Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Turn it up…

Writ in fire across the heaven, plain as black and white
Get prepared, there’s gonna be a party tonight

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Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

The Supreme Court issued its decision on President Donald Trump’s executive order trying to ban birthright citizenship, and some Illinois officials are criticizing that ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines the judiciary does not have the power to issue injunctions that affect everyone in the nation. […]

Ed Yohnka, the communications director of ACLU-IL, said the decision’s impact will create inefficiencies in federal courts.

“The court is suggesting that when people are challenging these unconstitutional orders by a president like the current president, that we have to do so in multiple jurisdictions across the country and consume lots of resources and lots of energy,” Yohnka said.

* WGLT…

The electric automaker Rivian says it’s cutting over 100 manufacturing jobs to “improve operational efficiency” as it prepares to launch production of a new vehicle in Normal.

Rivian did not say exactly how many workers were laid off or what their duties were. They were salaried, not hourly, positions. The company said only that it represents about 1% of the total number of employees, which was 14,861 people as of Dec. 31. 1% of that would be around 148 workers.

“We have made the difficult decision to reduce a small number of our salaried manufacturing employees as part of an ongoing effort to improve operational efficiency for R2,” a Rivian spokesperson told WGLT. […]

Rivian has around 8,000 employees in Normal, where it makes electric trucks, vans and SUVs in a large manufacturing plant on the community’s west side. It’s McLean County’s second-largest employer, behind only State Farm.

* Politico…

— In IL-08: Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has been endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund in his bid for Congress in the 8th District. The national organization works to elect LGBTQ+ people to public office.

— In IL-02: Adal Regis has been endorsed by David Axelrod, the political consultant and former adviser to President Barack Obama, according to a statement from Regis, who’s a policy expert.

— Ted Mason has been endorsed by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in his campaign for Cook County Commissioner in the 15th District. “Ted Mason is a hardworking, committed, and experienced public servant. From the time he was a staffer in my office through his tenure with Cook County, his dedication to serving the community has only strengthened,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.

*** Statewide ***

* Press Release | IDFPR Launches Another 18 License Types on New Licensing System: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced today that 18 more professions are now available for licensure via the Department’s new online licensing system, CORE (Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment). Today’s announcement marks the successful completion of CORE’s Phase 2.2, with all of Phase 2 set for completion in the coming weeks. The Department will announce when each part of Phase 2 is completed, including which professions are added to CORE.

* Illinois Leaks | 62 Counties, Clerks, and Treasures Named In Lawsuit Filed In Federal Court – Alleged Property Tax Sale Violations: We noted in a prior Shelby County article that Shelby County is one of 62 counties now being sued in federal court, thanks to the State of Illinois’ failing to address the illegal property tax sale laws in the state. Illinois is the only state in the United States that failed to correct the law after the Supreme Court’s ruling on property tax sales and seizures of property 2 years ago. It is our understanding from multiple county officials that the Attorney General is not going to assist individual counties in this lawsuit, so each is on their own. In some cases, this is going to put a real pinch on funds as not all State’s Attorneys are able to practice law in the Federal courts without certain prior authorizations. Hiring outside counsel to handle federal cases can get really expensive. While most county insurance covers these types of suits, there comes a point where insurance companies are going to raise rates or drop clients.

* WCIA | 46 deaths involving trains recorded in Illinois so far this year: The most recent two took place in Normal and Casey this past Tuesday. According to Operation Lifesaver, they’ve calculated 59 total deaths in the state involving trains last year. This year, there have already been 46. Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said it’s not uncommon, but the problem needs to be addressed. He said most of the time, these deaths and incidents occur because people are in a rush, and one organization whose mission is to spread rail safety awareness agrees that’s part of the issue.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Illinois bill requiring paid break time for nursing mothers awaits Pritzker’s signature: Illinois employers are currently required to provide reasonable time to nursing mothers during the work day, but that time is not required to be paid. This plan clarifies that employee time pumping breastmilk has to be paid and that employees should not be required to use paid leave during breaks. “Some people want us to dictate a number of minutes or something,” said Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville). “But when you have a very young baby, you nurse them more frequently during the day. You may need more time. It lessens possibly as the year goes by. So, the idea of getting to a definition of the specific number of minutes is probably impossible.”

* WAND | Safe gun storage bill arrives on governor’s desk despite Republican concerns: This legislation could require all guns to be put in a locked container if there are minors, at-risk people, or anyone ineligible to hold a FOID card nearby. Gun owners would be fined up to $1,000 if a minor or prohibited person gains access to a gun that is not safely stored. The fine could increase to $10,000 if the person kills someone with that firearm.

* Capitol News Illinois | National speculation helps ‘get more for the people of Illinois,’ Pritzker says: Pritzker was asked whether he would have run had Trump not been elected last year. “I think I would, but I have to say that in this moment, it feels like walking away is the wrong thing to do given who is in the White House and given how this administration is attacking people all across this country,” Pritzker said.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Molotov cocktails allegedly sparked fire in Austin that killed child, newspaper editor, alderperson says: West Side Ald. Emma Mitts (37th), whose ward includes the fire scene, flatly declared the fire an “arson.” Mitts told the Sun-Times it was triggered by “domestic violence” between a “young man and his girlfriend or ex-girlfriend.” “They had been arguing earlier and, the next thing you know, he was there at the building throwing a Molotov cocktail in the front, then one at the back door,” Mitts said.

* Crain’s | Nerds meet suits at Chicago quantum conference: Chicago is hosting a two-day coming-out party for quantum computing next month, featuring a high-profile roster of executives from industry and the Chicago corporate community. Those taking the stage include leaders from quantum companies that already have a presence in Chicago, such as PsiQuantum and IBM, as well as global technology heavyweights Google, Nvidia, Applied Materials and SK Group.

