[A] bill awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature would classify e-bikes and e-motos that travel over 28 mph as motor vehicles starting Jan. 1 and subject those operators to the state’s drunken driving laws. […]
E-scooters, electric skateboards and electric unicycles would be prohibited from operating over 28 mph on roads, bike lanes, bike paths and sidewalks.
The bill, introduced to the public in January by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, fills a gap in the state’s vehicle code, which hasn’t addressed the rising popularity of powered micromobility devices. […]
Riders of Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which go up to 20 mph, must be at least 15 years old, according to the bill. Riders must be at least 16 years old for Class 3 e-bikes, which go up to 28 mph.
House Bill 3663 would increase the amount of money paid to people who have been wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois and bring the state in line with federally recommended minimum standard set in 2004.
The Court of Claims would now be able to award an exoneree up to $50,000 for each year wrongfully spent in prison and $25,000 for each year wrongfully on parole, probation or a sex offender registry with no upward cap. The court could also pay out associated attorney fees and costs.
The previous system set specific payouts based on the range of years served, with a maximum total payout of $199,150 that’s hit once a person has served at least 14 years wrongfully. […]
The bill is the product of years of work by the Illinois Innocence Project.
A bill aimed at strengthening protections for vulnerable adults under guardianship gained approval from Illinois lawmakers six months after a Tribune investigation revealed troubling consequences of area hospitals’ use of guardianship.
If signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker, the legislation will create a number of additional oversight mechanisms for hospitals and other parties that request guardianship for an adult with whom they have no personal relationship, as well as for private professional guardians. […]
The bill also encourages private professional guardians to meet with the allegedly disabled adult prior to being appointed to the case or as soon as is feasible. An earlier version of the bill had required that such guardians attest in court that they had met with and assessed the adult prior to their appointment. […]
Other guardrails in the bill include naming an individual on the guardianship petition instead of an organization, requiring certification of all staff working in guardian roles at private guardianship organizations, and periodic background checks of those employees.
Private guardians will also be required to notify the court at least 60 days prior that they are planning to refer the disabled adult under their care to the state or county guardian, and to estimate as part of the budgeting process how much longer the disabled adult can afford their fees and services before their estate is depleted. They also need to notify the court if the disabled adult’s home would be required to be sold to pay for continued services within the next 36 months.
Illinois has become the latest state to restrict the involvement of private equity and other non-lawyer interests in owning or running law firms, enacting legislation supporters say will help to protect the attorney-client relationship and wall off attorney fees from non-lawyers.
In the closing hours of the spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers approved the legislation known as House Bill 5487.
In an unusual political alignment, the measure drew support from both the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, which speaks for the state’s influential lawsuit filers, as well as from the group that normally lines up opposite them in court and on political issues, the Illinois Defense Counsel. […]
The legislation explicitly places limits on the creation and use of so-called alternative business structures (ABS) and management services organizations (MSOs) in law firms.
* Sen. Sue Rezin…
After years of advocating for stronger protections for children online, legislation sponsored by Illinois Senate Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) aimed at improving online safety for minors and giving parents additional tools to navigate the challenges of the digital age passed out of the General Assembly in the early hours of June 1st.
House Bill 5511, also known as the Children’s Online Safety Act, establishes additional safeguards for minors on social media platforms, including enhanced privacy protections, parental controls, and restrictions on certain interactions between minors and adults.
“Over the last five years, I have worked with parents, educators, mental health professionals, technology experts, and young people to better understand how social media and other online platforms are affecting our children,” said Senator Rezin. “One thing has become very clear: doing nothing is not an option.”
Senator Rezin has long been a leading voice on online safety issues through her Safe Screens, Healthy Minds initiative, which focuses on helping families better understand the impact of technology and social media on youth mental health and well-being.
The goal of House Bill 5511, the Children’s Online Social Media Safety Act, is to prevent children under the age of 18 from being exposed to harmful content and addictive features by requiring social media companies to confirm a user’s age through the device’s operating system.
The bill doesn’t prevent children from downloading or using social media apps. During device set-up, parents would set the child’s age, which would adjust certain design features in apps such as algorithmic feeds, the visibility of the child’s profile and what media can be shown to them.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously on Monday with a vote of 57-0. It passed the House a second time on Monday with a 113-0 vote.
Gov. JB Pritzker proposed the bill during his February budget address, and he celebrated its passage on Monday and said he would sign it.
A bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could protect medical records related to abortion and gender affirming care provided in Illinois.
Sponsors said the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act will ensure people receiving care in Illinois will not have their sensitive records shared without their consent.
The bill requires electronic health networks to prevent all medical codes related to abortion and gender dysmorphia from leaving the state unless the patient approves that the information can be shared. […]
Pritzker said he looks forward to signing the bill into law to fortify the protections around choice and consent. He also stressed anyone receiving safe and legal abortion care in Illinois will not be criminalized.
* Rep. Nabeela Syed…
State Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, passed tough new legislation June 1 to ban the use of AI agents or complex software programs, often called ‘bots,’ to buy up thousands of tickets in seconds, before real consumers can do so, and then sell them on ticket resale sites for a huge markup. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for signature.
“Shady operators using underhanded tactics to restrict supply and drive prices up shouldn’t be allowed to be the gatekeepers to concerts and events in our state,” Syed said. “This legislation is not aimed at regular consumers who want to resell a ticket. This is about putting a stop to industrial-scale operations that scoop up tickets by the hundreds or even thousands, and then sell them back to people at highway-robbery prices. That’s not okay, so we’re giving authorities the tools to shut it down.”
Bot-driven ticket purchases don’t just harm consumers, but also venues and surrounding small businesses, when fewer people can afford inflated ticket prices. Venues often get very little of the ticket price and make money from people entering the gates and purchasing food, drinks, and merchandise. Less foot traffic around the venue leaves surrounding local businesses with lower profits.
The Syed-backed Senate Bill 318, also known as the Prohibition on Bots Purchasing Act, bans using bots to purchase tickets in excess of posted limits, including by using more than one account, IP address, or email addresses—or to circumvent or disable a queue, waiting period, pre-sale code, or any other limitation. Ticket sellers are required to report violations and identify violators if known.
