting environmental concerns and calling for the site to be preserved and redeveloped into a public amenity, possibly as a festival grounds.

* WBEZ| Why most Chicagoans once moved on a single Moving Day: “Why everyone would want to move on one day in the calendar year is baffling,” said Paul Durica, the Chicago History Museum’s director of exhibitions. “And almost every [contemporaneous account] acknowledges that. It’s, like, ‘Why have we adopted this system? It’s not at all efficient. It’s overwhelming. It’s chaotic.’ ” Yet, from at least 1840 to the late 1940s, that’s what Chicagoans did, usually on May 1 but also on Oct. 1. The late Chicago historian Perry Duis estimated that, at one point, a third of the population changed residences annually.

* Sun-Times | Bobby Jenks, legendary White Sox closer and 2005 World Series hero, dies at 44: Bobby Jenks, the closer adored by White Sox fans for his everyman attitude and a blazing fastball that helped seal the team’s only World Series title in the last century, has died at 44, the team announced Saturday. Jenks died Friday in Portugal, where he had been undergoing treatment for adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer.

* Jay Mariotti | Bobby Jenks had no money and died - where were the Chicago White Sox: Jenks? I contacted White Sox Charities via e-mail and asked: Did Jerry Reinsdorf visit Jenks in Portugal? Did he offer money? I haven’t heard back and won’t hear back. There is no use in calling team communications staffers, who bleed what Reinsdorf says, true or not. The Athletic — unlike the Tribune, unlike the Sun-Times, unlike traditionalists in a sad media town — was the only Chicago site to cover the Jenks story in detail. The franchise fathers, after initially posting a message on Instagram — “thinking of Bobby as he is being treated” — indicated they were “standing with you, Bobby.” But in April, reporter Sam Blum wrote: “(S)pecifics on his condition, even for the White Sox organization, haven’t been easy to come by.” Not easy to come by? Then Blum wrote the Sox asked concerned humans to buy Jenks shirts via an event, with the Ronald McDonald House in the Chicago area. The team said Jenks would choose a charity for “proceeds.” That happened in April.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Catching up with the congressionals…

First IL9 finance report to come in is Kat Abughazaleh - with some pretty impressive fundraising in Q2

Campaign says about 700 donors are from the district , 3,000 from the state and the rest out of state - 22,000 total donors

Her total fundraising nears $1 as we await others pic.twitter.com/GcNkATyrht

— Matthew Eadie (@mattheweadie22) July 2, 2025

* Press Release | Biss For Congress Announces Quarterly Fundraising Total of More Than $700,000: The Daniel Biss for Congress campaign announced it raised more than $700,000 in the second quarter of 2025, the highest quarterly fundraising total to date for any candidate running in the Illinois 9th Congressional District primary. The campaign ended the quarter with more than $640,000 in cash on hand, putting Biss in a strong financial position as the race unfolds.

* Daily Southtown | More than $1 million spent in Orland Park, Tinley Park mayoral campaigns: When he ran for a full term as Orland Park’s village clerk in 1991, James Dodge figures he spent about $3,000. Flash forward to this past spring’s mayoral election. In the months leading up to the April 1 election, Dodge and his political committees shelled out nearly $190,000, according to state campaign finance reports. He defeated Keith Pekau, who was seeking a third term and running with his own slate of candidates. Pekau, through two election committees, spent almost twice as much as Dodge, campaign filings for the first quarter show.

* Rep. Bob Morgan | What patriotism means to me three years after the Highland Park mass shooting: Last year, I co-founded Legislators for Safer Communities (SAFER), a coalition of state lawmakers from all 50 states who are committed to advancing commonsense gun laws. We come from red states, blue states and everything in between, but we are united by a simple idea: No American should have to fear getting shot while shopping for groceries, going to school, sitting in a house of worship or attending a Fourth of July parade. State by state, we are advancing policies proven to reduce gun violence: universal background checks, safe storage laws, domestic violence firearm restrictions, and, yes, limits on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. We are also pushing for stronger protections for public officials and election workers because a democracy in which people are afraid to serve is not a democracy at all.

* Daily Herald | ‘We’re not seeing much of a letup:’ REAL ID stampede cuts into access to other services: A suburban reader told us it took days to secure an in-person DMV appointment at a convenient location for vision and written tests to renew his license. He finally found one shortly before his license expired by jumping on the SOS website at 6:30 a.m. One important takeaway is to start the scheduling process soon after you receive your renewal notice so there’s no last-minute panic. Asked if the demand for REAL ID has cut into regular driver services, secretary of state spokesman Scott Burnham said, “yes.”

