The Transportation for Illinois Coalition, an umbrella organization of business, labor and infrastructure groups that advocates for federal and state transportation funding, today issued the following statement in response to Gov. Pritzker’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget plan:
“We are disappointed in and cannot support the Governor’s budget proposal to cut transportation funding after just a few years of Rebuild Illinois’ important investment in our state transportation infrastructure.
The Governor’s proposal calls for the Road Fund to cover $175 million in spending on public transportation operations in the Chicago region that have been historically paid for by the state’s General Revenue Fund. Road Funds are dedicated for road, bridge, and transit capital improvements. We cannot support this proposal and ask the Legislature to reject any plans that pit transportation needs against each other.
The $175 million loss in road funding would multiply to more than a $1 billion impact in lost road and bridge improvements over the next few years. After decades of inadequate funding, Governor Pritzker and the Legislature invested billions of dollars to improve thousands of miles of roads and bridges – including the largest road program in state history this year. Illinois cannot afford to move backward now.
This policy change does not include any new money for transit operations, nor does it fully meet the need for transit operations. What this proposal does is take money away from other transportation needs, making it impossible to deliver on the promise of sustainable transportation for all modes of transportation.
We encourage the Governor and Legislature to develop and support a new state budget that strongly funds all our transportation infrastructure. Rebuild Illinois is working to put our state on a better path, and we must not bring that progress to a halt this summer.”
TFIC Co-Chairs:
Patrick Hosty, Executive Director of the Chicago Laborers District Council-LMCC
Kevin Burke, Executive Vice President of the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association
The full list of the group’s membership is here, and interestingly enough it includes several public transportation organizations, including the Illinois Public Transportation Association.
* More criticism on a different topic from SEIU Healthcare…
Greg Kelley, President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, issued the following statement in response to Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address:
“As a union of frontline workers providing home care, child care and healthcare services, we applaud the Governor’s commitment to investing in crucial services in ways that will not only provide much-needed care to more families, but also help provide the economic stability that makes it possible for more workers to enter and stay in caring professions.
“While his leadership as an advocate for providing needed care services was evident in the Governor’s address, his proposed funding priorities fall short from what is required to address Illinois’ ongoing care crisis.
“We’re encouraged by the Governor’s commitment to continued increased investment in early childhood education and care, and look forward to working with him to continue to implement Smart Start and the new early childhood state agency, while also investing in the existing early childhood workforce.
“We support the proposed funding increase in the Governor’s budget to meet the existing rates and caseload of the growing Community Care Program. However, the budget lacks funding required to address the cause of the state’s care crisis—the fact is that the crucial jobs that provide home care and child care services are not good and stable jobs. Care workers struggle with unlivable paychecks and no means or path to retirement. The result is that there are simply too few care workers to provide these services. In the Community Care Program, the number of authorized hours of care for which no caregiver is available is now up to 46% and will only continue to go up failing a real investment in the care workforce.
“Care workers are a stabilizing force both in the state’s economy and in the lives of the thousands of working families who rely upon their services. It is our hope that the Governor and the legislature will address the needs of these workers in budget deliberations and add in the funding needed to lift their wages to $20 an hour as a means of stabilizing the workforce for all who need care in the state.
“We look forward to working with the Governor and the legislature to build off of this proposed budget to ensure that home care and child care workers—and the crucial services they provide—are prioritized, and to advocate for the additional investment required to serve the needs of seniors and those who care for them.”
* Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities…
We appreciate the Governor and his administration working with the disability community and ultimately deciding not to pursue a proposed decrease in hours for Direct Service Professionals (DSP) in the proposed budget, an action that would have had severe consequences for the many people our members serve. It’s clear through communications with individuals with disabilities, frontline staff, disability providers, and legislators, they understood that decision would have taken Illinois backwards after our recent progress to better fund services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
With this decision in mind, and while the Administration is simultaneously seeking to exit the Ligas Consent Decree and proposing to increase state revenues, we are deeply concerned that the Governor’s budget proposal does not include any increases in wage rates for DSPs. We do not see a path to exiting the consent decree, of which the state has been out of compliance since 2017, without minimally achieving full funding of the Guidehouse rate study, which indicated higher wages and benefits for frontline staff as its top priority.
Disability service providers throughout Illinois continue to face serious pressures and obstacles to attracting DSP workers to provide services, including additional increases in the minimum wage this year and next to $15 an hour on January 1, 2025. Regrettably, the proposed budget’s lack of a DSP wage rate increase represents a significant step backwards in our ability to provide competitive wages and benefits for frontline staff.
This spring, with the leadership of Representative Michelle Mussman and Senator Karina Villa, we will pursue an increase in DSP wages of $3 an hour, to help us stay ahead of these pressures and put us more in line with the progress envisioned by the Guidehouse study two years ago.
We hope the Governor and Legislature will recognize the ongoing struggles of service providers and support this wage increase in the final budget later this spring
* Illinois Partners for Human Service…
In response to today’s Budget Address, Illinois Partners for Human Service recognizes and appreciates the priorities outlined in this budget for the health and human services sector. In particular, we applaud the investments in Smart Start, Homeless Services, and the commitment to continued funding for new arrivals. We commend the Governor and his administration for celebrating the importance of health and human service work and the workers employed by the state, but are disappointed in his failure to acknowledge the thousands of frontline workers from community-based service providers in his remarks, especially since the vast majority work for organizations contracted by the state.