* More…
* Tribune | Illinois OKs immigration detention limits and e-bike rules while prescriptions board and police bill stall: Among the most significant measures to clear the legislature was a bill barring federal immigration detention centers from being built within 1,500 feet of schools, parks, homes, churches and other community spaces — a direct response to the violent clashes that roiled the Chicago suburb of Broadview last fall during the Trump administration’s mass deportation operation. The bill passed 39-17 in the Senate during the overnight hours on Monday after clearing the House in April by a 72-35 vote. It was introduced by House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, of Hillside, whose legislative district includes the Broadview’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility at 1930 Beach St. — the flash point for weeks of confrontations between federal immigration officers and protesters during what became known as Operation Midway Blitz.
* Capitol News Illinois | Lawmakers at the end of session try to appease both sides in drug pricing controversy: Illinois lawmakers gave hospitals and community health centers much of what they wanted this session by passing a bill that prohibits drug manufacturers from interfering with their access to discounted medications through a federal drug pricing program. But they also gave drug companies what they wanted by passing another piece of legislation that calls on the Illinois Department of Insurance to conduct an audit to find out how much money these hospitals and clinics are making off that program, and what they are doing with the profits.
* Kankakee Times | Illinois legislature approves bill raising agricultural bond caps: The proposed law adjusts the Illinois Finance Authority Act, allowing issuance of a higher amount of notes or bonds for individual agricultural real estate borrowers above the current $450,000 cap adjusted for inflation, if bigger amounts are permitted by law or regulation. Restrictions remain preventing bond proceeds from going to agribusinesses with over 100 employees and those whose gross receipts exceed $2 million, except as specified for research and development and out-of-state applicants. The legislation becomes effective immediately upon becoming law.
* Crypto dude whose divisive, controversial and Trump-supporting industry (not him) spent $10 million to defeat Pritzker’s lt. governor’s bid for US Senate and dumped $800,000 against state Sen. Robert Peters’ congressional campaign and $2.5 million against successful congressional candidate Rep. La Shawn Ford (who was endorsed by the Illinois House Speaker) complains about a 0.2% tax on the value of all crypto trades that’ll raise maybe $60 million…
A new digital asset tax tucked into the Illinois budget at the last minute threatens the state’s potential to become a major cryptocurrency hub, DRW’s Don Wilson said today.
“That just tells everybody, ‘Just leave. Pack up your bags and leave,’” Wilson, founder and CEO of the local trading firm, said during a Crain’s Q&A event for business leaders. “It sends the message, ‘We do not want you here.’” […]
“At a time when corporations are benefitting from Trump tax cuts and continue posting record profits, asking those firms to pay their fair share is a commonsense step to level the playing field to maintain fiscal stability and mitigate the impact working families and communities across Illinois,” the governor’s office said in a statement. […]
He added he had “zero inkling” a tax was coming as legislators were finishing the budget. “Everybody in the industry is caught off guard,” Wilson said. “Literally, in the middle of the night, they slipped it in.”
DRW has no Statehouse lobbyist. Wilson contributed $150K to stop the graduated income tax constitutional amendment, and gave almost $100K to Bruce Rauner.
I dunno, maybe build some relationships and mend some fences.
Six days before the last day of the spring state legislative session, Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, gave me two big reasons why it was so difficult to push a Bears stadium bill across the finish line. Cunningham, as you know, is the chief sponsor of the Senate’s Bears bill.
1) Every stadium-related legislation passed in Illinois included the Chicago mayor and the Illinois governor pulling in the same direction. This time, that didn’t happen.
2) Moving a stadium location within a state pits Illinois municipalities against each other, and you don’t want to do that “particularly when the municipality on the losing side has way more members than any other municipality in the state.” Cunningham told reporters more recently that stadiums which have moved within the same state didn’t involve their state legislatures. Instead, local governments picked up the tab.
Cunningham appeared on a WSCR radio program last week and said, “For most of the last few weeks, most senators wanted to do nothing.” But then, he said, “We thought it was important to pass something that would make it easier for the Bears to build a new stadium in Illinois,” so they started putting together a plan.
Reasons abounded for wanting to do nothing. For example, some senators didn’t want to help the Bears move to the suburbs, but some didn’t want to help billionaire team owners at all, and some didn’t like the original House plan and were ready to move on. And, as Cunningham said on the Senate floor, his constituents mostly wanted to keep the Bears here but didn’t want to give them a single taxpayer penny to do it.
But why, I asked Cunningham later, did he wait until May 30 — the day before the end of session — to pull the plug on the House-passed megaprojects bill? And what was the impetus for coming up with an alternative plan?
Cunningham first explained he’d held several meetings with caucus members after the House passed its own bill and tried out several versions of a slimmed-down proposal. None of those bills could pass.
“’Let’s do nothing’ probably had a plurality of senators behind it,” he said.
At the start of last week, Cunningham said, it became clear it just couldn’t be passed. So, by midweek, “I began floating the Municipal Stadium Authority concept to a handful of senators” to see if that could find support.
By then, however, the budget and lots of other hot topics became the center of discussion. The governor, by the way, specifically warned the Senate this could happen weeks ago when he said he wanted the legislation wrapped up well ahead of the end of session to avoid being caught in the last-minute session crunch.
“By Friday [May 29], I felt the concept had enough support to start drafting a bill,” Cunningham said. That bill didn’t surface until late Sunday night right before session was previously scheduled to adjourn.
“I regret that we got to it as late as we did, but we simply had bigger fish to fry,” Cunningham said about the budget and other topics. “And while I talked about the concept with [House Bears bill sponsor Rep. Kam Buckner] midweek, and he was generally supportive of giving it a shot, we got the bill to him too late for the House to take action.”
His timeline was generally confirmed by other insiders.
Asked why a backup plan hadn’t been formulated weeks before, Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesperson said the question would be “best addressed to the Bears.”
Cunningham and other legislators have been saying for a while that rumors about the football team having second thoughts about leaving Chicago damaged the legislative effort to help the Bears move to the suburbs.
And that was why Cunningham’s new proposal was designed to level the playing field for Arlington Heights and Chicago. The idea was to at least say the city would be on equal footing with the suburbs. But it just came way too late in the session.
And then Friday, the Bears issued a statement saying the team will “advance our stadium development project” in Hammond, Indiana, although no site was specified.
More importantly though, a Bears official spoke by phone with both Cunningham and Buckner before the announcement. Both of the legislators in charge of the Bears negotiations said they were told by team President/CEO Kevin Warren the Bears looked forward to continuing the discussion about keeping the team in Illinois.