* Daily Herald | ‘It’s just getting out of control’: More towns restricting kids from electric bikes and scooters: After neighboring Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg approved sets of new rules last month, residents in Arlington Heights complained to village leaders this week about children riding up and down darkened streets, paths around Lake Arlington and even the downtown Arlington Alfresco pedestrian area. “It’s just getting out of control,” said Mindy Bowes, who lives a block north of the 50-acre man-made Lake Arlington. “These kids don’t wear helmets. They don’t stop at stop signs. They don’t stop at the lights either. It’s just getting very dangerous.”

* Daily Herald | ‘A rare gem’? This Chain O’ Lakes island is no paradise, but it can be yours for $200,000: While the rectangular piece of land is only about 100 yards from Blarney Island, a legendary hot spot and self-proclaimed “Greatest Boating Bar in the World,” it may as well be light-years away. What structures remain are dilapidated. Its seawall needs repairs. Aside from two fires, there reportedly has been no regular activity on the island in at least 25 years.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | CWLP opens enrollment in ‘Helping Homes’ program for low-income homeowners: The Springfield City Water, Light and Power’s Energy Services Office will open enrollment in its “Helping Homes” program beginning July 15. The program helps low-income homeowners reduce their energy costs by installing new energy-saving retrofits in their homes. The retrofits can include insulation, central air conditioner or heat pump replacement, caulking and weather-stripping, lighting upgrades and other energy-saving measures

* Illinois Times | Chelsey Farley tells her story: Chelsey Farley burst into tears while speaking with a reporter almost 10 months after a motorcycle she was riding on collided with a car driven by a recently retired Springfield police officer. […] She blamed her recent injury on former police sergeant Michael Egan because of the lasting impact the crash has had on her ability to be steady on her feet. “This is still him,” she said, looking down at her leg.

* WCIA | U of I researchers aim to help farmers by improving production, irrigation: Mohamad Alipour, an assistant civil engineering professor at the University of Illinois, joined WCIA’s Amanda Brennan in the studio to talk about a research project which is using drones to help farmers. Alipour said the team is developing ways to monitor soil and crop moisture with drones; the drones use a sensor that allow them to see through the plant and into the soil.

* ESPN | Brian Campbell wins John Deere Classic for 2nd playoff victory: Brian Campbell won for the second time this year on the PGA Tour, both in a playoff, when he closed with a 4-under 67 and beat Emiliano Grillo with a par on the first extra hole Sunday in the John Deere Classic. It extended the win-or-bust season for Campbell, who won the Mexico Open in a playoff in late February. He has finished out of the top 30 every tournament except for his two victories.

* WGLT | B-N tourism group gets state grant for Route 66 renovations at Sprague’s in Normal: The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau [CVB] has received a $150,000 state tourism grant to further restore Sprague’s Super Service in Normal ahead of Route 66’s 100th anniversary next year. It’s among a total of $6.3 million from three grant programs announced this week by Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity [DCEO].

* Illinois Times | Innovate Springfield moving to Horace Mann building: A rental contract, finalized between UIS and Horace Mann in recent days, will allow Innovate Springfield to relocate from rented space it has occupied for the past decade at 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza to more spacious digs at Horace Mann in September. The 2.5-year lease for 9,800 square feet inside the six-floor Horace Mann building also will allow UIS to formally launch the innovation center, of which the Innovate Springfield business incubator will be a part, according to Robert Kerr, UIS executive director of innovation and opportunity.

* WGEM | Over 100 pool players from across the country take a shot at championship titles this week in Quincy: The competition started on Sunday morning. This is the third year the Billiard Congress of America and Greater Midwest Pool Players Association have hosted a tournament at the Oakley-Lindsay Center. Players from across the nation will compete for a place in the world championships in September. Organizers said this year, over 100 juniors are competing this week.

*** National ***

* Bolts | How the GOP Megabill Would Turbocharge Local Immigration Enforcement: The bill would massively scale up immigration detention facilities to the tune of $45 billion over five years, help recruit thousands of new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and devote $47 billion to building a border wall, more than three times what the first Trump administration spent on the wall, plus billions more for conducting operations at the border—all on top of funds that Congress has already appropriated to ICE and other federal agencies. And it would rain money—at least $14 billion—on local law enforcement departments to incentivize them to partner with federal authorities and serve as a force multiplier for ICE.

