Wednesday, Oct 29, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Waymo is ready to bring safe, reliable, autonomous rides to Illinois – but we need your help!
Waymo is designed to follow all traffic laws and obey speed limits, and the data shows Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans (as of 6/2025, see waymo.com/safety). Let’s bring safer rides to Illinois.
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles can improve access to transportation for Illinois residents with travel-limiting disabilities like vision impairment, to reach medical care, groceries, and social activities. Waymo’s all-electric autonomous vehicles also provide a more sustainable way for people to get around, preventing 315+ tons of carbon emissions with every 250K trips provided through our ride-hailing service.
Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus filed landmark legislation designed to protect Illinois residents’ constitutional rights and ensure safe access to critical public services amid heightened federal immigration enforcement activities in Chicago and across the state.
The legislation comes in response to reports of aggressive federal immigration enforcement tactics in Chicago and other Illinois communities that have raised concerns about constitutional rights violations and the chilling effect on access to essential services.
House Bill 1312, sponsored by Senate President Don Harmon, would allow Illinois residents to bring civil actions against any person who deprives them of their constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution, or Section 2 or Section 6 of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution.
Further, it would allow courts to award punitive damages based on the severity of the defendant’s conduct, with particularly egregious factors including wearing masks to conceal identity (excluding legitimate health or tactical purposes), failing to identify as law enforcement, not using body cameras, operating vehicles with obscured or out-of-state plates, and deploying crowd-control weapons like pepper spray or rubber bullets. Additionally, the bill would strengthen protections by amending the Illinois Whistleblower Act to shield anyone who reports violations of this new law from retaliation, encouraging individuals to come forward when they witness constitutional rights being infringed.
“Masks might conceal their faces, but they can’t hide the constitutional abuses we’ve seen daily,” said Harmon (D-Oak Park). “This gives the growing number of victims a clear, legal path to go after the abusers and hold them accountable.”
The measure would also codify long-standing common law protections to ensure parties, witnesses, and their family members can access the justice system without fear of civil arrest. The legislation would create a 1,000-foot safe zone around courthouses, including parking facilities and surrounding streets. Violations would carry civil damages for false imprisonment, $10,000 in statutory damages, and potential contempt of court charges.
“No one should have to choose between seeking justice and risking their freedom,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Courthouses must be places where people can resolve disputes, testify and support loved ones – not be sites of fear or intimidation. This measure ensures that everyone, regardless of background or immigration status, can safely access the justice system without the threat of being detained or harassed. Justice cannot exist where fear takes its place.”
In response to reports of federal agents arresting students at a number of campuses across the state, the legislation would also require public colleges, universities and community colleges to develop procedures for reviewing law enforcement access requests, prohibit unauthorized disclosure of students’ or employees’ immigration status, provide immigration enforcement resources online, and notify campus communities when immigration enforcement activity occurs on campus.
“No one should have to look over their shoulder when they go to class. These are places of learning – not fear,” said State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago). “In Illinois, we choose compassion over cruelty. By protecting our college campuses from ICE intrusion, we’re saying loud and clear that every person deserves to feel safe, respected and valued in our communities.”
To further enhance protections at hospitals, the measure would require all Illinois hospitals to develop comprehensive policies governing law enforcement interactions. Hospitals would be required to establish protocols for verifying law enforcement identity and authority, protecting patient privacy, and providing immigration rights information. General acute care hospitals would be required to comply by Jan. 1, 2026, and all other hospitals by March 1, 2026, with penalties of $500 per day for noncompliance.
It would also require licensed daycare centers to adopt policies notifying parents and requiring parental consent before sharing children’s information with law enforcement, update emergency contact procedures, and establish protocols when parents face immigration enforcement. Centers would not be permitted to disclose citizenship or immigration status information unless required by law and could not consent to law enforcement entry without valid judicial warrants, orders or subpoenas.
“Daycares and hospitals should be places of safety and security, not targets of intimidation. No parent should have to wonder if dropping off their child could put their family at risk, and no person should fear if going to get medical attention will cause them more suffering,” said Aquino (D-Chicago). “We’ve already seen ICE agents come into a hospital room in my district. We’re not talking about what could happen – it’s already happening. The time to act is now.”
House Bill 1312 will be heard in the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.
NAME, it’s Kat Abughazaleh. I have learned that Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has charged six people, including myself, with federal crimes for exercising our First Amendment rights near ICE’s Broadview processing center.