* Crain’s | Stockyards Cold brings modern refrigeration, and a dose of artistry, to Chicago’s former meatpacking district: The insulated warehouse will feature a 12-panel mural by Bolivian-born artist David Banegas on the building’s Ashland Avenue-facing wall depicting Chicago’s most iconic landmarks. The 100,000-square-foot cold storage space will be completed by late August, and if you walk past the site on 3815 S. Ashland Ave., you might catch Banegas painting the mural. The facility is designed to store food and other perishables in temperatures from -10 degree to 55 degrees and will be built on speculation, or spec, meaning it does not have a tenant or user lined up. Developer Karis Cold is actively marketing the building.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Sports Network removes episode of Bulls podcast — and won’t say why: An episode of “By The Horns” appeared in subscribers’ podcast libraries before it disappeared. CHSN confirmed pulling the show, which covered executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas’ contract extension. Both the network and team told the Sun-Times the Bulls had nothing to do with the episode’s removal. The Bulls did inquire with the network about the show’s format, such as whether it was going to be driven by opinion. The team was seeking information about the show, not questioning the show’s content. The Bulls monitor how they’re covered, and they were surprised to learn the episode had been removed because it wasn’t controversial.

* Block Club | Get Inked For A Good Cause At Chicago’s First-Ever ‘Tattoo Lady Fest’: Campione has now been inking Chicagoans and visitors for 11 years — seven of which have been as the shop owner of Good Omen Tattoo, 2009 W. Belmont Ave. To celebrate her many milestones in the business — and to uplift other talented women who tattoo — she’s hosting a first-of-its-kind convention called Tattoo Lady Fest this September. “Tattoo Lady Fest emerged from years of making connections with other women in tattooing,” Campione told Block Club. “I found power in the shared experience of navigating a male-dominated field.”

* Block Club | Black Yacht Weekend Attendees Call For Stricter Safety Measures After Chaotic And Dangerous Event: Last Saturday’s high winds and waves led a few companies to cancel their charters or remain docked. Some customers vented their frustration on social media while others, including high-profile influencers, expressed outrage over what they described as a lack of safety and organization. Hundreds of visitors were in town for Black Yacht Weekend, which followed the Juneteenth holiday. Now in its fifth year, the annual event draws young Black professionals and creatives from all over the country for a weekend of “unparalleled luxury” with ticketed events on land and water, from VIP yacht parties to rooftop extravaganzas. Those who don’t own boats typically rent one from private owners or charter companies, with groups paying in advance.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Evanston Now | Friendly face-off builds in state senate race: Rachel Ruttenberg and Patrick Hanley worked side-by-side as political organizers in their respective communities long before they were opponents, but next March will face off against each other to fill State Sen. Laura Fine’s seat in Springfield, as Fine looks to secure the Democratic nomination for a seat in the U.S. House. Both candidates recently sat down with Evanston Now to talk about their campaigns, policy positions and visions for their party, and while neither had anything bad to say about the other, they both do see daylight between them as they craft their pitch to voters.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Water rates to increase in Aurora starting in July: Aurora residents will likely see a slightly higher number on their water bill starting in July, after the City Council voted on Tuesday night to raise water rates by 6% for each of the next two years to account for operating and capital needs for the Aurora water and sewer system. For a household paying an average bi-monthly bill of $100.25, the rate increase would amount to about $6.60 more per bill in each of the next two years, according to the item voted on Tuesday. For seniors who qualify for the senior exemption, that increase would be an average of $1.64 per bill in each of the next two years, assuming, based on the city’s figures, that qualifying seniors use on average half the water that the average household uses.

* Naperville Sun | DuPage officials hoping user will emerge to renovate Oak Cottage in Naperville’s Greene Valley Forest Preserve: It was listed as one of the most endangered historic places in Illinois by preservationist organization Landmarks Illinois in 2023. That same year, the DuPage forest preserve district approved the Greene Valley Master Plan, which called for a study to document the house’s history and condition and create a timeline for partnering with a third party to propose a use and long-term maintenance strategy for the structure.

* Daily Herald | Aiming for success: Schaumburg teen becomes national champion in women’s shooting contest: Saanvi is no stranger to the shooting community. She began competing when she was 12, quickly making a name for herself as she claimed the Illinois state championships for 2022, 2023 and 2024. Saavni competes with Arlington International Airgun Club of Arlington Heights, where she is coached by Don Webber.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘Heartbreaking’: U of I Extension weighs in on potential SNAP cuts under ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: If the bill passes, U of I Extension said it would effectively mean the end for their SNAP-educational programs. For 30 years, these programs have been helping low-income communities in Illinois across 102 counties make better and healthier food choices. McCaffrey said the millions of dollars per year that come to Illinois would be going to zero, and that zero would mean no more SNAP education programs out of the University of Illinois Extension Office. These programs work with 1,800 community partners statewide, equipping more than a million people with food-related skills like stretching food money, reading nutrition labels and making healthy meals.

* IPM | How northern Illinois teachers are bringing indigenous stories into their classrooms for the first time: Donahoe is the history center’s executive director. That 180-year-old map shows the DeKalb County land stolen from Chief Shab-eh-nay which was returned to the Prairie Band Potawatomi just last year. This past school year, for the first time, Illinois schools were required to teach a unit on the experience and history of Native people in the state. So, when the news coincided with the launch of the state’s new indigenous curriculum requirements, Donahoe knew they had an opportunity to help teachers bring local history to their classroom. So, last summer, they hosted a multi-day training with teachers from every district in the county to show them how to teach with primary sources like the 1843 map. She says they also have old biographies about Shab-eh-nay and court records where the chief sues settlers for stealing his timber.

