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Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x2)

Thursday, Jul 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* From Gov. JB Pritzker earlier today…

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Excerpt from Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ statement…

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

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

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

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

* US Rep. Mary Miller…

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

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

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

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

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

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

* US Rep. Ray LaHood…

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

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

Impact on Illinois’ 16th Congressional District:

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

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

Expanding and improving the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

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

Improving access to health savings

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

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

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

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

Other Key Pieces of Legislation:

    • Keeps the southern border secure

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

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

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

* Latino Policy Forum excerpt…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Citizens Utility Board…

CUB STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF BUDGET BILL

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

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

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

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

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

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

…Adding… Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…

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

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

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

In Illinois, the budget reconciliation bill will:

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

…Adding… Speaker Welch…

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

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

More releases have been posted here.

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Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We talked about this recording last month. Turn it up

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some fiscal news

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tri States Public Radio

A bill that would have established a new funding formula for state universities in Illinois was not included in the $55.2 billion dollar state budget approved by lawmakers in late May.

State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-36, introduced Senate Bill 13, which would have applied the evidence-based funding model for K-12 public schools in Illinois to state universities. The bill never came to a vote, but Halpin said it would have “leveled the playing field” for public universities. […]

Halpin said he was able to get a smaller line item in the fiscal year 2026 state budget for capital improvements at WIU for things like building repairs, sidewalk fixes, and parking lot issues. […]

“We’re working with the university to try to gather more support to see if maybe in veto session we can get those things where they need to be, but it’s going to take a lot of effort,” Halpin said. “Unfortunately, there’s no other way, in my opinion, other than those additional resources, to really put the university on sound footing.”

Sen. Halpin voted against the FY26 budget and the revenue omnibus. Earlier this week, he told WVIK his vote was due to underfunding higher education in Illinois.

* Some familiar names in Illinois media are moving around. Tina Sfondeles is now the Sun-Times’ national political reporter

* Long-time Tribune reporter Ray Long has retired

* Amy Jacobson was let go

* WGN

Grundy County’s Board of Health recently shuttered its mental health services despite an increase in patients in recent years.

The decision to close the behavioral unit, located within the health department, came during a closed-door meeting on May 14. The decision was not made open to the public, but people with knowledge of the situation tell WGN News that’s when it occurred.

More than 1,600 children and adults received treatment last year through the unit, for everything from substance abuse help to elderly group therapy. The total number of patients increased by nearly 160% compared to 2023. […]

A longtime former counselor at the unit, who is remaining anonymous, said there were staffing shortages and that employees had quit amid conflicts with a new leadership team.

…Adding… Capitol News Illinois

Despite uncertainty over the economy and federal funding during the second half of fiscal year 2025, the year closed on June 30 with the state setting a new record for annual revenue.

Numbers compiled by the independent Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability show FY25 concluded with $54 billion in revenue, the most the state has ever received in a fiscal year. The state also brought in $717 million more in revenue than lawmakers originally budgeted for when they passed a $53.3 billion budget in May 2024.

All told, the final revenue numbers track closely with projections made in May by both COGFA and the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget that formed the basis of the FY26 budget. In other words, June revenues produced no surprises, and lawmakers aren’t sitting on any substantial surplus as the new fiscal year begins.

The record revenues also don’t alleviate any uncertainty for the current or future fiscal years as Congress considers drastic reductions to the social safety net and aid to states.

Strong personal income tax growth drove the revenue increase in FY25, largely thanks to a “true up” conducted by the Department of Revenue that reallocated business related income tax revenue into the personal income tax category. Personal income tax revenue was 10% higher than in FY24, but corporate income taxes declined by 9.5%.

Some other revenue sources also saw minimal growth. Sales tax revenue grew by less than 1%, though COGFA noted it increased by nearly 3% in the second half of FY25 after a weak start last summer as gas prices dropped and people cut back on large purchases amid growing economic uncertainty.

*** Statewide ***

* WSIL | ISP urges safety following four motorcycle-related deaths in the last week: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that while motorcycles make up only about 3% of registered vehicles, they contribute to 12% of roadway deaths. Illinois Department of Transportation data shows that so far for 2025, Illinois has seen 44 motorcycle-related deaths.

* Crain’s | Five Illinois cases part of DOJ’s massive health care fraud ‘takedown’: Federal prosecutors unveiled a massive number of criminal indictments, including five in Illinois, alleging COVID-19 testing fraud and a range of other schemes totaling $14.6 billion in losses from fraudulent claims. The 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts, the U.S. Department of Justice announced yesterday.

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Sonya Massey’s family speaks out on her memory, days before death anniversary: Massey’s family said she was a hard working mother who ensured her kids were well taken care of. Sonya stuck to a simple routine of going to work, coming home to cook, clean and spend time with her kids. Sontae Massey said while the world remembers Sonya as the tiny woman speaking to the police in the final moments of her life, she’s so much more than that. “I miss her everyday,” Sontae said. “I miss the Sonya that, I would go over to mom’s house, and we would crack jokes, and she would make fun of me and she would share a laugh with me. I miss that Sonya.”

* UIS News | UIS Innocence Project secures exoneration of six men after 124 years of wrongful imprisonment: The Illinois Innocence Project, based at the University of Illinois Springfield, announced the full exoneration of six clients in Cook County today after they collectively served 124 years in prison for a murder they did not commit. Brothers Robert Cardona and Gregorio Cardona, Lowell Higgins-Bey, Harry Rodriguez, Michael McCastle and Fernando Gomez were all teenagers or young adults when they were wrongfully convicted in 1989. Their exoneration follows decades of advocacy and a 2022 post-conviction DNA test that excluded all six men and identified an unknown male as the likely perpetrator.