This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt at silencing dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment.
Here’s the truth: As I and others exercised our First Amendment rights, ICE has hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and teargassed hundreds of protesters, myself included.
This case is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up. Because Chicago doesn’t back down from bullies in masks who teargas our neighborhoods, this administration is resorting to weaponizing the federal legal system to scare us into silence.
THEY know they are wrong, they know that they are inhumane, and they know that history will not be on their side. We cannot diminish ourselves in the face of these tactics; it’s time to unite and show up for humanity, for our rights, for everyone terrorized by Trump’s lawless secret police.
This legal fight will be extraordinarily expensive, and I need you on my team. Just $1 from each of our supporters would go a long way to ensuring we have the resources we need to defend the First Amendment. xxxx.us/xxxx?t=xxxxx
On or about September 26, 2025, at approximately 7:45 a.m., Agent A was wearing civilian clothes driving a government-owned vehicle (the “Government Vehicle”) to the BSSA [Broadview Service Staging Area] to report for his official duties. Agent A’s official duties at the BSSA included supervising logistics such as intake, processing, bedspace and transportation coordination for those temporarily detained in Broadview, communicating with upper management and federal partners to manage operations and ensure necessary supplies and proper staffing levels, and responding to requests for information, both internally and from the public. […]
On or about September 26, 2025, at Broadview, in the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division,
MICHAEL RABBITT,
KATHERINE MARIE ABUGHAZALEH,
ANDRE MARTIN,
CATHERINE SHARP,
BRIAN STRAW, and
JOSELYN WALSH,
defendants herein, conspired with one another and others, known and unknown, to prevent by force, intimidation, and threat, Agent A, a United States law enforcement officer, from discharging the duties of his office, and to injure him in his person or property on account of his lawful discharge of the duties of his office, and while engaged in the lawful discharge thereof, and to injure his property so as to interrupt, hinder, and impede him in the discharge of his official duties.
It was part of the conspiracy that, as Agent A drove the Government Vehicle and reached the vicinity of the BSSA on or about September 26, 2025, and turned west onto Harvard Street in Broadview, a group of individuals, including RABBITT, ABUGHAZALEH, MARTIN, SHARP, STRAW and WALSH, surrounded the Government Vehicle, with the intent to hinder and impede Agent A from proceeding to the BSSA and discharging the duties of his office.
It was further part of the conspiracy that, while surrounding the Government Vehicle, RABBITT, ABUGHAZALEH, MARTIN, SHARP, STRAW, WALSH, and others, among other things, banged aggressively on the Government Vehicle’s side and back windows, hood, and other vehicle body parts; crowded together in the front and side of the Government Vehicle and pushed against the vehicle to hinder and impede its movement; scratched the body of the Government Vehicle, including etching a message into the body of the vehicle, specifically the word “PIG;” broke one of the Government Vehicle’s side mirrors; and broke a rear windshield wiper off the Government Vehicle.
Rabbitt is the 45th Ward Democratic Committeeperson. Sharp is running for Cook County board.
…Adding… From Sen. Laura Fine, another CD9 Democratic candidate…
I am disgusted by the partisan and unethical indictments of Kat Abugazelah and five others at the direction of Donald Trump’s weaponized Justice Department.
This unjust prosecution is an attempt to intimidate and silence those who stand up for their rights and beliefs. It’s an attack on anyone sickened by masked men roaming our streets and shoving our neighbors into unmarked cars. It’s a threat to everyone willing to call this what it is: creeping tyranny.
Today it’s Kat. Tomorrow it could be any one of us. This administration wants to rob us of our empathy - to make us afraid to fight for one another. But we cannot abandon the values that make us who we are. We’re a community that shows up, links arms, and refuses to look away. No indictment, no threat, no act of intimidation will change that.
* Daniel Biss…
“The only people engaged in violent and dangerous behavior at Broadview have been ICE. As someone who has protested at Broadview multiple times, I know these protests are nonviolent demonstrations against the kidnapping of our neighbors. Now, the Trump Administration is targeting protestors, including political candidates, in an effort to silence dissent and scare residents into submission. It won’t work.
“I hope these frivolous charges are dropped immediately and Trump begins to listen to the vast majority of Americans who oppose his terror campaign.”