It’s the saga that won’t die.
* The Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout zoomed out…
“The Bears f—– it up by going with Johnson’s stupid thing without pulling Springfield in and having there be $2 billion in state funding required,” the source said, referring to their ballyhooed 2024 pitch for a lakefront dome south of Soldier Field. “The Bears own the first full year of failure. Then there was the second year of failure, which probably the governor owns a lot of because he didn’t get his head out of the sand until December, when Indiana became real.” […]
“They spent $200 million, which I believe is about $100 million more than the land was worth,” [State Rep. Kam Buckner, lead sponsor of a House megaprojects bill that never got a vote in the Illinois Senate] told the Sun-Times. “They negotiated against themselves to buy that land with no plan. After the fact, they decided, ‘Hey, we need to find a way to make this work.’ They did it backwards. […]
Unlike Warren, who appeared to have a budding political bromance with Johnson, the Bears’ lobbying team privately advised the politically naive Bears president that Johnson didn’t have the clout or the legislative know-how to get anything done, let alone a deal as controversial as this.[…]
Even after Indiana’s quickie approval of a sweetheart stadium deal for the Bears forced Pritzker off the sidelines, Illinois’ risk-averse governor remained at a safe distance from negotiations. […]
The tax incentives for Chicago could have been used to jump-start development at Michael Reese, The 78, a scaled-down version of the stalled One Central development across the street from Soldier Field and the South Loop Amtrak railyard being eyed by White Sox chairman-in-waiting Justin Ishbia. […]
“Johnson went hard against it. Davis Gates went hard against it. Toni was mute. Don Harmon was mute, and the version in the House … was too big to get done,” said a source close to negotiations. […]
“It really just shows you how dysfunctional things are in Illinois. The fact that they’ve been trying to get a stadium for three years, they pass a bill in the House, we wait weeks and weeks and weeks for the Senate to tell us what they think they’re going to do, and then the Senate files a bill at 11 o’clock at night? It wasn’t serious. They’re checking a box.”
The Bears announce their Purchase and Sale Agreement with Churchill Downs, Inc. for the site of the Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Illinois – 32 miles away from Soldier Field.
July 2022
Then-Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot proposes adding a dome to Soldier Field in effort to encourage the Bears to remain in the city. However, the team rebuffs the proposal, doubling down on their intent to develop the site in Arlington Heights. […]
February 13, 2023
The sale of the Arlington Heights site goes final with a $197.2 million price tag. The Bears say at the time that their purchase of the site does not guarantee they’ll follow through with building their new stadium – and surrounding “entertainment district” – there. […]
June 2023
The Bears’ Arlington Heights development plan stalls. Chicago PBS station WTTW reports that the snag is a result of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s valuation of the Arlington Heights property higher than the team anticipated, leading to a high property tax bill. […]
ESPN reports in March [of 2024] that the team’s new plan involves committing more than $2 billion toward building a new, publicly owned domed stadium. […]
In April [of 2024], the Bears reveal renderings of the proposed stadium project south of Soldier Field, estimated to cost $4.7 billion. While Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson openly championed the project, Illinois governor JB Pritzker was less enthused, given the expectation the Bears would request taxpayer funds to help build the stadium. […]
April 2, 2025
The Chicago Tribune reports that momentum has shifted back toward the Bears pursuing a stadium development project in Arlington Heights. […]
September 8, 2025
Warren pens an open letter to Bears fans declaring Arlington Heights “the only site within Cook County that meets that standard” in the team’s vision for a new stadium on the day of the team’s season-opening game […]
December 17, 2025
In another open letter to Bears fans, Warren announces that the team plans to explore an expanded search for a new stadium site after hitting a roadblock in negotiations with the state of Illinois over their current plan. The expanded search includes both the Arlington Heights site, but also “opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region,” Warren wrote, “including Northwest Indiana.” […]
May 21, 2026
The Bears declare that all plans to build a stadium within the Chicago city limits are done and that the team’s future stadium will be in either Arlington Heights or Hammond, Indiana. […]
June 5, 2026
Momentum continues toward a Bears move to Indiana. The team releases a statement saying it’s moving forward with the development plan in Hammond.
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* ICYMI: Illinois moving forward with closing Logan women’s prison, rebuilding it at Stateville prison site near Joliet. Tribune…
- The Illinois Department of Corrections said Friday it’s moving forward with a plan to shut down a women’s prison in central Illinois and rebuild it south of Chicago, near the site of another prison being shuttered.
- The announcement follows through on a 2024 plan from Gov. JB Pritzker to replace two aging, deteriorating prisons — Stateville Correctional Center, a maximum-security facility near Joliet and Logan Correctional Center, the women’s prison located 130 miles south near Lincoln. Under the plan, both institutions would be rebuilt on or near Stateville’s current site.
- Shutting down Logan would be another blow to the Lincoln area after the closures of Lincoln College and Lincoln Christian University, and other businesses and facilities over the years. The state, however, is now reusing a portion of what was the Lincoln Developmental Center, a compound for developmentally disabled adults that was closed years ago, as a juvenile justice facility.
* Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* WGLT | Trump administration blocks wind farm development in Illinois and across the nation: Billions of dollars in wind farm projects all over Illinois are on hold, including two projects in McLean County, two in Peoria County, and one in Tazewell County. […] “In total, we’re seeing a delay of $2 billion in private development, 2,849 megawatts, 800 turbines, which would generate enough energy for 400,000-plus houses, 2,000 construction jobs, an estimate of $160 million to landowners,” said Simpson.
* Daily Herald | Video gambling revenue collections continue to grow for local governments: Municipalities and counties that allow video gambling saw their collective share of revenue generated by the devices grow by more than $7.6 million in 2025. The combined $160 million distributed to the nearly 1,100 local governments last year represents a 5% increase in collections from the previous year, according to Illinois Gaming Board records.
