Members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus are calling on Governor JB Pritzker to protect critical funding that provides care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Illinois. In a letter sent today Republican Senators urged him to fully restore a proposed $32 million cut to Direct Support Professional (DSP) service hours in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs), where nearly 10,000 Illinois residents with IDD receive care.
“There will be lean years and there will be tight years, but every year – the state budget is a list of priorities. It is our duty as legislators to represent not just our constituents but all vulnerable Illinoisans who need our state’s help and protection,” the letter reads. “The IDD community has been pushed aside for far too long. This year you have the chance to prioritize them and make promised investments that help bring dignity and quality of life to these valued and vulnerable citizens.”
While the Governor’s proposed budget includes a 50-cent wage increase for DSPs, the Senate Republicans point out that the impact is undercut by the planned reduction of 900,000 service hours—the impact of which could eliminate an estimated 430 positions and result in a net loss of $32 million to the community-based care system.
The letter also highlights that thousands of Illinois residents remain on the state’s PUNS waiting list for services, and many more are living with aging caregivers who fear for their loved ones’ futures. Additionally, they argue that the proposed cuts would disproportionately impact downstate and rural areas, which already struggle to meet staffing needs and lack nearby facilities.
Senate Republicans say the proposed rollback threatens the state’s progress toward meeting federal requirements under the Ligas Decree and increases the risk of institutionalization for individuals with disabilities—a path many families have worked for decades to avoid.
The Senate Republican Caucus is urging the Governor to restore the full $32 million in service hours and recommit to building a fair, inclusive, and compassionate system of care for individuals with disabilities and their families.
* Pritzker’s spokesperson responded last week…
Governor Pritzker has made unprecedented investments and policy changes to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois — over $1 billion new dollars compared to FY ‘19. The Governor continues his prioritization of this population with a more than $100 million increase in the DHS DD division to support community services, including further wage increases for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
Rather than ever acknowledging Governor Pritzker’s historic improvements, Senate Republicans are proving past is prologue and refusing to stand up against a leader of their own party who has one goal: to make life worse for people who aren’t rich. If these members meant a single word they said in this letter, they would be hauling their sorry selves to Washington DC right now to urge the Senate to not cut healthcare, food benefits and countless other critical services Illinoisans rely on. They might have uttered one syllable of disagreement when Bruce Rauner was dismantling the human services infrastructure of Illinois.
This is yet another disappointing, albeit unsurprising, stunt from individuals who have not once put the people they represent above cheap, partisan nonsense.
* Shore Community Services took both parties to task in a press release. Excerpt…
At the state level, Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget includes modest increases to caregiver wages and reimbursement rates. However, this progress is negated by a simultaneous proposed cut to hours for direct support professionals (DSPs).
“Medicaid is the backbone of our disability service system in Illinois, and DSPs are the backbone of our organizations. Without these caring and professional individuals, people with IDD will lose critical support that enables them to live full and independent lives in the community,” said Erin Ryan, CEO of Shore Community Services.
Under the Governor’s proposed budget, there is a reduction of 1 million DSP service hours ($32 million), affecting more than 10,000 people who reside in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs). These cuts equal a direct loss of daily support for individuals to assist with transportation, daily living activities, and access to community resources.
At the federal level, House Republicans released a budget reconciliation bill plan which includes approximately $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts could lead to up to 13.7 million Americans losing health insurance, according to estimates from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
From Early Intervention for young children (ages birth to 3) to personal care services and community-based programming such as group homes and day programs, Medicaid is often the only payer of disability services, especially for the majority of disabled people who are very low-income. This foundational program has enabled millions to access therapies, equipment, housing, school-based health services, and more.
“Cuts to Medicaid and waiver-funded services will threaten health, independence, and quality of life for people with IDD,” Ryan said. “Every year we fight for more resources, and each victory underlines the commitment Illinois has made to end the segregation of people with IDD and invest in truly integrated community-based supports. We are concerned about what cuts could mean for our communities.”
Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, asked IDHS whether DSP providers were consulted when deciding to reduce service hours in favor of higher wages. [IDHS Secretary Dulce Quintero] replied that providers were consulted during the Guidehouse study and that it “has been a very transparent process.”
However, providers in the They Deserve More coalition told Capitol News Illinois that they did not feel included in the decision-making process.
“I’ve been in every meeting, there’s not one that I missed,” Carmody said. “There was no consultation.”
A reduction in DSP service hours was first proposed in late 2023, but Carmody maintained there was an agreement that the current 28.5 million DSP hours would remain in place. She says the proposed budget cut amounting to 895,000 state-funded service hours came as a surprise.
“Why on earth would we have fought for over a year to stave off these cuts only to agree that it would only be a temporary measure? It’s preposterous. It’s counterintuitive,” said Carmody. “That was not the understanding. The understanding was that the community system would retain 28.5 million hours of DSP services.”