* Granato is running against Sharp for county board…
The following statement can be attributed to Democrat Elizabeth Granato, candidate for Cook County Board of Commissioners District 12:
“Donald Trump’s decision to indict protestors for exercising their constitutional right to speak out against federal agents targeting our communities is beyond the pale. I’ve demonstrated at Broadview myself, and we’ve all seen violence being incited by federal agents, not protestors.
“After pardoning January 6th rioters who assaulted police officers, Trump is once again weaponizing the Department of Justice, this time against ordinary Americans who believe in the rule of law.
“We will not be distracted from unconscionable violations of civil liberties ICE and CBP commit and the terror they unleash against our communities.
“I will continue to bear witness and fight alongside my neighbors as we work to protect our communities and keep families together,” said Elizabeth Granato.
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A federal program created in 1992 to support safety-net clinics with the care they provided to uninsured patients is being abused by for-profit pharmacies and large hospital systems. The 340B program has become a cash cow with profits flowing away from the very patients and communities the program was meant to help.
Reform at the federal level is critical to ensure that the 340B program works as it was intended by providing necessary funds to safety-net clinics that serve some of the neediest patient populations in Illinois and across the country. Multiple investigations have found that the program has created perverse incentives for hospitals to prescribe more and higher-cost medicines, as well as buy up smaller independent clinics and practices to benefit from their prescriptions as well. Meanwhile for-profit pharmacies are making millions of dollars off hospitals, with no requirements to provide low-cost medicines to patients.
Sisters Working It Out supports reforms that increase transparency and improve oversight to help return 340B to its original purpose of helping low-income patients and the safety-net clinics they rely on. Congress must act to reform this critical federal program.
Reporter: The House introduced a sweeping transit bill last night that includes a number of revenue enhancements including a billionaires tax, amusement tax, sales take among others. What’s your position on the bill and do you support it?
Pritzker: Well, I have to say they sprung a whole bunch of things that have never been seen before, so it’s very hard to evaluate in a short period of time. I think there’s a whole lot of work the legislature still needs to do. As you know, when you come up with a new idea, it’s got to be run through the Department of Revenue to figure out how you might go about collecting the tax or what it would actually yield. And so anticipate that that work will be done.
There are things like the, what you’re calling a billionaires tax, that is really it’s a tax on unrealized capital gains. It’s never been done before, never been done before by any state, never been done by the federal government. So once again, you got to do a whole lot of work before you can pass a bill that if you don’t even know how it would work or whether you could actually collect on it.
Click here for more on the mark to market tax from the Tax Foundation.
* On allowing municipalities to install speed cameras…
Reporter: The bill also includes a provision that adds 50 percent of the revenue from speed cameras in towns outside of Chicago to go to the newly proposed governing authority to whatever changes the lawmakers want to make to mass transit. But this would mean that the suburbs and other Illinois towns would be allowed to have speed cameras, right since you since none of them have them, except for the city of Chicago. Two part question, is that something you support?
Pritzker: No.
Reporter: How do you think that will look? How do you think increasingly Democratic voters in the suburbs will take that since they would be paying for this?
Pritzker: It’s a bad idea. We’ve had so many problems with speed cameras in the state. There’s been corruption around them. Honestly, I think we need to, you know, take a pause.
Reporter: What about the amusement/entertainment tax?
Pritzker: We could go through the whole bunch of things. As you know, the Senate passed a bunch of things last May… I mean, as it is, it’s not going forward. There’s got to be a lot of discussion between the House and the Senate in order to come up with a final bill, because it isn’t going to look like what the House has put forward.
Today Tim Drea, Illinois AFL-CIO President, on behalf of the Labor Alliance for Public Transportation, released the following statement in support of SB2111 HA2 to address Illinois’ transit fiscal cliff and offers long overdue reforms to improve public transit across Illinois:
“We applaud Leader Buckner, Leader Delgado, and the entire House Transit Working Group for their hard work to secure the future of Illinois’ public transportation systems. It is imperative that the General Assembly pass this legislation before the end of Veto session to establish a dedicated, sustainable revenue source that will fund our transit networks for the long term and deliver coordinated, cost-efficient public transportation for all Illinoisans.
After years of rallies, meetings, and town halls, one message is clear: Illinoisans want safe, reliable, and fully funded public transit. Without action by Thursday, layoff notices will be issued and service cuts will follow - threatening our economy and access to jobs, healthcare, childcare, and more. SB2111 HA2 provides us the opportunity to deliver a stable, world-class public transit system that our communities both need and deserve. The time for action is now.”