* Crain’s | Why rural Illinois hospitals are bracing for fallout from GOP-backed Medicaid cuts: A recent report by University of North Carolina health care researchers pegged hospitals in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District as being at risk, because either they’ve posted negative margins for three consecutive years or they are among the top 10% of the most Medicaid-dependent rural hospitals in the country. Other rural hospitals at risk of stopping services, converting or closing are in downstate Dixon, Danville and Hoopeston. Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost represents the 12th District at the southern tip of Illinois. Bost’s office did not return a request from Crain’s to explain why he voted for the bill, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” when it passed out of the U.S. House.

* KSDK | Her body was found in an Illinois farmer’s field; 35 years later she has been identified: A woman who was killed and had her body left in a farmer’s field in rural Troy, Illinois has been positively identified 35 years later through advanced technologies, Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor announced Tuesday. While detectives have some answers, police still need help finding the killer. Wendy Nadine Michel, who would be 65 years old today, disappeared sometime in the summer of 1990 and her body was found by a farmer in a field near Lebanon Road and Troy O’Fallon Road on July 20, 1990. Investigators believe the body had been there for about a week.

* WGLT | Some massage therapists feel heard as Bloomington modifies regulations, but concerns linger: For the first time, the City of Bloomington is regulating an industry that it says has been a source for sex trafficking and other illicit behavior. A number of massage therapists in the city pushed back, claiming they were being unfairly held in suspicion. They also took exception to proposed annual fees and language referring to dress code, individual therapists’ personal information and physical characteristics. The city dropped the fees and some personal info requirements when it approved the new regulations June 23. That muted some of the criticism, though message therapists say the stigma remains regarding public perceptions of what they do.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford terminates officer who had twice been accused of battering suspects: Months after he was acquitted by a jury of misdemeanor battery charges, a Rockford Police Department officer accused of smashing a handcuffed man’s head into a window has been fired. Officer Frank Fabiani was terminated after an internal police department review of the May 14, 2022, incident, according to a June 24 termination letter written by Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd. In the letter, Redd writes that Fabiani violated department general orders and rules of conduct after handcuffing Alize Jones, a suspect in a domestic violence investigation.

* WGEM | New pavilion raised at Adams County Fairground: round 25 volunteers with the help from workers at Maas Construction helped raise the new Heritage Farms Pavilion at the Adams County Fairgrounds Tuesday. This is a legacy project for the Adams County Bicentennial Commission. The new pavilion will be a tribute to the 86 farms in Adams County that have been owned continuously by the same family for at least 150 years.

* WSIL | Anne West Library Adds Inclusive Workstations Thanks to Local College and Rotary Club Partnership: Thanks to a unique partnership between the Carterville Rotary Club and John A. Logan College, the library now features, a wheelchair-accessible workstation, and a first-of-its-kind desk with an attached playpen, designed to help parents work or study while keeping their toddlers safe and close. Mary Stoner, Director at the Anne West Lindsey District Library, says “In our children’s area, we wanted to provide a kind of workstation area for mom or dad so they can check their email or do a little work, but keep their little one in a safe space.”

* WIFR | A look into Transform Rockford since its inception in 2013: Back in 2013, Transform Rockford came together after the city was ranked as one of the most miserable cities in the United States. Following the rankings, the goal was simple: help the Forest City become a top 25 community by 2025. “What Transform did was, I think, change the mindset of the community. It showed the community what’s possible,” said Wally Haas, the current executive director of Transform Rockford.

*** Chicago ***

* Chicago Reader | Jobs, block clubs, investment: How Chicagoans are interrupting violence at its roots: Breakthrough, INVC, Chicago CRED (Create Real Economic Destiny), and other violence interruption organizers include workforce development, behavioral health counseling, and job placement to enhance their direct outreach to people involved in violent altercations. That outreach attempts to prevent retaliatory shootings, set up nonaggression agreements among gangs, and pull people off the street. By combining these approaches with workforce development, they hope to break cycles of violence, one person at a time, for good.

* Crain’s | CBRE lures office leasing team from its new Chicago landlord: CBRE has bolstered its bench of office leasing agents in Chicago, luring the team that recently signed the real estate services giant as a tenant at an office tower along the Chicago River. The brokerage announced it has hired Greg Tait, Maggie Brophy and Jamion Hartley to join its local office from Newport Beach, Calif.-based real estate firm Irvine. The move comes after CBRE leased about 55,000 square feet at Irvine’s 60-story skyscraper at 300 N. LaSalle St., where it is relocating its Chicago office from 321 N. Clark St.

* Sun-Times | Social venture Mona helps microlender Kiva distribute $200,000 in loans to Chicago entrepreneurs: Social venture Mona and the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation have helped 23 Chicago-area entrepreneurs get $200,000 worth of zero-interest loans from Kiva, a global microloan platform. Mona and the Polsky Center collaborated with Kiva, which has distributed the loans to mostly South Side businesses in the past year. The loans of up to $15,000 also have no fees. Applications are still open on Mona’s website. Borrowers include healthy snack brand Ms. P’s Gluten Free; Ecodunia, maker of bags and accessories from Kenya; and Ilava, which makes clothing in Tanzania.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* NBC Chicago | Recent Northwestern grad hopes to save parents from deportation: Bryan Carcamo graduated from the school with honors earlier this year, but his parents were not there to see him walk across the state due to fears related to their immigration status. “I made it to Northwestern, and it would have meant the world to me to have my parents among the crowds of families,” he said. His parents have been living, working, and raising a family in Compton, California for 20 years without legal status. The worry is that they will soon be detained and deported, which has led Carcamo to advocate on behalf of his parents and other undocumented immigrants.