* Capitol News Illinois | Now-cleared ‘Broadview 6’ immigration protesters seek evidence of White House pressure to indict: In a filing late Thursday afternoon, defense attorneys asked U.S. District Judge April Perry for permission to conduct discovery to reveal communications and any other evidence that would explain how the group went from six protesters among a crowd of hundreds and to those defendants facing a rare felony conspiracy charge. They also indicated their intention to seek evidence of what they called a “cover-up” of the alleged prosecutorial misconduct from the former lead assistant U.S. attorney on the case, which was only discovered in the eleventh hour before trial when Perry read unredacted transcripts from prosecutors’ multi-day efforts to secure an indictment from grand jurors.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Injustice Watch | Illinois tax sales get an overhaul, but how much will homeowners benefit?: In an email, Kileen Lindgren, senior state policy manager at Pacific Legal Foundation — the public interest law firm that successfully argued the case leading to the 2023 high court ruling — said the bill included the most essential reform elements. The “processes are still more complicated in Illinois than other states, but [the bill creates] a clear path for owners to obtain” equity, she wrote. Still, lawmakers didn’t adopt reforms implemented in other states that better protect homeowners that were outlined in a March article by the Investigative Project and Injustice Watch. An analysis of the reform bill also shows that it fails to guarantee former homeowners will receive any equity back and also dumps additional fees and potentially higher interest rates on Cook County residents digging themselves out of tax delinquency.
* Capitol News Illinois | Welch not on speaking terms with ousted Rep. Fred Crespo: “Fred Crespo hasn’t taken any initiative to come see me as the speaker of the House,” Welch said. “Fred Crespo has seen me on elevators, in the hall. He doesn’t even speak to me as a member of this body. He has every right to come talk to me and apologize to me, apologize to our caucus, apologize to his district. He hasn’t done any of that.” […] Crespo told us he doesn’t know what he did wrong and didn’t know Welch wanted him to apologize. He said his budget project and plan to file it as a bill is part of the process. Lawmakers routinely file bills for the House Rules Committee to consider — most of them go nowhere.
* Daily Herald | What’s next for Pritzker’s stalled housing plan?: In a news conference after the General Assembly adjourned, Pritzker said he’ll continue to fight for BUILD. He noted the new state budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars for housing initiatives. “We need more housing in the state,” he told reporters. “And it isn’t just low-income housing, it’s also middle housing … housing for working families and middle-class families they cannot get today because of policies in individual communities (and) higher interest rates and higher costs of everything.”
* WGLT | Family advocates praise Illinois bill that gives parents more transparency in child abuse investigations: Novick said pediatricians don’t always indicate whether they are reporting findings to the Department of Children and Family Services [DCFS] that could lead to parents not seeing the reports, or knowing their legal rights until the day of the trial. Novick said the bill would change that “by causing the pediatrician to indicate what they’re really doing there” and tell the parents about their right to a second opinion.
* Truthout | Bleeding Behind Bars Is Extra Grim When Prisons Fail to Offer Menstrual Products: “Why are they doing women like this? Are we the weaker sex?” Mishunda Davis told Truthout in a call from Logan Correctional Center, Illinois’s largest women’s prison. In 2022, the state passed legislation making menstrual products free for anyone incarcerated in Illinois prisons. Despite the law, Davis and others run out each month. […] Now, a growing national movement for menstrual equity has included advocacy for people who menstruate behind bars. Miriam Vishniac, researcher and co-founder of The Prison Flow Project, told Truthout that, according to March 2025 data, there were 22 states with laws that “said they would give some amount [of menstrual products] for free to everyone.” Despite the progress, Vishniac said, there’s still a lack of information around how these laws are being implemented. “There are rules that say things should be happening, and then no monitoring or enforcement is ever talked about.”
* News Herald | The Bears didn’t know ‘how to count,’ Illinois senator says of failed stadium push: Speaking to the Illinois Press Association, state Sen. David Koehler (D-Peoria) explained why the Bears’ proposal failed using a simple rule of Springfield politics. “You’ve got to learn how to count,” he said. “You got to count to 30 in the Senate and 60 in the House. When you do that, you can probably pass a bill. Well, the Bears didn’t know how to count.” The Bears’ proposal passed the House but faced a fatal problem in the Senate: 28 Chicago-area legislators — House members and senators combined — said they wouldn’t vote to remove the team from the city.
* Tribune | A shot to fix Chicago’s parking meter deal? Aldermen test chances amid sale.: Several council members are attempting to find ways to force Stonepeak Partners, a New York investment firm aiming to buy the much-loathed lease from Chicago Parking Meters LLC, to at least tweak the terms. Chicago drivers who are looking at decades of ever-increasing parking rates — with the money continuing to go into the pockets of a private company rather than the city’s coffers — would cheer any change in their favor.
* Sun-Times | Half of Chicago school board candidates are facing challenges, but powerful CTU says it didn’t file any: Jessica Biggs, who is running for president and currently represents parts of the South Side, is the only non-CTU affiliated incumbent facing a challenge. Biggs considers herself an independent. Meanwhile, Jennifer Custer is the only presidential candidate who has a secure place on the ballot. Custer, who represents the Far Northwest Side, was backed by the CTU in 2024 but has split from the union. Overall, more than half of the 51 candidates running to be on Chicago’s first fully elected school board are facing challenges, according to a list posted by the Chicago Board of Elections Thursday, two days after the deadline to submit them.
* NBC Chicago | Tributes pour in for city employee struck and killed while biking in Chicago: O’Niel was helping lead both the city’s school zone safety work and bus priority projects before he was killed, Powe said in a post on Reddit. He also led CDOT’s bike parking program for years and “completely transformed it,” Powe said. “He cared deeply about making biking, rolling, walking, and riding better for everyone,” Powe said.
* WBEZ | As Airbnbs explode near the Obama Center, housing advocates say affordable units are disappearing: WBEZ obtained data on housing units licensed for short-term rentals from the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection via the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Comparing licenses expiring in 2019, the first full year of available data, with licenses expiring this year, WBEZ found the city, overall, has seen a 38% decrease in shared housing licenses. But the 20th Ward has seen a 46% increase during the same span.
* Sun-Times | No idling by diesel trucks and buses? That’s the law in Chicago and statewide but with almost no enforcement: Yet, in the nearly 20 years the law has been in effect, it’s almost never been enforced, a WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times review has found. Over that period, the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County sheriff’s office each has issued just one citation. […] Former state Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northfield, cosponsored the measure at Urbaszewski’s urging. Told how seldom the law is enforced, she laughed. “That’s more in line with what I might have expected,” said Nekritz, who spent 14 years in the Illinois House. Nekritz said she has reported violations herself.