* Novogradac | Senate Finance Committee Releases FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill that Includes Permanent LIHTC Expansion, Novogradac Estimates 1.22 Million Additional Affordable Rental Homes over 2026-2035: The SFC portion of the reconciliation bill includes two permanent LIHTC provisions effective starting in 2026: A reduction in the 50% financed-by test for housing financed by private activity bonds (PABs) to 25%, and a permanent 12% increase (not 12.5% as in the four-year provision of the House-passed reconciliation bill) in 9% low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) allocations. The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation scored these LIHTC provisions as costing $15.7 billion over 2026-2035, only $1.6 billion more than the four-year House LIHTC provisions.

* Brennan Center | Online Ad Spending in 2024 Election Totaled at Least $1.9 Billion: There were partisan differences, too: While both sides of the aisle spent on efforts to persuade voters, spending in favor of Democrats was more likely to have fundraising as a goal, and spending in favor of Republicans was more likely to include get-out-the-vote efforts. Additionally, pro-Democratic spenders put a somewhat greater portion of ad money toward contrasting their party’s candidates with their opponents compared with pro-Republican spenders, who spent more on simply promoting their own candidates.

* WIRED | Meteorologists Say the National Weather Service Did Its Job in Texas: Some local and state officials have said that insufficient forecasts from the National Weather Service caught the region off guard. That claim has been amplified by pundits across social media, who say that cuts to the NWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its parent organization, inevitably led to the failure in Texas. But meteorologists who spoke to WIRED say that the NWS accurately predicted the risk of flooding in Texas and could not have foreseen the extreme severity of the storm. What’s more, they say that what the NWS did forecast this week underscores the need to sustain funding to the crucial agency.

* AP | Texas officials face scrutiny over response to catastrophic and deadly flooding: The National Weather Service sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger. Local officials have insisted that no one saw the flood potential coming and have defended their actions. “There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes Kerr County. “There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that.”

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, Jul 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x3 - Comments open)

Thursday, Jul 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Lots of stuff here, but I’ve tried to mostly focus on press releases with actual budget numbers/projections. From the Illinois Health and Hospital Association…

IHA Statement on Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1)

SPRINGFIELD – The following statement can be attributed to A.J. Wilhelmi, President and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), in response to the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1).

“The severe Medicaid cuts contained in this legislation will force hospitals to make painful decisions—including eliminating services and jobs in their communities. And make no mistake, some hospitals will be forced to close their doors.

“Communities that already face barriers to care will be hit the hardest. This legislation doesn’t just threaten hospitals—it threatens the health, stability, and future of the communities they serve. The most regrettable outcome of this legislation is the loss of healthcare for hundreds of thousands of our state’s residents. While the vast majority of the proposed Medicaid cuts will fall on hospitals, they will continue to provide care for the uninsured, consistent with their moral and legal obligations. But this will come at the cost of service and staff reductions, and higher healthcare costs for all.

“Important work lays ahead for our state and its employers to ensure working people can keep their healthcare. And while most assume that hospitals will always be there to care for their communities, the financial challenges that will unfold as this plan moves forward will require important conversations between hospital leaders and policymakers.”

* Excerpt from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s statement…

Nationally, experts estimate that as many as 12 million people could lose their Medicaid coverage if this bill becomes law. Here in Cook County, we estimate our health system stands to lose at least $88 million each year in Medicaid reimbursement as patients lose insurance, threatening critical services and stability for those who rely on them most.

* From Gov. JB Pritzker earlier today…

As the House moves towards a final vote on the Republican budget reconciliation bill, Governor Pritzker sent the attached letter to Reps. Bost, LaHood, and Miller urging them to go against the bill and protect the healthcare and rural hospitals of the people they represent.

The letter details for the Representatives key impacts in their districts –

• The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) estimates that more than 330,000 Illinoisians would lose Medicaid coverage.

o Illinois’s 12th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Mike Bost, will see more than 22,000 Illinoisans lose Medicaid coverage.
o Illinois 15th Congressional District, represented by Congresswoman Mary Miller, will see more than 19,000 Illinoisans lose Medicaid coverage.
o Illinois 16th Congressional District, represented by Congressman Darin LaHood, will see more than 15,000 Illinoisans lose Medicaid coverage.