Our coalition partners are among these invaluable providers, working tirelessly on the frontlines every day caring for our communities. Unfortunately, state contracts and reimbursement rates continue to lag behind, failing to cover the full cost of delivering essential services. As a result, our community-based workforce continues to be undervalued, overworked, and underpaid. While the Governor did laud the impact of these services on lives throughout Illinois, he did not address how we will sustain the sector for community-based providers and support our workforce, the majority of whom are women and people of color. We must commit to rectifying the consequences of twenty years of the state’s chronic disinvestment of health and human services - bold actions and long-term funding solutions must be a priority for decision makers.
We look forward to working with the administration and our legislators to do everything possible to find these solutions, increase investment in the community-based human services workforce, and reduce administrative burden for community providers. These organizations are valued and integral to their communities, and their work is essential to the well-being of all Illinoisans.
* NFIB…
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading advocate for small business, commented on Governor J.B. Pritzker’s State of the State Address.
“Governor Pritzker painted a rosy picture of the state of the state today, but—outside the halls of power in Springfield and Chicago—Main Street businesses are experiencing a different reality,” said Noah Finley, NFIB Illinois State Director. “Small business optimism remains depressed, as job creators face ongoing inflation, onerous regulations and mandates, and a shortage of qualified labor.”
“To realize the state’s full potential, NFIB calls on Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly to roll back tax and regulatory burdens on small businesses and unleash the dreams and aspirations of current and aspiring job creators and small-business owners across Illinois.”
* ILGOP…
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response to Governor Pritzker’s budget response:
“Governor Pritzker has made it a habit of standing up every year to tell the people of Illinois not to believe their own eyes and just trust him with their money. Governor Pritzker’s budgets have spiked spending more than 30% since he took office while we as a state continue to lose population, more than 260,000 people leaving Illinois in the last 3 years alone. Governor Pritzker helped bring the ongoing migrant crisis to Illinois and despite 18 months of disaster proclamations, still can’t get on the same page with the state’s largest city. All the while, he jetsets across the country giving political speeches, more interested in headlines and presidential speculation than actually governing this state.
This budget proposal represents what we’ve come to expect from Governor Pritzker: empty promises of bipartisanship, a radical agenda, and more of your taxpayer dollars to cover the tab.”
* Senate GOP Leader John Curran…
“The Governor just proposed raising taxes on every Illinois family struggling to make ends meet to fund the non-citizen welfare state he created. We have made it clear that the citizens of this state are our priority, while today, the Governor made it clear they’re his piggy bank. Our focus will remain on providing meaningful financial relief to the people of Illinois .”
* Rep. Ryan Spain…
Following Gov. Pritzker’s joint State of the State and Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Address, Deputy House Republican Leader Ryan Spain (R-73rd District) released the following statement:
“For a Governor who is perpetually trying to sell himself as a friend of business development and job creation, the budget he proposed today runs completely contrary to that notion. Instead of focusing on his future presidential ambitions and competing with California for the title of most progressive state in the nation, I wish we could get serious about growing Illinois’ economy.
“His proposal includes $2.29 billion in additional spending, a 4.5 percent increase, which would leave us with a $775 million deficit. How does he propose to solve his deficit problem? By raising another billion dollars in taxes on job creators and cutting tax deductions for working-class families. We’ve already spent $2.8 billion on healthcare for non-citizens, and he wants to spend another $811 million instead of admitting his sanctuary state policy has hurt our state and is taking money away from vulnerable Illinoisans who should be our first priority.
“One of the few positives I heard from the Governor today was his embrace of a plan I’ve been pushing for years to eliminate the grocery tax. Unfortunately, that is a small consolation in relation to everything else I heard today.
“Illinois has lost population for ten years in a row, and we face the second highest property tax burden in the nation. Putting more pressure on families and small businesses under his proposal is only going to drive more people away. We should be providing tax relief, not asking Illinoisans to pay more.”
…Adding… Illinois Chamber…
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is aligned with the Governor’s goal of expanding opportunities for the growth of businesses of all sizes and to continue the expansion of our state’s gross domestic product that has surpassed $1 trillion.
We are, however, disappointed by the Governor’s proposal to extend the cap on business net operating loss. The cap is nothing more than forced borrowing of funds from Illinois businesses to finance government.
We are also disappointed by the Governor’s proposal to reduce the sales tax retailers’ discount. This is a stealth tax increase on our retail sector, who are managing increased operating expenses due to rising labor and raw materials forcing them to operate on already razor thin margins.
We appreciate the Governor’s unwavering support for education and we are aligned that investing in education is vital to building a brighter future for our communities. We believe strongly that educational optionality should be the right of all our states students, especially those in underrepresented communities which saw significant cut backs due the expiration of the Invest in Kids Act.
* Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action…
“Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) commends Governor Pritzker’s dedication to addressing the inequities that exist in Black Maternal Health. At the same time, PPIA urges the governor and state legislature to expand funding for family planning resources and address inequities in sexual reproductive education.
We have requested funding for the family planning program, which helps providers across the state cover costs for patients receiving basic primary and preventive health care, such as wellness exams, lifesaving cancer screenings, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) testing and treatment.
In addition, we have asked the governor and the state legislature to allocate funding to implement the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act. Over 70% of Illinois schools report not teaching any kind of personal health and safety education. Funding would help school districts across the state meet this need.