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
This year’s CU Kind Day brought together 74 credit unions and partners: 1,800+ volunteers, and 3,400+ volunteer hours — resulting in over $81k goods & donations that supported 140 community organizations statewide.
We’re proud to see how Illinois CUs continue to live out the People Helping People philosophy — and inspire others across the nation to do the same. Read more: https://ow.ly/1xeF50XeZo3.
* Click here for some background. HB4189 was introduced yesterday…
Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that the amendatory provisions may be referred to as the Health Care Sanctity and Privacy Law. Requires hospitals to adopt and implement a policy regarding interactions with law enforcement agents. Sets forth minimum requirements for the policy, including designating a contact person or persons to be notified of all law enforcement presence or information requests and establishing the following procedures: procedures to respond to such requests; procedures to verify the identity and authority of any law enforcement agent involved in civil immigration activities at a hospital site; procedures for designating space for law enforcement agents to remain and wait at a hospital; procedures for patients to request an amendment to their medical records; and procedures concerning the release of information to law enforcement agents. Requires the policy to be submitted to the Department of Public Health. Establishes a fine for hospitals that fail to submit the policy. Sets forth provisions concerning complaints of noncompliance with the provisions; holding hospital personnel harmless from any civil, criminal, or other liability that may arise as a result of their reasonable compliance with the amendatory provisions; obligations as a mandated reporter; and conflicts with federal law. Amends the University of Illinois Hospital Act to require compliance with the provisions of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
The Illinois Power Agency says deploying three gigawatts of battery storage technology could save Ameren and ComEd customers $13.4 billion over 20 years.
That is one of the main components Democrats hope to see approved under the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act. The legislation would also bring more solar and wind projects online while investing in geothermal technology and empowering state agencies to better plan for energy demand spikes.
Advocates say President Donald Trump’s budget bill put the renewable energy community on the clock. Tax credit eligibility is now determined based on when a project is placed in service instead of when a project begins construction.
Lawmakers could modernize the Illinois Commerce Commission’s working group to have more power in making decisions related to interconnection.
“This is really the only bill that recognizes we need every watt that we have got,” Illinois Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham said.
That debate is likely coming down to the Clean Renewable Grid Affordability Act or CRGA. CRGA has seen significant support from democrats and consumer advocates. But the Illinois Manufacturers Association is joining Republicans in opposing the bill.
They say funding the expanded battery storage component pushes the cost to consumers when prices are already high.
“We have to, we have the mindset right now of all energy, especially if we want to have data centers, especially if we want to expand manufacturing and people to actually come to our state,” House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said.
NBC 5 Responds has heard from frustrated customers who say the process of retrieving and applying digital coupons at Jewel-Osco grocery stores is unreliable and time-consuming. […]
Now, Illinois lawmakers are stepping in.
State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) has introduced legislation that would require grocery stores to offer alternatives to digital-only coupons. The bill would mandate that advertised prices be honored even if a customer doesn’t have access to a smartphone or app. […]
She suggests stores could offer paper coupons in addition to digital coupons. […]
“When we introduced the bill, people really just started coming out from all over the state talking about the issues they were seeing,” [Rep. Yang Rohr said.]
The bill, introduced last December, has yet to advance and faces opposition from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois.
A bill heading to the Illinois House floor could update state regulations for craft brewers and distillers to help grow business.
The plan could create a Class 3 craft distiller license and self-distribution exemption. It also clarifies that using third-party platforms to deliver liquor is not illegal reselling, transferring, or exchanging of alcoholic drinks.
The bill would allow craft brewer license holders to offer rewards and loyalty programs like mug clubs for customers as well.
“In 2019, we created the cocktails-to-go program,” Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island) said Tuesday. “It had a sunset. We’re going to remove the sunset and make it a permanent program.”
* Sen. Julie Morrison introduced SB2725 yesterday. The synopsis…
Amends the Industrial Hemp Act. Provides that no hemp cannabinoid shall be bottled and sold for purchase in a package or container that contains caffeine, including, but not limited to, ready to drink beverages. Defines “hemp cannabinoid”.
The proposed Responsibility in Firearm Legislation, or RIFL Act, would create a licensing fee for any gun manufacturer that does business in Illinois.
Gun makers are immune from civil lawsuits from victims of gun violence. But the sponsor said this is a legal approach.