* WGLT | City of Bloomington will work to assuage massage therapist concerns over new ordinance: Bloomington’s city manager says the newly-passed massage business ordinance will do more than help shut down illicit businesses. “We’re also going to be helping the people within that establishment and there are groups out there that are willing to do that and want to do that, and so that’s going to be a great thing for the community,” Jeff Jurgens said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. Jurgens said it is heartwarming to see the community focus on helping people who are being exploited.

* WCIA | Decatur man who brought gun to daughter’s school, made threats gets 2 years probation: Evans was charged with intimidation by threatening physical harm, disorderly conduct and unlawful use of a weapon — all felony counts — as well as a misdemeanor charge of violating the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. In May, Evans reached a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon as well as the misdemeanor charge.

* WCIA | $180M Champaign Co. rape liability lawsuit settled out of court: That minor was 13 years old when she was sexually assaulted at the Champaign facility of The Pavilion Behavioral Health System in 2020. The victim’s mother, represented by St. Louis-based Simon Law, sued the following year and originally won $535 million in damages. The award was later reduced to $180 million on appeal and was settled out of court. Judge Bohm said in a prior court ruling that that the evidence was overwhelmingly against The Pavilion that their staff’s negligence allowed for the victim to be raped by another teenage patient.

* BND | Popular East St. Louis coach still doesn’t know if he’s been fired or not: “I just have no clue what’s going on,” Barry Malloyd said after leaving Wednesday’s East St. Louis School District 189 board meeting. He said he was told that the board would have a decision Wednesday if he would be fired from his job as the juvenile transition coordinator and athletic director at Mason Clark Middle School. As of Friday morning, nearly two days since that meeting adjourned — which was the second in as many days that involved discussion of his employment — Malloyd said he still hasn’t heard what the school board members decided.

* WSIL | Firework vendor shares concerns following Marion’s new ordinance on firework use: But new this year for Marion, consumer fireworks are no longer allowed. Now local firework vendors are worried about how that impacts their bottom line. Sky Thunder Fireworks says in order to follow the new ordinance, they had to set up shop outside of city limits. Kelly Whitecotton is a sales clerk for the store. “So we’re out in the countryside,” Whitecotton said.

*** National ***

* New Yorker | Did Lead Poisoning Create a Generation of Serial Killers?: Fraser thinks the master key is to be found in the fact that these serial killers disproportionately originated in the counties and milieu of her childhood. The area south and southwest of Seattle was home to massive ore-processing facilities, and she, her classmates, and her subjects were reared in their murky, particulate shadows. “Spare some string for the smelters and smoke plumes,” she writes of her crazy wall, “those insidious killers, shades of Hades.” The smelters caused a profusion of heavy metals in the region’s air and water, and toxins such as lead and arsenic were found in staggering concentrations in the blood of Tacoma’s postwar children. Some were merely dulled, or delinquent; a few became tabloid monsters. Bundy was the most famous figure in “a long line of outlandishly wanton necrophiliac killers who’ve lived, at one time or another, within the Tacoma smelter plume.” Fraser waxes in a self-consciously Lynchian register, with stygian and hallucinatory descriptions of the Pacific Northwest. In Tacoma, she writes, it was “as if someone had scratched through to the underworld and released a savage wave of sulfur.”

* San Francisco Chronicle | Disposable vapes may be more toxic than cigarettes, study finds: Using a lab device to simulate 500 to1,500 puffs per product, the UC Davis researchers found that metal concentrations increased with use. Leaded bronze components and degrading heating coils were identified as major sources of contamination. “When I first saw the lead concentrations, they were so high I thought our instrument was broken,” lead author Mark Salazar said in a statement.

* AP | Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s made promises about vaccines. Here’s what he’s done as health secretary: “I’m not going to substitute my judgment for science,” he said. Yet the Department of Health and Human Services under Kennedy has taken unprecedented steps to change how vaccines are evaluated, approved and recommended — sometimes in ways that run counter to established scientific consensus.

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Question of the day

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* It’s been kind of a grim day for some folks, so let’s try to lighten it up. From the Senate Democratic fundraiser last night at Navy Pier…

* The Question: Your own state political cocktail suggestions?

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Today’s must-read

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Peter Nickeas, Casey Toner and Tom Schuba at the Chicago Sun-Times…

A young Chicago cop had racked up more than a dozen misconduct complaints by the time authorities say he inadvertently shot and killed his partner, Krystal Rivera, when they confronted two armed men inside an apartment filled with guns and drugs.

Since joining the Chicago Police Department in December 2021, Officer Carlos A. Baker has faced three suspensions and two reprimands, records show, one stemming from a complaint that he failed to arrest a home invader on his first shift working the street.

It was among five complaints he accrued as a probationary officer, when the department could have summarily fired him because he had few union protections.

During his probationary period, Baker also was accused of flashing a gun at a woman he’d met online while she was on a date with another man at a North Side bar. The woman later refused to cooperate with investigators, and Baker faced no discipline, records show.

Baker’s record of complaints is unusual among Chicago police officers. Only 5% of Chicago police had six or more misconduct complaints from 2018 through 2023, according to data collected by the Invisible Institute. […]

In April, the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the team oversaw a botched police gun buyback at St. Sabina Church in December 2023. One weapon that had been turned in, a .45-caliber Glock 21 handgun, was later stolen from a room filled with cops at the tactical team office while the guns were being inventoried. The Glock was then used in a series of shootings. Police found it a year later on a 16-year-old boy. […]

Records released by the police show Rivera had been a key witness to the theft of the Glock. The records make clear that she did not do anything wrong and was “not accused of any misconduct.” They show Rivera diligently searched for the gun in her colleagues’ book bags after she learned it was missing.

The police department reopened the internal investigation of the gun’s theft after the Sun-Times and the Illinois Answers Project asked about the incident.

Go read the rest.