While we did not see these vital funding requests in the Governor’s request today, we hope to see his administration revisit these requests and look forward to continuing our joint work on increasing the health and wellness of all Illinoisans.”
…Adding… IRMA…
The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) released the following statement regarding Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget proposal:
“The retail discount is a partial reimbursement to the hard-working retailers across Illinois who collect sales taxes on behalf of state and local governments. Contrary to claims, this proposal does not just target large retail stores but would impact retailers of all sizes, from independent grocers to the corner hardware store,” said Rob Karr, president and CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. “Regardless, it should not fall on retailers to take on all the costs of administering the sales tax code. We look forward to working with the governor and legislative leaders to find a way to preserve this reimbursement and avoid further damage to our state’s retail sector.”
* Community Behavioral Healthcare Association CEO Blanca Campos…
“We applaud Governor Pritzker’s proposal to ban prior authorization requirements for in-patient mental health care for both children and adults and eliminate “step therapy” for prescription drugs, a requirement that patients first “fail” to use one or more lower-cost, alternative medications before the insurance company will cover a higher-cost drug prescribed by a doctor, and force insurance companies to use the same definitions of medical necessity that doctors use.
“Nevertheless, the governor’s FY2025 budget makes no new investments that the state needs to continue to boost funding to strengthen the behavioral healthcare workforce and create more access to care. Thus, the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association will vigorously advocate with lawmakers for increased investment in care and the workforce in next year’s budget.”
Five years ago, when people said we couldn’t do it, many of us went to work eliminating our bill backlog and balancing five state budgets in a row. We created a $2 billion Rainy Day Fund. We achieved nine credit upgrades. And in the face of a pandemic and high inflation, we delivered historic tax relief, provided record levels of rental and mortgage assistance, and reduced interest costs by paying off more than $11 billion in debt.
We’ve also grown Illinois’ economy to over $1 trillion. That’s more than most nations. In 2023 alone, we attracted billions of dollars in new business investments and created tens of thousands of new jobs.
In fact, on average, a new business moved to Illinois or expanded here every single day last year.
Thanks to our bipartisan tax credit legislation, Illinois is now the world’s fourth largest data center market, and we broke an all-time record for film and TV production revenue. Tourism is booming. Last year, Illinois’ hotel industry set a record at $5.5 billion.
In the Midwest, we are now the number one state for workforce development. Across all fifty states, we are number two for infrastructure. Number two for education. Number three for power grid reliability. We have the number one and number two best business schools in the country. Since 2018, we moved up a whopping thirteen spots in CNBC’s Best States for Business.
These are the things that matter to businesses looking for a home. Where their workforce can live, work, and play affordably and with world class healthcare and education.
Now we have a lot of work left to do—but we, together, have met this moment we are in. Do not let the doom grifters steal your optimism about what’s ahead for Illinois. Our future is bright, and opportunity lies ahead.
“I would build a wall of steel, a wall as high as Heaven, against the admission of a single one of those Southern Europeans who never thought the thoughts or spoke the language of a democracy in their lives.”
Those words were spoken a hundred years ago by Georgia Governor Clifford Walker at a Ku Klux Klan rally. But the reality is, it could have been a social media post by President Trump last week.
Time might march forward, but our society’s worst impulses seem never to go away.
I’ve spoken many times about my own family’s refugee history. I will not join the chorus of people in this country or in this chamber who eagerly look to slam shut an immigration door that was once open to our ancestors.
Over the last eighteen months, more than 35,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Illinois. Most of them landed here in buses sent by Governor Abbott of Texas. Abbott willfully planned the arrival of these individuals in locations and at times that would engender the maximum chaos for the city of Chicago and for the asylum seekers themselves. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly have been sent here in the dead of night, left far from our designated welcome centers, in freezing temperatures, wearing flip flops and T-shirts. Think about that the next time a politician from Texas wants to lecture you about being a good Christian.
Our immigration system has been broken for a long time. No doubt, the current migrant crisis is a problem of the federal government’s making, and I mean both political parties.
I am sure that when I leave the podium today, there will be some who will walk outside this chamber, looking for a microphone so they can start yelling about sanctuary cities and immigrants taking our tax dollars.
I hope that the press covering those statements will ask these politicians one important question: “did you or did you not support the federal immigration bill that the White House agreed to with Senate Republicans?”
There was a chance two weeks ago for a breakthrough on immigration policy. And the President and Congressional Democrats did what most voters say they want from leaders—they sat at a table with Republicans and negotiated a bipartisan compromise.
The White House announced a bill that was supported by top Republican leadership in the Senate—and then within hours—hours—Republicans who had helped write the legislation announced they were suddenly against the legislation.
Including, most glaringly, every single Republican member of the Illinois Congressional delegation.
Why did this happen? Why did every single Republican run away from something they claimed they desperately want? Because Donald Trump told them to, and they’re afraid of him. And why did Trump tell them to reject the bill? Because he wanted to use the issue of immigration against President Biden in the November elections.
I’m not making hyperbolic statements. Donald Trump said that out loud.
That bill would have helped Illinois. It would have provided money and resources that we don’t normally receive as a state far from the Southern border.
Maybe some Republicans find it hard to put country over Party. But our obligations to the people we represent supersede the letter after our names.