* Tribune | In unusual move, Chicago school board reinstates teacher accused of pushing student: The teacher pushed Denym out of the office, slammed the door behind her and berated the assistant principal, district documents show. Denym was shoved so hard that she nearly fell, and she was later diagnosed with a chronic back strain, her mother told the Tribune. The following day, the teacher was put on leave pending an investigation. After a monthslong investigation and hearing process, Chicago Public Schools leaders recommended in August 2024 that the school board approve her firing. But board members rejected administrators’ guidance, voting in February to reinstate the teacher. It was only the second time in at least a decade that the Chicago Board of Education had overruled a termination in a public vote.
* WGN | Mayoral candidate Susana Mendoza talks teen takeovers, Bears stadium, SAFE-T Act, more: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza joins John Williams to talk about why she wants to be the next mayor of Chicago. Comptroller Mendoza tells John why she decided to get into this race, the major issues that she thinks that need to be addressed including the importance of growing the economic base of the city, how she plans to handle teen takeovers, what she would do to keep the Bears in Chicago, if she believes Chicago should be a sanctuary city, and why she wants to amend the SAFE-T Act.
* Tribune | Chicago — with no World Cup games — gives the US team a final send-off in a loss to Germany at Soldier Field: The city passed on the opportunity to host World Cup games at Soldier Field when the U.S. was bidding to host the event in 2018. At the time, a spokesperson for then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized FIFA’s “inflexibility and unwillingness to negotiate” and stated that further pursuing a bid was not in Chicago’s best interest. So Chicago — which hosted the opening ceremony when the U.S. last staged the World Cup in 1994 — was left with no World Cup games. Instead, Kansas City is the only Midwestern city hosting. Of the 104 total games in the tournament, 78 will be played in the U.S., including the final match July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
* Sun-Times | Chicago art show sparks dialogue about Emmett Till and Black boyhood: In artist Raymond A. Thomas’ dream, Till celebrates his 15th birthday, marries his high school sweetheart and has three children. He cares for his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and grows old in Chicago. He finds joy spending time with his grandchildren, even as the world around him remains unjust for Black residents. That reality is depicted in Thomas’ mixed media collage, “We Love You Paw Paw,” which is on display in a new show,“From Memory to Movement: Emmett at 85,” at Bronzeville’s Blanc Gallery.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Southtown | Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant seeks to attract data center at dormant trash incinerator site: Bryant said plans could include a 16.5 acre data center built vertically, but discussions are still in the discovery stage, and the project requires the village to approve a zoning change. The biggest barrier, he said, will be figuring out how to power the site. Duggan, the property owner, said Commonwealth Edison officials told him it would be five to seven years before the utility could possibly deliver power to the site. ComEd also required Duggan to pay a $5 million downpayment as part of new requirements by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
* Daily Southtown | Video, texting and noises among south suburban concerns on school cellphone ban: For Bremen High School District 228, the state legislation does not require much change, as the district passed a policy requiring phones to be away in classrooms more than two years ago. Ryan Blackwell, assistant principal for teaching and learning, said that in those two years, Bremen High School found a successful solution: phone lockers. The school purchased the lockers for $15,000 through Amazon using Title I funds, which are federal grants given to schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families, Blackwell said.
* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora City Council will vote on ethics proposal June 9, Mayor John Laesch says: Under the proposed regulations, those who are doing business with the city or looking to would be prevented from donating more than $1,500 per year to city elected officials or those running for city office. It would also expand economic interest disclosures required of candidates, elected officials and certain city employees.
* Daily Herald | ‘In a growth mode’: Film studio opens in Hanover Park amid statewide production boom: The high-tech studio at 1555 Hunter Road opened earlier this year for test shoots and smaller productions. It hosted its full grand-opening celebration Friday. “Virtual production is very up-and-coming in the film industry,” said Connor Rowan, who co-founded Forge with Drew English. “We’re sort of at the tip of the iceberg, and it opens up so many different opportunities.”
*** Downstate ***
* WCIA | Champaign Co. Chief Deputy Circuit Clerk indicted for federal wire fraud: Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois announced that Titianna Ammons was indicted on three counts for allegedly defrauding the U.S. Department of Labor and Illinois Department of Employment Security. Ammons, the daughter of Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons and State Representative Carol Ammons, previously served as the representative for District 11 on the Champaign County Board. The indictment explains that the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District temporarily employed Ammons from July to September of 2020. Once her time there ended, Ammons applied for unemployment benefits that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had been expanded under a presidential disaster proclamation.
* WAND | Logan Co. seeks more legal review on data center regulations after moratorium: Residents had a chance to share what could be done better during a public comment session. “I think what a lot of us want is just more engagement with the public. We would like another open session to talk about the ordinance to make sure concerns are addressed,” one resident said. If the rules are approved, they would apply to any future data centers that come to Logan County.
* Illinois Times | National parks crisis hits home: “The rangers and their supervisors at Lincoln Home are now extremely limited in the conversations and activities they can take part in,” says Mitchell. “I’ve been at meetings with them and they’ve said, ‘We can’t participate in that upcoming meeting,’ in public discussions they think will dabble into the discussions of race and violence.” Hunter says he’s observed the same thing. The Lincoln Home’s website has also been affected. While national parks used to control their own websites, the federal government now controls them and makes sure they meet the president’s standards, according to a May 1, 2026, article by Politico’s E&E News. According to missingparkhistory.org, the Lincoln Home website used to have information about “efforts to conserve the natural world, preserve wilderness and control pollution,” but that was removed after January 2025.
* 25News Now | Normal eyes rules for battery energy storage systems: Rivian is hooking up with Normal on energy storage, but the town government is studying the issue on a much larger scale. Last week, the Normal Planning Commission recommended zoning regulations for Battery Energy Storage Systems, also known as BESS. The proposed ordinance comes as Rivian expressed interest in building a battery energy storage system near its manufacturing plant in Normal. “Rivian asked us about doing some battery storage out of their plant, because they have batteries for one thing, and they also have a lot of energy needs,” said Mercy Davison, Normal’s planning and zoning director.
* WCIA | ‘I’m really fortunate’: Neighbors react after flooding in Vermillion Co.: The Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department said nine people were rescued Saturday night, and four others on Sunday. One of the individuals rescued lives across the street from Trimmel’s home. “The neighbor’s house had water coming out the front door. They needed rescue to come over and take out one of the occupants because they have medical issues,” Trimmel said. Roads and some parks are now closed in Vermilion County until further notice. And Trimmel said he’s worried it may happen again.