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Last year’s Administrative Procedure Act opinion appears to remain intact after today’s Supreme Court ruling (Updated x2)

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Click here for the ruling. Some background…

In a highly anticipated ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court put a partial end to the use of nationwide injunctions from federal courts limiting the decisions of the executive branch.

The 6-3 ruling, written by Coney Barrett, stemmed from Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship, which dictates that everyone born in the U.S. is a citizen, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

But the decision could have much broader implications, as Trump has long claimed that the courts are overstepping their authority by handing down “nationwide” orders that have temporarily blocked some of his policies.

In her opinion, Coney Barrett wrote: “Some say that the universal injunction ‘give[s] the Judiciary a powerful tool to check the Executive Branch.’ … But federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them. When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.”

* From the ruling…

The plaintiffs allege that the Executive Order violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, §1, and §201 of the Nationality Act of 1940. In each case, the District Court entered a “universal injunction”—an injunction barring executive officials from applying the Executive Order to anyone, not just the plaintiffs. And in each case, the Court of Appeals denied the Government’s request to stay the sweeping relief. The Government argues that the District Courts lacked equitable authority to impose universal relief and has filed three nearly identical emergency applications seeking partial stays to limit the preliminary injunctions to the plaintiffs in each case. The applications do not raise—and thus the Court does not address—the question whether the Executive Order violates the Citizenship Clause or Nationality Act. Instead, the issue the Court decides is whether, under the Judiciary Act of 1789, federal courts have equitable authority to issue universal injunctions.

And the 6-3 majority did, indeed, rule that no such authority exists.

* However, this is also in the majority ruling…

Nothing we say today resolves the distinct question whether the Administrative Procedure Act authorizes federal courts to vacate federal agency action. See 5 U. S. C. §706(2) (authorizing courts to “hold unlawful and set aside agency action”).

* Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence…

And in cases under the Administrative Procedure Act, plaintiffs may ask a court to preliminarily “set aside” a new agency rule. 5 U. S. C. §706(2); see, e.g., West Virginia v. EPA, 577 U. S. 1126 (2016); see also Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors, 603 U. S. 799, 826–843 (2024)

* Why is this important? Because, as I explained to subscribers in April, the Administrative Procedure Act is at the core of most of the lawsuits filed by attorneys general against the Trump administration.

Some context from last year…

In a major ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday cut back sharply on the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer and ruled that courts should rely on their own interpretion of ambiguous laws. The decision will likely have far-reaching effects across the country, from environmental regulation to healthcare costs.

By a vote of 6-3, the justices overruled their landmark 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which gave rise to the doctrine known as the Chevron doctrine. Under that doctrine, if Congress has not directly addressed the question at the center of a dispute, a court was required to uphold the agency’s interpretation of the statute as long as it was reasonable. But in a 35-page ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts, the justices rejected that doctrine, calling it “fundamentally misguided.” […]

Chevron deference, Roberts explained in his opinion for the court on Friday, is inconsistent with the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that sets out the procedures that federal agencies must follow as well as instructions for courts to review actions by those agencies. The APA, Roberts noted, directs courts to “decide legal questions by applying their own judgment” and therefore “makes clear that agency interpretations of statutes — like agency interpretations of the Constitution — are not entitled to deference. Under the APA,” Roberts concluded, “it thus remains the responsibility of the court to decide whether the law means what the agency says.”

From that landmark 2024 opinion…

And rather than safeguarding reliance interests, Chevron affirmatively destroys them by allowing agencies to change course even when Congress has given them no power to do so.

* NBC News picked up on the use of the APA against President Trump back in February…

Lawyers challenging President Donald Trump’s aggressive use of executive power in the courts are turning to a familiar weapon in their armory: an obscure but routinely invoked federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act.

While lawsuits challenging such provocative plans as ending birthright citizenship and dismantling federal agencies raise weighty constitutional issues, they also claim Trump failed to follow the correct procedures as required under the wonky 1946 statute. […]

Known in abbreviated form as the APA, the law allows judges to throw out federal agency actions that are “arbitrary and capricious” on various grounds, including failing to articulate why the agencies are changing policy.

* Isabel and I went through Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s press releases and court filings at the time to see which legal actions invoked the Administrative Procedure Act. There was a lot…

AG Raoul files lawsuit challenging unconstitutional executive order ending birthright citizenship

* Jan 28: AG Raoul co-leads lawsuit to stop Trump administration from withholding essential federal funding

* Feb 7: AG Raoul, state attorneys general continue to push for relief in case challenging freeze on federal funding

* Feb 10: AG Raoul leads coalition defending funding for medical and public health research

* March 5: AG Raoul leads coalition defending the integrity of the National Labor Relations Board

* March 6: AG Raoul challenges federal termination of K-12 teacher preparation pipeline grants

* March 6: AG Raoul secures preliminary injunctions in two lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies

* March 7: AG Raoul asks court to stop mass firings and seeks reinstatement of federal probationary employees

* March 11: AG Raoul secures early court decision blocking Trump administration’s unlawful termination of K-12 teacher preparation pipeline grants

* March 13: AG Raoul issues statement on lawsuit to stop Trump administration from dismantling Department of Education

* March 17: AG Raoul urges Trump administration to oppose changes to passport application process that harm transgender and nonbinary individuals

* March 20: AG Raoul files lawsuit to preserve Illinois clean-energy grants

* March 24: AG Raoul continues the fight to stop Trump from shutting down the Department of Education

* March 25: AG Raoul takes action to stop Trump administration from withholding critical emergency funding

* April 1: AG Raoul files lawsuit against Health and Human Services, Secretary Kennedy to overturn public health grant cuts

* April 2: AG Raoul wins preliminary injunction against Trump administration on mass firings of federal probationary employees

* April 3: AG Raoul sues Trump administration over unlawful executive order to impose sweeping voting restrictions