Carmody said some impacts on funding for DSPs were expected in future fiscal years, but not this year or to this extent. She also acknowledged the budgetary challenges of this fiscal year and said the current administration “hands-down” has done more than past administrations.
Reporter: On the transit bill. It seems it’s possible that they try to tackle the structure and governance part and not revenue. Do you think that’s acceptable to do one without the other at this time, or does the revenue need to come in May?
Johnson: Let me just say that I’m grateful for the productive work that is being done in Springfield. As I’ve said before, our equitable distribution and fair share of resources for Chicago in the region, that’s my number one priority, particularly at a time in which we’re already seeing the benefits of our investments right where wholesale occupancy is up, tourism is up. The ridership is up. 300 million riders last year alone. So we know that there is a growing need for reliable and affordable public transportation. As far as the parsing out of action, that is typical of Springfield. My position is we have to do both, right and, our team has worked hard to ensure that the governing structure is situated properly for the future. And the resources, that’s where we really have to roll up our sleeves and dig in a little bit more to ensure that that equitable distribution comes to fruition. But all in all, sometimes it it’s more manageable to parse elements of something of this magnitude apart. And I don’t necessarily have any grudge towards that effort.
Reporter: The agencies themselves have said they need the revenue to avoid cuts. They would have to schedule, I guess, a series of meetings that they’re required to schedule to talk about cuts before they actually implement them. Is there time to bring in that revenue on their timeline if they don’t do it this week?
Johnson: There is some urgency to respond to the financial needs that exist today. As far as the timing is concerned, look, as I said, there’s clearly a growing appreciation and confidence in our public transit system. There’s more work to be done, but as ridership continues to go up, as well as tourism continue to improve. We were talking about $20 billion of infusion as a result of tourism. We’re going to have to have a fully funded, well supported transit system, safe, affordable and reliable. And again, there’s no secret that we have to move with some expediency to ensure that the funding is there. Again, the timing of it all, probably some room there, not very much though.
Reporter: Continuing the Springfield theme, when you went down there, you talked about kind of four lower level asks, your priorities asking out of Springfield. I’m wondering, have you gotten any assurances from your team down there, or lawmakers? You know that things like the mandated categories for schools, the 911 surcharge, telecommunication tax, you know better than I do. Are you getting any, you know, confirmation that what you need is going to come through in this budget with only a couple days left in the session?
Johnson: Well, there’s still work to be done, right? What I will say is, as we take nothing for granted, as you know, and as you’ve covered over the years, these last few days become, you know, paramount. Our team is working hard to make sure that, as you mentioned the categoricals, for instance, for special education, for transportation, bilingual education, that those reimbursements don’t drop below what we’ve had in the past. We actually believe that there should be some increase there. There’s nothing that’s guaranteed, and our work continues there to ensure that they ask that we have for the people of Chicago that those tasks become realized. Now, there’s always room to negotiate, and there’s different forms in which these asks can be delivered, but we’ll continue to work through that process to ensure that those investments reach Chicago.
Reporter: I’m hearing from one of the lawmakers who’s key, involved with the budgeting, who describes your team’s presence down presence down there as virtually being absent. Now, can you respond to that?
Reporter: Let’s shift to the Bears, your favorite topic. So we’re kind of closing time in Springfield. We know that they’ve been in active talks about getting some kind of funding for a new stadium with lawmakers there. Is the city engaged in any conversation with lawmakers during this last week to try to maintain, keep them here in Chicago?
Johnson: The door is still open for the Bears to remain in the city of Chicago. I’ve expressed my commitment and our team has put forth terms that we believe are fair and are attractive. Obviously at this point, I’ve done everything that I possibly could do to ensure my commitment to the Bears in our city. And they need support from Springfield. I mean, that’s really what it comes down to. Those conversations have always been led by the Bears. Because just like the Bears had to come to me about how the city could wrap itself around an agreement, and we were able to respond to the organization, the Bears also have the responsibility to speak to the leadership in Springfield in order to secure a stadium. Look, that is out of my control at this point, if the Bears do not receive support from Springfield, then they’ll have to make decisions that are best for their organization. As far as I’m concerned. You know the door is still open.
I’m not sure that the Bears are engaged in “active talks” about state funding with anyone.
Many thanks to Isabel for cleaning up the recorded transcript. However, just in case, please pardon any transcription errors.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Two years ago this week, the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. the Environmental Protection Agency significantly limited the agency’s ability to use the 1972 Clean Water Act to safeguard the nation’s wetlands from pollution and destruction. The decision determined that wetlands — waterlogged habitats that help filter water and sequester carbon — must be indistinguishable from larger bodies of water to be eligible for protection under the law. […]
Illinois appears to be well positioned to protect its wetlands. It’s a blue state with Democratic supermajorites in both state legislative chambers and a governor friendly to climate policy. But last year, a wetlands protection bill never made it to the General Assembly for a vote. And Illinois State Senator Laura Ellman, the primary sponsor of the bill, is pessimistic about pushing the same bill through the legislature this year.