* WCIA | Water experts explain causes, solutions to Sullivan shortage: “In Central Illinois, our local bedrock — that is we dig down and hit rock — it’s not very water transmissive,” said state hydrogeologist Devin Mannix. “In Sullivan, it’s kind of this local sand pocket that’s isolated from the rest of the Mahomet flow system, so it’s not necessarily well connected and there’s a lot of clay in the area that might be overlying the aquifer so it’s not necessarily readily recharged either.” As far as solutions go, Mannix and state hydrologist Jason Zhang said drilling new wells is Sullivan’s best bet. Zhang said it’s because the city can’t tap into nearby Lake Shelbyville, a federal lake, for drinking water.
* WSIL | Murphysboro Prepares for Annual Big Muddy Monster Festival Celebrating Local Legend: The festival, inspired by the reported 1973 Big Muddy Monster sightings, will transform the city’s historic downtown into a hub for visitors interested in local legends and unexplained phenomena. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the intersection of 13th and Walnut streets will host an open-air cryptid market featuring vendors and limited-edition festival merchandise. Attendees can also participate in a downtown shop hop, enjoy themed food and drink specials, compete in an ice cream eating contest at Small Town Scoop, and take part in a special craft activity at Miranda’s Loom.
* Illinois Times | ISP foundation acquires former bank building: A new public space in downtown Springfield for people to learn about history will be located in a former bank building. It will tell stories of the 74 Illinois State Police officers who have died in the line of duty and display unique ISP artifacts such as uniforms, old equipment and a fleet of eight vintage squad cars.
*** National ***
* AP | Judge halts Trump administration efforts to impose conditions on SNAP: A federal judge on Friday sided with 20 Democratic states and halted an effort by the Trump administration to force states to comply with a range of conditions to get billions of dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun granted a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit challenging the conditions for getting SNAP funding. Among them are restrictions related to “gender ideology,” “immigration,” and “fair athletic opportunities” for women and girls. The judge said he would issue a memorandum later explaining his decision.
* Heat Map | Americans Now Overwhelmingly Oppose New Data Centers Near Them: At least seven in 10 Americans would now oppose a data center being built near their home, according to a new Heatmap Pro poll, a record low that reveals a staggering shift in public opinion against the facilities powering the artificial intelligence boom. The survey, conducted by Embold Research, finds that an outright majority of Americans are now strongly opposed to data center construction in their area. Young people, Democrats, and rural voters are more hostile to the projects, but they are broadly unpopular with Americans across geographic and political categories.
* Inquirer | You hate data centers. They think you could be a terrorist or Chinese dupe.: Last Thursday, the Republicans on Capitol Hill who lead the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to Trump regime officials urging an investigation into whether China — as part of a 21st century nuclear arms race to become the planet’s dominant AI force — is secretly funding all these farmers and suburban moms fighting data centers. […] Also last week, The Intercept reported on a document — later confirmed by The Inquirer — from the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center, which is hosted by the Philadelphia Police Department, that revealed that cops are sifting through social-media posts by anti-data center activists, convinced they pose a newfangled terror threat.
* The Root | Why Democrats’ New Strategy to Win the House Could Leave Black Voters Behind: Some Democratic strategists argue that concentrating Black voters in a small number of districts has the potential to make surrounding districts more favorable to Republicans. Others say weakening majority-Black districts risks diluting Black political power and reducing the number of Black elected officials in Congress, The Root also reported. The tension reflects a broader debate over whether maximizing Democratic seats and maximizing minority representation always align.
* WaPo | House bill rolls back food aid for pregnant women, children: By a vote of 213-210, the House passed an appropriations measure to fund the Agriculture Department among other agencies. The bill, which the Senate has yet to consider, aims to cut about 1.5 percent from overall federal agriculture spending in fiscal 2027, according to Republicans. Four House Democrats voted with Republicans to pass the measure, while five Republicans voted against it. Under the legislation, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — more commonly known as WIC — would lose $141 million in funding for fruit and vegetable benefits for the nearly 5.4 million children and pregnant and postpartum women enrolled, according to an estimate from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
* I’m still at my mom’s house and will be for the foreseeable future. As you know, she’s in hospice care at home. She’s a very strong woman and her spirits are mostly good. Isabel and I want to thank everyone for expressing their concern and support. Also, many thanks to Isabel for all her help today.
Today, following inaction from the Illinois General Assembly, Governor JB Pritzker is directing the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to pause processing agreements for the Data Center Investment Program starting July 1. The Governor also outlined a comprehensive framework for Illinois to address the growing impact of data centers on energy affordability and reliability, water resources, and local communities.
“Illinois has an opportunity to continue leading in technological innovation and economic growth, but we also have a responsibility to protect working families and local communities as the data center industry rapidly expands,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am directing my administration to pause the processing of data center agreements while we continue working with the General Assembly and stakeholders on a comprehensive framework that protects affordability, safeguards our natural resources, and ensures responsible growth across Illinois. I look forward to continuing these conversations and getting this done the right way for Illinois working families and communities.”
As AI and data center development continue to expand at a rapid pace across the country, Illinois must ensure that working families are not left paying the price through higher utility bills, strained reliability, and increased pressure on local water resources. While Illinois remains committed to economic growth and technological innovation, the State must establish clear guardrails to ensure data center growth benefits communities and consumers alike.
As part of the Governor’s proposed budget, the administration pursued these reforms through the legislative process because Illinois needs a comprehensive, long-term framework for data center policy. As a result, the Governor is also calling on legislators, consumer advocates, labor organizations, environmental stakeholders, utilities, local governments, and industry leaders to work together during veto session to advance comprehensive reforms guided by principles outlined below.
Gov. Pritzker’s Framework on Data Center Policy to Protect Consumers and Lower Costs
1. Data Centers Should Pay Their Fair Share
Data centers use massive amounts of electricity, water, and other resources — sometimes as much as a mid-sized city. To keep up with the infrastructure demands of data centers and keep bills more affordable for Illinois families, data center companies can direct more of their own financial resources toward their growth. Illinois legislation should:
• Create a rate class for data centers and establish data center electricity rates.
• Assign the costs that data centers impose on the electric grid to the new data center rate class, including distribution, generation, and transmission, where possible; assign to data centers the costs that they impose on water systems.