* Daily Southtown | Another attempt to stop 143rd Street widening fails at Will County committee meeting: A Will County committee voted 4-2 Tuesday to advance the five-year transportation improvement plan for full County Board approval after some board members tried unsuccessfully to remove a controversial road project in Homer Glen for the second time in a month. The County Board last month voted against removing the 143rd Street road widening project from the transportation plan, which offers a snapshot of the county’s future projects in its 258-mile road system. The board then opted to send the plan back to its Public Works and Transportation Committee for a closer look.

* ABC Chicago | Blue Island shutting down embattled mobile home park, residents don’t know what’s next: Thursday is the deadline the city of Blue Island has given to the owners of Forest View Mobile Home Park to come up with a plan to shut the property down. Officials have said the city has spent two years trying to get management to clean up its act. Its residents are now caught in the middle, unsure where they will go. The park is currently made up of empty lots, broken up streets and abandoned and stripped-down trailers. It’s a community in dire need of maintenance. But, for residents, it’s home.

* Tribune | Downers Grove teacher accused of sexual abuse loses bid to ease pretrial release restriction: A DuPage County judge Wednesday denied a request from a former Downers Grove high school teacher to reduce the distance she must keep from the student she is accused of sexually abusing. Christina Formella, 30, faces 55 counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming. Prosecutors say she had sexual relations with the student more than 50 times, including at least 45 times at Downers Grove South High School where she once worked as a special education teacher and coach.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton buying Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home in village, price uncertain: The Village Board at a special meeting Tuesday voted unanimously to move forward on buying the house at 212 East 141st Place, and said there are plans to buy an adjacent home. Mayor Jason House told reporters after the meeting he hoped the village could close on the purchase in a couple of weeks, but that the final purchase price is still up in the air. House said the chance to buy the home is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and a “historic movement moving forward” for Dolton.

* NBC Chicago | Giant pothole on I-294 in suburbs leaves 30 cars stranded; lanes reopen: More than two dozen cars were stranded with flat tires on Interstate 294 Monday morning and lanes were closed for hours due to a large pothole in the middle of the road, Illinois State Police said. The pothole — approximately eight feet by three feet — was on the Tri-State Tollway in the northbound lanes at mile marker 19.75, ISP said, near the Mile Long Bridge in Cook County. Two left lanes on the tollway were closed for maintenance for several hours.

* Daily Herald | Moderate drought conditions exist for much of northern Illinois: Precipitation over the past 30 days across northern Illinois has been below normal, recording only 3 to 4 inches of rainfall, according to Illinois State Climatologist. From April 1 through June 29, the entire northern half of the state registered less than 10 inches of precipitation, according to the Illinois State Climatologist.

* Shaw Local | Buy a drive-thru pork chop, chicken or walleye dinner, help Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation: The Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation is raising funds for college scholarships by hosting Fay’s Drive-Thru BBQ pork chop, chicken and grilled walleye dinners from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at its headquarters, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles.

*** National ***

* AP | Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority strikes down 176-year-old abortion ban: The justices concluded that “the legislature impliedly repealed” the ban “by enacting comprehensive legislation about virtually every aspect of abortion including where, when, and how healthcare providers may lawfully perform abortions,” Justice Rebecca Dallet wrote for the majority. “That comprehensive legislation so thoroughly covers the entire subject of abortion that it was clearly meant as a substitute for the 19th century near-total ban on abortion.”

* Inside Climate | NIH Scientists Link Air Pollution and Lung Cancer Mutations in Non-Smokers: In their study, published in the journal Nature, Landi and colleagues from the National Institutes of Health’s NCI and the University of California San Diego analyzed the lung tumors of 871 nonsmokers from 28 locations across four continents. They found that the tumors of patients in highly polluted areas had many more genetic mutations than those in areas with cleaner air, and exhibited a diversity of mutations, including patterns typically found in smokers.

* NYT | Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Who Threatened Police Joins Justice Dept.: A former F.B.I. agent who was charged with encouraging the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to kill police officers has been named as an adviser to the Justice Department task force that President Trump established to seek retribution against his political enemies. The former agent, Jared L. Wise, is serving as a counselor to Ed Martin, the director of the so-called Weaponization Working Group, according to people familiar with the group’s activities.

  6 Comments      


RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments.

Retailers like Steve in Metro East enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.

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Groups warn about plan that doesn’t appear to be in the works

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release

A new report issued by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA), Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI), International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150, and the Illinois Pipe Trades Association (IPTA) warns a government-mandated push toward full electrification in Illinois could impose more than $1 trillion in costs by 2050, driving up energy bills for businesses and consumers by more than 2,000 percent, threatening energy reliability and the state’s economic stability.

The study, Analysis of Potential Pathways to a Clean Energy Future in Illinois, finds alternative decarbonization pathways that continue to utilize the natural gas system can reduce emissions significantly at a fraction of the cost to Illinoisans. Affordable, reliable energy is critical to our state’s manufacturing sector, which depends on large amounts of energy to produce the goods consumers rely on every day, including life-saving medicines, nutritious food and other products that keep our economy running. Additionally, full electrification would threaten the jobs of thousands of skilled laborers, who are vital to maintaining the state’s diverse energy sector.

The study models several potential energy futures for Illinois, including a 100% electrification scenario that would result in nearly $540 billion in new electric infrastructure investments and an additional $638 billion in incentives – paid by natural gas consumers – to subsidize full electrification. Under this scenario, energy costs for homes and businesses would rise by approximately 14% annually for the next 25 years. […]

The report emphasizes that a government-mandated electrification policy would require costly subsidies to convince or coerce participation, particularly from customers who cannot afford the high upfront costs of electric retrofits. By contrast, alternative scenarios that incorporate moderate electrification, hybrid heating systems, energy efficiency and renewable natural gas (RNG) would cost significantly less—between $340 billion and $391 billion, or roughly one-third the cost of the full electrification. These more affordable pathways still achieve up to 60% emissions reductions while preserving customer choice and ensuring energy reliability.