* April 4: AG Raoul files lawsuit to protect libraries and museums

* April 5: TRO granted in lawsuit against Health and Human Services, Secretary Kennedy to overturn public health grant cuts

* But, as Justice Sotomayor’s dissent explains, the majority failed to see that the Administrative Procedure Act is at the core of the universal injunctions beginning in the third quarter of the 20th Century…

The relative absence of universal injunctions against the United States before the late 20th century, moreover, reflects constitutional and procedural limitations on judicial power, not equitable ones. Until the enactment of the Amendments to the Administrative Procedure Act in 1976, sovereign immunity barred most suits against the Federal Government. Id., at 14–15 (citing G. Sisk, Litigation With the Federal Government §4.10(b), p. 339 (2016)). Officer suits against Cabinet officials before that point, moreover, could be brought only in Washington, D. C., due to limits on personal jurisdiction and venue that existed at the time. Brief for Legal Historians in No. 24A884 as Amici Curiae 15–16. The later emergence of universal injunctions against the United States followed the removal of those barriers and the expansion of federal actions and laws. The rise of universal injunctions therefore represents equity’s essential adaptation to modern governance.

Calvinball is essentially being alleged in this dissent.

…Adding… Governor JB Pritzker…

“Stripping birthright citizenship from people born in this country goes against rights guaranteed in the Constitution. We must stand against unconstitutional actions and stand up for the fundamental rights granted to people in the United States of America. Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a dangerous sign that Donald Trump is further consolidating power and putting his own interest above the needs of the American people. As Trump and his allies continue to attack the Rule of Law and undermine the foundations of the United States Constitution, Illinois will stay true to who we are: we are the Land of Lincoln, and we will forcefully defend the freedoms and rights of our people.”

…Adding… Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion in the ongoing multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration’s executive order purporting to redefine birthright citizenship to exclude certain children born to non-citizen parents.

“Even after today’s decision, birthright citizenship – a rule that has governed our country since the end of the Civil War – remains the law in Illinois. President Trump’s attempt to strip American babies of citizenship is a flagrantly unconstitutional move that disregards the 14th Amendment and the principle of separation of powers upon which our government was founded.

“As a birthright citizen myself, this is a deeply personal issue for me. As our case continues, I will continue to fight alongside our coalition in challenging President Trump’s executive order and am confident that, under the guidance provided today by the U.S. Supreme Court, our arguments for complete relief will prevail.”

…Adding… Click here for the amended complaint…

Smart move, and not surprising; the litigators had the amended complaint ready to go if the Supreme Court ruled this way.

If the lower courts accepts this class, it would lead to the same impact as a nationwide injunction; the birthright citizenship EO would be blocked entirely. https://t.co/SuGIT7MMSe pic.twitter.com/DZvzNtw5YM

— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) June 27, 2025

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Why Are Tax-Exempt Hospitals Getting Rich?

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Across Illinois, big hospital systems and PBMs are abusing the 340B drug discount program – making massive profits while patients drown in medical bills. One whistleblower called it “laundering money.”

Here’s how the scam works: big hospitals buy discounted 340B drugs, bill patients full price, then split the difference with for-profit pharmacies and PBMs.

340B was meant to help Illinois communities in need. But there are no rules requiring hospitals and PBMs to pass savings on to patients. No transparency. No oversight. Just higher costs for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers.

Meanwhile, tax-exempt hospitals cash in – and PBMs get a cut too.

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It’s just a bill

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* During spring session, the House failed to pass one of Governor Pritzker’s priorities that would restricted the use of cellphones in classrooms. IPM Newsroom…

Under Senate Bill 2427, each school district would create their own policy for banning cell phones in class by the start of the 2026 school year.

“In conversations with educators from around the state, there is one thing most commonly cited as an impediment to classroom learning: cell phones,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker cited a study from the Pew Research Center that found 72 percent of high school teachers say cell phones are a major problem in their classrooms.

Pritzker said students would be allowed to use smartphones in the classroom in certain circumstances, like if a student monitors a medical condition with their phone.

* Earlier this month, the Tribune took a closer look at why the bill didn’t pass…

A coalition of Illinois House lawmakers blocked the [cellphone ban] measure when it came to the House late in the session over concerns about unequal disciplinary impacts, according to bill sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Michelle Mussman of Schaumburg.

Concerns about enforcement disproportionately affecting Black and brown students became more pronounced as lawmakers reviewed the phone restriction alongside another bill limiting police from ticketing students for minor misbehavior, according to Mussman. Legislators were hesitant to pass a statewide school mandate while also debating a measure meant to scale back school discipline practices, she said.

Rep. Curtis Tarver, a Chicago Democrat and a member of the Black caucus, told the Tribune in February he worried about the “unintended consequences” of a phone ban, including inequitable enforcement. […]

In the end, negotiations around the measure came down to a “dance” between ensuring local school boards had control over their own policies while also protecting students from “inequitably applied” policies, Mussman said. Moreover, representatives were unsure how to implement guidance on “how a phone might be returned if it was confiscated, or what to do if anything was lost or broken,” she added.

* Even so, Chalkbeat Chicago’s Samantha Smylie reported this week that sponsors say the bill isn’t completely dead…

State Sen. Cristina Castro, the chief sponsor of the bill, said in an interview with Chalkbeat that she did not hear strong opposition to the bill, but believes the language of the bill needed some “fine-tuning.” […]

Bryen Johnson, director of political activities for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, one of the largest unions in the state, said the union generally supports the idea of removing cellphones from classrooms so students can remain focused on their lessons. But the union did not file a witness slip in support of the bill because of unanswered questions, including one regarding liability. […]

State Rep. Michelle Mussman, a House sponsor of the bill and chair of the House’s education policy committee, said in an email to Chalkbeat that lawmakers brought up several concerns such as access to phones in an emergency situation, who would be responsible if a phone was stolen or broken, and enforcement of a policy and whether it would be disproportionately applied to students of color.

Mussman said negotiations over the bill will continue over the summer. Castro says that she and Mussman are committed to getting the bill over the finish line. The bill could return during the fall veto session.

Thoughts?

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Open thread

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* No song today because I want you to watch the absolute best sheep dog ever…

The worst sheepdog EVER! pic.twitter.com/R7×3QcqYJa

— dog (@Dog__Dog0) June 27, 2025

Nelson looks like Oscar when he was a little puppy.

* Please keep your comments Illinois-centric. Thanks.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker hints at possible running mate in reelection bid during East Peoria stop. WGLT…

- “There are some qualified people across the state. There’s one right behind me,” Pritzker said, a nod to state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat who serves as Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House and who introduced the governor at the rally.

- “When you win, you gotta represent everybody and I know Jehan Gordon-Booth has done that in her job as state representative,” Pritzker said. “Who would not want Jehan Gordon-Booth as a leader in this state?”

* Related stories…

∙ Capitol News Illinois: ‘I have work to do,’ Pritzker says in launching third-term reelection bid
∙ Tribune: JB Pritzker: From political neophyte to 43rd governor of Illinois — and potential US presidential candidate
∙ PJ Star: Gov. Pritzker visits Illinois Central College on reelection tour
∙ Daily Herald: It’s Pritzker 3.0: Governor launches reelection campaign amid White House speculation

* The governor is wrapping up his statewide tour today with a 10:30 am stop at SWIC’s Manufacturing Training Academy in Belleville, followed by a 2 pm visit to IBEW Local 702 in West Frankfort.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* A City That Works | It’s time to start enforcing the rules on the CTA: Unsurprisingly, the CTA and City of Chicago’s approach to-date on this issue has been woeful. The CTA has spent more than $100M on unarmed security guards, who appear to be instructed not to confront bad behavior, and generally seem to stand around on their phones. And while the CTA is also paying for CPD overtime, sworn CPD officers on the Public Transportation Section are down by almost a third from 188 in May 2020 to 132 in May 2025. Communications are also woefully inadequate. There is still not a way to discreetly alert CTA or CPD personnel about an issue. In a fraught situation on a train, riders are expected to put themselves at risk by either calling 911 or pressing an emergency button and speaking to an operator via loudspeaker. Neither is a particularly appealing prospect while being trapped in a small metal can with someone who appears to be a threat to others.

* WBUR | Reverse Course: Life after the levee breach in Dogtooth Bend, Illinois: In 2016, the Mississippi River punched a hole in the Len Small levee, built to protect farmland along an S-shaped curve in the river known as Dogtooth Bend. That hole was never repaired. Here & Now’s Chris Bentley reports on how some farmers in the area have had to give up their land. And, John Ruskey calls the Mississippi River “a creative force” that sculpts the landscape and rejuvenates the people who experience it up close. But climate change is making that force stronger and more destructive. Bentley took a canoe ride with Ruskey and reports on the future of the river.

* NPR Illinois | Nursing home lobbying group director says possible cut to Medicaid is “deeply troubling”: Ron Nunziato is the senior director of policy for the Healthcare Council of Illinois. It’s a lobbying group whose members represent about 70 percent of the Medicaid occupied beds in the state. He said the uncertainty of how much federal funding the state will receive for Medicaid puts nursing home operators in a bind. “We don’t know what DC will do, and we don’t know how that will impact the state,” Nunziato said. “If they (Congress makes) cuts to Medicaid, the state could look at all Medicaid providers and make a cut to them,” he said. “They could take more from one pot than they do another. And so, it’s deeply troubling to us in this industry.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* CBS Chicago | AIDS Garden Chicago honors trailblazer and former Illinois Rep. Greg Harris: With just days left in Pride Month, AIDS Garden Chicago took the time Thursday to honor former Illinois state representative and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate Greg Harris. On Thursday afternoon, a plaque dedicated to Harris was unveiled at the entrance to the garden, located near the south end of Belmont Harbor. The space memorializes the early days of Chicago’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.

* Tribune | Apparently fake clemency letter for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover sent to Gov. JB Pritzker: At first glance, the petition, which was stamped as received by the governor’s office on June 16, might seem to be a legitimate plea from Hoover himself, using similar language about atonement and redemption that the imprisoned gang leader has used in numerous previous requests for parole and clemency from the courts. But a closer inspection revealed some telltale signs that the document, first obtained by the Tribune through a public records request, is likely a fake. For one, it was purportedly sent June 5 from the “supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado, where Hoover, 74, had been housed for the past three decades. But Hoover had in fact been released from that facility days prior due to Trump’s clearing of his federal sentence on May 29.

* WEBQ | Windhorst Announces Re-election Run for 117th House District Seat: Windhorst has risen through the ranks of House Republican leadership to be selected House Republican Floor Leader, leading debate and holding liberal Democrats accountable for radical leftist legislation. “I have voted against legislation that restricts 2nd Amendment Rights, dangerous legislation that ends cash bail and punishes police officers, all measures that expand taxpayer-funded abortion services, and I’ve fought to end Illinois’ Sanctuary State law that has cost taxpayers billions,” Windhorst said. “Liberal Democrats have gone too far in pushing our state and country’s politics to the left, and I’m fighting back.”

*** Chicago ***

* The Triibe | Who’s behind those texts slamming Mayor Johnson and some progressive alders for their ‘snap curfew’ vote?: The texts are being sent out by the Urban Center PAC, a political action committee launched in 2024 by former Chicago Public Schools CEO and failed mayoral candidate Paul Vallas. Juan Rangel, a former Latiné charter school operator, leads the Urban Center PAC. He’s also the CEO of The Urban Center nonprofit.

* Tribune | Interim CPS chief Macquline King addresses first school board meeting, cites $730 million deficit as top priority: “Families, principals and teachers are counting on us to open schools in August with confidence and clarity,” King said. “I am committed to maintaining momentum and ensuring a smooth start to the school year.” King — who stepped into the position earlier this month — inherits a district long-underfunded by the state and plagued by years of financial woes. She previously served as the city’s senior director of educational policy.

* Sun-Times | Chicago cop who inadvertently shot and killed his partner has a lengthy disciplinary record in a short career: Since joining the Chicago Police Department in December 2021, Officer Carlos A. Baker has faced three suspensions and two reprimands, records show, one stemming from a complaint that he failed to arrest a home invader on his first shift working the street. […] During his probationary period, Baker also was accused of flashing a gun at a woman he’d met online while she was on a date with another man at a North Side bar. The woman later refused to cooperate with investigators, and Baker faced no discipline, records show.

* WTTW | Trump Administration Restores $1M in Frozen Anti-Terrorism Funds to Chicago, City Officials Announce:
But it is more likely that President Donald Trump’s decision to join Israel’s war with Iran prompted a reconsideration of the decision to freeze the funds, Richardson Lowry said. A bulletin issued Monday by the Department of Homeland Security warned “the ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States” and “the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks.” Perhaps that warning “compelled them to revisit the notion of holding back funds that lend themselves to protecting citizenry throughout the United States,” Richardson Lowry said.

* Inside Climate News |How Do You Escape a Heat Wave When You Have Nowhere to Go?: Trivedi was one of a dozen Chicagoans seeking refuge at the Garfield Community Service Center, a resource hub doubling as one of the city’s designated cooling areas as the atmospheric heat dome encasing much of the country this week drove temperatures dangerously high. But the center would close at 5 that afternoon. Staffers there try to coordinate shelter beds for those who need them, but demand has been high. “You need to wait all the day and you’re not sure the beds are available or not available,” Trivedi said. Often, he ends up sleeping outside. He hoped he’d have more luck that night.

* Block Club | South Side Alderman’s Push To Rename West Chatham Park Backfires: ‘Mistakes Happen’: The process of renaming a South Side Park after Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose — a suggestion that’s rankled some neighbors — appears to have unraveled before it even began. Ald. William Hall (6th), who initiated the renaming process, said he made a “clerical error” and has withdrawn his request to the Chicago Park District. […] “There was an error, and guess what? We’re human. And guess what? Mistakes happen,” Hall said at the meeting. “So in my interpretation of what I needed to do, I pushed the wrong button, and clearly it made little waves that it should not have made. But it’s good to know that we’re engaged.”

* Crain’s | New York firm buys distressed Wacker Drive tower at massive discount: A venture of Great Neck, N.Y.-based Kohan Retail Investment Group paid close to $45 million last week for the 65-story office tower at 311 S. Wacker Drive, according to sources familiar with the deal. The sale price for the 1.3 million-square-foot building is a staggering discount from the $302 million it traded for in 2014 to an affiliate of Chicago-based Zeller Realty Group and Chinese investor Cindat Capital Management.

* Crain’s | Indicted ex-Loretto exec pushes his health ventures — while facing a federal arrest warrant: Today, a press release purporting to be from Ahmed commented on “President Donald J. Trump’s recent remarks about conditions in Chicago,” saying Ahmed agreed there are “increasing concerns around public safety, homelessness, and the effectiveness of city-level policies.”The release also had Ahmed weighing in on sanctuary city policies and a call for “long-term, data-driven solutions and increased transparency in local decision-making.” It touts Ahmed’s involvement with reopening medical facilities and supporting job training and housing.

* Tribune | At Albizu High School, migrant grads confront a future shaped by US policy: Federal immigration crackdowns have cast an even longer shadow over their plans. Despite the staff at their high school encouraging them to carry themselves with dignity, their path after graduation remains unclear. Amid it all, Juan and his friends from Albizu — George Pérez Pedraza, also from Mexico, and Jhonnalber “Jupiter” Mejías-Monteverde, from Venezuela — have found comfort in each other. Over the past few months, they’ve shared calls over heartbreak, celebrated birthdays at the beach on Lake Michigan and dreamt of forming a band.

* Tribune | Chicago closes streets early to fix buckling pavement ahead of NASCAR race: On Wednesday evening, the city shut down Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to Michigan Avenue, which was originally scheduled to close Friday. It also closed Columbus from Jackson Drive to Roosevelt Road — five days ahead of schedule — to allow work crews to repair the pavement buckle. The rest of the course is “holding up fine” and the street closings ahead of the July Fourth weekend race event will remain on schedule, a NASCAR spokesperson said Thursday.

* WGN | No fireworks in Chicago for Fourth of July holiday: Madeline Long, director of communication for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, told WGN News last year that “as has been the case for several years, the City does not host fireworks for the July 4th holiday.” WGN News recently compiled a list of Fourth of July fireworks displays and festivities spanning the Chicagoland area. Readers may view the entire list by clicking here.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Injustice Watch | Family sues Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart over ‘brutal’ jail death: The 73-page suit filed last week in the Northern District of Illinois by the stepfather of Cory Ulmer, who was 41 when he died, accuses Dart of having a “pattern and practice of covering up or turning a blind eye to the use of excessive force.” An additional 30 county employees are named defendants in the lawsuit.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kaneland School District files lawsuit against Sugar Grove over Crown development’s TIF district: According to an original proposal, 10% of the TIF funds were to go to the village for any improvements it needs to make in the area, but, in August, then-Sugar Grove Village President Jennifer Konen said Crown had agreed to give another 10% of the funds to be distributed among the other taxing bodies, of which Kaneland is expected to get $26 million. The original TIF agreement also included payments from TIF district funds to offset the cost of schooling for students living in the new housing at the development.

* ABC Chicago | South suburban property owner finally gets house back, says squatters lived in his home for months: “They left it an absolute mess,” Goodman said. “They’ve destroyed the house. It needs at least $25,000.” Goodman is glad that the family who moved into his property is gone, but he is not celebrating. “Why? Because now I need money to fix the house, and it’s going to take several months for me to put it on the market,” Goodman said.

* Shaw Local | Despite delays, Morrison hospital’s $14M expansion stays on budget and on track: Work on a $14 million two-story addition to Morrison Community Hospital continues despite slight delays. The project was expected to finish in January 2026, but Morrison Community Hospital CEO Pam Pfister said this week that utility work delays have pushed the completion date to May 2026.

* Crain’s | NU sued over suicide of scientist targeted in federal China probe: The estate of a Northwestern University professor who died last year is suing the school, blaming it in part for her decision to take her life after she was evicted from her lab and hospitalized following a government investigation of her and other Chinese American scientists. Jane Wu was a tenured faculty member at NU’s Feinberg School of Medicine in neurology, molecular biology and genetics. She and other scientists of Chinese descent were targeted by a Justice Department investigation known as the China Initiative during the first Trump administration that looked into undisclosed ties to Beijing.

* Daily Southtown | Art becomes part of the nature mission at Will County forest preserves: Throughout the year, the district’s visitors centers host exhibits of work by artists local and national, connecting people to nature in ways they may not have expected. “It’s another way of introducing our preserves and nature centers,” said Heather Van Zyl, facility supervisor for Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. “There are visitors and community members who sometimes find their way to us for the first time because of an artist or an exhibition,” she explained. “They say, ‘Now that I know you’re here, I see all these trails and all these exhibits. I’m going to bring my family.’ … It can be a really great introduction.”

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | ‘Outpouring of support’ for Humane Society in Normal after A/C breaks during heat wave: The organization said they now have enough fans and other supplies after donations poured in from Veterans Maintenance Solutions, R.P. Lumber Company, Home Depot, Meijer and individual community members. They urged those still wanting to help to make a monetary donation in the event that their air conditioning unit needs to be replaced.

* 25News Now | Peoria Mayor Rita Ali delivers 2025 State of the City Address: She said Peoria is in a strong financial position, where of its almost $275 million budget, the city has $136 million in reserves and more than $49 million in the general fund. “We continue to pay down our general obligation debt,” Ali said. “Fortunately, we don’t have the excessive financial shortfalls that many cities are currently experiencing.”

* WVIK | Illinois Housing Development Authority awards Aledo ten years of tax credits to fund housing project: Economic Growth Corporation President and CEO Brian Hollenback discusses the tax credits and what the century-old school redevelopment into housing will bring to the city of Aledo.

* Illinois Times | City Council has a tiff over TIFs: The Springfield City Council engaged in a heated debate Tuesday over grants for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. Frustration mounted as supporters of the ordinances questioned why their fellow council members sought further discussion on this initiative but not others, suggesting that it came down to the demographics of those who would benefit from the money. TIF districts can be established by cities in areas that have been identified as economically stagnant or unlikely to attract private investment. TIFs are generally intended to revitalize those areas by funding public and private redevelopment projects and attracting private investment.

* 25News Now | Residents can text their city government through service coming to Pekin: The service, called “TextMyGov,” allows residents to send text messages to their local government and receive automated assistance 24/7. This will allow citizens to engage more with their city’s government and will help residents find information and report issues via text message. Residents will be able to access information using keywords such as “AGENDA” or “GARBAGE” and to report issues using keywords like “TREE DOWN” or “POTHOLE.”

* Illinois Times | Route 66: Monetizing the mother road: An exhibit of famed Route 66 nomad hippie artist Bob Waldmire’s work will open June 28 at the Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space and remain on display through December 2026. Then a quarter-mile stretch of original Route 66 concrete road at Carpenter Park will be uncovered and transformed into a trail with wayside exhibits, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony set for July 11. On the 100th birthday itself, a big bash will happen at Route 66 Motorheads Bar and Grill, with visits from what Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau director Scott Dahl promises as “high-end” entertainment acts and other, yet-to-be-named dignitaries.

* 25News Now | Peoria Blues & Heritage Music Festival announces second round of artists: Taj Farrant, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr., Maurice John Vaughn with Freddie Dixon & John Watkins, FrankBang and Brandon Santini join the lineup, including Ruthie Foster. Rock legend Gov’t Mule, blues rocker ZZ Ward, and Tommy Castro & the Painkillers. The music festival is Aug. 29-30 along the Peoria Riverfront. The festival will feature late-night events at Kenny’s Westside Pub, local food, craft beer and art vendors.

*** National ***

* WaPo | Trump administration is preparing to challenge budget law, U.S. officials say: In both internal communications and interviews, more than two dozen current and former employees across multiple agencies said the administration appears to be readying to push the boundaries of the law meant to prevent the president from unilaterally overturning spending decisions made by Congress. Key White House aides have long argued that the law is an unconstitutional limit on presidential power and suggested that they will seek court rulings to overturn it, which could allow the White House to determine which spending to carry out.

* Wired | ‘They’re Not Breathing’: Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls: A WIRED investigation into 911 calls from 10 of the nation’s largest immigration detention centers found that serious medical incidents are rising at many of the sites. The data, obtained through public records requests, show that at least 60 percent of the centers analyzed had reported serious pregnancy complications, suicide attempts, or sexual assault allegations. Since January, these 10 facilities have collectively placed nearly 400 emergency calls. Nearly 50 of those have involved potential cardiac episodes, 26 referenced seizures, and 17 reported head injuries. Seven calls described suicide attempts or self-harm, including overdoses and hangings. Six others involved allegations of sexual abuse—including at least one case logged as “staff on detainee.”

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, Jun 27, 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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