State Representative Kevin Olickal, a Skokie Democrat, said the revenue from the fees would go to a fund to support those impacted by gun violence and their families. He said the fees will depend on the safety features of specific weapons sold and how many injuries are attributed to them. […]
He said the bill won’t come up during fall veto session, but he is building support to potentially pass it in the spring session.
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Foreign drugmakers are lying about the 340B bill. Why? The answer is all too obvious: Big Pharma is all about protecting their profits. Anyone who’s had sticker shock when paying for medications knows this. And our elected officials know this; in fact, a U.S. Senate committee recently issued a scathing report on how drugmakers jack up new drug prices and overcharge Americans.
HB 2371 SA 2 is desperately needed legislation that will help over 100 Illinois hospitals serving low-income and uninsured patients to pass on discounted drug prices to their patients and invest in needed healthcare services. These hospitals include Safety Net providers like Sinai Chicago and Critical Access Hospitals, as well as UChicago Medicine, the state’s No. 1 provider of Medicaid services.
Here’s the truth about 340B:
• HB 2371 SA 2 does NOT expand the 340B program.
• HB 2371 SA 2 does NOT require a state appropriation.
• Similar laws were passed 20 states and upheld by the courts.
• HB 2371 SA 2 implements strong transparency requirements.
In just one year, three Big Pharma drugmakers had combined profits of nearly $39 billion, with executive salaries at nearly $154 million. Foreign drugmakers are investing in themselves, not communities. Say NO to Big Pharma and YES to Illinois hospitals and the jobs and care they provide. Learn more.
Lawmakers are still laboring to get a bill on track in Springfield to overhaul and fund the Chicago area’s cash-strapped mass transit agencies as the fall veto session rumbles to a conclusion.
Illinois Democrats leading transit talks floated several potential taxes in a bill filed late Tuesday to generate $1.5 billion to help the CTA, Metra and Pace avoid a $200 million-plus fiscal cliff approaching next year. […]
Lawmakers are largely on the same page as far as transit governance reform under a new, more powerful Northern Illinois Transit Authority, but the new tax proposals face an uncertain fate in the state Senate, where Democrats passed a different proposal earlier this year. The legislative session is scheduled to end Thursday.
“This is the most comprehensive and consequential transit legislation in the history of this country, and we’re gonna be able to do this,” Buckner said.
The largest portion of funding — about $700 million — would come from a 7% statewide tax on entertainment ranging from streaming services to live shows and other ticketed events. […]
The sponsors said a $5 surcharge would also be tacked onto ticket purchases for large events and raise about $125 million. The surcharge would apply statewide but would mostly be paid for by those attending large events like concerts and sporting events in the Chicago area. The charge would allow ticketholders to use their ticket to ride public transportation to and from the event, Delgado said, with the goal being to change people’s travel behavior to large events.
Buckner and Delgado said the measure would also tax billionaires on unrealized gains on investment assets at a 4.95% rate — at the state’s current income tax rate — to generate about $300 million. […]
The existing sales tax imposed by the RTA in Cook County and the collars would increase by 0.25 percentage points to 1.25% in Cook County and 1% in the collars. And another estimated $266 million would come from allowing municipalities to install speed cameras near churches, parks, schools and hospitals. Municipalities would be allowed to keep half of the revenue. […]
Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the House’s proposal.
It’s unclear if the labor coalition advocating for a transit overhaul is in full support of the package.
Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, said his team is still reviewing the bill, which wasn’t posted until late this evening.
Labor previously supported the Senate bill and helped see it approved in that chamber.
Marc Poulos, political director for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, said lawmakers soured on the delivery fee because it’s seen as a “very regressive tax.”
Pritzker has said he’d like to see a deal get done, though he’s dodged backing specific revenue proposals he would support to help pay for his desired “world-class transit system for the whole state.”
He did so again at an unrelated news conference Tuesday in Peoria, where he noted House lawmakers have been meeting privately “to determine what it is they could tolerate.”
“Revenue is always hard to raise for anything, even when you know it’s hyper-important, and so they’re still considering what those things are,” Pritzker said. “I’ve tried to be careful about what I’ve told them because I want to make sure that they are considering all the options.”
This fall veto session, only one bill can reduce spiking electric rates – the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act.
If enacted, CRGA would direct the state to procure battery energy storage and finally implement the kind of long-range planning that will help stabilize the grid and lower costs for ratepayers. Government (Illinois Power Agency) and private sector (The Power Bureau) studies agree CRGA will save consumers on monthly bills and slash tens of billions in costs.