• The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is also warning that the Medicaid cuts could force the closure or severe service reductions at nine rural hospitals.

o This would affect over 500 inpatient beds and jeopardizing care for 54,000 rural Illinoisans.
o These hospitals directly employ over 2,500 FTEs, contributing hundreds of millions annually to local economies.
o These hospitals serve over 9,400 patients and generate $557 million in net patient revenue annually.

* Excerpt from Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ statement…

Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) pledges to continue providing ALL sexual and reproductive services despite the bill “defunding” Planned Parenthood, which slashes Medicaid funding. Almost 30,000 PPIL patients use Medicaid to access essential health care services at our health centers.

“We refuse to stop providing care to our patients even though it’s clear the Republicans in Congress are trying to force us to do so,” said Tonya Tucker, Interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. “Over 40% of PPIL patients use Medicaid to cover the cost of their health care and we will not allow people to forgo essential health care!

“Fortunately, Illinois remains a haven state. We are grateful our state government and supporters understand that health care is a human right. We’ve been working with them on contingency plans, so our Medicaid patients are supported. Our doors remain open, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure our patients continue to receive the care they need and deserve for as long as we can.”

The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Trump on July 4. In the immediate future, PPIL will continue to provide care to Medicaid recipients and is accepting private insurances and self-pay options.

* US Rep. Mary Miller…

Today, Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 1, the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act:

“The One Big, Beautiful Bill is a once-in-a-generation victory for the American people,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “It delivers on President Trump’s America First agenda with bold, decisive, and immediate action. This is the most pro-worker, pro-family, pro-America legislation I have voted for during my time in Congress, and I was proud to help get it across the finish line for the hardworking Americans across my district.”

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act is a historic victory for American workers, families, and farmers. It eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, delivers permanent tax relief for small businesses and working families, and expands critical support for American agriculture.

This bill fulfills President Trump’s America First agenda by securing the border, funding mass deportations, and ending radical “Green” New Scam tax subsidies. It unleashes American energy, strengthens our military, and protects federal benefits like SNAP and Medicaid, ensuring these vital programs serve American citizens, not illegal aliens. Every single Democrat in the House of Representatives voted against this bill.

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Congresswoman Miller successfully fought to include her provision in the bill to strip illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits. This common-sense reform passed the House and is headed to the President’s desk to become law. Click here to read more.

Additionally, Congresswoman Miller led the charge to defend life, securing a major pro-life victory by defunding Planned Parenthood and cutting off federal funding to the abusive, profit-driven abortion giant. Click here to read more.

* US Rep. Darin LaHood…

Today, Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) voted to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to deliver much-needed economic relief, secure our southern border, and bolster the United States’ national security.

“Today, House Republicans voted to give rocket-fuel to the United States’ economy, provide predictability and certainty for small businesses, and deliver historic tax relief for the American people,” said Rep. LaHood. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a generational piece of legislation that creates more opportunities to live the American Dream. The Republican bill eliminates taxes on tips, overtime, and auto loans for hardworking Americans. This legislation invests in the future of Illinois agriculture and protects high-paying manufacturing jobs in Illinois’ 16th Congressional District while boosting local economies across central and northwest Illinois. This is a win for the 16th District and the American People. I look forward to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act being sent to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law on our nation’s Independence Day.”

Impact on Illinois’ 16th Congressional District:

• Prevents a 22% tax increase set to begin next year;
• Prevents the Child Tax Credit for 69,000 families from being cut in half;
• Supports 11,000 family-owned farms from the Death tax;
• Delivers up to a $13,500 increase in year take-home pay for a typical family of four; and
• Preserves 10,000 manufacturing jobs while generating $1.6 billion in economic growth.

Rep. LaHood’s Priorities Included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

Expanding and improving the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

• This bill would renew the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, expand the reimbursement rate, increase the number of projects that can be built using private activity bonds, and accelerate the construction of much-needed low-income housing development in rural communities. These provisions were originally included as part of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, which Rep. LaHood introduced with over 100 bipartisan cosponsors in April 2025.
• Since he was elected to Congress, Rep. LaHood has been a strong advocate for addressing the shortage of affordable housing for the growing workforce throughout Illinois’ 16th Congressional District and across the country. Read the press release on his bill HERE.
Supporting farmers and the biofuels industry
• Rural communities across the Midwest have seen the benefits of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit through new job opportunities and increased markets. The bill extends this key tax credit through 2029, supporting broader industry growth and directly supporting farmers and the biofuels economy in Illinois’ 16th District.