Click here for the full report, but just keep in mind that nobody has so far proposed a full electrification plan. And the governor’s spokesperson told me “that’s never been our approach.”

* I collected some responses. From the Illinois Environmental Council…

Let’s be clear - electricity rates are increasing because of skyrocketing demand from energy-intensive data centers and because Regional Transmission Organizations have been disastrously slow to connect cost-effective clean energy to the electric grid. Electrification efforts, including the use of efficient heat pumps, can help solve for high electric rates while protecting Illinoisans from cancer-causing, climate-warming methane gas. Illinois can’t afford not to electrify - our pocketbooks, our health, and our climate will suffer if we don’t. The ICC’s Future of Gas proceedings, which are the key venue to discuss Illinois’ managed transition away from methane gas, are well underway here in Illinois, and we expect in-state experts with the best interests of Illinoisans in mind to create a plan to move away from methane gas to bring much-needed health and savings benefits to Illinois families.

* From the governor’s spokesperson Alex Gough…

The Climate Equity and Jobs Act (CEJA) is focused on delivering clean energy to Illinoisans that is affordable and reliable. The administration will always seek to collaborate with our partners in the business community and organized labor to make that a reality.

However, this study misrepresents the goals outlined in CEJA and the cost of clean energy in Illinois. Gas utilities also said in 2009 that the pipeline replacement program would cost $2.2 billion, but costs and bills have skyrocketed since then. A recent study by the Citizens Utility Board estimated the program will cost more than $16 billion.

This report inflates the cost of alternatives and underestimates the costs of natural gas. Meanwhile, the Illinois Commerce Commission’s (ICC) Future of Gas proceeding is a transparent, public process to identify the best way towards cleaner and more affordable heating. That is the kind of process we ought to be guided by for the best path forward in our state.

* I followed up with Monique Garcia, who wrote the initial press release…

Conversations about electrification, including full electrification, have been raised during the state’s Future of Gas proceedings. This report models several scenarios, including full electrification.

The modeling provided in this report is intended to be useful for policymakers as they explore various clean energy pathways both during the Future of Gas proceedings and the current Resource Adequacy Planning survey that started a few weeks ago. The study presents potential cost and emissions reductions from a few potential decarbonization pathways, including 100 percent Clean Energy by 2050; caps on average total delivered natural gas rates statewide; and a model decarbonization portfolio proposed by several gas utilities in New York.

Many groups, ranging from the business community and organized labor to environmental organizations and government entities, have called for further discussion and information related to the cost, workforce impact, and reliability of moving away from natural gas – this study provides some data and information under various scenarios.

  13 Comments      


SB 328: Separating Lies From Truth

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

For more information, click here.

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Campaign news: Big Raja money; Benton over-shares; Rashid’s large cash pile; Jeffries to speak at IDCCA brunch

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi adds $3.1 million to his already bulging Senate war chest. Press release…

Today, the Raja for Illinois campaign announced that it raised over $3.1 million in the second quarter of 2025, outraising its closest competitor by three times. The campaign ended the quarter with over $21 million cash on hand.

The successful Q2 fundraising haul adds to an “eye-popping” $3 million raise in the first quarter, bringing the cycle-to-date total to over $6 million from over 35,000 donations.

News of another quarter with over $3 million raised comes just weeks after the campaign released a new poll showing Raja leading the field by thirteen points.

“Our campaign is driven by tens of thousands of supporters who know that Illinois needs a fighter like Raja Krishnamoorthi in the U.S. Senate. A product of public housing and food stamps, Raja knows what it’s like to be an underdog — that’s why he will never back down when Donald Trump hurts Illinois families who are working hard to get by,” said Raja for Illinois campaign manager Brexton Isaacs. “With growing momentum and a solid foundation of support, this campaign is built to win.”

Click here for a little more on that poll.

* Sun-Times

The deadline for filing second-quarter reports with the Federal Election Commission is July 15, but campaigns typically tease some of their fundraising hauls, especially if they are bringing in a large amount.

Krishnamoorthi’s total trumps several other U.S. Senate candidates who have already reported their second quarter totals, including State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is running for the Senate in Michigan and raised $2.1 million and Jordan Wood, a Maine Democrat running to try to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, who brought in $1.35 million.

In a May interview with the Sun-Times, Krishnamoorthi laughed when he was asked whether he feels annoyed or proud of the repetitive mentions of his fundraising abilities.

“I think it’s a sideshow. I think that I’m most proud of the tent. The fact that tens of thousands of people have entrusted me with their hard-earned money because they believe in my office. They believe in my mission,” Krishnamoorthi said.

* We told subscribers about this next topic earlier today. The Illinois GOP is pouncing on a Facebook comment from Rep. Harry Benton, who took a swipe at Gov. JB Pritzker’s LG pick.…

Yesterday, JB Pritzker introduced Illinois families to Christian Mitchell – a former do-nothing, corrupt State Representative. Mitchell’s rubber-stamp approval for higher taxes, corruption, both as a state representative and confidant of convicted felon Mike Madigan, are further proof that the Democrat Machine continues full-steam ahead while putting big-donors and special interests first. But don’t just take it from us; take it from Democrat State Representative Harry Benton in a now-deleted Facebook post:

Bottom Line: The ILGOP agrees with Democrat State Representative Harry Benton that Christian Mitchell is “the worst pick.”

* From the Illinois Republican Party’s Facebook page

Benton told me he only met Mitchell once. “I don’t really feel like getting in the middle of a fight, but, you know, the one time I met him, he was dismissive, didn’t, didn’t care.” Mitchell told Rich he didn’t remember meeting Benton.

* Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid announces big cash stash…

The campaign of State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid today announced it will report more than $500,000 cash on hand in its upcoming quarterly filing.

“This is a clear sign that people are standing with Abdelnasser because they believe in his leadership and his courage to fight for justice,” said Campaign Chairman Clem Balanoff. “This level of support ensures we’ll have the resources to define any race on our terms and powerfully communicate Abdelnasser’s record and vision to voters.”

The fundraising total from more than 2,500 unique donors over the last year positions the campaign with the resources necessary for a strong election cycle. Full financial details will be available in the upcoming disclosure report.

Rep. Rashid told Rich this week that, despite some rumors floating around, he’s running for reelection.

* Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association…

Today the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) announced that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of the 8th Congressional District of New York will headline the annual IDCCA County Chairs Brunch, the premier Illinois Democratic event where its elected officials, leaders, activists and more gather to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments and prepare for the upcoming campaign season. IDCCA President Mark Guethle released the following statement.

“Illinoisans face unprecedented harm from Donald Trump and Elon Musk and I cannot think of a better national leader right now to talk to our party about how to meet this moment than Leader and soon to be Speaker of the House Hakeem Jeffries. We are truly honored Leader Jeffries will fire up Illinois Democrats on how the House of Representatives will fight back against the lawlessness, cruelty, and corruption of the Trump administration. This year’s Brunch will be an event no Democrat can miss as we discuss our path to win back the House of Representatives.” […]

This year’s Brunch will take place on Wednesday, August 13th at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield. More information can be found online at idccabrunch.org.

* Related…

    * QC Times | Illinois U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi kicks off statewide listening tour with Moline stop: U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi held a meet and greet at The Atlas Collective in Moline on Tuesday to kick off a statewide tour as he campaigns to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. With Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati and former U.S. Rep. Phil Hare standing with him, Krishnamoorthi said his purpose in life is to make sure access to “the American Dream is there for everybody.”

    * Crain’s | Stratton raises $1M in U.S. Senate bid: The campaign didn’t release an exact amount or details on donors, which should be available in filings later this month. The race to succeed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in 2026 is already crowded. Stratton faces off against fellow Democratic U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a prodigious fundraiser who has amassed a war chest of more than $19 million, and Robin Kelly, who had about $2 million on hand at the end of the first quarter, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

    * CBS Chicago | State Rep. Hoan Huynh running to succeed Jan Schakowsky in Congress for Illinois’ 9th District: Huynh is currently the Illinois General Assembly as the representative for the state’s 13th district, which covers parts of Uptown, Andersonville and Lincoln Square. He filed paperwork to run for Congress late Tuesday night. He released a campaign video Wednesday morning, becoming the eleventh candidate to enter the race for the Democratic nomination. He joins other popular elected officials in the area, including Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and State Senator Laura Fine.

  26 Comments      


Rep. Hoan Huynh jumps into packed race for Schakowsky’s seat (Updated)

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers were told yesterday. Evanston Now

The race to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston in Congress just got more crowded.

State Rep. Hoan Huynh of Andersonville filed campaign papers Tuesday night, entering the Democratic primary campaign to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, becoming the 11th Democrat to do so.

While his campaign did not officially confirm his candidacy as of late Tuesday, Huynh submitted a statement of organization and statement of candidacy on Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. […]

Other names in the race include Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, State Sen. Laura Fine of Glenview and social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh of Chicago, along with a half dozen other candidates who’ve announced their own campaigns more recently.

* Sun-Times

Huynh said he’s proud to represent both the refugee and immigrant community — and he wants constituents from the very diverse district to understand “government should work for everyone, not just for those at the top.”

Born in Vietnam to Vietnamese and Chinese parents, Huynh’s family received refugee asylum from the U.S. in the early 1990s after his father fought alongside U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War. The Yale University graduate also received a fellowship from Harvard University before beginning a career in education and public policy research at Yale. Huynh, 35, is serving his second term in the Illinois House representing the 13th District. […]

Schakowsky announced she wouldn’t be seeking reelection in May. She is currently serving her 14th term. It’s unclear whether she’ll endorse someone in the race to succeed her, but Huynh said he’ll be seeking her approval.

“We’re looking forward to running a very tough, hard and very well-fought race,” Huynh said. “And we look forward to earning her endorsement. It will be an honor to earn her endorsement, as well.”

* Rep. Huynh’s launch video


Thoughts?

…Adding… From Rep. Huynh’s campaign website


Ope.

* Related…

    * Evanston Roundtable | Two more Chicago Dems file to run for Schakowsky’s seat: And on Monday afternoon, [Bruce Leon] filed the same paperwork to declare his candidacy and create a “Bruce Leon for Congress” committee. He serves as the Democratic Committeeman of Chicago’s 50th Ward, which borders Evanston to the southwest, and last year ran unsuccessfully for a Chicago School Board seat in the Second District, finishing second in a four-way race with 20.2% behind winner Ebony DeBerry’s 43.4%. The domain bruceleon.com was similarly registered on May 29 and updated on June 18, and the site currently displays a “private site” message on the landing page. A campaign consultant listed in Leon’s filings did not immediately respond to an email request for comment sent early Wednesday morning.

  30 Comments      


Roundup: Pritzker taps Christian Mitchell for LG

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Capitol News Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell will be his running mate for the 2026 campaign. […]

Mitchell, 38, will replace Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on the ticket as she seeks the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

Mitchell comes in with hefty experience in state government and public policy. A resident of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, Mitchell served three terms in the Illinois House beginning in 2013 and was executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois in 2018 before joining the governor’s office in 2019.