The solutions offered in CRGA are nimble enough to address growing data center power demands and meet other electrification-related power needs. It’s the only bill in Veto that can lower rates for consumers and ensure economic development efforts are set up for success. After all, if we lack power and capacity, we can’t add the jobs that come with new data centers and other large power users.
Without action, prices will continue to rise with no end in sight. It’s time for the General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act.
* ICYMI: House Dems eye taxes on entertainment, billionaires’ investments to fund transit. Capitol News Illinois…
- Two key negotiators on public transit reform in the Illinois House filed a bill Tuesday to raise up to $2 billion for public transit by taxing entertainment and the unrealized investment gains of billionaires.
- The future of Senate Bill 2111 in the Senate is not clear, however. Delgado said the proposal represents what House Democrats think are the best solutions to pay for public transportation.
- Buckner and Delgado said of the $1.5 billion and $2 billion that would be raised, about $220 million would go to downstate transit agencies.
The summer of 2025 has been a tough one for residents and businesses in the Ameren Illinois service territory. Supply constraints, extreme hot and humid conditions, and increased energy usage have led to a significant spike in electricity prices and higher-than-normal monthly bills for residential, commercial and industrial energy users. We appreciate and thank legislators, regulators and stakeholders who are working hard to address the energy challenge in Illinois. Energy policy is complex, and we’re encouraged that there are some creative ideas being proposed and a willingness to work together to find answers.
While Ameren Illinois cannot control the price or availability of energy, we can ensure that the system that delivers energy to homes and businesses — electric poles, wires, and technology; and natural gas distribution pipelines and storage fields — is equipped to operate at peak performance to withstand severe weather events, facilitate business expansions that grow local communities, and enable the transition to renewable generation.
We have an opportunity to build an energy system that is smarter, cleaner, reliable, resilient, and affordable for Illinois families and businesses. As discussions on short- and long-term legislative solutions occur this fall, we will continue to advocate for our 1.2 million customers.
If you know of someone who is struggling to pay their energy bill, please encourage them to visit www.AmerenIllinois.com/PathToSavings for information on available financial assistance and energy saving programs.
*************************************************
* Governor Pritzker will be in Taylorville at 10:15 am to sign an Executive Order to support Illinois farmers. Click here to watch.
* WBEZ | Murder case of ex-cop who fatally shot Sonya Massey goes to jurors: Jurors began deliberating Grayson’s fate around lunchtime and ended the day Tuesday without reaching a verdict. They will resume deliberations Wednesday. But jurors did pose two questions to the judge overseeing the case after they went behind closed doors. One was a request to review police-worn body camera videos that have been a critical piece of evidence in the trial. The jury asked to look at Grayson’s and at his partner’s recordings, and to view them side-by-side. The other question had to do with a reference in jury instructions to a state law that governs when use of force is impermissible as an act of self-defense.
*** Statewide ***
* WAND | IL turkey hunters harvest 255 wild turkeys in ‘25, down from last season: Turkey hunters in the state of Illinois harvested 255 wild turkeys during the fall season from Oct. 18 to 26. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said 294 turkeys were harvested in 2024. IDNR shared that 2005 was the record harvest, when 1,218 birds were harvested.
*** Statehouse News ***
* WAND | Illinois Power Agency says solar battery storage proposal could save ratepayers $13.4b over 20 years: The Illinois Power Agency says deploying three gigawatts of battery storage technology could save Ameren and ComEd customers $13.4 billion over 20 years. That is one of the main components Democrats hope to see approved under the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act. The legislation would also bring more solar and wind projects online while investing in geothermal technology and empowering state agencies to better plan for energy demand spikes.
* Tribune | Cook County leaders want property tax relief for more seniors, but south suburban mayors group resists: As election season kicks off in earnest and the Springfield veto session hurtles to its conclusion, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Assessor Fritz Kaegi are both pressing state legislators to expand property tax break eligibility for lower-income seniors. But they have faced pushback from a group representing south suburban municipal leaders who fear those breaks would hike bills for everyone else, pushing up already-high tax rates and making collections even harder.