One major opponent stands in the way: the Illinois Farm Bureau. “If the Farm Bureau is against it, a lot of legislators from downstate will be against it,” Ellman told Grist. “I think a lot of planets would have to align before we could get this bill passed this session.” […]
Ellman’s bill is “definitely in a precarious situation this year,” said Jennifer Walling, who runs the Illinois Environmental Council, an organization that advances environmental policy statewide. “This is something that makes so much sense. It should be bipartisan support, and yet it’s getting a lot of challenges.”
Virginia-based Revolutionary Racing wants to develop a 200-acre parcel of vacant land on Decatur’s western edge into a one-mile harness race track that would include a casino with 900 gaming positions. […]
But in order to do that, they first need Illinois lawmakers to authorize an additional horse racing license. Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, has a bill that would do that, but whether it moves before the legislature wraps up next week is anyone’s bet. […]
Joyce filed an amendment earlier this week that removed the opposition of Accel Entertainment, which owns FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing — previously known as Fairmount Park — in Collinsville, by adding a provision increasing the amount of off-track betting locations they are permitted to have from nine to 18.
That removes a big hurdle. But others remain. The owners of the Golden Nugget Danville and the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino in East Peoria remain opposed.
Also up in the air are elements of Pritzker’s legislative agenda, a menu that includes legislation involving consumer protection, education, local governance and abortion rights, one of the governor’s signature issues.
One measure passed by the Senate and awaiting approval from the House would provide more protections under Illinois’ 2023 shield law, which prevents health care workers from facing disciplinary action by the state if, for instance, they provide abortion care to someone from another state that has more stringent abortion restrictions. […]
The governor is also pushing legislation that would regulate pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, companies that act as intermediaries among drugmakers, insurance corporations and pharmacies.
The legislation, among other things, would prevent PBMs from sending patients to pharmacies where they have a financial interest and it would also include prohibiting PBMs from pocketing certain savings on medications.
A bill that is expected to include language for a Pritzker-led measure that would allow some community colleges to offer four-year degrees advanced through the House Executive Committee Friday. But Democratic Rep. Curtis Tarver of Chicago at that hearing said, “The Black Caucus has some concerns about the concept and the bill in general.”
* Rev. Dr. K. Edward Copeland, pastor and former public defender…
Last month, the state of Illinois took the first step in over 70 years to fix an under-funded and resource-starved public defense system when the Illinois House of Representatives passed the Funded Advocacy & Independent Representation (FAIR) Act.
While other states are facing sweeping lawsuits or releasing accused people from jail due to a failure to provide public defenders to poor people who can’t afford an attorney, Illinois is moving in the other direction by working to establish a robust public defender system statewide. Thanks to the leadership and sponsorship of Rep. Dave Vella, a former public defender in Winnebago County who saw firsthand how broken the system is, the FAIR Act is now being considered by the Illinois Senate.
As a former assistant public defender in Kankakee County, I applaud the House for recognizing and addressing what has been painfully obvious to many for too long: for decades, public defenders in Illinois have worked too many cases at once with inadequate budgets and little-to-no support staff or administrative support. Individuals’ Sixth Amendment rights are at risk because of it. […]
The FAIR Act, HB3363, promises meaningful reform. It creates a statewide public defender office to collect data, establish caseload standards, and provide resources to smaller jurisdictions that struggle with attorney recruitment and retention. […]
But there is another way. The FAIR Act establishes a state commission to facilitate appointment of public defenders across this state. This approach is endorsed by national legal professional organizations because it makes plain sense: The branch of government that administers trials and hands down punishment to those who are convicted should not be in the business of appointing or removing people responsible for one side in a legal fight. The system cannot afford even the suggestion that judges and attorneys for the accused are operating in concert.
Illinois has made significant investments in mental and behavioral healthcare since the COVID-19 pandemic. A bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could make Illinois one of the first states to provide universal mental health screenings for young children and teens.
Early detection can be critical to help youth receive the best mental health services. Senate Bill 1560 could require public schools to offer age appropriate, confidential mental health screenings to identify mental health concerns and link students to support. Students in grades 3 through 12 would participate in the screenings once per school year. […]
Senate Bill 1560 passed out of the House on a 72-36 vote last week. It previously gained unanimous support in the Senate.
The legislation would take effect at the start of the 2027-28 school year if Pritzker signs the bill into law.
* Chicago State University President Zaldwaynaka Scott and President of the Chicago Urban League Karen Freeman-Wilson…
Our state’s economy, equity and educational future are all intertwined, and depend on us closing the funding gap for our public universities.
That’s why we strongly support Senate Bill 13 and House Bill 1581, the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and state Rep. Carol Ammons,D-Urbana. These visionary lawmakers have laid out a bold, data-driven blueprint to address a decades-long pattern of disinvestment in our institutions. […]
Between 2013 and 2019, the number of Black students attending Illinois public universities dropped by 34%. This is a crisis. The proposed legislation meets this moment by ensuring all of our public universities receive the resources needed to adequately serve our students.
SB13/ HB1581 start by calculating each public university’s unique “adequacy target” (what it costs to deliver a quality education). It then compares that target to the university’s current resources and fills in the gap, prioritizing funding for institutions that have historically been furthest from full funding. Every public university stands to benefit, but those with the greatest need will finally see more meaningful, sustained investment.
State representatives passed legislation Friday to allow anyone charged with their first weapon-related offense to apply for a FOID card while they participate in a pretrial detention program.
Current state law allows nonviolent offenders charged with their first offense to participate in divergence programs such as the First Time Weapons Offense Program in Chicago. Upon completion, the state’s attorney dismisses the charges, but the individual cannot apply for a FOID card until after charges are dismissed. […]
All of the current requirements for legal gun ownership in Illinois would remain the same. Sponsors explained the Illinois State Police would also have the ability to deny someone’s application for a FOID card if they are ineligible. […]
Senate Bill 1899 passed out of the House on a 97-11 vote. The measure now moves back to the Senate on concurrence due to an amendment. It previously gained unanimous support in the Senate.
House Bill 2688, sponsored by Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, would allow certified nurse midwives to enter a written agreement with a physician to provide or assist with home births. In designated maternity care deserts, they can enter into such an agreement even if the local physicians don’t provide home births.
The bill only applies to certified nurse midwives, who must be a licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or APRN, and have at least a graduate degree in midwifery. It does not give the same privileges to certified midwives, who are required to have a graduate degree in midwifery.
In recent years, the number of home births across the nation has been steadily rising. The CDC reported that 51,642 home births took place across the country in 2021. That number was a 12% increase from the number of home births in 2020, which the CDC said was the largest increase since at least 1990.
The rise in home births in Illinois is often attributed to the rise in the state’s maternity care deserts, which are counties without a single hospital, birth center, or licensed health care professional who offers obstetric care.
HB 2688 has passed both chambers, it only needs approval from the governor to become law.
A bill that looks at reducing school gun violence without impeding Second Amendment rights had passed out of the Illinois House and Senate. HB1316 is a result of an incident in Murrayville Republican State Representative CD Davidsmeyer’s district tin which a student threatened to commit an act of gun violence against another student after they were released from school on an “early out” day.
The victim told school administrators who did not notify the principal immediately since it was just a threat. The victim’s parents got involved after hearing that nothing was done immediately to the student who made the threat.
[Rep. Davidsmeyer] says gun violence is something he takes “extremely serious.” The bill was approved unanimously in the House and Senate. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for consideration.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
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The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee released its recommendations for budget reconciliation early last week. A preliminary review by the Congressional Budget Office projected that, if implemented, at least 8.6 million Americans would lose their Medicaid coverage during the coming decade.
That translates to well over 300,000 Illinoisans.
In addition, the CBO projected that 5.1 million more people would lose their health insurance because of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ new rules regarding Affordable Care Act tax credits and restrictions on obtaining and retaining eligibility, including work requirements.
That would be about 190,000 more Illinoisans, for a total of about half a million people losing coverage here.
Another part of the U.S. House’s budget reconciliation proposal would reduce the federal Medicaid expansion match under the Affordable Care Act from 90% down to 80% for any state that used its Medicaid “infrastructure” to provide health insurance to undocumented residents.
Illinois’ All Kids program and its health insurance for undocumented older adults, as well as the adult insurance programs that Gov. JB Pritzker wants to cut off, all use the state’s Medicaid infrastructure to provide state funding for undocumented residents.
If that ultimately passes, the reduction to 80% would trigger a state law which halts all state funding for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act if the federal match falls below 90%.
So, either the state would have to give up funding health care for undocumented residents or continue to fund them with state dollars and then pay perhaps a billion dollars a year to make up for the 10-point reduction in the federal match.
No way the state could afford to step in and spend billions upon billions to cover all those folks.
The CBO also released cost estimates last week for the House Republican budget reconciliation plan, and it included even more eye-popping numbers about state Medicaid cuts and increased state costs.
The estimates cover the federal budget years of 2026 up to and including 2034 (apparently nine fiscal years). According to the nonpartisan budget office estimates, changes to the Medicaid program would result in “$698 billion less in federal subsidies.”
A back of the envelope calculation shows that would work out to about $24.4 billion in federal Medicaid cuts for Illinois, or about $2.7 billion a year on average, although the cuts are backloaded. A Kaiser Family Foundation report earlier this month showed Illinois received $21.1 billion in annual federal Medicaid funding out of $606.3 billion in total federal Medicaid funding, or 3.5%.
The CBO also estimates “$78 billion in additional state spending, on net, accounting for changes in state contributions to SNAP and Medicaid and for state tax and spending policies necessary to finance additional spending,” during the same time period.
That would be about $2.73 billion in additional expenses for Illinois, or about $303 million per year on average.
Later in the week, congressional Republican honchos proposed a “manager’s amendment” to their massive reconciliation bill.
One new item would prohibit private insurance companies in the Affordable Care Act exchange to pay for abortions unless “necessary to save the life of the mother or if the pregnancy is a result of an act of rape or incest.”
Illinois requires companies in the ACA health insurance marketplace to cover abortion if they offer pregnancy-related benefits, according to the Department of Insurance.
So, if the congressional provision is enacted, Illinois would have to decide whether to pick up the tab itself or find another workaround.
The same could happen with the amendment’s language banning Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for adults. The proposed ban earlier applied only to children.
The amendment would also move up Medicaid work requirements from the original 2029 start date to 2026, which will undoubtedly result in more Illinoisans being kicked off, if Arkansas’ disastrous experience is repeated here.
The budget office claimed that household resources for those in the bottom 10% of earners would “decrease by an amount equal to about 2 percent of income” in 2027 and 4% in future years, due to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cuts.
Household resources for those in the top 10% would “increase by an amount equal to 4 percent for households in the highest [ten percent] in 2027 and 2 percent in 2033, mainly because of reductions in the taxes they owe,” the CBO reported.
We’ll just have to wait and see what the U.S. Senate does now that the ball is in its court.
About 70% of all the days a person spends in a nursing facility in Illinois are covered by Medicaid, and in fiscal year 2024 that amounted to $3.8 billion in federal dollars for long-term care facilities, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
“Federal cuts to Medicaid will leave state and local governments with vast budget shortfalls that cannot be made up, and the direct result would not only mean an economic impact for communities but also one directly felt by Medicaid customers currently residing in nursing facilities – and those served throughout the Medicaid program,” the department said in a statement.
The bill will place a moratorium on an effort to increase staffing levels at nursing homes, said Gelila Selassie, an attorney with Justice in Aging. Staffing levels at nursing homes are important because they prevent deaths at facilities, she said. The rule would have required an around-the-clock registered nurse and a minimum of 3.48 total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, according to a KFF analysis. […]
Another provision in the bill limits retroactive coverage from three months to one month, said Selassie. Applying for Medicaid requires a lot of paperwork and Selassie said now families will have a shorter window of time to gather the necessary documents. […]
People with disabilities who do not live in facilities will also be affected. Less Medicaid funding for things like personal attendants, wheelchairs and home modifications will mean they won’t be able to live at home, said Bridget Hayman, director of communications for Access Living.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department
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“In the short remainder of this spring’s legislative session, lawmakers have the opportunity to prevent the upending of a financial system that provides Illinoisians with affordable credit and enables small businesses to thrive…. Hurting local financial institutions and small businesses isn’t the way to grow our economy.
“For the sake of our communities and the members we serve, we call on General Assembly members to repeal this flawed legislation.”
* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Big issues for Illinois legislative session’s final week include public transit, pension reform.Tribune…
- Illinois lawmakers enter the final days of session aiming to close a major budget gap, support struggling transit systems, and address pension inequities.
- Democrats control the General Assembly, but the $55.2B budget could divide moderates and progressives—especially over the lack of funding for health insurance for noncitizen immigrants under 65.
- State revenues are $471M below projections according to COGFA, complicating efforts to fund transit reforms as Chicago faces a looming fiscal cliff with federal COVID funds expiring early next year.
-Leaders warn lawmakers may need to return after the May 31 adjournment due to uncertainty over federal funding under the Trump administration.
* Tribune | Illinois coal plants get Trump exemptions from Biden-era rule limiting mercury, other toxic air pollution: In November, the company said it would keep Baldwin running until 2027. Then last month, in an attempt to revive the nation’s dwindling coal industry, President Donald Trump threw a lifeline to Vistra and a few dozen other energy companies, encouraging them to apply for exemptions from the latest federal limits on soot, mercury and other toxic air pollution. Vistra took Trump up on his offer, getting at least a two-year break from tougher regulations at Baldwin and six of its other coal plants: Kincaid south of Springfield, Newton in Jasper County, three in Texas and one in Ohio.
* Daily Herald | Cuts to school mental health grants could trickle down to local districts: Murray Bessette of the U.S. Department of Education’s office of planning, evaluation and policy development stated the grants violate federal civil rights law and conflict with the department’s commitment to “merit, fairness and excellence in education.” One of the grants, the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program, provided ISBE initially with $2.97 million in fiscal year 2022 to increase the number of credentialed mental health service providers for students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That was extended to the end of 2025 and the total obligations were increased to $6.2 million, according to HigherGov.
* Tribune | Illinois finalizes deal for land near Joliet needed for stalled invasive carp prevention project: “This is something that we’ve been waiting for for over a decade,” Marc Smith, policy director for the National Wildlife Federation, said. “It’s very good progress.” The state earlier this year postponed construction on the Joliet-area project, with state officials saying they didn’t want to move forward because they anticipated a federal funding shortfall. Then, two weeks ago, the Trump administration announced it supported the project and that funding was available, though Pritzker and Trump still managed to snipe at each other at the time.
*** Statewide ***
* Sun-Times | IHSA looks for compromise on Right To Play issue: IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said the association decided to get in front of the issue after hearing feedback from member schools. A bylaw proposal allowing athletes to compete in non-school activities is expected to be on the annual ballot this fall. The consensus, Anderson said, is “if we’re going to change the bylaws, it’s best to let the membership do that rather than if we’re forced to change.”
* Crain’s | Cash-strapped Illinois weed businesses ‘bet the farm’ on a risky tax strategy to save millions: Nobody likes paying taxes, least of all cash-strapped businesses struggling for their lives. That’s why a new business strategy has taken off over the past year in the legal cannabis trade: claiming exemption from a burdensome federal tax provision that has — until now — been effectively taxing much of the industry to death. Since early 2024, state-licensed cannabis companies in Illinois and across the country have been changing up their approach to filing and paying federal taxes — specifically to claim exemption to a little-known 1982 provision in the Internal Revenue Code called Section 280E — in a move that is saving many of them eight or nine figures apiece.
* Sun-TImes | What Trump’s cuts to Medicaid will mean for nursing homes, long-term care facilities in Illinois: Across Illinois, about 70% of days spent in nursing home care are covered by Medicaid, making it the largest insurance payer for this type of coverage, according to state officials. Advocates worry the proposed cuts will reduce the type of care low-income seniors and those living with disabilities will receive at these facilities.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Daily Herald | Political Roundabout: Mayors in Crespo’s corner, Schneider gets primaried, and is a service tax on tap?: “Fred Crespo is a friend to our Northwest suburbs, but, more than that, he is concerned for this entire state. He is honest to a fault,” Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig, Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly and Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod told the Daily Herald in a letter. The trio “felt compelled to set the record straight,” after Welch removed Crespo as chair of the House Appropriations Committee for General Services and from the Democratic caucus earlier this month.
* Tribune | Illinois lawmakers’ latest perk — continuing education credits for going to work: The new benefit came about from a little-noticed change in Supreme Court rules, a move encouraged and endorsed by multiple lawmakers. It took effect Jan. 1, just in time for the ongoing spring legislative session. At least 29 lawmakers were notified that they could qualify for up to 12 of the 30 educational credits they need to collect over two years. The lawmaker-lawyers can chalk up three hours of credit by simply attending one day of a legislative session, a committee meeting or a subcommittee hearing, according to the new rule. One catch is that they can collect only three credits throughout a legislative session, such as a spring session that lasts several months or a fall veto session that lasts a few weeks, court officials said.
*** Chicago ***
* Crain’s | Jenner & Block wins ruling blocking Trump’s executive order: Judge John Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in his five-page order the actions detailed in Trump’s executive order, which included revoking security clearances for Jenner employees and limiting the firm’s access to federal buildings, were null and void.
* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools lays off hundreds of tutors before CPS school year ends: Hiring hundreds of tutors was one of CPS’ key strategies to shore up learning as students returned to in-person classes after the COVID-19 pandemic. When elementary school reading scores rebounded, CPS credited the tutors in part for the improvements. But CPS officials said Friday that the school system is “refining and refocusing the program in response to key lessons learned and in alignment with current district resources.” This year, more than 200 schools had literacy and math tutors. Next year, though, only 55 will get math tutors for middle school students, according to CPS, which is facing a budget deficit of at least $529 million.
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s ‘missing middle’ housing program adds more neighborhoods, extends developer deadline: Launched in fall 2024, the Missing Middle Infill Housing program began with 40 vacant lots in North Lawndale, which will now be developed into more than 100 housing units. The expansion of the program in April opens up 54 lots across the three South Side neighborhoods. With $75 million allocated to the program, the city expects to create up to 750 residential units. The term “missing middle” refers to the hole in the center of a housing supply that often includes more low- and high-density properties, like single-family homes and high-rise apartments.
* Sun-Times | Family wants city action after woman, 88, is killed in Garfield Ridge: ‘There’s no speed bumps around here’: Fernando Ochoa, another of Maria Ochoa’s sons, said the area has a reputation for reckless driving and he often hears cars racing up and down the street. He wants more speed cameras and speed bumps in the area and stiffer penalties for those flouting the laws. “Every night I hear this going on down Archer Avenue, down 55th, cars drag racing, there’s no speed bumps around here,” Fernando Ochoa said. “We’ve been asking for this stuff for a while and nothing happened. We have no speed cameras here at all.”
* WBEZ | Gerald Reed is suing over alleged torture by Chicago cops: In May 2024, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins found Reed not guilty on all counts, following a four-day trial. His attorney will now seek a certificate of innocence, which would make Reed eligible for nearly $200,000 from the state for his time spent in prison. The lawsuit filed earlier this month in federal court also seeks damages, naming the city and dozens of current and former Chicago police officers as defendants, including Burge.
* Tribune | Soaring Chicago police lawsuit payouts hit record amount — and more are on the way: Through May alone, the City Council has already approved at least $145.3 million in taxpayer payments to settle lawsuits involving the Chicago Police Department, a record number that dwarfs sums from past years, according to a Tribune analysis. That amount — far above the $82.6 million Mayor Brandon Johnson and aldermen budgeted for settlements, verdicts and legal fees involving the department — does not include many smaller payments that face less aldermanic scrutiny.
* WGN | Chicago sees smooth travel as millions hit the road for Memorial Day: AAA predicted 45.1 million people across the country will travel at least 50 miles from home this weekend. The holiday’s previous domestic travel record of 44 million was set 20 years ago. Of that, 87.4% were expected to travel by car, which equals over 39 million people, and an increase of about 3% from last year.
* Sun-Times | 86-year-old owner of Old Fashioned Donuts goes viral thanks to granddaughter’s TikTok: Since 1972, shop owner Burritt Bulloch, 86, has shown up nearly every day to make doughnuts, and he has not only become a fixture in his community, but an inspiration to his family. “My grandfather is the heart of the business,” said Edwards, 23. “He’s said before, ‘If I stop, then that’s it for me.’ This is what keeps him going, and it warms my heart that he has this drive. He was just a young guy with a dream when he moved to Chicago and he’s accomplished so much. I’m grateful for his legacy.”
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Press Release | Congressman Sean Casten Announces Endorsement of Daniel Biss for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District: Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) announced his endorsement of Daniel Biss for Congress in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Casten’s endorsement comes just days after a slate of state elected officials endorsed Biss, adding to the growing momentum in his campaign. “Congressman Casten is a dedicated, hardworking public servant who brings much-needed expertise and commitment on climate action to Washington. I’m truly grateful to have earned his support,” said Daniel Biss. “Illinois needs a Congressional delegation that won’t back down when Donald Trump and his MAGA followers threaten the services our people rely on or the rights we hold dear. Sean Casten has stood up time and again for the people of Illinois, and I hope to earn the opportunity to fight and win alongside him in Congress.”
* Daily Herald | Few suburban Congressional candidates met financial disclosure deadline: Only three of the more than two dozen candidates for congressional seats serving the North, West or Northwest suburbs turned in federal financial disclosure reports by a May 15 deadline, a Daily Herald analysis revealed. One, 9th District Democratic hopeful and internet personality Kat Abughazaleh, is a political newcomer whose campaign has received national media attention. The other two — Republicans Niki Conforti of the 6th District and Jim Marter of the 14th — are campaign veterans who lost previous bids for federal office.
* NBC Chicago | Suburban couple fights for fair Cook County property taxes after massive increase: “It [the property tax] was affordable until last August when they did a reassessment and the property in the back went from a market value of $107,000 to $752,000 in tax dollars,” Sandra Kucala said. “That’s a 602% increase. Their other two parcels saw double digit increases, too. “It [the tax bill] went from $3,000 a year in taxes to $17,000,” she said. “We can’t even sell it [the property] with the taxes being that high.”
* Daily Herald | Schaumburg aims to slash police hiring time during officer staffing crisis: Desperate to resolve a problematic 13 vacancies among its 119 officer positions, Schaumburg will follow the lead of most other area police departments to bring its six-month hiring process down to the regional norm of two months. Though Schaumburg is in crisis mode, other departments are facing hiring issues as well. “Being short officers as we are can lead to burnout, or officers being tired,” Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said. “We don’t want our officers out there in that condition.”
* Daily Southtown | Former Gov. Pat Quinn shares Memorial Day message in Blue Island: On Monday, Quinn echoed some of the thoughts of Blue Island American Legion Post 50 Cmdr. Joe Serbantez, who said Memorial Day was about more than cookouts and mattress sales. “Yes, we have ballgames and we have picnics and all kinds of celebrations and that’s good,” Quinn said. “We were given a gift by God to be here in the United States as citizens in 2025. That’s all important. But we cannot forget the significance of today, which is to honor all of those who came and served our country. We cannot forget them.”
* WTTW | There’s a Shortage of Native Seeds, So Cook County Preserves Is Growing Its Own Supply: A 2023 report sounded the alarm about the scarcity of native seed: The native segment of the commercial seed production industry is comparatively small and highly specialized, and there isn’t enough species diversity in the offerings that do exist. Too often, key species are unavailable or buyers have to make do with substitutions, and that can affect the success of a restoration project. Pat Hayes, long-time volunteer site steward at Cook County’s 1,000-acre Orland Grassland preserve, didn’t need data to tell her what she’s been experiencing firsthand.
* Sun-Times | McDonald’s is closing its CosMc’s restaurants, including Bolingbrook site: McDonald’s said Friday that it’s closing down CosMc’s, a new restaurant format it began piloting in the U.S. last year. But the company said beverages inspired by CosMc’s will soon be tested at U.S. McDonald’s locations. Among the drinks on CosMc’s current menu: matcha iced latte, turmeric spiced latte, prickly pear-flavored slushy with popping candy on top and a frozen sour cherry energy drink.
* Daily Herald | ‘Peace is not free’: Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice: Streamwood Village President Billie Roth noted the suburb was founded in 1957 as the U.S. and the world continued to move beyond World War II. “Our town was established during a time when the world was recovering from the hardships of war, and we are here today because of the immense sacrifices made by those who fought to secure the freedoms we all enjoy,” she said.
*** Downstate ***
* WEEK 25 | Ameren Illinois customers warned of price spike on summer electricity bills: “These results highlight the ongoing energy challenge in downstate Illinois and the need for a more robust resource planning process on the state level,” an Ameren Illinois spokesperson said in a statement. “Balanced solutions, including transmission, energy storage, renewables, natural gas, nuclear, energy efficiency, and demand response, are needed to provide residents and businesses with affordable and reliable energy,” the company said.
* WAND | Urbana residents face changes in electric supply as municipal aggregation contract expires: The City plans to pursue aggregated pricing again in the spring. Residents have several options: they can remain on Basic Generation Service, subscribe to community solar, or choose their own retail electric supplier. If residents stay on Basic Generation Service for two billing cycles, they will be locked in for another 10 months. Additionally, those who enter a retail contract in the spring will not be automatically enrolled in future aggregation attempts.
* WICS | Springfield city council approves new 13-million-dollar solar energy agreement: Sangamon Solar is building a new 750-acre solar farm south of Chatham. The project is set to cost the city 13 million dollars. That 13-million dollars is from taxpayer money, but it’s not an extra 13 million. It’s money already budgeted, but instead of being spent on electricity, it will be spent on solar energy
* WGLT | A $35 million price tag to dredge Lake Bloomington: A study done for the City of Bloomington estimates the cost to dredge Lake Bloomington at more than $35 million. “And that doesn’t include the drying beds. We would need to acquire land to lay out that silt and whatnot to dry so we can dispose of it,” said Deputy City Manager Sue McLaughlin.
* WGLT | U of I Extension’s Master Gardeners program marks 50 years of research-based advice: Brittnay Haag is the horticulture educator for Illinois Extension serving McLean, Livingston and Woodford counties. She said one of the biggest advances the program has made has been giving more scientific solutions to gardeners, as opposed to internet tips and family secrets. “They really learn proper care and proper techniques that have been researched, that they may not have always done. A lot of them are like, ‘Oh, I learned this from my grandma 50 years ago,’ and that may not be the proper researched-based technique nowadays,” she said.
* IPM News | This Memorial Day, a U of I professor will honor the life of his relative who went missing during WWII: “A few hours of internet searching suddenly led to an understanding that there was information about my relative who died in the B-24 bomber that the family never knew,” Althaus said. “And very quickly this became what would eventually become a five-year research project to try to find the final resting place of my relative, Second Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, Jr.”
*** National ***
* Auto Blog | Tesla’s Odometer Lawsuit Could Be EV Industry’s Dieselgate Moment: A California class-action lawsuit alleges the company uses predictive software to inflate odometer readings by up to 117%, voiding warranties prematurely and forcing owners into $10,000 repair bills. And if the Courts find it to be systematic? Global? Based on the lawsuit data, the total estimated annual financial benefit to Tesla is about $3.99 billion. Nyree Hinton’s 2020 Model Y odometer logged 72 miles/day despite a 20-mile commute, burning through his 50,000-mile warranty in 18 months.
* The Lever | Get Ready To Pay In ZuckBucks: Amid a flood of industry lobbying in Washington, D.C., and Democrats’ capitulation, the Senate is set to pass the GENIUS Act, a sweeping cryptocurrency law that could spread fraud-ridden, destabilizing digital currencies across the banking system. But lawmakers and consumer protection experts warn that the bill has an even more serious problem: It would allow Elon Musk and other Big Tech tycoons to issue their own private currencies. That means we could soon live in a world where all online transactions will require us to pay for goods in billionaires’ own made-up monopoly money, for which tech giants will be able to charge exorbitant transaction fees.
* Slate | Crypto Is About to Cause the Next Great American Financial Crisis: So imagine this scenario: It’s a year from now, maybe two. Crypto-friendly legislation is now law, opening the floodgates for all manner of bank exposure to crypto. Next, the economic recession people have been forecasting for years actually happens. Trump’s erratic economic policies and his embrace of tariffs have boosted the chances of one to as high as 70 percent on prediction markets just last month, although they’ve since come down. Historically speaking, though, recessions are unavoidable. News of a downturn then leads to a sizable drop in the markets. As investors rush to shed themselves of risky assets, crypto, perhaps the riskiest “asset” imaginable, is dumped with ferocity. Soon, there’s a run on the banks, except it’s not like in 2023, it’s far bigger. Instead of only a handful of banks, dozens or maybe even hundreds are affected, including some of the largest in the country. And quelle surprise, we are all obligated to bail the banks out (again) or face global financial armageddon.
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