Mitchell left Pritzker’s administration in early 2023 to become vice president for civic engagement at the University of Chicago where he oversees government relations. Mitchell was appointed by Pritzker last year to an unpaid seat on the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority board, which oversees Navy Pier and McCormick Place. He is also a first lieutenant in the Illinois Air National Guard.

* Tribune

“I’m really most excited to keep moving Illinois forward. You’re seeing in Washington quite a bit of chaos,” Mitchell said in an interview Tuesday morning. “The progress we’ve made in Illinois is more important than ever, and is more important to protect now than ever.”

Politically, Mitchell brings to the Pritzker ticket a compelling personal story of being raised by a single mom, with his grandfather, a military veteran, serving to instill strong values of public service, friends and associates said.

At age 38, Mitchell represents a nod to a younger generation for the future of the state’s Democratic Party by the 60-year-old governor. And by selecting Mitchell, a Black man, Pritzker will maintain racial diversity at the top of the ticket even as Stratton, a Black woman, steps aside.

Aviva Bowen, a consultant at Chicago-based The Strategy Group, where Mitchell was a senior vice president from 2014 to 2017, said Mitchell “brings both a great personal story, but also some pretty significant executive experience, which makes the choice a good one, both politically and practically — and you don’t always get both of those things.”

* Sun-Times

Besides being first in the line of succession to the governor’s office, lieutenant governors don’t have specific responsibilities assigned by the Illinois constitution beyond those “that may be delegated to him by the Governor.”

But the role potentially takes on an added importance this time around if Pritzker ascends to the White House. The governor has sidestepped questions about committing to serving another full four-year term if he’s reelected.

“I think he’d make a terrific president, but I also think he’s running for reelection as governor,” Mitchell said. “I do think it is very exciting for the people of Illinois that we’re talking about an Illinois governor running for president, and not running from prison.”

* More…

    * NBC Chicago | Who is Christian Mitchell? What to know about Pritzker’s running mate: Mitchell is currently the vice president for civic engagement at the University of Chicago, but previously served as deputy governor during Pritzker’s administration, up until 2023. As deputy governor, Mitchell oversaw the Illinois Department of Military Affairs. He worked on efforts like the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the Rebuild Illinois capital plan and cannabis legalization. He also oversaw the state’s medical supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    * Pantagraph | Pritzker names former state lawmaker as running mate: In this sense, it is the most low-profile statewide office in Illinois. One former lieutenant governor even resigned the office out of sheer boredom and lack of responsibility. However, some have been called upon to ascend to the top job, most recently Pat Quinn upon the impeachment and removal of Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2009. […] In Mitchell, Pritzker tapped someone with both political and policy chops. As a state legislator, Mitchell fended off multiple Chicago Teachers Union-packed primary challenges. In 2018, he was named interim executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

    * ABC Chicago | Gov. JB Pritzker to hit campaign trail with new running mate Christian Mitchell Wednesday: Christian Mitchell, Governor JB Pritzker’s pick to be the state’s next lieutenant governor, will be hitting the campaign trail Wednesday morning alongside the governor. The two will be stopping by a South Side staple, Peach’s Restaurant in Bronzeville Wednesday morning.

    * Daily Herald | Pritzker picks former deputy, state Rep. Christian Mitchell as running mate: If Pritzker plunges into an all-absorbing presidential campaign, Mitchell would be a loyal, competent second-in-command, political scientist Kent Redfield said. “If you wanted somebody that knows Pritzker, knows the legislative and executive (branches), and could manage the governor’s office if the governor was running for president, it certainly would make sense,” added Redfield, University of Illinois at Springfield professor emeritus.

    * Capitol City Now | A conversation with a candidate for Lieutenant Governor: He’s gone from the public sector, to the private sector, back to the public sector. Christian Mitchell is a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, running alongside incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker. WTAX’s Dave Dahl talked to Mitchell for the WTAX Morning Newswatch.

    * WGN | Gov. Pritzker announces Christian Mitchell as pick for Lieutenant Governor: To run for lieutenant governor, Mitchell said he’ll leave the University of Chicago where he oversees government relations. From 2013 to 2019, Mitchell represented parts of the South Side in the state legislature distinguishing himself as a policy wonk. He later served as deputy governor, playing a key role in the Pritzker administration’s response to COVID-19. “He tasked me and others in the office to be in charge of effectively our medical supply chain and to make sure that we had all of the PPE, the gloves, the masks, the ventilators we needed to make sure that our frontline health care heroes could keep doing their work,” Mitchell explained.

  22 Comments      


Open thread

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A California-based Mexican music band featuring a black Sousaphone and a crazy-great slapping bass player with 19 million views in two weeks. The menacing vibe is thorough and real. You gotta love it

Paris, France is my sky
Let’s stop with the fairytales

I watched that video about 15 times last night. Don’t miss it.

Optional discussion topic: July 4th plans?

  13 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker signs health care legislation. Capitol News Illinois

    - Gov. JB Pritzker signed a pair of health care-related bills Tuesday that he said would put more controls on the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs sold through insurance plans while expanding insurance coverage for certain kinds of hospital costs.

    - House Bill 1697, known as the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, will impose new restrictions on practices of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, a powerful but little-understood segment of the pharmaceutical industry.

    - Under the legislation, PBMs will be prohibited from steering consumers toward large pharmacies in which they have a financial interest. They will also be prohibited from engaging in “spread pricing” – the practice of charging health plans a higher price for a drug than the PBM pays a pharmacy for dispensing the drug.

* Related stories…

* The Governor is on the campaign trail today with a stop at Peach’s Restaurant in Bronzeville at 11:45 am.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WNIJ | Illinois State Climatologist discusses the future of local weather forecasting: This week Illinois State Climatologist Dr. Trent Ford has been highlighting some possibilities of what federal funding cuts to weather services may look like. Today, Ford shares the effects those cuts could have for local weather forecasters. On top of government funding, local weather forecasters also face uncertainty from their local stations, such as the possibility of weather hubs, as opposed to the current model of forecasters and meteorologists delivering their predictions and information from their local affiliates.