* WAND | House committee approves bill cutting red tape for craft brewers, distillers: The plan could create a Class 3 craft distiller license and self-distribution exemption. It also clarifies that using third-party platforms to deliver liquor is not illegal reselling, transferring, or exchanging of alcoholic drinks. The bill would allow craft brewer license holders to offer rewards and loyalty programs like mug clubs for customers as well.
* WAND | IL Senate GOP: Democrats should not raise any taxes during veto session: Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch have suggested lawmakers could pass a plan this week to decouple from some of the new federal tax benefits for businesses. However, Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) said decoupling will prevent taxpayers from automatic savings and could make tax filing more complicated.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Chicago-area Head Start programs spared from government shutdown — until December: Without an end to the federal government shutdown by Saturday, some 65,000 children and their families nationwide stand to lose Head Start early childcare and preschool services as soon as next week. None are in the Chicago area, the Illinois Head Start Association says. A lone program in downstate Illinois could be impacted next month. Local families have a longer runway because budget years vary for recipients of Head Start grants.
* Tribune | Gene & Georgetti owner says the city is pushing her out at Midway to make way for Bally’s: Michelle Durpetti, whose grandfather started Gene & Georgetti nearly 85 years ago, said she received notice last week from Midway concessionaire SSP America that it was closing their Gene’s Bistro outpost and abruptly ending a 20-year licensing agreement within 90 days. No explanation was given to Durpetti in the termination email, but she believes the city is looking to leverage its agreement with Bally’s Chicago to generate additional revenue at the airport – at her expense. “They’re basically pulling the rug out from under a local Chicago brand,” Durpetti said. “You lend people your brand equity, which we have spent decades building and protecting in my family, only to be treated like this.”
* Sun-Times | U of C resident doctors win first-ever union contract after nearly a year of negotiating: The five-year contract for the roughly 1,000 residents and fellows “will have a direct impact on both their well-being and their ability to provide high-quality patient care to their patients,” according to the Committee of Interns and Residents, their union representation. The victory is the latest in a growing movement in Illinois and nationwide to unionize residents and secure contracts that make their working conditions more humane and sustainable.
* Crain’s | 1871 is on the move to Edelman’s downtown HQ: As 1871 was preparing to depart the Merchandise Mart in May, without a firm decision on where it would set up shop next, CEO Betsy Ziegler got an email from Amanda Edelman. She said: “We’re excited about innovation, and we have some space,” Ziegler recalls. 1871 is moving into nearly 23,000 square feet, or a half-floor of space at 111 N. Canal, along with Current, a water-innovation hub, and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which was a tenant at 1871’s space in the Merchandise Mart. Edelman calls the space its innovation hub and is providing it rent-free to the nonprofits.
* Tribune | Dates are announced for David Byrne’s ‘Theater of the Mind’: Presented as part of the Goodman’s anniversary Centennial Season, the project is described as an “immersive journey of how we perceive and create our worlds, inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research.” It will be directed by Andrew Scoville, with technology direction by Heidi Boisvert. Audiences of 16 at a time will explore “a 15,000-square-foot immersive experience,” with the attraction expected to take about 75 minutes.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Injustice Watch | Rare criminal trial of former Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center employee expected to start Thursday: Kevin Walker, 58, a former rapid response team specialist at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, is facing felony charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct for allegedly injuring a child at the facility in December 2023. This is the first time in more than a decade that a current or former employee has been criminally charged with hurting a child at the detention center. The trial comes on the heels of a class-action lawsuit filed last year by more than 300 former detainees who claim they were sexually and physically abused while at the detention center going back to the early 1990s. In recent years, the facility has also faced scrutiny from outside experts who say staffers use dangerous and excessive restraint practices and are sometimes “entirely inhumane” to the children they oversee.
* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan bars federal agents from city properties: ‘This is a good step forward’: “This resolution is not about politics,” Mayor Sam Cunningham said after signing the resolution. “It is about people. It is about ensuring that every person who calls Waukegan home can go to City Hall, the police station, the library and any other municipal facility without fear.” Along with prohibiting federal immigration enforcement agents from using city property “as a staging area, processing location, operations base or other support for civil immigration enforcement,” the resolution dictates that signs be placed in all appropriate places to warn agents.
* Elgin Courier-News | Efforts to help businesses know their rights step up in wake of Elgin-area immigration raids: “ICE/CBP agents do not have consent to enter this business/restaurant unless they have a valid judicial warrant. Staff are not authorized to consent access to this business/restaurant.” Elgin Area Rapid Response Team members confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were inside the mall at 535 Dundee Ave. at 9:20 a.m. Sunday and detained a person who was reportedly an employee. The scene was cleared by 9:30 a.m.