• Set energy and water efficiency requirements for data centers using established standards to help keep costs low and protect the environment.
• Ensure all utilities in the state are equipped to fairly manage and allocate the cost of data centers’ demand.
2. State Tax Incentives Should Be Paused
As the demand to develop data centers is increasing at a rapid pace, pausing state incentives for data centers is necessary to understand whether these incentives are driving development that is insensitive to consumer costs and environmental impact.
3. Energy Reliability Must Prioritize Illinois Working Families and Businesses
Data centers should temporarily go dark when the grid is strained to ensure reliable electric service for Illinoisans. Legislation should direct utilities to assign data centers interruptible electric service based on how much of their own clean energy they self-supply. Data centers that don’t supply their own clean energy could have their electric service interrupted when the grid is strained so Illinoisans’ lights stay on.
4. Data Centers Should Support the Development of New Clean Energy
Data centers should generate or pay for their own clean energy resources, so Illinoisans don’t foot the bill for their consumption.
Data centers’ massive energy use strains supply and has driven up bills. In PJM, the electric grid that serves 67 million people across 13 states including Illinois, demand from data centers has already raised costs by $13 billion, and data center demand could raise costs another $37 billion in Illinois alone in coming years.
• Establish a framework for data centers to generate or pay for their own new clean energy resources that allows participants to receive timely service and financial consideration for their contributions to Illinois’ clean energy goals.
5. Illinois Must Protect Its Water Resources
Data centers can use massive amounts of water — up to 5 million gallons a day, as much as a medium-sized town. Every data center should be required to use efficient systems that minimize water usage. We also need to monitor, manage, and plan for this water use as a state to protect one of our most precious resources.
• Require data centers to acquire comprehensive water permits that account for, regulate, and disclose their water usage and impact on water quality.
• Require data centers’ water use to be sustainable and not deplete our water resources, including incentivizing water reuse.
6. Illinois Must Maintain Strong Clean Air Protections
Air pollution from data centers’ power generation could cause up to $20 billion in public health burden nationwide by 2030, with those impacts highly concentrated in a few communities. Illinois needs safeguards on data centers’ generators, paired with affordable clean energy solutions, so every Illinoisan can breathe clean air and enjoy a healthy climate.
• Preserve strong clean air standards for data centers’ generators.
• Account for cumulative impacts in permits in environmental justice communities.
7. Communities Deserve Transparency and a Meaningful Voice
Illinoisans have a right to know what’s happening in their communities, including how much water, electricity, and other resources data centers will use. We must ensure tech companies operate a transparent process with opportunities for community members to voice their concerns and opinions.
• Ban nondisclosure agreements between data centers and local governments.
• Require data centers to regularly report their energy and water use.
• Require data centers to post public notice when applying for permits.
• Require data centers to enter into community benefits agreements with the communities where they locate, through a process with a clearly defined scope and timeline.
Existing incentive agreements under the Data Center Investment Program, including those entered into with DCEO before July 1, 2026, will be honored.
* We’re gonna do one “pro” and one “con” press release. Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition applauds the Governor’s response to legislative inaction that advances a framework of commonsense data center protections for consumers and our environment. The coalition introduced the POWER Act because it offers the solutions Illinoisans – and this moment – are demanding. Consumers cannot afford more delays. Now is the time to begin negotiations on policies that will stop rising utility bills, protect our water, and end backroom development deals, and we look forward to working with the Governor, legislators, and stakeholders to get this done in the Fall veto session.
* IBEW…
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is calling on Governor JB Pritzker to reverse course after his announcement directing the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to pause processing agreements under the Data Center Investment Program beginning July 1, 2026.
The IBEW strongly supports responsible growth, consumer protections, energy reliability, clean energy development, water conservation, and community transparency. But those goals should be achieved through legislation, stakeholder engagement, and honest policy discussions — not by a unilateral executive action that freezes a statutory program approved by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Pritzker himself.
No governor — Democrat or Republican — is a king. The Data Center Investment Program was created by statute. It has never been repealed. If the Governor believes the law should be changed, he should work with the General Assembly to change it. He should not direct an agency to stop administering a program simply because the Legislature did not pass his preferred proposal.
In 2019, Governor Pritzker stood with legislators, business leaders, labor leaders, trade groups, and data center businesses to celebrate this very program. At that time, he said data centers were “as critical a part of our infrastructure as our roads, trains and schools” and praised the incentive as a way to welcome “a surge of economic development, labor income, and good union jobs to Illinois.” The Governor’s own press release also stated that data center investments would “fuel new construction and create good paying jobs across the state.”
Those facts have not changed.
Data centers continue to mean billions of dollars in private investment, thousands of construction jobs, permanent operations and maintenance jobs, expanded tax base for local communities, and work opportunities for highly trained union electricians. Illinois should not walk away from that economic opportunity or send a message to investors that the rules can change overnight by executive order.
The Governor’s latest statement suggests that data centers are responsible for higher utility bills, energy reliability concerns, water impacts, and community concerns. Those issues deserve serious discussion, but they do not justify stopping a job-creating program that already includes safeguards.
The existing Data Center Investment Program is not a blank check. To qualify, projects must make major capital investments in Illinois, create jobs, comply with responsible bidder requirements when seeking construction-related exemptions, and meet program standards. For projects in underserved areas, the program includes a construction employment tax credit tied to wages paid to construction workers — directly supporting working families in communities that need investment most.
* Text from Sen. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights)…
Kevin Warren called to let me know they’re going to Indiana, (not specifically Hammond)
Warren of course is the President/CEO of the Chicago Bears.
Another top legislative source said Warren told him, “We’re moving forward with the Indiana plan.” When asked what that meant, Warren said, “We’re going to focus on Hammond.”
STATEMENT FROM CHICAGO BEARS CHAIRMAN GEORGE H. MCCASKEY AND PRESIDENT & CEO KEVIN WARREN
Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected. We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.
…Adding… House Speaker Chris Welch…
“In April, the House passed an economic development package that was the product of extensive negotiation with the Bears and other stakeholders. That bipartisan legislation reflected our belief that we can incentivize statewide development and provide property tax relief for working people.
“While Indiana is willing to raise taxes and promise $1 billion in taxpayer funds, Illinois has focused on the needs of working families who want relief at the gas pump, at the store, and on their insurance bills—not taxpayer-funded stadiums.