Joe Biden has been a very good president who has rescued the economy and protected freedom. But states and cities in the country’s interior are not equipped alone to handle the rapid influx of new arrivals we have seen. The White House and the federal government need to step up—to coordinate and manage these asylum seekers when they cross the border and are in federal custody, and not leave it to the Governor of Texas who has no goal but to sow chaos and destruction.
Listen, maybe some of you think we should just say, “this is not our problem,” and that we should let the migrant families starve or freeze to death. But that’s not what decent Midwesterners do. That’s not what leaders do.
We didn’t ask for this manufactured crisis. But we must deal with it all the same.
With our partners in Cook County and the City of Chicago, my administration has worked to develop a cost effective and comprehensive response plan over the next twelve months. We used the most reliable data available and estimated what it would take to ensure that the most basic human needs are met for asylum seekers arriving in Chicago.
This plan also includes continuing our efforts to divert as many people as possible away from temporary shelter to more permanent settlement, wherever that may be. Not because we are unwelcoming of immigrants. But because Chicago’s shelter system is near capacity, and it is dangerous if migrants have no shelter or support at all.
To date, we’ve moved 9,000 individuals through the process—from arrival, to temporary shelter, to independent housing and self-sufficiency. Thousands of others have moved on to find family or sponsors. We’ve also helped thousands through the Temporary Protected Status and Employment Authorization process so they can legally work. Private industry in Illinois has expressed a strong desire to hire those who are authorized to work.
I committed to the Mayor of Chicago and the Cook County Board President that I would come to the General Assembly and ask for funding for a little over fifty percent of the cost of this plan—which comes to $181.7 million.
We don’t have any clear idea how long Governor Abbott intends to hold the nation hostage, but his political stunt will eventually come to an end. So, let’s start planning for its aftermath—ensuring that during the coming fiscal year, some of the thirty temporary migrant shelters can and ought to be converted to other productive uses—as determined by the communities themselves. Neighborhood clinics, community centers, workforce training, housing—there are lots of good ideas I’ve heard from people, so we have designated $5 million in this budget for shelter conversion grants.
I won’t pretend any of this is easy, but it would be irresponsible to do anything but come here, lay out the scope of the challenge, tell you what I think we need to do, and then work with you to make it happen.
Personally, I think each of us should follow the examples set by the good people of our state.
Evanston’s Mike Moyer is fixing up bicycles to donate to migrants. Chicago’s Samantha Oulavong is teaching English to our new neighbors on a South Loop basketball court. And then there’s Oak Park’s Elaine Pierce. A retiree, Elaine opened her modest two-story, three-bedroom home to seven “new family members,” as she would say—absorbing all the costs on her own. Mike, Samantha, and Elaine are among the best of us—epitomizing what it means to be an Illinoisan through and through.
* More info here and here. The governor’s budget office briefed reporters this morning on this year’s proposal and a couple of stories have popped up since then. I tipped subscribers yesterday about this corporate net operating loss deductions thing mentioned by the Tribune…
Facing a tighter budget outlook, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday unveiled a $52.7 billion election-year spending plan built on more than $800 million in tax increases that would largely fall on businesses, from large corporations to state-regulated sportsbooks. […]
The governor also proposes extending a cap on losses large corporations can write off on their state income taxes, which he estimates will generate another $526 million in annual revenue. The current annual cap of $100,000 is set to expire Dec. 31, but Pritzker proposes raising the limit to $500,000 and allowing it to continue.
Pritzker also is proposing a permanent repeal of the 1% sales tax on groceries, which he and the Democratic-controlled legislature previously suspended for one year in 2022, when the governor was running for reelection.
Lastly, Pritzker is dusting off a previous unsuccessful plan to limit the tax discount retailers receive for collecting sales tax, which his office estimates would generate another $101 million annually.
That tax discount thing has been tried for years, but IRMA always beats it back.
The plan also includes transferring mass transit costs from sales tax to the state’s Road Fund, to take in an additional $175 million.
Pritzker’s budget team is also aiming to hasten the state’s pension funding ramp with an eye toward landing another credit upgrade from Wall Street ratings agencies.
Since 1994, the state has been on a slog toward filling the gap in the grossly underfunded system to 90% by 2045. Pritzker’s team is adjusting that goal to reach 100% funding by 2048 — closer to pension goals set by many other states.
The governor’s team says they can make that happen in part with savings from paying off two other major bonds issued by the state over the next decade. Pritzker will need legislative approval for the pension proposal.
Pritzker also wants to more than double the state tax on sports betting revenue collected by casino sportsbooks from 15% to 35%, a proposal that’s sure to draw pushback from a rapidly expanding industry that raked in more than $1 billion in 2023. The governor’s team predicts such a hike could pump an additional $200 million into state coffers.
Almost everyone you talk to has a horror story about prior authorizations and step coverage.
I'm introducing the Healthcare Consumer Access and Protection Act, a bill to curb predatory insurance practices — putting the power back into the hands of patients and their doctors. pic.twitter.com/iW4c9rTLU0
Illinois will become the first state in the nation to ban prior authorization for in-patient adult and children’s mental health care. That means patients suffering a mental health crisis can get the care they need without jumping through hoops designed to deny coverage. And we are going to make sure that insurance plans publicly post all treatments that require prior authorization, so consumers can compare plans when they are shopping for coverage.
Today, nearly every call to the [DCFS] abuse and neglect hotline is answered immediately. That’s up from only 50% back in 2019. Of the more than 94,525 investigations conducted last year by DCFS, 99.7% were initiated within 24 hours. And within seven days, 96% of children have been seen by an investigator. With an additional $14 million in funding in FY25, DCFS will reach a headcount of 4,000 staff for the first time in more than two decades.
My budget also proposes investing $12 million to create a Child Tax Credit for families raising our youngest children. By targeting this investment at low and middle-income families with children under 3, we can put money back in the pockets of our newest parents who need it most and make those early years just a little bit easier.
And we know that Black individuals and families make up 61% of the unhoused while making up only 14% of the overall population. So, this year, we created a racial equity roundtable on Black homelessness—the only effort of this kind in the entire nation. To advance that work, I am proposing an additional $50 million to attack the root causes of housing insecurity for Black Illinoisans, while continuing to serve other at-risk populations like veterans and those who are medically vulnerable with the shelter and wraparound services they need.
Now, I expect that some of you will want to spend more, and some of you will claim you want to spend less. Know this: I am always open to good ideas that members of both parties have to more efficiently and effectively fulfill our obligations.
My one line in the sand is that I will only sign a budget that is responsibly balanced and that does not diminish or derail the improving credit standing we have achieved for the last five years.
…Adding… A much more detailed description of the proposed operating budget is here. The proposed capital budget is here.
* Here’s what the governor’s office is pushing today…
✅ erase $1 billion of medical debt for more than 340,000 families. ✅ more than $20 million to improve black maternal health outcomes ✅ eliminating the sales tax on groceries ✅ rebuild our arts communities around the state
* There’s a lot going on here, but the briefing book claims this proposal is less than a 2 percent increase…
• FY24 revised estimated spending reflects proposed spring supplemental appropriations of $1.183 billion and proposed transfers.
• Estimated FY24 budgetary surplus of $273 million, with $205 million set aside in Budget Stabilization Fund.
• Proposed FY25 General Funds expenditures total $52.695 billion, a $752 million (<2%) increase from FY24 estimated spending.
• The proposed budget reflects full payment of the certified FY25 pension contribution.
• FY25 Government Services recommended budget reflects direct funding of enterprise- wide IT budget lines to DOIT and current estimates of employee and retiree health insurance liabilities.
• Estimated FY25 budgetary surplus of $298 million, with an estimated $170 million reserved in the Budget Stabilization Fund.
* Some one-pagers. Click the pics for larger images…
* Some media advisories. Senate Democrats…
Following the governor’s joint State of the State and Budget Address Wednesday, a number of Senate Democrats will provide their reactions to his proposal and what they hope to see in the final Fiscal Year 2025 budget live on Blue Room Stream.
WHO: Senate President Don Harmon, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford, and Senators Sims, Gillespie, Castro, Stadelman and Halpin
WHAT: Senate Democrats react to governor’s joint State of the State and Budget Address
WHEN: Immediately following the governor’s address, approximately 1 p.m.
WHERE: Live on Blue Room Stream
* Black Caucus…
Members of the House and Senate Black Caucuses will host a press conference immediately following Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of State and Budget Address on Wednesday, Feb. 21 on the second-floor staircase of the Illinois Capitol Building to address budget priorities for the upcoming year.
* Comptroller Mendoza…
Comptroller Mendoza, a fierce advocate of responsible spending and fiscal stability, will offer her reaction to the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Plan.
What: Media availability
When: Shortly following Governor Pritzker’s Budget Address, Wednesday, February 21st
Where: Capitol Rotunda, outside of House Chambers
* Home care workers…
Today, February 21, Illinois agency home care workers who serve seniors through the Community Care Program will be available for in-person interviews following Governor Pritzker’s budget address. They’ll share reactions at the Statehouse in Springfield starting at 1:30pm CT.
State Senator Willie Preston advanced new legislation to ban harmful chemicals in candy, soda and other food items sold and produced in Illinois.
“People should be able to trust that the food they buy is safe,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “As a father, it really concerns me that some of my family’s favorite food items have harmful chemicals in them.”
Senate Bill 2637 will ban specific, dangerous food additives from being used in the manufacturing, delivering, distributing, holding or selling of food products. These additives include brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye no. 3.
As a father of six, Preston stressed that the legislation prioritizes children, who face heightened risks from these chemicals due to their developing bodies and increased consumption of these types of food products.
“These food additives are linked to extreme health risks and have not been properly regulated,” said Preston. “As legislators, we have a responsibility to our constituents to prioritize their health and set a precedent for consumer safety.”
Preston intends to work alongside his colleagues this legislative season to include additional additives in the scope of the bill, such as titanium dioxide. Additionally, his proposed legislation will call for studies on the potential health risks of BHA and BHT.
Senate Bill 2637 passed the Senate Public Health Committee on Tuesday. It now goes to the full Senate for further consideration.
Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago) explained stores would not be able to sell products with brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, or Red Dye No. 3 by Jan. 1, 2027. Preston is considering an amendment to include titanium dioxide in the list of banned additives.[…]
However, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association told the committee the bill could set a dangerous precedent for food regulation in Illinois by usurping experts and scientists at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
IMA Vice President of Government Affairs Donovan Griffith encouraged lawmakers to reject the well-intentioned plan to avoid a confusing and costly patchwork of regulations that would impact consumers and Illinois food manufacturers. Food manufacturing generates more than $135 billion in economic impact for Illinois annually.
“These type of food regulations should be handled at the federal level by the Food & Drug Administration,” Griffith stressed. “The FDA requires evidence that each food additive is safe at its intended level of use before it may be added to food.”
* National Confectioners Association…
In response to an Illinois General Assembly committee hearing on a bill that would ban certain FDA-approved food additives, the National Confectioners Association released the following statement:
NCA STATEMENT
Food safety decisions should be based on rigorous review of the entire body of scientific evidence, as they have been for more than a century. In this case in Illinois, thorough process – and the facts – have been swept aside, resulting in misinformation in debate over SB 2637. Illinois legislators should reject SB 2637 and reaffirm their commitment to our national food safety system. Without a central, science-driven food safety authority, we are left with a state-by-state patchwork of inconsistent state requirements that increase food costs, create confusion around food safety, and erode consumer confidence and trust in our food supply.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Not only is FDA doing its job on these ingredients under Deputy Commissioner of Foods Jim Jones, but it is also making progress on modernizing its review process, including overhauling its technology and hiring additional staff to meet the growing demands of the organization. FDA is currently reviewing both Red Dye 3 and titanium dioxide and is expected to announce its findings later this year.
FDA recently conducted its own studies and has initiated steps to remove Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) from the U.S. food supply. This is how our food safety system was designed to work, and it’s a real-time example of it working.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office submitted formal opposition to the bill. Steve Walsh, the Bureau Chief of Legislative Affairs and Policy at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, submitted the opposition to SB 2637 here.
On November 2, 2023 the FDA proposed to revoke the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. The FDA conducted studies that clearly show adverse health effects in animals in levels more closely approximating real-world exposure. Therefore, the FDA can no longer conclude that this use of BVO in food is safe.
The studies were conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’(NIEHS) Division of Translational Toxicology (formerly the Division of the National Toxicology Program), to assess unresolved toxicological questions. Results from these studies demonstrate bioaccumulation of bromine and toxic effects on the thyroid – a gland that produces hormones that play a key role in regulating blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, metabolism and the reaction of the body to other hormones.
Rep. Larry Walsh, D-Elwood, who chairs the Public Utilities Committee in the Illinois House, was behind a push last year that would have granted a temporary “right of first refusal” to Ameren Illinois and MidAmerican Energy. A ROFR policy would grant existing utilities the option of controlling transmission line projects before other companies can bid on them.
But Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed that measure last summer, saying the proposal would hurt ratepayers, and its sponsors declined to bring it for an override vote when lawmakers returned to Springfield for their annual fall veto session.
Now, Walsh is advocating for a new proposal that would grant a permanent right of first refusal to all existing electric utilities in the state. Like its predecessor, the measure is backed by the unions that represent the construction and electrical workers who handle these types of projects. […]
On Tuesday, Walsh’s committee held a subject matter hearing to discuss a potential right of first refusal in Illinois. While no vote was taken, representatives of the energy sector and consumer advocates testified to lawmakers.
Creates the Transmission Efficiency and Cooperation Law within the Public Utilities Act. Provides that an incumbent electric transmission owner has the right to construct, own, and maintain an electric transmission line approved in a transmission plan that will connect to facilities that are owned by that incumbent electric transmission owner and that are or will be under the functional control of a regional transmission operator. Specifies that the right to construct, own, and maintain such an electric transmission line belongs individually and proportionally to each incumbent electric transmission owner, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. Provides that proportionality shall be determined based on the location of the electric transmission line relative to each incumbent electric transmission owner’s retail service territory. Authorizes an incumbent electric transmission owner to assign its right to construct, own, and maintain an electric transmission line to a transmission affiliate. Provides that an owner may notify the Illinois Commerce Commission that it will not construct any or all of the electric transmission line, and the Commission may grant permission and approval for the construction to another entity. Effective immediately.
* Sen. Doris Turner is sponsoring SB3216, you can tune in to its executive hearing at 2:30…
New legislation proposed in Illinois would let prison inmates earn a day of credit for each day served, leading to an early release.
HB5219, filed by Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-50th Dist.) on February 9th, would eliminate mandatory prison sentences carried by criminal charges.
If the bill is signed into law, it would give every inmate a day of credit for each day spent in custody, reducing “the incarcerated person’s period of incarceration set by the court.”
If it goes into effect, the law would require the Department of Corrections to recalculate each prisoner’s sentence by applying the accrued daily credits. […]
Currently, it has been referred to the Rules Committee for consideration.
Illinois state Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-8th) has introduced legislation that would require any law enforcement agency in Illinois that encrypts police scanner transmissions to provide real-time access to those transmissions to accredited media in the state.
House Bill 4339 amends the Public Records Act to require that any law enforcement agency that encrypts radio transmissions provide, by license or otherwise, access to those transmissions to FCC-licensed broadcasters and accredited newspapers as defined in the act.
Under the Lori Lightfoot administration, the Chicago Police Department instituted a program designed to encrypt police scanner transmissions across all police districts in the city.
Ford presented a different view.
“I understand the desire to prevent members of the public from using real-time police scanner information to commit crimes or to evade law enforcement,” Ford said. “However, the media has an obligation to report on events in a timely manner, and its use of real-time information from police scanners is essential. Blocking accredited media from real-time access is counter to governmental transparency and does not lend itself to the original stated purpose of the encryption program.”
* Rep. Jed Davis…
Following the assignment of House Bill 4247 to the Judiciary - Civil Committee, State Representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) released the following statement:
“House Bill 4247 helps protect children by creating the Online Age Verification for Material Harmful to Minors Act,” said Rep. Davis. “This act will require websites containing inappropriate materials for children under 18 to verify someone’s age before granting access.
“We know accessing pornographic materials at young ages negatively impacts a child’s mental health. So, why aren’t we doing more to protect our children, especially given the unprecedented access to content through cell phones and tablets? If websites distributing harmful content refuse to add safeguard measures for children, then we will.
“I welcome discussions from legislators and stakeholders from both sides of the aisle, fully anticipating their support. In the end, protecting children should easily be a bipartisan issue.”
Reinsdorf met with Democrat and Republican leaders in the state House and Senate, the so-called “Four Tops,” to make his case. He was joined by a team of advisors and developers from Related Midwest, the company behind the new stadium design.
Reinsdorf met first with House Republicans, then brought his entourage into House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s office. After, he said it had been a “very thoughtful discussion” and emphasized he remains positive, but said he didn’t have anything to talk about at this stage about any funding from the state. […]
Lawmakers that we spoke to were also skeptical of the appetite of lawmakers to help.
“Honestly, I’m gobsmacked that he actually has the gall to come here and ask for money at a time when we are struggling on a million different levels when our revenue shortfall is projected to be about what he’s asking for,” said State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago).
Sidestepping questions about what he asked for, Reinsdorf said, “everyone’s been very cordial. We’ve had very thoughtful discussions.
“I’m always positive about everything. I’m even positive about the White Sox winning the division,” he said of his team — which enters the 2024 season widely expected to be a bottom-dweller in the American League Central. […]
In a statement, Welch thanked Reinsdorf “for coming down to discuss his vision in person. There are a lot of conversations that still need to be had, but I appreciate the opportunity to discuss future goals for Chicago teams.”
Through a spokesman, Harmon said: “It’s still early innings.”
“We haven’t asked for anything,” the 87-year-old Reinsdorf told reporters after leaving the office of Republican Senate leader John Curran of Downers Grove.
“At an appropriate time, everybody will speak up. Now is not the appropriate time,” he said. “We’re not going to give out any internal bulletins.” […]
He said he didn’t know if any legislation would be filed during the spring session pertaining to his proposal. When asked about the specifics of his request to lawmakers, Reinsdorf replied, “Come on, that’s enough fellas.”
“I don’t mean to be evasive,” he said. “Everybody’s been very cordial.”
Neither the White Sox nor Related Midwest referenced specifics about the prospective financing in statements released Tuesday about their joint trip to the statehouse.
“We appreciated the time afforded to us by lawmakers in Springfield today,” Related Midwest said in a statement. “As we shared in the meetings, The 78 is a generational development and an investment in our hometown. It’s personal to us and we are excited about the prospect of delivering the city’s next great neighborhood, while making an historic economic investment that will bring over 10,000 construction jobs and 22,000 permanent jobs to our city and state.”
The Sox said in a statement that the team is “excited to share our vision, and we appreciate their (the legislative leaders’) time and hospitality.”
“We recognize discussions about The 78 serving as the future home of the Chicago White Sox have generated a lot of excitement over the potential of the larger project’s positive economic impact,” the team’s statement reads. “We are mindful and respectful of the legislative process and wanted to travel to Springfield to meet personally with legislative leaders.”
Gov. JB Pritzker plans to take on the state’s health insurance industry this year by calling for legislation to curb many of the standard practices they use to hold down costs and boost profits.
He plans to outline those reforms in his State of the State and budget address Wednesday, according to an advance excerpt of his speech, kicking off a process that will eventually require approval from lawmakers.
Pritzker’s “Healthcare Consumer Access and Protection Act” will include a package of proposals aimed at controlling strategies that insurers use to reduce the amount of health care patients receive.
It also includes new requirements for insurers to offer enough in-network doctors to meet consumers’ needs, as well as state regulatory control over rate increases in the large group insurance plans similar to regulations lawmakers approved last year for small group policies.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will call for the permanent repeal of the state’s 1% tax on groceries in his fiscal year 2025 budget proposal to be delivered Wednesday afternoon.
Repealing the tax, which is collected by the state and distributed to local governments, would save state taxpayers collectively about $350 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1, the governor’s office estimates.
If Illinois continues spending next fiscal year as it has been this year, the state will face an $891 million deficit. […]
The $891 million fiscal year 2025 deficit figure, which was projected in that November report by Pritzker’s own Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB), assumes a $350 million increase in the state’s main K-12 education funding formula, an annualized bump in cost for Medicaid enhancements and “moderate growth rates in the various categories of state spending.”
But it does not include what the report describes as “significant changes to base programs” which could bring savings, or could come with a cost. […]
Those factors led GOMB to revise up its revenue projections to $52 billion for the fiscal year, which runs through June.
Even after accounting for an extra $1 billion in revenues, pressures “that will offset the revenue gains including increased case load pressures at Department on Aging and DHS (Department of Human Services)” and “potential spending pressures related to asylum seekers at DHS,” GOMB said the state is set to end this 2024 fiscal year with a $422 million surplus – the opposite of the in-the-red situation lawmakers are staring down as they begin the budgeting process anew.