* Press release | AG Raoul wins court order blocking Trump administration’s dismantling of HHS: Attorney General Kwame Raoul today secured a preliminary junction halting Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ensuring continued access to critical public health and social service programs. On May 5, Attorney General Raoul and a coalition of state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to stop the administration’s sweeping and unlawful restructuring directive, which left HHS unable to carry out many of its most vital functions. Today, Judge Melissa R. Dubose of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island blocked the administration’s mass layoffs at several key HHS agencies while the case proceeds.

*** Statewide ***

* Shaw Local | Wisconsin pot purchases boosting market on our side of Cheddar Curtain: Marijuana Moment said Evers’ February budget request projected the Badger State could realize $58.1 million in pot revenue in fiscal 2027 through 15% wholesale and 10% retail taxes. That’s a far cry from a 2023 Wisconsin Department of Revenue study showing a legalization plan could generate almost $170 million per year. All those numbers make sense in light of a 2022 report wherein Wisconsin officials estimated their residents spent more than $121 million on marijuana here, pumping $36 million into our public coffers.

* IPM News | Illinois immigrant advocate responds to birthright citizenship ruling and increased immigration enforcement around the state: ”People whose rights are going to be violated by executive action are going to need to file their own lawsuits or join class action lawsuits that may get filed, and the ability of courts to issue emergency orders in those lawsuits is now very limited. Unfortunately, the executive order could now go into effect while that litigation is moving through the court system. That, unfortunately, is going to mean that countless children — countless families — are essentially going to be stateless.”

* Tribune | Go big and stay home! Why Illinois loves its roadside monsters: “Illinois is like a wonderland of large things,” said Rolando Pujol, whose dizzying new book, “The Great American Retro Road Trip: A Celebration of Roadside Americana,” is an obsessive taxonomy of the vintage fiberglass megafauna (and more) amongst us. “My Illinois to-see list numbers in the hundreds. But incongruous, anomalous, larger-than-life objects are American DNA, part of our collective self-identity. We develop attachment to large things. They become signposts in our lives.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | AG Kwame Raoul joins suit against Trump administration over immigrant Medicaid data: The suit, announced Tuesday, seeks to stop federal immigration officials from securing more health documentation or using already obtained Medicaid records of millions nationwide to target enrollees for immigration enforcement. The attorneys general said the data transfer was not only illegal, but could have a chilling effect on noncitizens and their citizen loved ones enrolling into state healthcare programs they otherwise qualify for due to fear of deportation.

* WBEZ | A state lawmaker wants to bring an overdose prevention site pilot program to Illinois: A bill that could help bring pilot programs for overdose prevention sites to Illinois didn’t pass during the recent legislative session. WBEZ’s Isabela Nieto breaks down what happened and why it matters.

* WGLT | Illinois becomes first state to include music therapy in Medicaid as federal cuts loom in ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: Effective July 1, Illinois is the first state to allow music therapists to bill Medicaid for services—something Julie Englesdorfer said is a game-changer. Englesdorfer graduated from Illinois State University’s music therapy program and has remained in the area, founding Harmonium Music Therapy in Bloomington. But making ends meet in what she calls a “niche” field has been difficult. Englesdorfer’s inability to bill insurance has long created an accessibility barrier, with the average session costing around $120/hour.

*** Chicago ***

* WBEZ | CPS is reducing assistants assigned to some special ed classes, worrying educators and parents: Theresa Nuestro’s sons are among the thousands of Chicago Public School students who depend on special education classroom assistants to keep them safe and focused in classes. […] They worry CPS is trying to find savings on the backs of their children, as has happened in the past. “SECAs are the front-line responders when my son’s blood sugar levels drop to dangerously low levels,” said Nuestro, whose sons are both on the autism spectrum. One has a severe peanut allergy and the other is diabetic. “It is the SECA who communicates when my son is struggling to self-regulate. … These moments are daily life for many autistic students and without adequate SECA support, our children struggle to learn.”

* The Guardian | Six Chicago men exonerated in 1987 stabbing death of government official: A Chicago judge threw out the convictions on Tuesday of six men who served a combined 124 years in prison for the 1987 stabbing death of a local government official. Attorneys for the men successfully petitioned a Cook county court to overturn the convictions based on new DNA evidence as well as allegations of misconduct by a now retired Chicago police detective linked to at least 51 other wrongful convictions.

* Block Club | How Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Will Impact Local Food Pantries: ‘People Are Going To Suffer’: In January, Martin was laid off from his job as a nonprofit case manager. He’s actively looking for work, but for now, he relies on the food pantry at 4256 N. Ridgeway Ave. and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for food. He could soon face additional hardship. Under significant cuts to SNAP being considered in Congress, as part of President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” people ages 55-64 would be subject to a work requirement to receive SNAP benefits — an expansion of existing work requirements that could affect more than 200,000 people living in Illinois.

* Crain’s | CommonSpirit commits $6M to mental health efforts in Chicago: Grants — totaling $6,369,123 — will be awarded to the Catholic Healthcare Foundation of Northern Illinois, which will receive $5,469,123, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, which will receive $900,000, the system said in a press release. Catholic Healthcare Foundation will use the funds to expand behavioral health services available to youth and families on Chicago’s Southwest Side, it said.