* Daily Herald | ‘Leading the way’: DuPage’s new Crisis Recovery Center making an early impact: His remarks came during a presentation on the proposed health department budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The health board has authorized the use of reserve funds from the health department to help bridge an anticipated $3 million gap in the center’s operational budget during fiscal 2026. “It’s important to note that this gap is not what I would consider a shortfall. It is a strategic investment that we have planned and prepared for,” Forker said. “It’s about taking care of our residents, and the health department reserves are there in place to support the CRC operations as we launch services for the first time.”
* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights to set new speed limits for motorized devices: The revised rules, which could be considered by the board as soon as next Monday, would bar anyone of any age from riding devices that exceed 28 mph — whether an electric bicycle, scooter, unicycle, hoverboard, skateboard or related product — on any street or sidewalk in Arlington Heights.
* Tribune | Gary King, DuPage County clerk for decades, dies at 78: In all, King spent more than 47 years working in the office of the clerk, which mails property tax bills and stores and manages vital records like birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses and political candidates’ economic interest statements. “He knew more about his job, including about taxes and the tax cycle, than anybody in the county. He just knew everything,” said former DuPage County Recorder J.P. “Rick” Carney, a longtime friend. “He was an expert. I would consider him the best clerk in the state of Illinois.”
*** Downstate ***
* WGEM | Potential loss of SNAP benefits impacting local Illinois food pantries: “We’ve already seen the impact already,” Stephens said. “Food pantry was open on Sunday here from 2-4 and unfortunately we have to turn away 60 individuals because we simply did not have enough food.” Stephens said this is the worst it has ever been for them. This isn’t just an issue at Horizons. Stephens said other food pantries in the community are struggling to keep up with the need.
* WSIL | Local food pantry launches emergency fundraising campaign amid SNAP benefit halt: Last Saturday, the food pantry recorded serving a record 239 households, representing 603 individuals, with 22 households visiting for the first time. Charley Sands, an eight-year volunteer, expressed concern, saying, “I was in the building Saturday night. It was 7:30. I knew pantry had been going for an hour. The place was still packed with a line out the door, and I was overwhelmed. I said to myself, ‘what are we going to do?’”
* WGLT | Bloomington’s gun violence commission wants to keep going: The Special Commission on Safe Communities delivered its final report during the Bloomington City Council’s meeting on Monday, while urging the council to make the commission permanent. “Every commissioner I’ve talked to would like to continue on,” Scott Denton, a forensic pathologist who chairs the commission, said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. “We think the work isn’t done.” The 29-page report, compiled through interviews and data collection, compares Bloomington to national trends and points to areas of concern, including suicide, domestic violence and youth interaction with guns.
*** National ***
* Time Magazine | Stephen Miller Claims ICE Agents Have Immunity. Is That True?: Stephen Vladeck, a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, argues no—at least on its face. “The federal government absolutely retains the ability to prosecute federal law enforcement officers who break the law, even in the course of carrying out their duties,” Vladeck writes in a newsletter published Monday. Vladeck argues that while these agents are protected by an immunity doctrine, that doctrine is not as absolute as Miller makes it out to be.
* AP | Federal trial to start over Trump’s efforts to deploy the National Guard in Portland, Oregon: U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, will preside over the trial in Portland. The trial stems from a lawsuit filed by the city and state against the Trump administration in a bid to block the troop deployment. Immergut has already issued two temporary restraining orders in the case blocking the troops pending further litigation. She found that Trump had failed to show that he had met the conditions set out by Congress for using the military domestically. She described his assessment of the situation in Portland, which Trump called “war ravaged,” as “simply untethered to the facts.”
* 404 Media | ICE Is Using a University Building as a Deportation Office and the University Says It Can’t Do Anything About It: In 2023, an alum of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) sold a building at 310 E. Knapp St. to the school for a massive discount, with the intention of the building being renovated and turned into an academic facility. At the time, ICE was a tenant of the building but was in the process of building a new office elsewhere in Milwaukee. Its lease was set to expire in April, but ICE, through the General Services Administration (GSA) which handles real estate for the federal government, unilaterally extended the lease through April of next year and has the option to remain in the building through 2028, the university says. The university says there is nothing it can legally do to evict ICE.