“Illinois remains open to ongoing efforts to secure the Bears in Illinois. However, it will take time to get it right.”
…Adding… I asked the Senate’s top Bears negotiator Sen. Bill Cunningham if Warren had called him. Cunningham’s response…
Yes, heard from Warren this morning. He said they’d be putting out a statement about moving forward with Indiana. Also said he looked forward to further discussion with me.
I’d point out, the statement they released today is not fundamentally different from the statement they issued February 19th after the Indiana bill passed.
Emphasis added.
…Adding… Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office…
Over the last several years the Bears have stated their intentions in multiple jurisdictions, today’s announcement is not surprising.
It’s also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal.
Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents.
…Adding… Gov. JB Pritzker Spox…
“The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location. That has hindered their progress. Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith. Governor Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and still remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers.”
…Adding… Senate President Don Harmon…
“The Chicago Bears have been saying for some time now that Hammond, Indiana is their main focus. Today’s statement isn’t fundamentally different than what the team said in February after Indiana voted to give the Chicago Bears more than a billion dollars in taxpayer money if they move to Indiana.
But that didn’t stop their conversations about a future here in Illinois, and it doesn’t appear that today’s statement will either.
We are ready and willing to re-engage with the Chicago Bears when they realize Illinois will always be the best place for them.”
…Adding… If he had a plan, he should’ve shared it during spring session early enough to make sure it could be considered. This special session talk will likely not go down well with many rank and file Dems unless their constituents demand they give the store away to the Bears…
He added, "The only way to address it and keep them from moving too far forward is if we go into special session. I don't know of any other way, so I would think it would have to [happen]." #twill
The Bears’ announcement tips the scales significantly toward Hammond but falls well short of a final decision. A source cautioned that Friday’s announcement didn’t eliminate Arlington Heights from consideration, were the state to find a way to give the Bears property tax certainty on the 326-acre plot they own. It’s unclear whether waiting until the Senate and House reconvene this fall would be too late.
This basically confirms what Sen. Cunningham said.
This morning, Kevin Warren called to let me know Bears would be releasing a statement regarding Hammond. He ended the conversation by committing to continue discussions around their pursuit of a new stadium in Illinois.
After reading the statement, it’s worth noting that it is actually less definitive than the one the Bears issued earlier this year. In February, the Bears specifically referenced conducting due diligence on a site near Wolf Lake in Hammond, signaling that they had identified a particular location they were evaluating. Today’s statement, by contrast, says only that the project would be in Hammond, with the exact site still to be selected.
That’s not a criticism. It’s simply an acknowledgment that the Bears’ own language leaves additional flexibility and does not represent a final decision. The carefully crafted statement also uses words that describe a process that is continuing, rather than reaching a conclusion.
In April, the Illinois House advanced HB 910, legislation that established a critical economic development framework for projects across the state, including tools that could have supported the Bears’ pursuit of a new stadium. Illinois has continued to engage in good faith efforts to create pathways for transformative development and job creation.
What’s equally important is what wasn’t said. Neither the statement nor my conversation with Kevin suggested that Illinois is off the table. In fact, our discussion was forward-looking and centered on continuing conversations. If a final decision had truly been made, I wouldn’t expect the focus to be on what comes next.
There will be plenty of time to debate how this process has unfolded. I’m less interested in relitigating the past than I am in focusing on the future. What I took away from today’s conversation is that the door remains open. So does ours.
If the Bears are prepared to continue the conversation, as they confirmed to me today, there remains a viable path forward in Illinois, whether in Arlington Heights or in Chicago. We stand ready to have those conversations and continue working toward a solution that keeps the Chicago Bears in Illinois.
Emphasis added.
…Adding… GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey and Lt. Gov. candidate Aaron Del Mar…
“After 100 years, the Chicago Bears won’t be in Illinois – and it’s all because JB Pritzker and his disastrous agenda forced the heart and soul of Chicagoland to abandon its identity, its fans, and its state for more competitive waters. For years, Pritzker and the Democrats bled Illinois residents dry with higher costs and even higher taxes, but bankrupted our state with corrupt pet projects. Now, Pritzker has nothing left to offer residents or one of the biggest drivers of tourism in our state, losing in 8 years what Illinois spent the past 100 years trying to keep. It’s a sad day in Illinois, and we only have JB Pritzker to blame.”
…Adding… House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
“The Chicago Bears choosing Indiana over Illinois should be a wake-up call, and Governor Pritzker owns this failure. The loss of one of our state’s most iconic franchises is a significant blow to our economy, our reputation, and future investment.
“Families and employers have been leaving Illinois in search of greater opportunity. Now it appears the Bears may be doing the same.
“After years of one-party control, this is both a failure of leadership and an embarrassment for our state. Illinois taxpayers are left paying the price while jobs, investment, and economic growth cross our borders.”
…Adding… Senate Minority Leader John Curran…
“We have heard from the Indiana Governor that his State moves at the speed of business. Gov. Pritzker needs to understand that failing to produce a serious proposal after three years to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois isn’t good faith negotiation - it’s dysfunction. It’s time for Gov. Pritzker to Bear Down, address the infighting in the Democratic legislative caucuses and bring Republicans substantially into the process to help produce a bipartisan plan that protects taxpayers, grows our economy and keeps the Chicago Bears in Illinois for generations to come.”
…Adding… The Illinois Republican Party…
Today, Illinois families and Bears fans across the state saw the consequences of inept, failed Democrat leadership as the Chicago Bears announced they are moving forward with a move to Indiana after 100 years in Illinois.
“Once again, JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson failed Illinois,” said ILGOP Chairman Bob Grogan. “The Chicago Bears are an integral part of our state, its identity and its culture. Now, after 100 years representing our state, they join thousands of families fleeing for greener pastures. Illinois families now have to ask – what have JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson actually done for us?”
…Adding… JB for Governor spox…
“A private citizen like Darren Bailey can say as he pleases, as he has no authority over anything. He has no plan and has no new ideas. He’s perfectly willing to raise taxes on all Illinoisans to build a stadium for a nine-billion-dollar sports franchise – even praising Indiana for passing a bill to raise $1 billion in sales taxes on working people and suggesting spending lifesaving COVID relief funds on this. What’s clear is that Darren Bailey’s ignorance would be a disaster for Illinois.