Improving access to health savings

• Rep. LaHood has been a strong advocate for creating health savings plans. Included in the legislation is language that would give American families increased choices to save and afford healthcare costs through a health savings account. This would make these accounts more accessible for patients and families.

Tax fairness and relief for employees in the beauty and salon industry

• Rep. LaHood has long championed creating parity and extending the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) tip tax to salon and beauty service establishments and their employees. In April 2025, Rep. LaHood introduced the Small Business Tax Fairness and Compliance Simplification Act to level the playing field for beauty salons whose employees rely on tips for a large portion of their income, similar to the law already applied to the restaurant industry.
• The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes this legislation and will provide immediate tax relief to these small businesses and their employees. Read his press release HERE.

Key Pieces of Tax Legislation:
• Makes President Trump’s historic tax cuts permanent;
• Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, or car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for seniors;
• Boosts the doubled Child Tax Credit for more than 40 million families;
• Supports working families by expanding access to childcare and making permanent the paid leave tax credit;
• Expands and makes permanent the 199A small business deduction to 23%, creating over one million new Main Street small businesses and generating $750 billion in economic growth;
• Makes permanent and increases the doubled Death Tax Exemption for family-owned farms;
• Generates $284 billion in new economic growth from American manufacturers; and
• Secures six million jobs for American workers.

Other Key Pieces of Legislation:

• Keeps the southern border secure

o Makes the largest investment in border security in American history;
o Provides resources to finish the border wall; and
o Gives our border patrol agents and immigration enforcement agencies the resources they need to detain and deport illegal aliens.

• Promotes government efficiency and efficacy

o Reduces the size and scope of government;
o Roots out waste, fraud, and abuse;
o Brings bloated and inefficient programs back to their original intent; and
o Puts the United States on a sound fiscal trajectory.

• Bolsters our national security

o Provides the military with the resources it needs to counter our foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

* Latino Policy Forum excerpt…

The budget bill passed will have dramatic impacts on people who are low income, and many Latino and immigrant families, either through deep cuts to critical social programs that families rely on or via more aggressive immigration enforcement:

• Nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act nationally over the next ten years.

o An estimated 680,000 Latino residents in Illinois could lose healthcare coverage.
o Most Latino children in Illinois are on Medicaid.
o Latino children with foreign-born parents are more than twice as likely to live without health insurance.

• Nearly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP nationally over the next ten years.

o The bill will make it harder for nearly 2 million low-income families to qualify for food aid through SNAP. Millions will lose benefits due to burdensome work requirements, and food banks will struggle to provide groceries for families with limited means.

• The bill excludes many currently eligible and lawfully present immigrants, including those with humanitarian protections (like refugees and asylees) from eligibility for medical and nutrition supports.
• An estimated 196,000 children in Illinois will become ineligible for the federal Child Tax Credit if they don’t have a parent who has a Social Security Number (even if they pay taxes using an individual tax identification number).
• Consolidation of 18 federal education grant programs and a 69 percent reduced budget across all programs.

o This will impact funding for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a federal program to support students experiencing homelessness.

• $45 billion for immigration detention through Fiscal Year 2029, a 265 percent annual budget increase to ICE’s current detention budget.
• Increased ICE budget to $30 billion, 3 times its current annual budget

Adding to the fallout, OMB withheld $6.9 billion in education funds that were expected to be distributed on July 1. Cuts include:

• $1.33 billion for after school and summer learning funding, this amounts to a loss of $55.6 million across the state that will force programs to close.

o Illinois also stands to lose an additional $56.6 M for academic enrichment programs and student supports.

• $376 million for migrant education; approximately $1.9 million loss for students in Illinois who are children of migrant workers.
• $2.19 billion for teacher effectiveness and professional development; $75.6 million loss for monies intended for efforts to ensure teacher quality and make progress towards alleviating the serious teacher shortage in Illinois
• $890 million for English Acquisition programming (Title III); $30 million loss for local school districts across the state providing services for English Learners. Overall, 332,000 English Learners will be impacted in 745 out of Illinois’ 851 school districts

* Citizens Utility Board…

CUB STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF BUDGET BILL

The budget reconciliation bill that passed today represents higher power bills for consumers in Illinois and across the country. Tax credits that help everyday people use solar power or energy efficiency to cut costs at home are wildly popular and highly successful. These incentives are cost-effective ways to cut utility bills, reduce energy prices for everyone, make the grid more reliable, create jobs and spark the economy.