* WTTW | CTA Launches Next Round of Rider Feedback Pop-Ups Following ‘Strong Turnout’: The events are designed for CTA leaders and staff to have open, informal conversations with riders about service, safety, improvements and rider priorities, according to the transit agency. The feedback will be used by the agency to help plan for the next CTA budget and prioritize future investments, according to the agency. The next round of events will be held at eight transit system locations and are scheduled to start in mid-July and run through the end of the month. Events will be held from 4-6 p.m.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Cook County opens first modular homes in $12 million affordable housing push: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will open the first two of 120 planned modular-built houses today, a little more than a year after the county board approved spending $12 million, or $100,000 per unit, to build the homes as new affordable housing options. […] The pair of houses is the start of an initial dozen in this neighborhood, each built in Inherent’s factory 3.5 miles away in North Lawndale and delivered by truck as two pieces—first floor and second floor—to the lot.

* Daily Herald | Ascension closure of delivery services sparks protest: Protesters gathered outside Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village Tuesday, opposing Ascension’s decision to discontinue baby deliveries at the hospital. It would involve closing the Women and Infant Services department, which offers labor, delivery and postpartum care, a special care nursery and lactation services. Ascension plans to consolidate these services at Ascension Saint Alexius Women and Children’s Hospital in Hoffman Estates.

* Daily Herald | New Arlington Heights streaming tax could cost residents $61 a year: Village officials are considering an extra charge on streaming services to help fund staffing for a fifth fire department ambulance that is hitting the streets this year, amid increased call volumes. Meanwhile, some village trustees this week pushed back on whether to retain a 1% grocery tax the state will stop collecting at the end of the year.

* Daily Herald | Fermilab leader during search for top quark dies: John Peoples was asked in the mid-1990s about the value of doing pure scientific research — that which has no predetermined benefit. […] Peoples was the director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory at the time, charged with overseeing spending hundreds of millions of dollars researching particle physics. It was just after the Batavia-based laboratory was receiving worldwide acclaim for its role in discovering the top quark. He died June 25, at age 92, according to an announcement from Fermilab.

* Daily Southtown | South Holland to levy nonresident fee for Friday fireworks display: People who don’t live in South Holland will be charged a $10 fee if they want to see the village’s fireworks display Friday night. South Holland residents will be admitted for free after showing proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or utility bill.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | ‘We have to stay in the game’: Illinois State opts in to direct payments to student-athletes: July 1 marks the first day colleges and universities can make direct payments to athletes through Name, Image and Likeness [NIL] deals. The decision stems from a settlement with the NCAA involving student compensation, previously from NIL deals being permitted for student-athletes. ISU Athletics Director Jeri Beggs said ISU needs to move its NIL in-house to remain competitive. “Right now if you can’t offer a decent NIL package to a men’s basketball player or women’s basketball player, they won’t come here. In order to be competitive, we have to stay in the game,” Beggs said.

* BND | Shiloh sued tax collector for millions from its TIFs. Here’s how it was settled: For years, Shiloh argued in circuit and appellate courts that the county tax collector shorted the village a year’s worth of revenue from two of its tax increment financing districts. […] A TIF district is limited to 23 years. The village and county disagreed over when payments from the two TIF districts Shiloh created in 1998 should end. The county stopped sending Shiloh the TIF revenue in calendar year 2021. But Shiloh thought it should have continued into tax year 2021 — money the village levied in 2021 and the county collected from taxpayers in 2022.

* Rock River Current | West announces nearly $13M in state funding for local initiatives, including upgrades to Fairgrounds Park in Rockford: The money was all secured as part of the $55.1 billion budget that Gov. JB Pritzker signed on June 16. West’s announcement includes new initiatives, such as upgrades to Fairgrounds Park, and continuations of past funding, such as the restaurant relief grants that are designed to correct a spike in unemployment taxes caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

* WCIA | Coles Co. Board approves wind project: The Coles County Board voted to approve the Coles Wind Project Tuesday night. It narrowly passed with six members of the board voting to approve it and five voting against the project.

* BND | Fireworks and festivities: Where to celebrate Fourth of July around the metro-east: The Alton Fireworks Spectacular will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 3 with the fireworks beginning at dusk, around 9 to 9:30 p.m. The celebration is held at the Alton Amphitheater, and will also include food trucks and live entertainment.

*** National ***

* NYT | Paramount to Pay Trump $16 Million to Settle ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit: Paramount said late Tuesday that it has agreed to pay President Trump $16 million to settle his lawsuit over the editing of an interview on the CBS News program “60 Minutes,” an extraordinary concession to a sitting president by a major media organization. Paramount said its payment includes Mr. Trump’s legal fees and costs and that the money, minus the legal fees, will be paid to Mr. Trump’s future presidential library. […] But Shari Redstone, the chair and controlling shareholder of Paramount, told her board that she favored exploring a settlement with Mr. Trump. Some executives at the company viewed the president’s lawsuit as a potential hurdle to completing a multibillion-dollar sale of the company to the Hollywood studio Skydance, which requires the Trump administration’s approval.

* WaPo | Trump to cut protections for home health aides, migrant farmworkers: The U.S. Labor Department announced plans this week to slash more than 60 regulations — including eliminating overtime and minimum wage protections for home health care workers and union organizing rights for migrant farmworkers. The effort to deregulate the federal agency that governs workers’ rights and protections in the United States aims to deliver on President Donald Trump’s promise to “restore American prosperity,” the agency said.

* WaPo | A Trans Pilot Was Falsely Blamed for a Plane Crash. Now She’s Fighting the Right-Wing Disinfo Machine: Within two days, the rumor spread like wildfire. The morning of January 31, Jo Ellis, a part-time pilot with the Virginia Army National Guard, woke up to messages from a friend warning that she was being named online as the pilot who killed innocent passengers in the deadly crash. At first, Ellis thought it was an isolated claim—someone erroneously connected her to the crash, because just days earlier she had written an essay on being a transgender pilot from Virginia. But once she logged in to Facebook, she realized she was wrong.

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