Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Justice Mary Jane Theis announces retirement from Illinois Supreme Court

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis has announced her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective January 29, 2026. Justice Theis has served on the Supreme Court since 2010 and retires as one of the most prolific judges in Illinois history, having served in all levels of the judiciary in 40-plus years on the bench. She served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2022 to 2025. Justice Theis’ full statement on her retirement is available here.

“I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to serve,” Justice Theis said. “It has been my foremost goal to further the Court’s mission of providing access to equal justice, ensuring judicial integrity and upholding the rule of law.”

The Supreme Court has constitutional authority to fill interim judicial vacancies and has appointed First District Appellate Court Justice Sanjay T. Tailor to fill Justice Theis’ seat.

Justice Tailor, whose term is effective January 30, 2026, through December 4, 2028, will be the first Asian American to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court.

“I am grateful to Justice Mary Jane Theis and the other justices of the Illinois Supreme Court for their confidence and trust in appointing me Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court,” Justice Tailor said. “I also look forward to continuing the work of the Illinois Supreme Court to ensure that our system of justice serves all people fairly and equitably.” […]

Justice Sanjay Tailor has been a judge for 23 years, sitting on the trial and appellate courts. His appointment today makes him the first Asian American to serve as a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. He was first appointed to the bench as an Associate Judge in 2003 and won election as Circuit Judge in 2022. He served in five different divisions of the Circuit Court including as Presiding Judge of the County Division. He also served in the Chancery, Law, Domestic Relations and Municipal Divisions.

For the last three years he has served by assignment as a First District Appellate Court justice, including as Presiding Justice of his division. Before joining the bench, Justice Tailor served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He also practiced law as a senior attorney at the First National Bank of Chicago, and associate at Chapman and Cutler LLP.

Thoughts?

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Sun-Times…

Illinois is on track to have slightly fewer people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act marketplace this year following the expiration of enhanced tax subsidies that were at the center of last year’s federal government shutdown.

On Monday, Get Covered Illinois announced it was giving residents two additional weeks to enroll in health plans, pushing back the enrollment deadline to Jan. 31 with coverage starting Feb. 1. […]

The 4% decrease in enrollment is, so far, less severe than what many experts and advocates had anticipated, especially since enrollees in Illinois were expected to see an average increase of 78% in their monthly premiums. Anywhere from 2 to 4 million people across the country were expected to become uninsured if the tax credits weren’t extended.

As of Jan. 4, Get Covered Illinois, the state-run marketplace, reported 445,335 Illinois residents had signed up for an Obamacare health insurance plan. People had to enroll in a plan by Dec. 31 so coverage could start by the first of the year.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Suburban Chicagoland | Candidate Harrell joins regional Pastors to demand “freeze and rollback” of Cook County Property Taxes: John Harrell, a candidate for the 8th Illinois House District, joined a coalition of Pastors, mostly from the region’s south and West Sides and representing minority and low-income communities to demand that Cook County officials and the Illinois Legislature “freeze and rollback” the most recent property tax hikes. The pastors said that as a result of Assessment increases just in the past year, property taxes have skyrocketed more than 150 percent, and in some cases as much as 500 percent, choking the economies of local residents and making it “difficult for them to survive and put food on their tables.”

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Pay Family of Man Killed Struck by Driver Being Chased by Police $22M, City Lawyers Recommend: The City Council’s Finance Committee on Wednesday is set to consider the proposed settlement, which calls for taxpayers to pay $20 million and the city’s insurance company to pay $2 million. A final vote of the City Council could come Jan. 21. Angel Eduardo Alvarez Montesinos, 25, died in the crash that ended the chase launched by Officer Michael Spilotro just after 6 p.m. June 16, 2023, records show.

* WTTW | City Lawyers: Pay $875K to 25 People Who Accused CPD Officers of Misconduct During 2020 Unrest: In all, Chicago taxpayers have already paid more than $6.8 million to resolve 59 lawsuits identified by WTTW News that were filed by Chicagoans who said they were the victims of misconduct by CPD officers during the protests and unrest, according to federal court documents and records from the Chicago Department of Law. An additional $5.1 million went to pay private lawyers to defend the conduct of CPD officers from late May until mid-August 2020, one of the most tumultuous periods in Chicago history, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools unveils calendars for the coming two school years: A tentative calendar for the following school year is also out, with an Aug. 23 start date and June 9 end date. As in the current school year, both calendars include 176 student attendance days, four professional development days, four Teacher Institute days, four school improvement days, and two parent-teacher conference days. Also in line with this year’s calendar, students and staff will be off for the entire week of Thanksgiving. They will get a two-week winter recess and a week off for spring break in late March.

* Crain’s | Croke Fairchild bucks office downsizing trend in wake of hiring spree: A Chicago law firm that has grown quickly over the past few years with high-profile hires is expanding its workspace and moving it to a Loop office building overlooking the Chicago River. Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres has signed a lease for about 40,000 square feet on the fifth floor at 222 N. LaSalle St., the firm’s top partners confirmed. The new space will allow the practice to grow its downtown office footprint from the roughly 25,000 square feet combined it leases today and will leave behind at 180 N. LaSalle St. and 191 N. Wacker Drive.

* Block Club | Want A Cheese Grater Hat? Wait List 10,000 Deep After Bears Comeback Over Packers: Houston-based Foam Party Hats received 2,000 orders for the hats in 24 hours — with over 10,000 prospective customers also put onto a waitlist, co-owner Manuel Rojas said Sunday. The company had to put a notice on its website Sunday saying the “overwhelming viral demand” has its production plant at “full capacity.” But the operation is scaling up, Rojas said. “We’ve hired four new people today,” he said. “We started doing overtime and overnight shifts just to keep up with everything. The challenging part is that if you look on our Instagram, you can see how we make the products. These are really handmade, so it’s really difficult to scale up, especially because we all know the manufacturing process.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | One Democratic Will County Board candidate removed from ballot, another reinstated: A Will County Electoral Board ruled 2-1 Wednesday that Homer Glen resident Kevin Koukol cannot appear on the ballot for County Board District 4 after he incorrectly listed the wrong district on his statement of candidacy. He is considering appealing that decision. A Will County judge ruled Friday Bolingbrook candidate Tyler Giacalone should be reinstated to the ballot for County Board District 11 after an Electoral Board removed him last month. Eight out of the 11 County Board districts, with two representatives each, are up for election next year. Challenges have been heard during the last month to see which names will appear on the primary ballots for a chance to run in November.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora earns statewide award for fleet sustainability: The Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation, a statewide nonprofit that promotes environmentally-friendly vehicles and cleaner air, announced that Aurora had won its 2025 Clean Transportation Leadership Award for fleet suitability at its annual program and holiday reception on Dec. 11, where the organization also gave out other awards. “We are honored to receive this award,” Aurora Superintendent of Fleet Maintenance Chris Linville said in a city news release. “We will continue to modernize our fleet, working hard to reduce emissions and support our sustainability goals.”

* Aurora Beacon-News | Some Geneva residents still pushing to save structure at old Mill Race Inn site, with demolition vote looming: In a last-minute effort to save a landmarked structure along the Fox River from being torn down, a group of Geneva residents is proposing the structure be turned into a visitor information center. On Monday evening, the Geneva City Council is expected to vote on whether the limestone structure, formerly part of the Mill Race Inn, can be demolished. Last month, the city’s Historic Preservation Commission unanimously shot down a request by Dave Patzelt, the president of Geneva-based Shodeen Group, to demolish the structure.

* Daily Southtown | Faithful gather to bid farewell to Bishop Ronald Hicks in Joliet, as he heads to New York: Joliet Diocese officials say there is no announcement for neither an interim bishop nor a replacement and said those decisions are up to the Vatican. Hicks has been Joliet’s bishop since 2020. During Hicks’ final homily as Joliet bishop, he talked about how throughout the years, he has asked people to pray for him, and he always prays for them. “I have taken that commitment seriously each and every time,” he said. “Please know that your prayers for me are one of the greatest gifts you have given to me.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Metro-east families fear possible funding freeze could end their child care aid: If the freeze ultimately goes through and funds are not released, the effects will be far-reaching, said Janice Moenster, Brightpoint’s director of programs and operations for the southern region of the state. If families cannot pay for child care, child care businesses will close. Without accessible child care, parents may be forced to leave the workforce, causing local economies to suffer, Moenster said. She added that for some, not working is not an option, and that could lead to children being left alone or in otherwise unsafe situations.

* WMBD | Peoria Fire Department receives $3M from FEMA to hire firefighters: The grant was received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, Sorensen said. Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger said the department is very excited about the grant and that it is a “much-needed award.” “With the SAFER grant, the City of Peoria is able to hire eleven firefighters and sufficiently staff our three aerial trucks,” he said. “Thank you to all of our federal legislators, especially Congressman Sorensen, for keeping the FEMA SAFER and AFG grant mechanisms properly funded.

* 25News Now | Tentative contract with Peoria firefighters includes higher pay, changes in residency rules: The Peoria City Council will vote Tuesday on the deal that calls for a 5% pay increase the first year, a 4% raise the second year, and a 3% pay boost the third and final year of the contract. Pay for paramedics would increase the first year by 3.5% and 4% in each of the final two years. Field training instructors would see a 4.5% increase in 2026 and a 5% hike in 2027 and again in 2028.

*** National ***

* WIRED | Right-Wing Influencers Have Flooded Minneapolis: These creators have focused much of their content on how protesters are allegedly using personal vehicles and blocking traffic to obstruct ICE operations. In one video posted on Friday, Kevin Posobiec, a creator for the far-right Human Events website, highlighted how protesters seemingly shut down traffic in downtown Minneapolis. […] Once these clips are posted to platforms like X, right-wing aggregation accounts, like End Wokeness and other influencers, including Matt Walsh from the Daily Wire, repost them to their millions of followers. These clips then become talking points across social media, sometimes making it to cable television channels where they become primary evidence in attempts to justify the Trump administration’s surge on American cities.

* NYT | E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution: The change could make it easier to repeal limits on these pollutants from coal-burning power plants, oil refineries, steel mills and other industrial facilities across the country, the emails and documents show. That would most likely lower costs for companies while resulting in dirtier air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, refers to particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Ozone is a smog-causing gas that forms when nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds are emitted from power plants, factories and vehicles and mix in the air on hot, sunny days.

* ABC | The Trevor Project receives $45M from MacKenzie Scott after federal funding cuts: In July, the Trump administration stopped providing specific support for gay, trans and gender nonconforming young people who called the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Trevor Project was one of the organizations staffing that option and lost $25 million in funding, the nonprofit said. The Trevor Project continues to run an independent hotline for LGBTQ+ young people that Black said reaches about 250,000 young people annually, but they served another 250,000 callers through the 988 Press 3 option, which was tailored for LGBTQ+ young people.

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In sweeping new lawsuit, Illinois and Chicago demand end to widespread ‘lawless’ behavior by feds (Updated)

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The state of Illinois and city of Chicago have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, US Border Patrol and Gregory Bovino “in his official capacity as Senior Officer of the Department of Homeland Security and Illinois tactical commander.” From the introduction…

The Trump administration has unleashed an organized bombardment on the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago, causing turmoil and imposing a climate of fear. Though Defendants describe this assault as “immigration enforcement,” the reality is that uniformed, military-trained personnel, carrying semi-automatic firearms and military-grade weaponry, have rampaged for months through Chicago and surrounding areas, lawlessly stopping, interrogating, and arresting residents, and attacking them with chemical weapons.

The perpetrators include federal agents under the leadership of United States Border Patrol, an arm of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”). At the direction of Defendants Kristi Noem and Gregory Bovino, a force created, trained, and equipped to defend the United States border against smuggling and trafficking has unleashed sweeping raids and indiscriminate violence against Illinois’ residents, particularly those living in Chicago. Their leaders condone this activity and demand more of it.

The occupation of Illinois and Chicago is intended to coerce Plaintiffs to abandon their policies, which value and respect the State’s immigrants, and devote their resources to further the immigration policies of the current administration. Illinois and Chicago have refused to do so.

It goes on and on like this for close to 100 pages, providing lots of detailed information and accounts of “lawless” federal government actions on things like the “Roving Patrol Policy,” the “Biometric Scanning Policy,” “Warrantless Arrests,” “Deployment of Riot Control Weapons,” “Arbitrary Enforcement Policy at Sensitive Locations,” “Concealing License Plates” and “Private Trespass.”

* The conclusion…

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

Under 5 U.S.C. § 706 and 28 U.S.C. § 2201, Plaintiffs are entitled to a declaration that Defendants lack authority to impose the Roving Patrol Policy, the Biometric Scanning Policy, the Warrantless Arrest Policy, the Tear Gas Policy, the Arbitrary Enforcement Policy, the Private Trespass Policy, and the Conceal Plates Policy, vacatur of those policies, and an injunction barring Defendants from conducting themselves in accordance with those policies.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs request that the Court enter judgment against Defendants and award the following relief:

a. Absent express Congressional authorization, enjoin Defendant CBP from conducting civil immigration enforcement in Illinois;
b. Declare that the Roving Patrol, Biometric Scanning, Warrantless Arrest, Tear Gas, Arbitrary Enforcement, Conceal Plates, and Private Trespass policies violate the APA as set forth above;
c. Declare that Defendants have violated the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution as set forth above;
d. Vacate the Roving Patrol, Biometric Scanning, Warrantless Arrest, Tear Gas, Arbitrary Enforcement, Conceal Plates, and Private Trespass policies;
e. Enjoin Defendants from implementing or enforcing the Roving Patrol, Biometric Scanning, Warrantless Arrest, Tear Gas, Arbitrary Enforcement, Conceal Plates, and Private Trespass policies, or engaging in such conduct that comprises the policies;
f. Award Plaintiffs their reasonable fees, costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2412; and
g. Award any such additional relief as this Court may deem just and proper.

The 10th Amendment claim for relief starts on page 76. Here’s some of the claim for relief on using the Border Patrol in Illinois…

Finding individuals within the interior of the United States who lack authorization to remain and initiating removal proceedings are not duties that Congress authorized Border Patrol to undertake.

Defendants acted without statutory authorization when they deployed over 200 Border Patrol agents to engage in removal operations in Illinois and Chicago. The continued deployment of Border Patrol for removal enforcement in Illinois and Chicago is ultra vires executive action.

Go read the rest.

…Adding… The press release just hit my in-box…

Raoul assert that the federal government has attacked Illinois’ ability to carry out its core sovereign functions — to regulate public health, uphold a system of education for Illinois residents, support the state’s economy, provide public safety and administer its judicial system, enforce state statutes, implement state programs, and ensure that Illinois residents receive the full benefits of state and federal law.

Raoul argues that this assault on the state’s sovereignty is a violation of the Tenth Amendment and violates the Administrative Procedure Act many times over.

Raoul also argues that DHS adopted illegal enforcement policies that harm Illinois residents, including:

• Rather than utilizing targeted removal policies, using roving patrols of teams of agents to interrogate residents without reasonable suspicion that they are unlawfully present.
• Deploying biometric scanning to capture and store the photographs and fingerprints of residents who are not entering or exiting the United States.
• Arresting people without warrants or probable cause.
• Indiscriminately deploying riot control weapons, including tear gas.
• Conducting enforcement at sensitive locations including courthouses, schools, social service organizations and medical facilities without appropriate reasoning.
• Trespassing onto private property without authority.
• Concealing and switching vehicle license plates in violation of federal and state law.

Raoul is asking the court to order federal agents authorized to enforce immigration law in Illinois to stop using tactics that exceed their statutory authority granted by Congress, including dispersing tear gas and other noxious chemicals without warning against persons who are not resisting, scanning the biometric information of Illinois residents, and entering private property without a warrant or permission of the owner. Raoul is asking the court to require written documentation of the basis for questioning Illinois residents regarding their immigration status and the basis for the conclusion that agents were authorized to make warrantless arrests.

Raoul is also requesting a prohibition on enforcement activities in or near courthouses, schools, hospitals and other sensitive locations, except in extenuating circumstances and with safeguards. In addition, Raoul is asking that the court require that all CBP and ICE vehicles have visible, accurate license plates, and only the plates properly assigned and registered to each vehicle.

If Raoul’s request for judgment is granted, he is asking that the court monitor the defendants’ compliance.

* From the governor…

“We have watched in horror as unchecked federal agents have aggressively assaulted and terrorized our communities and neighborhoods in Illinois, undermining Constitutional rights and threatening public safety,” said Governor Pritzker. “In the face of the Trump Administration’s cruelty and intimidation, Illinois is standing up against the attacks on our people. Today, Illinois is once again taking Donald Trump to court to hold his administration accountable for their unlawful tactics, unnecessary escalations, and flagrant abuses of power.”

* From Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias…

“This lawsuit sends a clear message: Illinois will not stand by while federal agents disregard our laws and compromise public safety,” said Secretary Giannoulias. “We have a fundamental responsibility to protect our residents, and we intend to uphold that authority. Tampering with license plates is illegal and dangerous, and we will hold anyone accountable who breaks our laws and engages in these practices. We are committed to transparency, accountability and keeping our roads safe for everyone.”

On October 22, the Secretary of State’s office launched the Plate Watch Hotline to give residents a clear way to report suspected license plate tampering. The hotline was announced following reports that ICE agents were modifying state-issued plates to carry out their military-style deportation efforts. A widely circulated video on social media captured an ICE agent telling a bystander: “You can record all you want. We change the plates out every day.”

Through the hotline, the Secretary of State’s office received hundreds of tips, including one that led to an investigation confirming ICE agents had switched out license plates on a rented vehicle, which the office immediately revoked. On December 4th, Secretary Giannoulias’ office sent a formal letter to rental car companies and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, reminding them that swapping or altering license plates is illegal under Illinois law and warning rental companies can be held liable if their vehicles are used in this manner.

Giannoulias also posted a video.

6 Comments

Today’s chart: Pritzker spent far more time on national news, podcasts in 2025 than ever before

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Capitol News Illinois…

A detailed list is here.

* From the story…

Ben Epstein, a DePaul University professor who researches political communication, said the diversification of Pritzker’s media portfolio reflects the increasingly fragmented media landscape but also the importance of the methods of delivery.

An appearance on a late-night talk show or podcast matters in its own right, Epstein said, but “they’re more important when they’re cut up into splices and then spread through social media or rebroadcast.”

Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s longtime chief of staff, told Capitol News Illinois more bluntly that the change reflects the reality that people “go home at night, lay in bed and start scrolling through Reels or TikTok.”

“It’s the only way to reach people anymore because the truth is, they just don’t sit down and watch the evening news (and) they don’t wake up in the morning and fold open a newspaper that got delivered to the doorstep,” Caprara said.

Pritzker’s engagement in new media increased after the 2024 election, she said, acknowledging that Trump’s dominance in those spaces was a major factor in his victory and his gains with younger voters.

“If you’re not willing to engage in that environment, then you’re not really engaging in the campaign and political world as it is today,” she said. […]

Nationally, Pritzker appeared on CNN and MSNBC about two-dozen times apiece. His next most-frequent stops were 15 times with The New York Times and 14 times with the Washington Post. Reflecting his sensitivity to the financial markets, Pritzker was interviewed by Bloomberg a dozen times.

7 Comments

ISP: No fatal interstate shootings last year, and all interstate shootings down 80 percent from 2021

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois State Police…

For the fourth year in a row, the number of shootings on Illinois interstates has dropped. The Illinois State Police (ISP) is reporting interstate shootings statewide decreased 31% in 2025, compared to 2024, with zero fatal interstate shooting in Illinois. This is the first time in roughly a decade there has been zero interstate shooting fatalities. […]

Since the post-pandemic spike of 2021, there has been a decrease in interstate shootings every year:

• 31% decrease from 2024 to 2025
• 53% decrease from 2023 to 2025
• 68% decrease from 2022 to 2025
• 80% decrease from 2021 to 2025

“When faced with a surge of violence on Illinois interstates, ISP took immediate action, dedicating personnel, technology, Air Operations, K9 units, forensics, and investigative expertise, successfully decreasing the number of shootings,” said ISP Director Bredan F. Kelly. “Our multifaceted approach has proven to be effective, but as crime evolves, so will we in order to keep our communities safe.”

The use of ISP Air Operations and Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) has been instrumental in identifying and tracking those committing crime, as well as reducing crashes. ISP uses its Air Operations to help track vehicles and individuals fleeing from officers, reducing the risk of a high speed pursuit that can result in a fatal crash. ISP also uses ALPRs, not only to assist in apprehending individuals in real time as the crime occurs, like a vehicle hijacking, but also during investigations. Troopers and Special Agents can use ALPRs to identify vehicles that may have been involved in or witnessed an interstate shooting and follow up with those individuals. ISP has installed ALPR cameras on interstates in counties across the state as part of the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act, enacted in 2020.

* Accompanying graph. The blue line represents all shootings, the orange line is for injury-related shootings and the gray line is for deaths…

This was a big issue in the past. Interstate shootings rose from 51 with three fatalities in 2019 to 310 with 28 fatalities in 2021.

8 Comments

It’s just a bill

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Daily Herald…

A Schaumburg family whose daughter inspired Illinois’ Ashley’s Law to retain access to her seizure-preventing medical marijuana in school is now facing losing it altogether when their current supply runs out in a week.

But both federal and state legislators have offered Maureen and Jim Surin hope of a solution for 19-year-old Ashley now that the patches are no longer made in Illinois and bringing them from neighboring states is illegal. […]

[Maureen] said Illinois State Rep. Bob Morgan of Deerfield and State Sen. Cristina Castro of Elgin have also reached out to help. […]

Morgan has filed House Bill 4306, which would require all Illinois dispensaries to carry medical marijuana and create a patient reporting portal to notify the state of inadequate supply, according to his Outreach Director Dominik Bronakowski.

Though not an interstate commerce law, the bill addresses another of the Surins’ top wishes for reform, Maureen said.

* Rep. Yolanda Morris filed HB4369 last week…

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. In provisions concerning an application for a license, provides that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may establish, by rule, fees to be charged for the purpose of implementing and enforcing the provisions of the Act, including the fees necessary to implement the Nurse Licensure Compact. Provides that, on or after the effective date of the Nurse Licensure Compact, the Department may set the required fees to apply for a multistate license, upgrade from a single state license to a multistate license, and renew a multistate license. Provides that the initial application fee for a multistate license shall be no less than $150 and the biennial multistate license renewal fee shall be no less than $125. Provides that the Nurse Licensure Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact. Provides that an employer who employs nurses, as defined in the Article, shall provide the nurses under its employment with the opportunity to obtain the required continuing education hours. Requires that nurses subject to the Nurse Licensure Compact complete 20 hours of approved continuing education per every 2-year license renewal cycle. Provides that the Nurse Licensure Compact does not apply to an advanced practice registered nurse. Adds provisions concerning employer attestations.

* HB4366 from Rep. Hoan Huynh…

Creates the Billionaire Hedge Fund Fee Act. Imposes a fee on each covered transaction occurring on or after July 1, 2026. Provides that the amount of the fee shall be the base amount with respect to the covered transaction, multiplied by 0.002. Provides that the term “covered transaction” means: (1) the purchase by a United States person of a security if the purchase occurs on, or is subject to the rules of, the Chicago Board Options Exchange or the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; or (2) the purchase by a United States person of a derivative if the derivative is traded on, or is subject to the rules of, the Chicago Board Options Exchange or the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Specifies that, for purposes of the Act, “United States person” includes controlled foreign corporations, hedge funds, and private equity funds and their officers and employees. Exempts from the provisions of the Act the purchase of a security or a derivative by an individual for that individual’s personal investment account or personal investment portfolio. Provides that the proceeds from the tax imposed under the Act shall be deposited into the Reducing the Cost of Living Fund. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Grants emergency rulemaking powers to the Department of Revenue. Amends the State Finance Act. Create the Reducing the Cost of Living Fund. Effective immediately.

Rep. Huynh is currently running for congress in the 9th Congressional District.

* Click here for some more background. NBC Chicago…

Nearly six years ago Illinois lawmakers granted Hawthorne Race Course in southwest suburban Stickney the rights to build a casino at the track, and they also received veto power to turn down other tracks within a 35 mile radius of Hawthorne.

However, the ‘racino’ has yet to come to fruition. […]

[Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association President Jeff Davis] pointed to House Bill [2724], which he hopes will be called in the next House session, as a lifeline for the industry.

In part, it would take away the exclusivity of Hawthorne’s veto power to pave a path for other companies to build a race track in the area.

“It’s not an immediate fix, we still have to rely on Hawthorne for the near future, but it puts us on the right path going forward,” he said. “If we want to save this industry they need to pass that bill.”

* Last week, the Illinois Water Justice Coalition and Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation sent a letter to Gov. JB Pritzker urging him to support using the Medicaid 1115 waiver to fund lead-reducing water filters for Medicaid households…

I’m writing to you on behalf of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) and Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL). IEC is a statewide network of over 130 organizations and 500 individuals, working to advance public policies that protect Illinois’ people, plants and animals, and the natural systems we all depend on. SOUL is an independent grassroots, multissue, power organization that addresses community issues on Chicago’s South Side and South Suburbs. We respectfully urge your administration to pursue and support the use of Illinois’ Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver to provide lead-reducing water filters to Medicaid-eligible households with lead service water lines.

Lead exposure remains a silent public health crisis in Illinois, especially in communities that have borne the weight of both disinvestment and environmental racism. Illinois has more lead service lines than any other state in the nation, and the majority of those lines are concentrated in low-income, Black, and Latino communities. These are the same communities that have long faced higher risks of chronic disease, barriers to care, and other cumulative environmental burdens. Expanding the Illinois Medicaid 1115 Waiver to cover lead-reducing filters is a practical, immediate action that would:

● Reduce lead exposure in the most vulnerable homes, particularly where children and expectant mothers live, without waiting years for full lead service line replacement.

● Deliver environmental justice in real, tangible terms by prioritizing investment in the communities most impacted by environmental harm.

● Offer a proven, low-cost public health intervention, aligned with CDC and EPA guidance on preventing lead exposure.

● Supplement lead service line replacement efforts, giving families protection now, while infrastructure work remains underway.

A modest investment today will yield dramatic cost savings later. The medical costs associated with untreated lead exposure, including cognitive impairments, behavioral issues, cardiovascular impacts, pregnancy complications, and long-term chronic illness, far exceed the cost of providing certified water filtration devices. According to a study by Environmental Health Perspectives, every dollar spent on lead exposure prevention is estimated to return at least $17–$221 in future savings, depending on the model. This is precisely the type of preventive, equity-driven use of Medicaid that Section 1115 waivers were designed to support.

IEC and SOUL believe strongly that no child in Illinois should have to wait years for clean water simply because they live in a low-income household or a neighborhood with aging infrastructure. By leveraging Medicaid resources, Illinois can lead the nation in pairing environmental justice with innovative health policy, ensuring that those most at risk receive the strongest protection.

* WTVO…

New legislation introduced in the Illinois House would require sex offenders to register ownership of a drone.

Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112th) introduced HB4332 this week. The bill would amend the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act and require sex offenders register drone ownership, including make and model, with the Illinois State Police.

Individuals on the Sex Offender Registry are already required to give authorities a current photograph, address, employer, phone number, email addresses, and instant messaging identities, and identities related to all other Internet communications.

* ABC Chicago…

There is confusion over Illinois’ new squatter law, after it went into effect last week. […]

One property owner thought she could finally have the alleged squatters removed from her home. But, on Friday, she learned it’s not that simple. […]

[Property owner Mary Welch] said, ultimately, police informed her there was nothing they could do. That’s when she learned about the new squatter law going into effect Jan. 1. […]

[Rep. La Shawn Ford] says he’ll be addressing this in Springfield.

“Talking to Chicago PD and the alderman, we know there’s work that needs to be done to improve this law,” he said. “Today is an example of us needing to do more with law enforcement to educate them on what the intent of the law is.”

11 Comments

Will changes actually be made to SAFE-T Act?

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

Gov. JB Pritzker set off a chain reaction last November when he told reporters he’d be open to changes in the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail and replaced it with a new pre-trial release/retention system, among other things.

Pritzker was asked about the case of a woman, Bethany MaGee, who was horrifically set ablaze while riding on a Chicago commuter train.

No direct link between the crime and the SAFE-T Act actually existed, but the news media pounced on Pritzker’s statement that he’d be open to changes, and several downstate county sheriffs and others jumped up with their own suggestions (although it seemed like at least some were mostly upset about the loss of revenues from cash bail).

A Pritzker official told me back then that state laws are tweaked all the time, and the governor was merely saying that if legislators wanted to make some tweaks, he’d be open to it as well.

Before we go forward, it’s probably also important to note that while the news media (particularly television news) and some major “influencers” on social media tend to put crime front and center, a recent poll showed that fewer than 8% of Illinoisans put crime at the top of their list of the most important issues facing the state.

The results are from a Jan. 3-5, 2026, Emerson College poll of 1,000 likely Illinois primary voters. The statewide poll was commissioned by Chicago’s WGN TV.

“What do you think is the most important issue facing Illinois?” respondents were asked.

Just 7.6% identified “crime” as the most important issue.

That’s lower than “Immigration” at 10.4%; “Threats to democracy” at 12.7%; “Healthcare” at 12.9%; and “Economy (jobs, inflation, taxes)” at a whopping 40.4%.

That doesn’t mean crime isn’t important, of course. It is without a doubt. You cannot have a functioning society with high crime rates (which, by the way, have been falling fast).

But the poll does help show how the yearslong and constant drumbeat of crime stories, tweets, Facebook posts and YouTube videos pales in comparison to what voters are saying they really want to talk about: Their personal economic well-being (add health care and housing affordability to that economy category and the number rises to 59%).

But I digress.

Regardless of all that, the SAFE-T Act questions keep coming.

About a month ago, new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach formed a committee to look at some of the problems with the county’s electronic monitoring program for detainees. The court system runs that program, which used to be operated by the county sheriff. But there have been numerous problems reported, including officials not fully knowing what is going on with the electronically monitored population, and that has led to some tragic outcomes, like the one on that CTA train, which helped prompt the new committee’s formation.

The SAFE-T Act included a provision granting those on electronic monitoring part of two days a week for “essential movement” — things like doctors’ appointments and job training, which many judges had been denying before. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has claimed those folks are not tracked during those two days, but the Cook County Public Defender says that’s not traced to the SAFE-T Act, which doesn’t explicitly require eliminating tracking.

The change ball moved forward a bit more last week when Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch was asked at a Chicago City Club luncheon what sort of changes he’d like to see in the SAFE-T Act.

Welch said that the Legislature should “always try to find ways to do better.”

Then he pointed at Judge Beach, saying he wants to wait and see what’s in Beach’s report, which is scheduled for release toward the end of January.

“I think we should give him an opportunity to come to us and make some recommendations to us,” Welch said.

Perhaps more importantly, Welch also said his House Democratic Public Safety Working Group should “probably listen to some other folks from across the state and get their input.” Working groups meet in private and are invite-only.

Welch strongly defended the state law throughout his comments, insisting that the SAFE-T Act “is working” and that judges and police officers “will tell you that the bad guys are in jail because judges are locking them up. The SAFE-T Act is allowing judges to do their job.”

I dunno about judges, but one doesn’t hear many, if any, cops say such a thing. That doesn’t mean they’re right, of course.

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Rate the new Dabrowski ad

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. This aired during the Bears vs. Packers game Saturday…

The difference between @GovPritzker and Ted Dabrowski: Dabrowski will fight to get rid of the SAFE-T Act and Illinois' sanctuary policies.

Joe Abraham's story on the loss of his daughter captures why that difference matters.

Vote for change. Vote @TedForIllinois #twill @ILGOP… pic.twitter.com/uUN9qyMWiT

— Ted For Illinois (@TedForIllinois) January 11, 2026

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois, 4 other states targeted for $10B child care funding freeze win restraining order. Capitol News Illinois…

* Related stories…

• Sun-Times | Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from freezing child care funding in Illinois, 4 other states
• STLPR: Trump administration freezes funding for child care providers in Missouri
• ABC: Trump administration can’t block child care, other program money for 5 states: Judge

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Oversight panel OKs rule on digitized prison mail in Illinois with new changes: The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which oversees administrative rulemaking, issued an objection to the rule in September, telling the department it needed to implement feedback from incarcerated people, families, attorneys and other stakeholders if it wanted to adopt the rule permanently. After a period of public comment and engagement with stakeholders, the department introduced amended rules, including some exceptions for photographs and used books, as well as clarifications for legal mail. Photographs must be unopened and sent directly from a vendor. Those in custody can also receive a physical printout of their mail upon request, at no cost to the individual, under the amended rules.

* Sun-Times | As ACA tax credit debate continues in Congress, Illinois sees slight decrease in enrollment: The 4% decrease in enrollment is, so far, less severe than what many experts and advocates had anticipated, especially since enrollees in Illinois were expected to see an average increase of 78% in their monthly premiums. Anywhere from 2 to 4 million people across the country were expected to become uninsured if the tax credits weren’t extended.

*** Statewide ***

* Rockford Register Star | Gamblers lost $1.9B at Illinois casinos in 2025: Gamblers lost $1.9 billion at Illinois casinos in 2025, a 15% increase from the previous year. Newer casinos, including Wind Creek and Hard Rock Rockford, contributed to the state’s revenue growth. The casino industry generated over $408 million in state taxes and $121 million for local governments in 2025.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol City Now | Harmon preps for new Senate year: A 2025 lowlight for Harmon: an accusation that he raised too much campaign cash in too little time, for which he was recommended for a $10 million fine. “It is fairly nuanced and, really, the result, I think, of a lack of clarity in how a couple of different provisions are supposed to work together. I’m gratified that that has been resolved as I expected it would be. I’m gratified the final vote to take it off the agenda was bipartisan.”

* Crain’s | Illinois hospitals now on the clock to report policies on dealing with law enforcement: The Illinois Department of Public Health will begin notifying any general acute care hospitals who haven’t submitted their policies as part of the Illinois Health Care Sanctity & Privacy Law. A hospital that misses the deadline could face penalties of up to $500 a day if they don’t comply within seven days of hearing from IDPH. Other hospitals in the state have until March 1. Spokespeople for Endeavor Health and Rush University System for Health said both hospital systems have law enforcement policies in place and had complied with state reporting requirements as of the Jan. 1 deadline.

* CBS Chicago | Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore to report to prison: Former ComEd chief executive officer Anne Pramaggiore is scheduled to report to federal prison Monday. Pramaggiore was one of the “ComEd Four” who were convicted in 2024 of charges of conspiracy, bribery and falsifying documents.

* Tribune | From AI to immigrant rights, here’s what to know about Illinois’ new education laws in 2026: The Illinois State Board of Education is now required to provide guidance to districts and educators on the use of artificial intelligence in K-12 settings. That includes explaining what AI is, how it works and how it could be used in classrooms. The state board must also include guidance on the impact AI systems and applications could have on student data privacy, including providing best practices for teaching students about responsible and ethical AI use.

*** Chicago ***

* Chicago Mag | Who Will Be Chicago’s Next Mayor?: Quigley hasn’t been shy to criticize the mayor’s fiscal management by calling for payroll cuts and union concessions to solve the city’s budget deficit. And his work in Congress has allowed him to position himself as a nemesis of Trump. Quigley holds the same congressional seat Rahm Emanuel did, but he’ll have to expand his appeal beyond the North Side in this race, the way Emanuel built relationships with Black voters as an Obama insider.

* Bloomberg | Chicago mayor is losing grip on city as rivals build war chest: Illinois Representative Mike Quigley, a Democrat, has said he will run, as has Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who had nearly $1.5 million in cash on hand at the end of the third quarter, has been cited as eyeing the mayoral spot. They are all Democrats. Tech executive Liam Stanton is also considering a run.

* WBEZ | Chicago Education Alliance seeks to bring clarity to CPS’ toughest issues: Rivera, a former top official at CPS, is stepping into that fray with the launch of the Chicago Education Alliance, a new organization that’s seeking to help shape CPS policy. The organization will eventually hire more staff to conduct research and issue policy briefs and recommendations. But first he’ll go around the city listening to what issues parents, teachers and community members think are most important to tackle. His goal is to help board members understand both the short-term and long-term potential impact of their decisions.

* Tribune | After Maduro’s capture, Venezuelans in the Chicago area face difficult choices: “People are afraid to stay and people are afraid to return,” said Ana Gil, founder of the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance. She said Maduro’s capture has further destabilized the country. Because of that instability, many Venezuelans in the Chicago area do not feel safe returning home, but also fear detention and deportation in the U.S.

* Crain’s | Diana Rauner stepping down from helm of education nonprofit Start Early: Rauner began her lengthy career at Start Early in 2003 as a board member before being named executive director of the organization in 2007 and then president in 2011. She was also Illinois’ first lady while her husband, Bruce Rauner, was governor from 2015 to 2019. […] In an interview with Crain’s, Rauner said she’s not fully sure yet what’s next for her. But she said it’s time for her to clear the way for “new blood and new leadership,” in the form of her successor, Start Early’s current executive director, Celena Sarillo.

* Block Club | Bears Beat Packers In Dramatic Playoff Comeback As Storybook Season Continues: It was the Bears’ largest postseason comeback and the largest comeback against the Packers in what is one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL. It was also the Bears’ first playoff win in 15 years. The game sent the city into a frenzy, with fans at The Staley, the South Loop sports bar owned by former Bear Israel Idonije, erupting in cheers of “GREEN BAY SUCKS!” as the game ended.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Horse Racing Nation | Hawthorne cancels harness racing for 2nd straight weekend: For the second straight weekend, Hawthorne has canceled harness racing. The track, located in the near southwest Chicago suburb of Stickney, hosts a fall and winter harness meet as well as a Thoroughbred meet that runs from early spring through early fall. In a text sent to harness horsemen on Saturday, Hawthorne said that “Hawthorne racetrack and the IHHA have mutually agreed that during this difficult situation, it would be best to vacate our races this weekend. These postponed days will be made up going forward.” A similar post was made by the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association to its website and its Facebook page Friday evening, adding that the organization is “hopeful this issue will be resolved soon.”

* Daily Herald | Transforming Touhy: Gridlocked and hazardous, major suburban thoroughfare is getting a redo: But a county transformation of the congested Touhy corridor in the Des Plaines/Elk Grove Village area is coming this spring. Highlights include a grade separation at the railway tracks, revamped intersections and access to I-490, currently under construction by the Illinois tollway. […] The $87.2 million, two-year overhaul is being done in coordination with the tollway, plus other stakeholders, including federal, state and local agencies, and utilities.

* Crain’s | Short-term rental owners suing over Glen Ellyn ban get a reprieve: It’s not clear from the short-term rental sites how many other offerings there are in Glen Ellyn, but last year Coleman wrote that short-term rentals represent about 1% of the overall rental pool in the village of about 28,800 people 25 miles west of the Loop in DuPage County. […] In granting the injunction, Coleman wrote that Blakelick “will suffer irreparable harm” financially if they can’t operate the property while awaiting resolution of a legal battle where they are “substantially likely to prevail” on at least some of the claims.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora considering loan program for sustainable upgrades to commercial buildings: The proposal, as heard by a committee of the Aurora City Council on Tuesday, would allow the city to participate in the Illinois Finance Authority’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing program, commonly called C-PACE. This type of lending has been available statewide since 2017, but individual local governments still need to approve its use within their boundaries. “This really supports both economic development and sustainability at the city of Aurora,” Alison Lindburg, the city’s director of sustainability, said of the proposed C-PACE program at the Rules, Administration and Procedure Committee meeting on Tuesday.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | New Champaign Township Supervisor talks future plans: “One of my goals is attempt to rebalance culture — make sure we are all aligned and working together,” Murray said. She said one thing the township office is missing is meeting on a regular basis. “It’s important to have those touch points,” Murray said. “It’s important to check in with staff and understand where they’re at.”

* WCIA | Mahomet library launches new village website: After more than five years without a newspaper, people in Mahomet didn’t have a source for local information. So, the executive director of the Mahomet library, John Howard, came up with a solution. “What if we all worked together to provide one website that’s goal was to have everything you might need or want to know for people living in Mahomet,” said Howard. “Bring as much, aggregate as much information as possible into one place so people can go and find their one thing.”

* WGLT | Downtown Bloomington reboots First Fridays with anchor events 3 times a year: The City of Bloomington will support three of the most popular themed First Friday events, beginning with Tour de Chocolat in February. In a press release, the city said waning participation in monthly extended evening hours for downtown businesses and galleries led them to rethink First Fridays around the three most popular ones. In addition to Tour de Chocolat, July and December First Fridays themed around Route 66 and the holidays will continue with city-support.

* WCIA | New developments coming to Willard Airport in Savoy: here’s already progress being made in a new area of the University of Illinois Willard Airport. With more than five years of planning and a year of construction, the airport is months away from debuting its new TSA checkpoint. “That’s something we’re excited to have the capability to do, because today our checkpoint and where it is doesn’t allow for any expansion,” said the airport’s Executive Director, Tim Bannon.

*** National ***
* NYT | Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell: The inquiry, which includes an analysis of Mr. Powell’s public statements and an examination of spending records, was approved in November by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of President Trump who was appointed to run the office last year, the officials said. The investigation escalates Mr. Trump’s long-running feud with Mr. Powell, whom the president has continually attacked for resisting his demands to slash interest rates significantly. The president has threatened to fire the Fed chair — even though he nominated Mr. Powell for the position in 2017 — and raised the prospect of a lawsuit against him related to the $2.5 billion renovation, citing “incompetence.”

* Chalkbeat | Most teachers don’t have access to paid parental leave. These 2 states are leading the way: But more than seven years later, Delaware remains an outlier. Just 15 states and the District of Columbia guarantee any paid leave for teachers, according to a study released Monday by the National Council on Teacher Quality. Arkansas is the only other state that picks up the cost of substitutes. The United States is the only developed country without a national parental leave policy, and teachers aren’t alone in having to cobble together sick days, vacation time, and short-term disability when they have a baby. But just one-third of teachers reported access to any paid parental leave in a 2024 survey by the research group Rand Corp. — 14 percentage points lower than other workers. And even among those who had access to leave, fewer than half said the benefits were adequate.

* AP | Some flu measures decline, but it’s not clear this severe season has peaked: New government data posted Friday — for flu activity through last week — showed declines in medical office visits due to flu-like illness and in the number of states reporting high flu activity. However, some measures show this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last winter, one of the harshest in recent history. And experts believe there is more suffering ahead. “This is going to be a long, hard flu season,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, in a statement Friday.

6 Comments

Good morning!

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Bob on Bobby…

Bob Dylan writing about Bob Weir in The Philosophy of Modern Song pic.twitter.com/4pbq8Zl3DG

— Ray Padgett (@rayfp) January 11, 2026

Bobby’s guitar playing was almost amorphous. But he elevated the second guitar role into a work of art and found a way to do it without drawing attention to himself. You just had to be there, I guess.

* I have some Bobby stories that I’ll share this week. But here’s a long recording from The Mosque in Richmond many, many moons ago. If you don’t have a lot of time, just skip through it and you’ll see how right Bob was about Bobby…

RIP

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…

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Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from freezing child care, family assistance funding

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Background from earlier today…

Five Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing and child care assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families.

New York, along with California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow them to continue receiving the funds, in a lawsuit filed Thursday evening with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The states argued that the Administration for Children and Families, which is within the Department of Health and Human Services, provided no evidence of fraud and acted illegally by enacting sanctions within the three welfare programs without following processes laid out by law. The administration wrote to the states earlier this week that the freeze was necessary to prevent “potential” fraud but didn’t detail what it meant, according to letters viewed by The Washington Post.

* US District Judge Arun Subramanian issued a temporary restraining order this evening. Press release…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today secured a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for Southern District of New York, blocking the Trump administration’s illegal attempt to freeze $10 billion in federal funding that provides critical support for children and families.

Attorney General Raoul, along with the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Minnesota and New York, filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging the administration’s illegal action and sought a court order to immediately stop the freeze and make sure families continue to receive the aid they need.

“I’m pleased with the court’s decision, which protects critical funding to support families and help working parents access child care,” Raoul said. “There is no justification for this attempted funding freeze. It is a cruel and illegal attempt by the Trump administration to play politics with the lives of children and low-income families. I remain committed to protecting Illinois residents from bearing the brunt of this president’s continued disregard for our Constitution and the rule of law.”

The administration’s action threatens about $1 billion in federal funding for Illinois, going to Illinois families and service providers. These funds give low-income families access to child care, allowing members of those families to work or go to school. Additionally, the funds provide access to after-school and summer programming, which also supports children’s growth and allows parents to work. In Illinois, approximately 150,000 children receive child care supported by these funds. The funding is also used to provide temporary cash assistance to families in need and fund programs that help families achieve or maintain economic self-sufficiency, and that address neglect, abuse or exploitation of children and vulnerable adults.

In their lawsuit, Raoul and the attorneys general assert that even a temporary disruption to the funding would have devastating consequences for families, the economy and their states. The attorneys general argue that the freeze is an unlawful overreach of executive power that violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

* The Tribune…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening, but department General Counsel Mike Stuart wrote in a post on X Thursday evening, before the temporary restraining order was issued, that the department stood by its decision to restrict the funds, saying it “identified serious concerns in these states that warranted immediate review and action.”

“It’s unfortunate that these Attorney Generals from these Democrat-led states are less focused on reducing fraud and more focused on partisan political stunts,” Stuart wrote of the lawsuit. […]

The federal government said in letters sent to the state of Illinois that it “has reason to believe that the State of Illinois is illicitly providing illegal aliens” with benefits meant for American citizens and lawful residents.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, however, has said that the federal government has not provided the state with details or information about any alleged fraud.

* The Sun-Times…

A spokesperson for IDHS said the agency does not anticipate an immediate impact to funding as a result of the judge’s order.

When announcing the freeze, HHS Assistant Secretary Alex Adams said the federal government is concerned by potential “systemic fraud in Illinois Child Care and Development Fund services.” He claimed the Trump administration “has reason to believe” the state is “illicitly providing” CCDF benefits to people without legal status in the U.S.

In their lawsuit, Raoul and the other attorneys general called the fraud allegations, “pretextual, vague, and unsubstantiated.”

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Reader comments closed for the weekend

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve had fun this week. It’s good to be back. Check out the brand new Bruno Mars video…

But, first, may I just say that your facе got me so intrigued?

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s…

Illinois faces a $239 million drop in hospital and managed care organization provider tax revenue, an important mechanism for funding the state’s Medicaid program, in 2028 and as much as a $1.5 billion cut over the next five years, according to a new assessment of looming budget challenges for the state.

The issue of diminishing provider taxes and the somewhat-corresponding payments back to hospitals is another multiyear, cost-cutting change to Medicaid rules contained in the federal Big Beautiful Bill Act.

While much has been made of the threat of Medicaid cuts over the next decade in the form of dropping enrollment due to twice-yearly re-enrollment and new work requirements included in the spending plan, provider tax revenues and directed payments to hospitals will be another kind of cut with which Illinois and health care providers will have to contend. And overall Medicaid reimbursements will have an impact on that funding.

The Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois System produces an annual Fiscal Future project analyzing Illinois’ fiscal condition and long-term trends. For fiscal 2025, the report lists the federal policy changes to provider taxes as a long-term challenge to growth in state revenue. The report also examines evidence of a long-term decline in state sales taxes and the act’s impact on re-categorization of individual and corporate income tax revenues.

* From the report…

In Illinois, assessments on healthcare providers (hospitals) and managed care organizations (MCOs) generate the two largest revenues, comprising over 75% of all provider tax revenues. The state’s specific assessment fees and taxes vary by provider type (hospitals, MCOs, long-term care facilities, etc.) and are not easily translated to simple tax rates applied to a patient revenue base. That said, tax rates appear to be high in Illinois, leaving the state vulnerable to policies that require reductions in these rates. NASBO’s FY 2024 data show that Illinois was one of the states that made most use of such provider assessments.

*** Statewide ***

* Stateline | ‘Teaching us how to grow with our babies’: How prisons allow mothers and infants to nest for months: Across the country, fewer than a dozen states operate nursery programs that allow incarcerated mothers to live with their newborns. […] Newer programs — in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Ohio, Washington state and West Virginia — vary widely in size, eligibility and funding. Many rely heavily on nonprofit partners or donations to cover essentials such as diapers, cribs and parenting classes.

* Crain’s | The alternative protein boom didn’t end. It just moved to Illinois.: Illinois is emerging as the nation’s alternative protein powerhouse. With more than 30 companies, millions in grants for research and a new state task force roadmap, the state is positioned to dominate the B2B side of a rapidly evolving industry. While plant-based burgers are losing shelf space at supermarkets, the alternative protein sector has quietly shifted upstream to ingredients, food inputs and industrial applications — a pivot that plays directly to Illinois’ strengths in agriculture, food manufacturing and fermentation technology. The state trails only California and New York in alt-protein companies and leads the nation in soybean production, the primary source for plant-based proteins.

* Press release | Illinois leads Midwest in workforce development, ranks #3 in US: “Illinois’ rise to the top of workforce development rankings reflects our commitment to building the strongest talent pipeline in the nation,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We’re aligning education and training with the real needs of employers so people can get good jobs and companies can confidently invest and expand right here in Illinois.”[…] “As Illinois comes off a record year of economic growth, the latest economic development rankings are solidifying Illinois’ position as a global economic powerhouse,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “With continued investments in workforce development, record-breaking investments incentivized through DCEO programs, and a collaborative effort to target emerging industries, momentum is building in Illinois.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Utility Dive | Illinois sets 3-GW energy storage target, requires utilities to develop virtual power plants: The state has developed 6 GW of renewable energy since passing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, and has another 6 GW in development, officials said. The new law will grow storage resources and directs utilities to develop virtual power plants. It also lifts a moratorium on large nuclear reactor development in Illinois and creates an integrated resource planning process allowing for state agencies to suggest adjustments to energy programs and targets.

* WTVO | New Illinois bill would require sex offenders to register their drones: Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112th) introduced HB4332 this week. The bill would amend the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act and require sex offenders register drone ownership, including make and model, with the Illinois State Police. Individuals on the Sex Offender Registry are already required to give authorities a current photograph, address, employer, phone number, email addresses, and instant messaging identities, and identities related to all other Internet communications.

* Sun-Times | Feds agree to halt proposed national youth gender care ban while court weighs motion: The federal agency agreed this week to hold off on communicating its new regulations — which had only been announced, not formally communicated to agencies and healthcare providers across the country — while the motion that could shut down the proposed regulations is weighed by an Oregon District Court judge, per documents filed in an ongoing suit from a coalition of legal representatives and officials from 20 states, including Illinois, and Washington D.C. The federal government has until February 3 to respond to the motion and file its own motion against it, according to court documents.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Alderman Urged Riders Not To Use Public Transit After Dark, But Data Shows CTA Crime Is Down: W. Robert Schultz III, a campaign organizer with the Active Transportation Alliance, said that while there have been a number of tragic attacks on public transit this year, “those outlying incidents really stand out in our mind” and can have outsized impacts on our perceptions of safety. He said telling riders to avoid public transit after dark “just doesn’t make sense.” “We live in a northern city, if darkness is your criteria for using CTA, half the year you better be home by 3:30 p.m.,” Schultz said.

* Sun-Times | AI-generated bomb threat shuts down St. Ignatius College Prep on Near West Side: Chandler said the voice recording of the threat was “very robotic sounding.” Local investigators told him they suspect the recording was apparently AI-generated. Chicago police responded to a call of service at the school and the FBI were in contact with the school and local law enforcement.

* Block Club | Opioid Task Force Moves Office To West Side Corner That’s ‘Epicenter Of Fentanyl Crisis’: Last year, there were 15 opioid overdose deaths within a half mile of the Lake Street and Pulaski Road intersection, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s dashboard mapping opioid-related cases. The greater West Side also sees a disproportionate number of opioid deaths. The area near CTA stops have become hotspots for drug use, with the trains and their stations often providing shelter for people suffering from drug problems, task force members said. Narcan vending machines have been added to several CTA stations across the city through a 2023 city pilot program, which last year expanded to include the nearby Harlem/Lake station.

* TV News Check | WGN News To Launch New Nightly Political Show, ‘The Point’: Nexstar Media’s WGN-TV Chicago will debut a new political show, The Point, hosted by Political Editor Tahman Bradley, on Monday, Jan. 26. The show will air weeknights at 6:45 pm and will inform viewers about stories in politics that affect their daily lives. “Through original reporting and in-depth interviews, The Point will give viewers direct access to elected officials, candidates for office, senior aides/strategists, and interesting voices,” the station says.

* Sun-Times | The Art Institute’s new acquisitions include German oil painting, a rare Indian textile and a Richard Hunt sculpture : Among last year’s standout acquisitions is the Schad portrait of the 20th-century Austrian composer Josef Matthias Hauer, who helped introduce 12-tone musical composition. Oehler said this piece, which is already on view at the museum, is “tremendously exciting.” While Schad, who helped usher in the avant-garde New Objectivity movement in Germany, is more widely collected and known in Europe, the Art Institute says this is the first of his portraits to enter a U.S. museum.

* Crain’s | Bears-Packers grudge match might be the NFL’s hottest-ever Wild Card ticket: According to several ticket platforms and analysts, the Bears-Packers game is set to be the priciest NFL Wild Card Round playoff game in history for fans, with average ticket prices soaring to more than $753 apiece, according to Victory Live. That breaks a record previously held by the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams game in January 2024, the firm stated in a press release.

* Sun-Times | Record-breaking rainfall leaves hundreds of streets and basements flooded: As of 9:02 a.m. Friday, 94 water in basement and 209 water in street calls were logged for Jan. 9, the data shows. Including both water in basement and water on street complaints from Thursday through 9:02 a.m. Friday, the Chicago Lawn neighborhood ranked first in complaints with 65 total, according to city data. Ashburn, Lake View, and Austin had the next most complaints reported with 47, 46 and 44 respectively.

* Sun-Times | How a mild-mannered suburban Chicago delivery driver transforms into Bearman: “I was a little bit of a shy guy years ago,” said Wachter, 63. “When I put the costume on, I can change into somebody.” […] “Chicago gets the moniker of blue-collar, hard working, tough, gritty … They can take adversity,” Wachter said. “This team fights to the end, they don’t care if they are down, we’re gonna beat you somehow.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County mulling regulations on short-term home rentals in unincorporated areas: Kane County is not alone in considering this sort of measure — Skokie has discussed regulations on them and Chicago aldermen have mulled giving themselves the power to ban short-term home rentals from opening in their wards. And Lake County, for example, has outright prohibited short-term rentals in unincorporated areas. VanKerkhoff noted that Kane County looked at regulations passed by area municipalities, and said the proposed additions to the county code do two things, broadly: require a rental to get a license from the county’s Development and Community Services Department, and allow for fines to be assessed if there are violations of the regulations on short-term rentals. He noted that all other aspects of the county code still apply to such properties.

* Daily Southtown | Sports dome west of Brookside Marketplace moves forward; one of three planned in Tinley Park: The proposal from GK Development Properties LLC, approved last week by the Tinley Park Village Board, includes a 142,000-square-foot dome and a building that could house stores and restaurants on property where a 9-hole golf course once operated. Village Manager Pat Carr said construction on the dome could be underway in the next month. Trustee Michael Mueller said the property had been vacant for a while and that he’s happy to see the project moving forward.

* Daily Southtown | Homicide rate dropped again in south and southwest suburbs, mirroring trends in Chicago and broader Cook County: The south and southwest suburbs saw a 35% decrease in homicides in 2025 compared to 2024, according to tracking by the Daily Southtown, reflecting a continuing downward trend in recent years. The same trend is apparent in numbers for Chicago and greater Cook County, according to a preliminary analysis published by the Cook County medical examiner’s office. According to that report, there were 541 homicides in Cook County as a whole last year, down from 792 in 2024 and 850 in 2023. Last year was the first year since 2014 that the medical examiner’s office handled fewer than 600 homicides in a year, the report said.

* Crain’s | Amazon plans Walmart-style big box store in Orland Park: “We regularly test new experiences designed to make customers’ lives better and easier every day, including physical stores,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “The site in question is our planned location for a new concept that we think customers will be excited about.” Amazon also plans to sell prepared foods and have a “limited warehouse component” that will serve the store and not be a distribution center, according to village records. The store will sit on 35 acres that are currently home to a vacant restaurant.

* Patch | Burr Ridge Mayor: Jan. 6 Riot ‘Stain’ On U.S. History: But Grasso, who is running as a Republican for chairman of the DuPage County Board, did not address President Donald Trump’s handling of the riot in his post. In a social media post, Grasso noted the rioters’ violence and property damage. In reflecting on the “historic ugliness” of that day, he said, some will undoubtedly grin.

*** Downstate ***

* STLPR | Draining water from Alton sinkhole has begun: Removing the water from the sinkhole, which formed in June 2024 after a limestone mine beneath the public park, is the first step the city government and mine company must complete to eventually fill and repair the massive pit. Video of the field collapsing went viral, and the city closed the entire park and nearby golf course for more than a month. The city wanted the water to be drained so its contracted engineers could inspect the sinkhole and double-check the proposed repairs by the mine company, New Frontier Materials. It will cost $35,000 to $53,000 to remove the water, and it’s not clear who will cover the initial costs.

* WCIA | Ford, Iroquois Co.’s looking for mass transit solution after CRIS RMTD dissolution: WCIA’s partners at the Ford County Chronicle reported that the rural transportation committee that oversees Ford, Iroquois and Livington Counties met this week to discuss the matter. Officials said that while all options are still on the table, an intergovernmental agreement with Danville appears to be the most “streamlined” option. It was something Mayor Ricky Williams alluded to before that meeting. Right now, Danville Mass Transit does not have authorization to operate outside Vermilion County, but its director, Stephen White, seemed receptive to the idea.

* WSIL | $170K grant aids SIU Carbondale in fight against harmful algae blooms: “Every year millions, if not billions, of dollars in recreational and health damage are caused by these microbes,” Hamilton-Brehm said. He explained that controlling these blooms could be as simple as spraying ponds, lakes, and rivers if their research is successful. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can become harmful when they form high concentrations and produce toxins. Killing these blooms releases toxins into the water, posing a challenge for control.

* WCIA | ‘We’re incredibly grateful’: U of I board chairman reflects on Killeen’s impact ahead of his departure: Killeen said being president at the University of Illinois was, “the honor of [his] professional life.” He added, “I am proud of the way we have been able to make world-class education affordable in a historically important time for higher education.” The chairman of U of I’s Board of Trustees, Jesse Ruiz, was with Killeen on Thursday. Killeen told Ruiz that he’s conscientious enough to know he’s had a good run, and that it’s also time for new leadership and to pass the baton.

* WGLT | Peoria County sheriff urges Gov. Pritzker to revisit cashless bail: Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins said in a statement the SAFE-T Act has seen court-appearance failures increase, reflected in updated data for the Peoria County Jail tracking jail bookings from 2022-2025. Total jail bookings for 11 types of nonviolent offenses plus domestic battery have increased by 1,699, or nearly 28%, from 2022 to 2025, according to data provided by Watkins. The failure to appear rate has increased by 339 cases, nearly 16%. A report released Monday by the Peoria Police Department indicates shooting incidents were down 18% and gunshot homicides were down by 61% in 2025.

*** National ***

* AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler | ICE Actions Are Putting Working People in Danger: The Trump administration’s reckless Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are trampling on working people’s fundamental rights and freedoms: to work with dignity and raise our families without the threat of violence from our government, and to safely return home to our loved ones at the end of the day. The horrifying acts of this administration’s militarized immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, and cities across this country are not about safety. They are about power, and they are putting innocent working people in danger.

* AP | Meta lines up massive supply of nuclear power to energize AI data centers: Meta has cut a trio of deals to power its artificial intelligence data centers, securing enough energy to light up the equivalent of about 5 million homes. The parent company of Facebook on Friday announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center that is being built in New Albany, Ohio. Meta announced Prometheus, which will be a 1-gigawatt cluster spanning across multiple data center buildings, in July. It’s anticipated to come online this year.

* The Guardian | Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery: The tool had been used to manipulate images of women to remove their clothes and put them in sexualised positions. The function to do so has been switched off except for paying subscribers. […] That means the vast majority of users of the platform cannot create images using Grok. Those who do have their full details and credit card information stored by X, so can be identified if the function is misused. The public @Grok account has had its image generation capabilities heavily restricted. However, there is also a separate Grok app, which does not share images publicly, on which non-paying users have reported still being able to generate sexualised imagery of women and children.

* The Guardian | No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool: Asked about the change, a Downing Street spokesperson said it was unacceptable. “The move simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service,” they said. “It’s not a solution. In fact, it’s insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so. You heard the prime minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act, and needs to act now. It is time for X to grip this issue.

1 Comment

Attorneys general lay out case against feds on funding freeze

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Washington Post…

Five Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing and child care assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families.

New York, along with California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow them to continue receiving the funds, in a lawsuit filed Thursday evening with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The states argued that the Administration for Children and Families, which is within the Department of Health and Human Services, provided no evidence of fraud and acted illegally by enacting sanctions within the three welfare programs without following processes laid out by law. The administration wrote to the states earlier this week that the freeze was necessary to prevent “potential” fraud but didn’t detail what it meant, according to letters viewed by The Washington Post.

* Tribune…

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, however, has said that the federal government has not provided the state with details or information about any alleged fraud.

Illinois stands to lose about $1 billion, according to the governor’s office.

* HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart…

It’s unfortunate that these Attorney Generals from these Democrat-led states are less focused on reducing fraud and more focused on partisan political stunts.

HHS stands by its decision to take this action to defend American taxpayers. We identified serious concerns in these states that warranted immediate review and action.

These same officials were complicit in this perpetuation of this fraud and allowing it to happen. Waste, fraud, and abuse will not be tolerated in the Trump administration.

* AG Raoul press release…

The [federal government] letters demand that – within two weeks – Illinois turn over “the entire universe” of documents related to the use of these funds, including the personally identifying information of millions of residents, to potentially stop the freeze. Raoul’s lawsuit asserts that this is an impossible task on an impossible timeline and that the administration is fully aware of that. The complaint argues that the administration is engaging in a fishing expedition to attempt to find a rationale for withholding the funds after the fact, when the real motivation is targeting the president’s perceived political enemies.

* From the lawsuit…

CCDF statutes and regulations prescribe a number of ways in which [the US Administration for Children & Families] monitors States’ compliance with program requirements, including potential fraud, and the manner in which data and records can be provided from States to ACF in furtherance of its compliance efforts. For example, Congress has specified that each State must undergo regular audits; must report certain data to ACF regularly; and must undergo a quality control process through which ACF calculates the rate of improper payments. See 42 U.S.C. § 9858i; 45 C.F.R. §§ 98.65, 98.100

ACF likewise did not acknowledge any of these oversight mechanisms in implementing the ACF Funding Freeze as to CCDF.

The TANF statute provides the specific and exclusive circumstances under which ACF may implement a penalty against a State for noncompliance in the TANF program, including a State’s failure to submit required reports, failure to comply with child support enforcement obligations, and a “[g]eneral penalty” for when a State’s statutorily-required audit finds that a State’s funds have been used in violation of the law. 42 U.S.C. § 609(a); 45 C.F.R. § 263.10; see also 42 U.S.C. § 617 (“No officer or employee of the Federal Government may regulate the conduct of States under” the TANF program “except to the extent expressly provided in this part.”).

ACF must follow specific procedures to implement these penalties.

First, ACF must notify a State of the violation. 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(1)(A). This notification must be in writing; must specify which penalty will be imposed and the reasons for the penalty; specify the sources of information ACF relied on and the reasons for its decision; and invite the State to present its arguments if it believes that the information or method that ACF used were in error or were insufficient. 45 C.F.R. § 262.4(a).

Then, ACF must allow the State a sixty-day period to submit a corrective compliance plan that outlines how the State will correct or discontinue the violation and how the State will ensure continuing compliance. 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(1)(A)-(B).

Then, ACF has a sixty-day period to accept or reject the State’s proposed compliance plan. 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(1)(D).

Only if ACF rejects the State’s proposed compliance plan within 60 days can ACF impose penalties on the State. 42 U.S.C. §§ 609(c)(1)(D), (c)(2). See also 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(3).

Then, if ACF takes any adverse action against a State—which may include the imposition of a penalty as described above, but may also include an adverse action on the State’s TANF plan—ACF must notify the State within five days. 42 U.S.C. § 610(a). This notification must include “the factual and legal basis for taking the penalty in sufficient detail for the State to be able to respond in an appeal.” 45 C.F.R. § 262.7(a)(2).

Then, ACF must provide a sixty-day period for the State to appeal. 42 U.S.C. §610(b)(1).

Upon a final decision, the penalty for the State is a reduction in future payments to the state in the amount that was unlawfully spent. 42 U.S.C. § 609(a)(1)(A). ACF can impose an additional 5% reduction upon a finding that the State’s violation was intentional. 42 U.S.C. § 609(a)(1)(B).

ACF is prohibited from reducing the quarterly payment to any State by more than 25%. 42 U.S.C. § 609(d)(1). If this limitation results in unrecovered penalties, the balance is carried forward and assessed the following year. 42 U.S.C. § 609(d)(2).

Discuss.

3 Comments

ILGOP Chair Salvi: ‘The partisanship of Democrats has reached the level of undeniable insurrection’ (Updated x1)

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi…

Dear Friends,

Illinois families are paying more—again.

Governor JB Pritzker signed an $8 billion energy bill pushed through late at night and sold as “affordable.” It won’t lower costs, it won’t stabilize the grid, and it won’t protect families already struggling with rising utility bills.

This is what unchecked, one-party control looks like in Springfield: rushed decisions, higher costs, and little accountability.

While Illinois Democrats continue down this path, the contrast nationally is clear.

Decisive leadership recently protected American lives as a Venezuelan narcotrafficker responsible for massive drug smuggling is finally brought to justice—a reminder that leadership matters.

Yet instead of welcoming safer streets, Democrats rushed to criticize the action and politicize the outcome. The partisanship of Democrats has reached the level of undeniable insurrection.

That same pattern shows up closer to home.

In other states, years of ignored warnings led to widespread misuse of taxpayer funds intended for vulnerable families. Investigations only began after whistleblowers were sidelined and oversight failed. The lesson is simple: when transparency erodes, trust—and taxpayer dollars—are put at risk.

Illinois should take that warning seriously. Unchecked power and weak oversight always raise red flags, and Illinois families have every right to demand openness, accountability, and responsible governance to prevent waste and fraud.

Whether it’s rising energy costs, government waste, or public safety, the difference is clear:

Republicans push for accountability. Democrats resist it.

With early voting approaching, now is the time to act.

Discuss.

…Adding… Democratic Party of Illinois…

Kathy Salvi isn’t serious, and to those living in the real world, the situation couldn’t be more clear. While Donald Trump is focused on a $400 million White House ballroom and floating schemes to bribe Greenland, Illinois Democrats are focused on the real affordability crisis facing families.

When Republicans blocked action to keep health care affordable, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood led the fight to extend ACA tax credits. Not a single Illinois Republican in Congress had the courage to stand up to Trump and vote for it.

At the same time, the Trump administration froze $1 billion in child care funding, threatening providers across Illinois, and Illinois Republicans stayed silent. Illinois Democrats govern responsibly and focus on lowering costs for working families.

A Party that supports criminals who beat officers within an inch of their lives, platforms rioters, and promotes a gubernatorial candidate that just last month called Jan. 6th “a clear farce” will forever remain unconvincing in its lie that Democrats don’t love this state and country.

Illinois Republicans keep choosing Trump’s chaos over the people they represent.

33 Comments

Catching up with the federal candidates: More details emerge of efforts to push Leon, Amiwala out of CD9 race (Updated)

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Evanston Now…

Bruce Leon, the 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman who temporarily suspended his campaign for Congress last week, said Thursday he will stay in the race to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky, resisting outside pressure to force him off the ballot.

In a call with Evanston Now Thursday, Leon said he would not pull his name from the ballot before the 5 p.m. deadline, despite a pressure campaign from the American Israel Political Action Committee, which is quietly working to throw support behind State Sen. Laura Fine as a more viable candidate.

“I don’t want my community just to be bullied by AIPAC that she’s the only choice,” Leon said, noting he was working with a mediator to communicate between his campaign and officials at AIPAC. […]

When asked whether Fine had knowledge of the ongoing effort to push Leon off the ballot or about what Leon described as ongoing “negotiations,” her campaign, in a statement Thursday, said it was “not aware of, or interested in, any discussion between outside groups and other campaigns.

* Evanston Roundtable…

[Leon] later added that he’d given Fine three conditions for him dropping out before the withdrawal deadline: disclosing her support from AIPAC, participating in a debate with Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and former FBI agent Phil Andrew for the area’s Orthodox Jewish community, and dropping out of the separate race for the 9th District’s Democratic State Central Committeewoman. “She rejected all three,” Leon wrote.

Leon first decided to drop out after a group of Orthodox rabbis who had previously endorsed him switched to asking him to drop out last month. He said last week that this group had joined AIPAC in arguing that a win by Fine’s leading opponents, Biss and Kat Abughazaleh, would increase the risk of antisemitic violence in his community.

“I need them to move back and to say, ‘At the end of the day, maybe we should just let everybody run,’” Leon told the RoundTable last week.

AIPAC did not respond to an email requesting comment on Leon’s decision to stay in the race, and on his description of the lobbying group’s argument concerning antisemitic violence if Biss or Abughazaleh won.

* Meanwhile, Evanston Now’s Mathew Eadie found that Leon wasn’t the only candidate who was pressured to drop their bid for the 9th CD…

A petition circulated Wednesday calling on Bushra Amiwala, a Skokie School Board member and one of the two Gen-Z candidates in the race to drop out and throw her support behind content creator Kat Abughazaleh.

The petition was quickly taken off the internet Wednesday (Don’t worry, Evanston Now saw it first) and raised concerns about a “fragmented progressive, anti-genocide field,” with Amiwala still in the race. […]

It’s unclear who actually signed onto the petition, but it was circulated by an organization called For The People Action, a group that describes itself as seeking to “amplify American Muslim voices.”

Amiwala’s campaign said it was unaware of the petition, but a source close to Amiwala told Evanston Now that last-minute conversations about the viability of Amiwala’s candidacy in the Muslim community were happening, with increasing concern about AIPAC’s influence in the race.

…Adding… Bushra Amiwala…

My campaign is making wealthy, out-of-state interests uncomfortable. The local Muslim community, including organizations actively working in this district such as the Muslim Civic Coalition Activate, the Northern Illinois American Muslim Alliance, the Glenbrook Muslim Civic Association, and the American Muslim Public Affairs Committee, stands firmly behind me because our community is tired of being told to compromise its values. Virtually every American Muslim municipal elected official in and adjacent to this district has endorsed my campaign, including respected leaders in Morton Grove, Niles, Arlington Heights, Maine Township, and Skokie.

Make no mistake, if this campaign were not building real grassroots momentum, there would be no pushback from outside interests. My opponents are attempting to manufacture the appearance of division within our community because they are worried about our growing path to victory. The voters who actually live here deserve representation rooted in accountability, integrity, and lived experience, not influence from outside the district. If you care about universal healthcare, affordable housing and ending the genocide, then join my campaign at
bushraforcongress.com

* Pastor Roosevelt Watkins claims he never endorsed Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, despite Krishnamoorthi saying he did. From his Facebook page…

In November, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi announced support from clergy, touting that he had widespread support from faith leaders in Illinois. My name was included on the list, however, I was not supporting Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s candidacy prior to this announcement, and I am certainly not supporting him now. We need a leader who will be transformational to our communities, not transactional. While I’m disappointed that my name is being used to manufacture support that has not been earned, it’s not surprising given that this is a pattern for this campaign. It is my belief that this problem extends beyond a campaign error and has impacted additional clergy across the state.

Click here for Krishnamoorthi’s original press release.

* Politico…

In IL-07: Melissa Conyears Ervin has been endorsed by Chicago Ald. David Moore in her bid for the 7th Congressional District seat now held by Danny Davis.

In IL-08: Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has been endorsed by Barbara Flynn Currie, the former Illinois House majority leader, and Thomas Chiola, the former Cook County Circuit Court judge and the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in Illinois.

* More…

* Forest Park Review | Rep. Underwood endorses Dr. Fisher in 7th District Dem. primary : One key endorsement came on Jan. 8 from Rep. Lauren Underwood — who represents Illinois’ 14th district that covers an area southwest of Chicago, including DeKalb and Joliet — when she declared her approval of Dr. Thomas Fisher in the race for the 7th district’s Democratic primary. She cited his credibility on health care policy and eagerness to address national threats to democracy and public health.

*Daily Herald | GOP congressional candidate falls one signature short, removed from ballot: A suburban congressional candidate’s name was struck from upcoming primary ballots Thursday after the Illinois State Board of Elections decided her petitions fell one signature short of the legally required 799. But Palos Park Republican Tedora M. Brown’s campaign in the 11th District may not be over. Thursday afternoon, her attorney announced he’s filed for a judicial review.

* Shaw Local | Sorensen challenger officially removed from Illinois 17th Congressional District race: The Illinois State Board of Elections on Wednesday upheld an objection to Montez Soliz’s candidate petition and officially removed him from the ballot. Soliz filed his nomination papers Oct. 27. A Peoria resident filed an objection to Soliz’s candidacy Nov. 10, reportedly claiming Soliz’s petitions were not properly notarized and that several signatures were from people who either were not registered to vote at the listed address or by people who resided outside of the 17th District.

6 Comments

It’s just a bill

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Laura Fine…

In the wake of the unspeakable tragedy in Minneapolis, Minn., State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) will file legislation barring anyone hired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Donald Trump from obtaining employment in state or local law enforcement positions in the State of Illinois. This proposed state law continues her efforts to hold Donald Trump accountable and rein in the lawlessness of federal immigration officials.

“ICE is out of control and Donald Trump must be held accountable as communities like ours and across the country are torn apart by fear and violence,” Senator Fine said. “These officers are complicit in the President’s authoritarian campaign and we must do everything in our power to stop it while preventing further violence and loss of life. In Congress, I’ll lead the effort to hold every single person accountable for their role in Donald Trump’s lawlessness, including federal law enforcement officials who target American citizens exercising their first amendment rights. Enough is enough.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has hired more than 12,000 sworn ICE agents since Trump’s inauguration, more than doubling its ranks. Fine’s legislation makes anyone hired by ICE after January 20, 2025 ineligible from a state or local law enforcement position.

* CBS Chicago…

National leaders fighting for gun violence prevention joined advocates in Chicago to push for a first-of-its-kind law, making gun manufacturers pay for violence incurred by their weapons. […]

The RIFL Act was introduced in the Illinois House last February. While it didn’t get called for a vote last session, the RIFL Act gained support over the past year.

The legislation would require firearm manufacturers to be licensed in Illinois. Money collected from licensing fees would go into a victim fund for related expenses. […]

Opponents, including the National Rifle Association, call the RIFL Act unconstitutional. They say it is not fair to force the industry to “pre-confess” to crimes.

More on the bill from ABC Chicago…

Dr. Anthony Douglas’ experience as a trauma surgeon served as a policy framework for the legislation.

“I got exhausted with calling time of death on people that look like me,” said Douglas, a University of Chicago Medicine surgical resident. […]

“They’re making profit on pain, and we want to make sure that we hold them accountable. Take those fees and fund the things that prevent violence and keep community safe,” Democratic 13th District state Sen. Robert Peters said.

* HB4334 from Rep. Rick Ryan…

Amends the School Code. Removes language that requires, beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade to, in addition to other course requirements, successfully complete 2 years of foreign language courses.

* HB4281, sponsored by Reps. Lisa Davis and Michael Crawford, would let any Cook County municipality with at least 25,000 residents use speed cameras in school zones and parks. Synopsis…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the provision regarding automated speed enforcement systems in safety zones applies only to municipalities with a population of 25,000 (rather than 1,000,000) or more inhabitants in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants.

* Journal Courier…

The Illinois Township Code faces an amendment regarding meeting notices under a newly proposed bill.

Illinois House Bill 4266 says, “a township that has a website that the full-time staff of the township maintains shall also post on its website the notice and agenda of the annual and any special township meetings.” Additionally, notices and agendas must remain visible on the website until the meeting has concluded.

The bill was filed by Democratic Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech, who represents the state’s 59th congressional district located north of Chicago between Arlington Heights and Waukegan.

Currently, the Illinois Township Code only calls for the notice of the annual township meeting or any other special meetings to be posted “written or printed notices in three of the most public places in the township at least 15 days before the meeting and, if there is an English language newspaper published in the township, by at least one publication in that newspaper before the meeting. The notice shall set forth the agenda for the meeting.”

* Rep. Curtis Tarver filed HB4262 earlier this week…

Creates the Civil Remedies for Nonconsensual Recording of Children Act. Creates a civil action for a child or the parent or legal guardian on behalf of a child if a person (1) makes a video record or transmits a live video of the child without the consent of the child’s parent or guardian in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel residence; or (2) makes a video record or transmits a live video of a child without the consent of the child’s parent or guardian in a residence in which the child does not reside. Provides for exceptions. Provides that a child who proves by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant violated the Act against the child is considered obviously and materially harmful to the child and is per se harmful and traumatic. Authorizes a prevailing plaintiff to recover: (1) the greater of: (A) economic and noneconomic damages proximately caused by the defendant’s violation of the Act, including but not limited to damages for emotional distress whether or not accompanied by other damages; or (B) statutory damages, not to exceed $10,000, against each defendant found liable under the Act; (2) punitive damages; and (3) reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Provides that an action under the Act may not be brought no later than 2 years from the date the cause of action was discovered or should have been discovered with the exercise of reasonable diligence. Tolls the statute of limitation until the child becomes emancipated or attains the age of majority. Provides that if a State agency or unit of local government is required by law or ordinance to inspect a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel residence, the State agency or unit of local government must also inspect for hidden cameras. Provides that if a hidden camera is discovered, the owner or operator of the inspected location must post a public notice advising of the camera and the area it films. Provides that the notice must be in English and any other language that is spoken by a significant number of local residents in that area. Provides that the Act applies to causes of action accruing on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act.

* The Alton Telegraph…

A bill proposed in the Illinois state House would require children to complete kindergarten in order to proceed to the first grade in public schools.

Illinois House Bill 4253 was filed Thursday by Rep. Kevin Schmidt, a Republican from Millstadt. Schmidt represents the 114th House District, which includes several Metro East communities, including Millstadt, Mascoutah, Lebanon and O’Fallon, as well as parts of East St. Louis and Belleville.

“Beginning with the 2028-29 school year, any pupil enrolled in the public schools who is of compulsory school age but who has not yet attended kindergarten at a public, private or parochial school shall be required to satisfactorily complete kindergarten before advancing to first grade,” the bill states. The measure would amend the Compulsory Attendance Article of the School Code. […]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 19 states and the District of Columbia require students to complete kindergarten to move forward in school.

* HB4318 from Rep. Charlie Meier…

Amends the State Designations Act. Designates Ski as the official State soda of the State of Illinois.

* More…

Journal Courier | Illinois bill would update disability terms across state laws:

* Alton Telegraph | Illinois bill would require warning labels on non-vented natural gas appliances: A bill proposed by Democratic Illinois state Rep. Michael Crawford would prohibit a “non-externally vented natural gas appliance” from being sold or offered for sale without a properly placed warning label. The requirement would apply to appliances manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2027. […] “The label required shall be attached to the gas appliance in a conspicuous location. The label must be in a type size no smaller than the largest type size used for other consumer information on the product,” the language of Illinois House Bill 4272 reads.

37 Comments

‘Juice’s’ Dabrowski fact-check is fact-checked by GOMB and he’s mostly right

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Earlier this week, the commenter known as “Juice” fact-checked Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski, who was bemoaning an $11 billion increase on spending for human services since Fiscal Year 2019…

In 2019, in the Employment and Training Fund (which is essentially the TANF block grant) there was a $485 million appropriation for the Employment and Training Program, that in actuality was used in those years to fund the Child Care Assistance Program. So appropriations for CCAP were actually 70% higher in 2019 than he is claiming they were, which also significantly reduces the growth because that appropriation is now appropriated named as going to CCAP.

Also worth mentioning that in 2024, appropriations for the program was $3.3 billion, and that is now down to $2.8 billion. So despite Ted’s complaints, it would appear that appropriations are in fact being appropriately reduced with the reduction in federal funding.

I also took a quick look at [the Home Services Program], and a couple of things to note there. First, Ted pulled the enacted appropriations at the time the budget passed. Not the final appropriations (which would include supplementals and you would need to pull budget documents from later fiscal years to get that info.) But at some point in FY 2019, there was an $80 million supplemental for HSP so that base appropriation was actually 13% higher than he claims.

In addition to that, enrollment in the program is 33% higher now than it was in 2019. By definition, enrollment in the program is limited to those individuals who are otherwise eligible for nursing home level of care. Plus, under federal requirements, the services must be less costly than nursing home level of care. So in theory, growth in the HSP spending is actually saving the state more money because otherwise the individuals served would be receiving nursing home services.

* I asked the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget to fact check Juice’s fact check. From the governor’s office…

Hi Rich: So yes Juice’s numbers are largely accurate.

FY-19: Correct.

Recent trend FY: Correct. The only thing that is off is the FY26 approp. He has $2.8B but it should be $2.2B, but still approps coming down as COVID funding has come down.

HSP: $80M is correct. In terms of enrollment, seems to be in the ballpark. Would need a better sense if Juice is using annual unselected client counts or picked enrollments as of a specific moment.

* Yesterday, Juice posted this…

It would be really nice if members of the GOP could stick to some semblance of reality when it comes to immigration enforcement. In Minnesota, about 15.7% of the immigrant population is undocumented.

Compare that to other Midwestern Republican led states like Indiana (27%) or Iowa (33.3%) or their neighbor South Dakota (28.5%) and then ask which states are not “doing their job” (although on immigration I agree with others that states do not have a job to do.)

As a reference point, in Illinois the [immigrant population] number is around 22.9%.

We may have an early leader for the 2026 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter.

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Investing In Illinois

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker signs major energy reform bill amid projected shortages. Capitol News Illinois…

* Related stories…

• Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker signs sweeping Illinois energy law boosting batteries and renewables that GOP opposed
• Center Square: Pritzker signs energy omnibus with new charge for ratepayers in 2030

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WTTW | After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting, Chicago Judge Raises ‘Concern’ Over Dismissing Lawsuit on Federal Agents’ Use of Force: “It doesn’t give me much comfort in reading news reports that someone who in some news reports was described as a legal observer was shot yesterday in Minneapolis,” Ellis said. “So that’s my concern.” […] The lawsuit was filed last fall after journalists, protesters and clergy members in and around Chicago claimed they had been targeted by federal immigration agents, who subjected them to a “pattern of extreme brutality” through their usage of riot control weapons without justification.

* Tribune | Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey distances himself from President Trump but defends immigration crackdowns: Voters, Bailey said, are “going to have to get over the federal (Trump administration) situations. Then we’re going to understand we have our own problems in Illinois. I am my own person and I’ve proven that regardless of who I like, who I support.” “I’m running this campaign. I believe we’ve got an avenue to win. If it comes, great. If it doesn’t, fine. I’m here for Illinois,” Bailey said. “This (campaign) doesn’t revolve around Donald Trump and I want the people of Illinois to truly understand that. I want them to come and have a conversation with me. We’ve got our own unique problems and solutions and it’s time that we stop this political divisiveness.

* Sun-Times | Can state officials prosecute the feds? Calls grow after Minneapolis shooting: Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office said in a statement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations “have resulted in unnecessary deaths, broken relationships between law enforcement and our citizens, and an untold amount of terror unleashed on communities.” Still, it insisted the office “does not conduct independent investigations into criminal conduct. We do not have jurisdiction over federal agencies or facilities.” Instead, it reviews “evidence appropriately collected by law enforcement” and makes charging decisions. […] Pathways exist for state-level prosecutors like Burke to file criminal charges against federal agents under certain circumstances. The key legal question is whether federal agents are acting reasonably in fulfilling their duties, experts say.

*** Statewide ***

* BND | IL reports child flu death as virus surges at ‘very high’ levels. There’s a new variant: “Illinois is facing a significant winter surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses with flu activity at very high levels,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a Jan. 5 news release. “Vaccinations remain the most effective tool to prevent severe illness from flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Simple steps like covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands regularly, staying home when sick if you are able, and improving ventilation are also critical to preventing further spread.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WTTW | Four Illinois Sheriff’s Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds: Despite that, in 2024, after receiving civil detainers or warrants, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office reported transferring 18 individuals into Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations custody; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported three; the Kane County Sheriff’s Office reported two; and the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reported one.

* WaPo | Five Democratic-led states sue HHS over frozen welfare funding: Five Democratic-led states, New York, California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing and child care assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families.

* WAND | Pritzker signs Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability Act into law: Yet, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association argued the law will leave businesses and families with a $7 billion bill to pay for battery storage. “Rather than bailing out battery storage developers and their hedge fund owners, the bill should utilize the Illinois Finance Authority to fund these projects at below market rates so developers assume the risk, not everyday Illinoisans,” said IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler.

* WTVO | DHS accuses ‘sanctuary’ leaders of fueling anti-ICE violence with rhetoric: DHS pointed to remarks from Democratic officials that compare ICE to a “modern-day Gestapo,” including comments from Gov. Pritzker that the United States is “essentially” becoming Nazi Germany as a result of ICE’s enforcement efforts. On Wednesday, Pritzker demanded the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “For months, Trump’s DHS has wreaked lawless havoc in our neighborhoods. Tear gassing infants, families, and police. Firing their weapons at peaceful citizens. Killing innocent people. It’s brutal, unconstitutional, and out of control. It must stop. Kristi Noem must go. Now.”

* Crain’s | The other Medicaid cut: Illinois stares down as much as $1.5B less in provider taxes: Illinois faces a $239 million drop in hospital and managed care organization provider tax revenue, an important mechanism for funding the state’s Medicaid program, in 2028 and as much as a $1.5 billion cut over the next five years, according to a new assessment of looming budget challenges for the state. The issue of diminishing provider taxes and the somewhat-corresponding payments back to hospitals is another multiyear, cost-cutting change to Medicaid rules contained in the federal Big Beautiful Bill Act.

* NBC Chicago | Utility costs, affordability messages dominate Illinois governor race: On Thursday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which aims to lower monthly utility bills. It’s expected to save customers $13.4 billion over next two decades, according to the Illinois Power Agency. […] On the Republican side, gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey held his news conference Thursday outside of the governor’s office. He laid out his “Blueprint for Illinois,” which would freeze new utility rate hikes to help lower utility bills and offer property tax relief.

* Capitol News Illinois | Bailey proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican governor’s race focuses on spending: Bailey also announced a plan to address cost-of-living issues and other areas that relies on DOGE-style governing to achieve results. The commission under a Bailey governorship would be led by his running mate, Aaron Del Mar. Bailey and Del Mar did not specify any cuts they’ve already identified but stressed it would not be a tool to lay off large numbers of state employees or make cuts based on partisan politics — a difference from Trump’s and Musk’s approach. “We’re not going in here with a chainsaw,” Del Mar said. “We’re going in here with an X-Acto knife. We are doing this as a purely public policy effort. This is not politically driven.”

* Illinois Review | Tax-Exempt Wirepoints Breaks IRS Rules to Smear Bailey and Boost Dabrowski’s Governor Run: The article, written by Mark Glennon, frames Bailey as the preferred opponent of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and portrays him as a weak candidate easily manipulated by Democrats. It goes further, suggesting Republican voters are naive for supporting Bailey. […] Wirepoints is not a private media outlet free to engage in partisan combat. It is a federally recognized tax-exempt nonprofit. Under IRS rules, 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from participating or intervening in political campaigns for or against any candidate for elective office. That prohibition is clear, strict, and well-established. Dabrowski appeared to recognize this reality in September 2025, when he resigned as president of Wirepoints, explicitly citing the need to comply with 501(c)(3) restrictions ahead of his gubernatorial campaign.

* Jim Dey | Is Pritzker trying — again — to pick GOP opponent in November election?: Four years ago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, working with the Democratic Governors Association, spent millions of dollars to promote a Republican gubernatorial candidate — Darren Bailey — whom he was sure he could defeat in the 2022 general election. With Pritzker’s help, Bailey won a contested GOP primary and then went on to sound defeat against Pritzker. Four years later, Pritzker is running for re-election while Bailey, again, is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge him.

* Center Square | Signature shortfalls knock multiple candidates off Illinois ballot: Lamar Chapman challenged U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidacy, alleging he is not a citizen. Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, was born in India and his family moved to Peoria as a child. “The candidate filed a motion to strike and dismiss the objector’s petition, attaching a certificate of citizenship and a U.S. passport,” Malowitz said in a December 2025 hearing.

* News-Gazette | Champaign County auditor fails to qualify for state comptroller’s race: But successful challenges to some of his signatures left him 657 short of the 5,000 minimum. Danos said he does not anticipate appealing the decision. “There is (an appeal process). But I’m not inclined to pursue it. I don’t think the courts want to overturn a decision by the state board,” he said.

* Daily Herald | GOP race for governor tightens up after Severino removed from ballot: Board members removed Republican Joseph Severino from the ballot after finding that the Lake Forest resident and his lieutenant governor pick, Rantch Isquith, had insufficient signatures on their nominating petitions.“The candidates submitted 4,748 ballot signatures, which is 252 fewer than the minimum of 5,000 signatures required for ballot access,” board of elections general counsel Marni Malowitz said.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Record property tax increases slam Chicago homeowners as downtown owners see cuts: The long-awaited second installment of Cook County property tax bills was mailed to property owners on Friday and is due Dec. 15. Across the county, residential and commercial property owners are being billed a total of $19.2 billion, a nearly 5% increase from last year. But the burden is falling unequally. Audrey Pierce, 71, last year paid about $3,300 in property taxes for the greystone three-flat she has owned on Christiana Avenue in North Lawndale since 2000. On Thursday night, she logged onto the treasurer’s website to discover her new annual bill now is nearly $7,000.

* CBS Chicago | Police oversight commission hears from Chicagoans frustrated with CPD’s interactions with ICE: The Community Commission for Public Safety & Accountability held the meeting after receiving a petition with at least 2,000 signatures demanding an investigation into how CPD interacted with the feds. People demanded commissioners hear the countless accountants of what Chicagoans have endured and witnessed during the immigration enforcement. “Why is it that CPD, who claim to protect and serve Chicagoans have engaged in crowd control for ICE?” one woman said.

* Block Club | Before Feds Killed Minnesota Mom, They Killed A Man And Shot A Woman 5 Times In Chicago: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson voiced his support for Frey and the Minneapolis community Wednesday afternoon, calling the shooting “deeply disturbing and unfortunately all too familiar to incidents that have transpired here in Chicago.” “It is incidents like these that demonstrate why we have pushed back against reckless and racist militarized immigration enforcement in Chicago,” he said.

* Tribune | Federal judge postpones ruling on detained father of sick teen: Attorneys for Ruben Torres Maldonado, a 40-year-old Portage Park man detained by federal immigration agents last Saturday while his 16-year-old daughter, Ofelia, is undergoing cancer treatment, petitioned the court for him to be freed as his deportation case works its way through the system. Federal Judge Jeremy Daniel heard arguments from Torres’ attorney and a lawyer with the United States attorney’s office but postponed a ruling until Friday. Torres’ lawyers argued for his immediate release due to the hardship his absence is creating for Ofelia; his wife, Sandibell Hidalgo; and their 4-year-old son, Nathan.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | ‘I will not back down’: DuPage clerk’s dispute with county board heads to appeals court: According to a notice of appeal filed on Wednesday, the clerk’s office is seeking the reversal of two rulings last year from DuPage County Judge Bryan Chapman that both sided with the county board. Chapman ruled in August that DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek and her office must follow the county’s accounting procedures. Then, in December, the judge denied the clerk’s request for summary judgment, in which Kaczmarek argued that two election-related contracts were exempt from bidding rules.

* Lake County News-Sun | Officials continue push to remove Waukegan coal ash ponds: ‘I’m not giving up’: Shortly after NRG introduced its initial plan, state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Gurnee, introduced legislation in the Illinois General Assembly to require the removal of all coal ash ponds and other deposits of the material along Lake Michigan. She remains five votes short of passage. “It would be 10 times worse than Flint,” Mayfield said in June 2022, referring to the lead contamination of the drinking water in that Michigan city in 2014. “We’re not looking for solutions for today. We’re looking toward tomorrow.”

* Daily Southtown | Bill aimed at settling Ford Heights debt to Chicago Heights signed, though concerns remain: Signed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Dec. 12, the legislation allows the state comptroller to collect debts between local governments if the entities reached an agreement or filed a court order. It takes effect June 1, according to the governor’s office. Ford Heights owes Chicago Heights, its water supplier, nearly $2 million in unpaid water bills. Chicago Heights has attempted to collect the money for about a decade, including suing Ford Heights. State Reps. Thaddeus Jones and Anthony DeLuca came together to revive the bill after it was pulled from the statehouse floor in April. Jones expressed concern state intervention could further hike water bills for Ford Heights, which already has some of the highest water bills in the south suburbs, after Chicago Heights threatened to turn off the water in 2018.

* Elgin Courier-News | Angry, frustrated residents flood Elgin immigration forum: ‘We can’t ignore what is happening here’: Attended by about 250 people, the forum at the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin was in response to a Dec. 6 incident in which a man escaped U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement custody and barricaded himself for several hours in an apartment on Maple Lane. A large group who gathered to protest the actions that day were sprayed with chemical weapons, residents said. “I was tear-gassed by ICE,” Zack Hislip said. “(ICE) is lying about everything that happened that day.” He refuted allegations that federal agents were hit by bottles and rocks in a riot-like atmosphere.

* Daily Herald | ‘It just hurts’: Community members express anger, fear and frustration over immigration enforcement in Elgin: Hislip said his fear is that this is only the beginning. “They’re going to be more violent,” he said. “They’re going to kill people like they did today (in Minneapolis). They’re going to kill people in Elgin. They’re going to kill our neighbors.”

* Daily Herald | Elgin police chief says changes needed to TRUST Act: Lalley told the crowd at the meeting that she’s working with Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser and others to propose amendments to the Illinois TRUST Act, which restricts local law enforcement from collaborating or interfering with federal immigration enforcement. Lalley said she heard the disappointment from the community that officers did not stay on the scene longer during an immigration enforcement action at Maple Lane on Dec. 6, but explained that they had to deal with the gray areas of the TRUST Act.

* Evanston Now | Women’s pro soccer team wants to play at new Ryan Field: Club president Karen Leetzow told a virtual 7th Ward meeting on Thursday night that “we view Ryan Field as a lifeline” as the team works long-term for a separate, soccer-only facility at an undetermiined location. The team says that a survey done by 2040 Strategy Group for the Stars “shows 82 percent of Evanston residents are in favor of the team playing at Ryan Field” … and “overwhelmingly believe the team would reinforce Evanston’s values, and promote gender equity.”

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Danville steps in to provide critical rides after CRIS transit services halt operations: “For the entire Vermillion County, anyone who was being transported to their dialysis appointments by CRIS senior services as of starting last Saturday, they closed on Friday, on Saturday, my team was on it, and they’ve made sure that all their patients have been able to make their appointments,” said Rickey Williams, Mayor of Danville. Williams said city staff immediately stepped in, coordinating rides for critical appointments, some as early as 5:30 a.m.

* Advantage News | Godfrey may purchase Geofencing software: The Village of Godfrey is considering the purchase of software that can help them see where people are spending time in the village. Called Geofencing, the program does not identify you or harvest your personal information but can tell the village where you came from by using Wi-Fi and your smartphone. Godfrey Economic Development Director Jim Mager says he and Park and Rec Director Chris Logan recently had conversations about such a product. No decisions were made at this week’s Village Board meeting, but trustees were asked to consider the possibility of such a purchase being brought up at a future meeting. This version of the software has a price tag of $10,000 per year, but there are other versions that are more costly.

* The Telegraph | Alton’s Dan King wins ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ takes home $60,648: It was a busier-than-normal night in Alton Sports Tap as over a hundred gathered to watch King compete on “Wheel of Fortune.” With friends, family, customers, and even his personal hairstylist in attendance, King celebrated the big win with celebratory cheers.

* 25News Now | Caterpillar, NVIDIA announce AI-powered collaboration: Caterpillar, celebrating 100 years, announced an AI ecosystem for machines, job sites, factories and supply chains in a collaboration with NVIDIA. “As AI moves beyond data to reshape the physical world, it is unlocking new opportunities for innovation — from job sites and factory floors to offices,” Creed said. NVIDIA‘s Jetson Thor platform enables real-time AI inference on Cat construction, mining and power equipment, laying the foundation for next-generation autonomy and intelligent in-cab experiences. Caterpillar said the platform would provide customers with personalized insights and use voice activation to enable settings, guide troubleshooting and connect users to the right resources across Cat apps and websites.

*** National ***

* 404 Media | Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods: Commercial location data, in this case acquired from hundreds of millions of phones via a company called Penlink, can be queried without a warrant, according to an internal ICE legal analysis shared with 404 Media. The purchase comes squarely during ICE’s mass deportation effort and continued crackdown on protected speech, alarming civil liberties experts and raising questions on what exactly ICE will use the surveillance system for.

* Oregonian | ICE officers impersonating utility workers, Oregon lawmaker says: Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, on Tuesday posted on Facebook that the NW Natural notice came after he spoke to utility officials about the reports. Ruiz said he also reached out to Portland General Electric with the same concerns. Ruiz said members of a Gresham family told him that immigration agents wearing bright vests asked one of them to come out of their house to show him where the gas meter was. […] The person was released after several hours because he proved he has legal status, Ruiz said. The family members asked him not to release their names out of fear of retaliation, he said.

* WaPo | After 25 days, ICE releases Maryland woman who says she is a US citizen: Slatton said the case against Diaz Morales has not yet been dismissed by the government and she could still face deportation proceedings. But Slatton is confident her client’s claim to citizenship has been established. “She is a U.S. citizen. She was born here. I think that we’ve presented more than enough evidence, but we will continue to fight it until every single court accepts and acknowledges it,” she said.

* Mother Jones | Cops Are Taught Not to Shoot Into Cars. ICE Keeps Doing It Anyway.: Instead of shooting, law enforcement officers are taught to do something much safer for everybody involved: Get out of the way. But the federal agents enforcing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign seem not to be following this rule, and are taking a far more dangerous path.

* Mother Jones | Grok Deepfaked Renee Nicole Good’s Body Into a Bikini: In several posts, Grok confirmed that the chatbot had undressed the recently killed woman, writing in one, “I generated an AI image altering a photo of Renee Good, killed in the January 7, 2026, Minneapolis ICE shooting, by placing her in a bikini per a user request. This used sensitive content unintentionally.” In another post, Grok wrote that the image “may violate the 2025 TAKE IT DOWN Act,” legislation criminalizing the nonconsensual publication of intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes.

* Bloomberg | J&J Reaches Deal With Trump For Drug Discounts, Tariff Reprieve: Johnson & Johnson reached a deal with the US government to lower drug prices for some Americans, joining a cadre of major pharmaceutical companies to make price concessions in exchange for tariff exemption. The American drugmaker was one of 17 companies President Donald Trump called on last summer to lower prices, and among the last ones to announce a deal. The two remaining companies are AbbVie Inc. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., which previously said they are in talks with the White House.

* WaPo | A study offers a surprising reason for plunging U.S. overdose deaths: The paper suggests that the illicit fentanyl trade — which drove a historic surge in drug deaths during the past decade — experienced a large-scale decline in supply. Overdose deaths had surpassed 100,000 annually during the Biden administration but began to decline in mid-2023 and plunged further in its final year. They have kept falling under President Donald Trump, who invokes drug trafficking as he imposes steep tariffs on other countries and unleashes missile strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.

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Good morning!

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?…

3 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign news

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)