This federal legislation ramps up the importance of Illinois continuing to pass strong, pro-consumer energy legislation, such as the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, to build off what we have achieved and better protect consumers from high utility bills.

These times call for strong consumer advocacy, and CUB is dedicated to working for consumer interests at the local, state, regional and federal levels as we fight for lower utility bills across Illinois.

Background:
• The House of Representatives passed the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, July 3, by a vote of 218-214. The bill passed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The vote was 50-50, with the Vice President breaking the tie. The federal legislation now heads to the President for signing.
• Among other things, the bill ends these tax credits by Dec. 31, 2025:

o The “residential clean energy credit” helps consumers recoup up to 30 percent of the costs of energy-saving projects, like installing rooftop solar panels.
o The “energy efficient home improvement credit” helps people recoup up to 30 percent of the cost (up to $1,200/a year) for energy-saving projects, like a professional home energy audit; installing insulation; door, window and electric panel upgrades; and installing a high-efficiency air-conditioning unit. (There’s an additional credit of up to $2,000 available for buying an electric heat pump or heat pump water heater.)

• Multiple studies have shown that rolling back clean energy tax credits could increase the average family’s energy bill by hundreds of dollars within a decade. In Illinois, the League of Conservation Voters has estimated that the legislation could lead to a $168 a year increase in residential energy bills, and a 21 percent increase in commercial and industrial energy bills.

…Adding… Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…

Today, U.S. Congressional Republicans passed the most extreme, expensive, and anti-environment budget reconciliation bill in history, wiping out good-paying clean energy jobs and raising energy costs for families by gutting the historic progress made in the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act. The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition released the following statement:

“For months, we’ve joined advocates and legislative leaders across the country in sounding the alarm that President Trump was gearing up to use his majorities in Congress to decimate the historic climate progress we’ve made at the federal level, cutting funding for climate programs, gutting clean energy manufacturing, killing good jobs, and driving up energy bills. Today, that threat is a reality.

“Although Illinois missed a chance to Trump-proof our state’s climate progress and consumers’ utility bills by passing the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act this spring, the legislature still has a critical opportunity to take action this fall and send a clear message that Illinois’ clean energy economy is open for business. Illinois ratepayers are facing soaring energy bills due to regional grid operators’ poor planning, which has delayed the connection of cheaper clean energy to meet growing demand. Grid challenges will only escalate as Illinois rushes to build energy-intensive data centers at the behest of Big Tech. Now, as President Trump’s Big Terrible Bill rolls back critical climate protections and clean energy tax incentives, Illinois consumers, our power grid, and our climate will pay the price. By passing the CRGA Act this fall, lawmakers in the General Assembly can provide the bold response Illinois needs right now to protect families from soaring utility bills, preserve and grow our clean energy workforce, and maintain our national leadership on climate action.”

In Illinois, the budget reconciliation bill will:

• Increase residential energy bills by $168 annually and increase commercial and industrial energy bills 21% due to the repeal of clean energy tax credits.
• Result in the loss of between 30,000 and 56,000 jobs by 2030.
• Increase air pollution by 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030 and 6 million metric tons by 2035.
• Result in the loss of over $16.8 billion worth of investments from public and private sources, putting 105 facilities at risk of closure across the state.

…Adding… Speaker Welch…

House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch released the following statement Thursday:

“The true cost of Donald Trump’s big betrayal bill—whether in terms of dollars taken from working families, in jobs lost and opportunities denied, and in human lives—will take years to fully realize. What we do know is that on our most American of holidays, Trump and his Republican allies will tell millions of our neighbors that they have no right to healthcare, that their next meals are less important than tax breaks for billionaires, and that everything will become even more expensive. While no state can backfill the devastating cuts being forced on our communities, in Illinois we will continue to work toward decisions that are responsible and compassionate—because it’s clear the decisions made in Washington are neither.”

…Adding… Sun-Times…

The nine rural hospitals at risk of closure, according to the University of North Carolina’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, are OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville, Hoopeston Community Memorial Hospital, Crawford Memorial Hospital in Robinson, Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, Harrisburg Medical Center, Franklin Hospital in Benton, Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis, Hardin County General Hospital in Rosiclare and Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon.