* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Still time for Chicago area transit funding solution, House speaker says. Fox Chicago…

- It’s not too late for state lawmakers to pass funding for the Chicago region’s transit agencies.
- House Speaker Chris Welch said a proposed reform package that passed the Senate was dead on arrival in his chamber.
- The key issue at hand is how to generate enough revenue to offset a $771 million funding cliff.

* Related stories…

∙ Eye On Illinois: Stalling of transit bill means substantial reforms still possible
∙ Bond Buyer: Illinois lawmakers adjourn, hanging transit out to dry

***************** Advertisement *****************

Sponsored by Community Action for Responsible Hospitals

*************************************************

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Top mayoral aides make the case for local grocery tax, sales tax on services: The proposal to expand the state sales tax to professional services has been talked about for decades but has gone nowhere in Springfield. That’s apparently why Guzman warned that alderpersons must “think strategically about diversifying and growing local revenue streams” within the city’s control. During last year’s budget stalemate, the Council rejected a property tax of any size.

* Tribune | Illinois lawmakers again fail to act on hemp, while a new study highlights growing health concerns: A new report on hemp-derived THC highlights growing concerns over its safety, legality and impact on health — even as Illinois lawmakers have failed again to keep the products away from children. The report by the University of Illinois System Institute of Government and Public Affairs notes that the lack of regulation of hemp means there is no state oversight of ingredients, potency or marketing to kids. The report cites studies showing many hemp products had different amounts of THC than labeled, while some were well above the package limits for licensed cannabis products, and contained toxic solvents left over from processing

* Crain’s | Illinois freezes permitting of new cannabis shops: After five years of legal recreational cannabis, Illinois has 260 operational retail shops and another 103 entrepreneurs with “conditional licenses” won via permit lottery — meaning there are still 137 dispensary permits left to award before the state hits its cap of 500. But the 137 dispensary permits are on hold indefinitely, state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, told Crain’s. Ford and other lawmakers are searching for solutions that will allow the struggling 103 retailers with conditional licenses — and other types of marijuana business permits given to “social equity” candidates that have some type of cannabis criminal record — to get off the ground.

*** Statewide ***

* PJ Star | Federal government removes list that targeted Illinois cities, counties on immigration: In a statement to the Journal Star on Monday the Department of Homeland Security said: “As we have previously stated, the list is being constantly reviewed and can be changed at any time and will be updated regularly. Designation of a sanctuary jurisdiction is based on the evaluation of numerous factors, including self-identification as a Sanctuary Jurisdiction, noncompliance with Federal law enforcement in enforcing immigration laws, restrictions on information sharing, and legal protections for illegal aliens.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* NBC Chicago | State budget funds for Proviso West facility in Welch’s district draw ire: “There’s infrastructure projects in the budget all over the state, and yes one of them is for a majority-minority district that the speaker happens to represent, and I’m proud of that,” he told NBC 5 Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern. Welch defended the project, comparing it to providing funds for a hotel and other amenities in the Tinley Park entertainment district, as well as new bridge construction in Kane County.

* Tribune | Seeking stiff sentence for Madigan, feds allege secret effort to block rules on legislators practicing before state tax board: Madigan suggested that McClain send lobbyist John Bradley, a Madigan loyalist and former ranking House Democratic lawmaker, to warn the property tax board chairman that “’there’s gonna be a lawsuit and there’s gonna be depositions,’” according to the filing. “‘And you’re gonna be asked, ‘Did you take directives from the governor’s office, which is contrary to how the statute reads,” the filing quoted Madigan as saying how Bradley should approach it. “‘You’re supposed to be independent. So why don’t you withdraw that thing? … ‘Get yourself out of trouble.’” McClain responded, “Yup, will do,” according to the filing.

* * NBC Chicago | Pritzker blasts Elon Musk, Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ in social media posts: Pritzker went on to criticize Medicaid cuts contained within the bill, which he argues will be used to finance tax cuts for wealthy Americans. “Elon got one thing right: The big, beautiful bill is a disgusting abomination,” Pritzker said.

* Capitol News Illinois | With electric prices going up, advocates tried — and failed — to reform the energy sector: “It was a confluence of factors,” Christine Nannicelli, a Sierra Club organizer and longtime environmental advocate, told Capitol News Illinois. “To a certain extent, it was a product of running out of time.” Lawmakers had a fairly large to-do list going into the final day of the legislative session, including approving the multiple bills that make up the state’s annual budget and a large reform package dealing with public transit in northern Illinois.

* WGN | Former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh says he’s becoming a Democrat: Walsh announced his formal affiliation with the Democratic Party in a Tuesday Substack post, saying he made the decision because he views the Republican Party as a threat to democracy and the rule of law and thinks defeating the GOP requires “a broad coalition of moderates, progressives, and, yes, even conservatives.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Aldermen, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration officials argue over credit downgrade: As the city gets set to borrow $518 million for infrastructure projects and $92 million more toward Mayor Brandon Johnson’s massive affordable housing plan, aldermen and the mayor’s team argued Tuesday over which of them are to blame for recent credit downgrades that will end up costing taxpayers more. How much that downgrade costs won’t be clear until the city goes to market this month for the borrowing. But the hearing did confirm a ratings agency concern that “political gridlock that was evident throughout the 2025 budget cycle may persist,” as aldermen and the mayor’s budget and finance chiefs relitigated recent budget and borrowing debates.

* Sun-Times | Johnson urges state lawmakers to tax the ‘ultra rich’ to avert mass transit cuts: “You all know my position. The ultra rich continue to get away with not having to put more skin in the game. So we do have to have substantive conversations around revenue streams that challenges the rich in this state to step up in a way that does not continue to place the burden on working people,” he said. Johnson said he’s disappointed, but not surprised, that the spring legislative session ended with a $55.2 billion state budget and no solution to revenue shortfalls that threaten to decimate mass transit in the Chicago area.

* Crain’s | Johnson will ask City Council to OK grocery tax as state version sunsets: It remains to be seen if the mayor’s call will fall on deaf ears in the City Council, but there weren’t many listening this afternoon. During the hearing, just seven aldermen remained in the chamber after a separate meeting on the city’s credit rating went long. The tax won’t have the impact on low-income earners some fear because recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would not be hit with the tax, the committee was told.

* Sun-Times | Donald Palumbo named chorus director for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: World-renowned choral director and educator Donald Palumbo has been named chorus director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus after a multi-year national search, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association announced Tuesday. […] Palumbo is familiar to Chicago audiences, following his 2022 debut here as guest chorus director with the CSO for Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. He returned in 2023 for Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. Palumbo also was chorus master of Lyric Opera from 1991 to 2007.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Why Palatine is not hiring consultants to study Bears’ effect on village: “At this point, I don’t see the need to hire (a traffic engineer). I don’t see the need to hire a lobbyist. I don’t see the need to hire a sound engineer,” Village Manager Reid Ottesen said. His remarks came days after the Rolling Meadows City Council recently approved a series of resolutions to hire a lobbyist, traffic engineer and noise expert.

* NBC Chicago | Popular Chicago restaurant The Purple Pig to open second location at suburban mall: According to Instagram post, the Purple Pig, a James Beard award-winning restaurant at 444 N. Michigan Avenue in Streeterville, will open a second location in the southwest suburb. While the post didn’t reveal a location, a post on Oakbrook Center Mall’s website showed The Purple Pig as a tenant. Media reports said the restaurant will take over the mall space previously occupied by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture showroom.

* Daily Southtown | Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn teams up for new birth to 5 resource hub: The Early Childhood Resource Hub, at www.cmoaklawn.org/resource-hub, helps parents of children up to age five find early intervention services, educational programs, health resources and other important support for those early years so vital to an individual’s development. “We’ve been doing a lot of work in early children with our Wee Ones program and it just seemed like kind of a natural fit for us to take the lead on it,” said Adam Woodworth, executive director of the museum, who added the Birth to Five Illinois Region 1-B-C Action Council had the resource hub idea in place when he joined that council about a year ago.

* Daily Herald | ‘So empowering’: Community blossoms through inclusive art project in Roselle: “It’s very much similar to this. It’s like a big dining room-style situation, so everybody’s just talking together. It’s very social,” said Tanner Ingle, who helped set up a local version of the Passion Works Studio, an Ohio-based nonprofit community arts center that employs people with and without developmental differences. Hand-painted “Passion Flowers” are their signature product, made out of upcycled aluminum printing plates from newspapers and often adorning front porches and gardens.

*** Downstate ***

* Sun-Times | University of Illinois — long home to thousands of foreign students — braces for visa revocations for Chinese: Foreign students make up one in five of the school’s nearly 60,000 students. There are more than 6,000 Chinese students on campus, making up the largest group of foreign students. To the university, any move to decrease that enrollment could have an outsized impact on both the campus climate and the school’s finances. The school has long welcomed foreign students: in 2007, the school enrolled nearly 5,700 — which at the time was the most ever to attend a public university, according to Sun-Times reporting at the time. The global population has steadily increased since then and it remains second among all public universities, according to the Institute of International Education, a group that tracks foreign enrollment around the country.

* WICS | Sangamon County State’s Attorney speaks out on deadly Chatham crash: Her attorney said Akers suffered a seizure at the time of the crash. […] Sangamon County State’s Attorney, John Milhiser, said his office is still waiting on additional reports. Mariane Akers’ lawyer, Scott Hanken, said they haven’t heard any news on if charges will be filed against Akers.

* WGLT | McLean County to issue corrected tax bills for Olympia and Ridgeview school district taxpayers: Olympia Superintendent Laura O’Donnell said previously the county had initially resisted the idea of sending out a corrected bill and wanted instead to recoup the difference on next year’s tax bills. She said that would have left the school system short on cash they were relying on for the current year. “The district is extremely appreciative that the county is working to remedy this situation,” O’Donnell said via email.

* WAND | Floating wetlands deployed on Lake Decatur: These floating wetlands were the result of a research project conducted by UIUC and are completely funded and constructed using salvaged materials from dock replacements and dredging projects. Wetland plants have been placed on rafts that will sit low in the water, allowing their roots to absorb excess nutrients and improve water quality. Each raft is marked with orange buoys and will be anchored at all four corners.

* 25 News Now | Felony filed against Peoria attorney accused of trying to vote twice in April election: The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office said Thorn M. Smith, 67, already received a mail-in ballot when he showed up at a polling place on April 1. According to a release, Smith signed a form stating that he had not previously voted and submitted a second provisional ballot. “Processes in place through the Election Commission noted this second illegal ballot, and it was not counted in the final certified election results,” the release said.

* 25 News Now | Peoria Public Schools to consider clear bag policy: This would be a district-wide policy affecting all 5th- through 12th-grade students. Board Vice President Gregory Wilson is in favor of the possible change after hearing of successful clear bag policies elsewhere. “A lot of districts in the nation are trending towards that direction. It’s my hope that the board will support a clear book bag policy. I want to be assured that the school district is doing what it can,” Wilson said. Wilson said it’s rare for students to bring weapons to schools, but he also thinks the policy would prevent other contraband, like vaping pens, from making it inside school buildings.

* WAND | District 186 provides free breakfast and lunch for all Springfield kids: The start of summer usually marks an exciting time of days off school enjoying the sunshine. But for Springfield students, it also means the end of free breakfast and lunch that they get during school. “This program really helps out any family that might have problems being able to secure food regularly in their own homes,” said Megan McMillan, Food Service Director at District 186. “It’s a sad reality of a lot of people… so being able to provide those free meals for our community really helps fill the hole for some families that have been struggling.”

* WGLT | Dementia simulation in Normal ‘helps increase empathy in caregivers’: The Virtual Dementia Tour is an evidence-based simulation that emulates the experience of a person living with dementia. The Sugar Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Normal played host last week for the event allowing the community and first responders to go through the experience. “What the simulation does is it helps increase empathy in caregivers,” said certified Virtual Dementia Tour trainer Zina Karana, “because it gives them an understanding of how it feels to have all the challenges that someone with dementia might have.”

*** National ***

* Tribune | Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions: The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would no longer enforce that policy The move prompted concerns from some doctors and abortion rights advocates that women will not get emergency abortions in states with strict bans. “The Trump Administration would rather women die in emergency rooms than receive life-saving abortions,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “In pulling back guidance, this administration is feeding the fear and confusion that already exists at hospitals in every state where abortion is banned. Hospitals need more guidance, not less, to stop them from turning away patients experiencing pregnancy crises.”

* ProPublica | He Died Without Getting Mental Health Care He Sought. A New Lawsuit Says His Insurer’s Ghost Network Is to Blame: Coutinho was the subject of a September 2024 investigation by ProPublica that showed how he was trapped in what’s commonly known as a “ghost network.” Many of the mental health providers that Ambetter listed as accepting its insurance were not actually able to see him. ProPublica’s investigation also revealed how customer service representatives and care managers repeatedly failed to connect Coutinho to the care he needed after he and his mother asked for help. The story was part of a yearlong series, “America’s Mental Barrier,” that investigated the ways insurers employed practices that interfered with their customers’ ability to access mental health care.

* The Atlantic | The GOP’s New Medicaid Denialism: The Congressional Budget Office estimates that, by imposing Medicaid work requirements, the bill would eventually increase the uninsured population by at least 8.6 million. At first, Republican officials tried to defend this outcome on the grounds that it would affect only lazy people who refuse to work. This is clearly untrue, however. As voluminous research literature shows, work requirements achieve savings by implementing burdensome paperwork obligations that mostly take Medicaid from eligible beneficiaries, not 25-year-old guys who prefer playing video games to getting a job.