Following Cook County’s lead, Gov. J.B. Pritzker will propose investing $10 million of federal funds in his budget to erase more than $1 billion in medical debt for Illinois residents. […]
Pritzker will include the $10 million ask in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year — and the investment would mark the first year in a multi-year plan, the governor said in an interview with the Sun-Times on Tuesday.
“This first tranche of this for FY [fiscal year] 25 will remove the medical debt for 364,000 people. That’s just the first year of a multi-year plan and it’s a $1 billion of the $3 billion that remains outside of Cook County. So the first year — again $1 billion, 364,000 people will have this cloud removed.” […]
Of the nearly two million Illinois residents with medical debt in collection, 1.75 million are low-income, according to the governor’s office. The total amount of medical debt that can be acquired from those 1.75 million low-income residents is $4 billion — with 25% in Cook County.
Pritzker wants to allocate more than $20 million in his proposed state budget to reduce health disparities and help prevent more Black women from dying before, during and after childbirth. He’s set to give his budget address on Wednesday, kicking off a round of negotiations for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The money for birth equity initiatives would help cover what can be expensive barriers for community-based providers, such as licensing fees for midwives who deliver babies or capital expenses to open birth centers.
Having enough staff has been another barrier for birth centers to stay open. In birth centers, patients can deliver their babies with a midwife on a big bed in a homelike atmosphere rather than in a hospital. […]
A state report last fall documented that while deaths among pregnant women are rare, they have increased across Illinois — and the majority of them were possibly preventable. More than half of the pregnancy-related deaths happened more than 60 days after the women gave birth.
The governor’s office wants $500 million for quantum, the next generation in computing technology that’s only now moving from theory to practical application. About $300 million of the funding would go toward building a campus that would include a cryogenics facility — some early quantum computers operate at extremely cold temperatures. […]
It’s a bold ask at a time when the state faces what could be its most challenging budget in several years, with a potential deficit as spending needs grow in human services, health care, pensions and government health insurance, as well as the migrant crisis.
But Pritzker can point to wins on the EV front with Stellantis and battery maker Gotion. And his early $200 million investment in quantum technology efforts at the University of Chicago and University of Illinois have paid off with large federal grants and commitments by private companies, such as Google and IBM.
“We have heard from companies who have been in discussions with the state of Illinois about a location in North America and have said to us: ‘If we want to be co-located somewhere, you would be attractive for all of your existing tech assets. How can you help us source the location?’ ” Richards says. “It’s about building out a campus and a cryogenics facility.”
She declined to say where the facility would be built.
Republicans in the Illinois Senate indicated Tuesday that their sticking point for budget negotiations this year will be the same as it was last year – state spending on programs for noncitizens and recent arrivals from the country’s southern border.
In what’s been a rarity over the past five years, Senate Republicans were in on budget negotiations with their Democratic counterparts last year until the legislative session neared its end. But when the final budget bill materialized in the waning days of May, no Republican supported it. […]
Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday is set to lay out his vision for the upcoming fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1. Because Democrats hold supermajorities in both the House and Senate, Republican votes aren’t necessarily needed to pass a spending plan.
Still, Curran said he’d like to engage with Democrats to the same extent his caucus did during his first year as its leader.
* Center Square | Migrant funding top of mind ahead of Pritzker’s budget address: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office Tuesday announced a portal to track taxpayer spending on the crisis. Since November, the tracker shows the state’s taxpayers have spent more than $31.1 million. The governor’s office said last week taxpayers have covered $478 million since the start of the crisis in 2022. He announced the state will commit to $182 million for the issue in the coming budget.
* KFVS | Gov. Pritzker to deliver State of the State, budget address Wed: In the lead up to the address, Republicans are calling for Gov. Pritzker and Democratic lawmakers to focus on the people of Illinois. Senate GOP Leader John Curran says Democrats need to stop prioritizing migrant spending.
* WGEM | State Senate Republicans call on Gov. Pritzker to ‘prioritize Illinois citizens’ in upcoming budget: Curran said Pritzker should course correct. “Instead of more free health care for noncitizens, we want to see efforts to lower costs for Illinois citizens. Instead of non-citizen programs, we want to see efforts to make Illinois more affordable for working families, seniors and our most vulnerable populations,” Curran said.
* Fran Spielman on yet another surreal act by Chicago’s mayor…
In an apparent effort to turn things around [with the city’s news media], Johnson scheduled a meeting with the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board this week that would have been his first.
But Monday’s meeting ended abruptly — after Johnson and board members had introduced themselves — when press secretary Ronnie Reese insisted the entire session be off the record. Editorial Page editor Lorraine Forte refused to accept those unprecedented terms. Johnson allowed Reese to make the argument for him and never said a word before signing off from the Zoom session.
Wednesday, Feb 21, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
When Governor Pritzker’s appointees on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) shut down the natural gas line Safety Modernization Program in Chicago, it not only wiped out 1,000 jobs, but also subjected residents and business owners to the unnecessary danger of aged gas infrastructure that is no longer allowed to be replaced.
Tell Gov. Pritzker and the ICC to lift the natural gas ban, lives are at risk. Pausing critical replacement of our aging natural gas lines is dangerous for everyone. Transitioning to electric without a plan will cost homeowners thousands of dollars. We need to fix our hazardous natural gas lines for our safety, tell Pritzker: end the ban.
* ICYMI: The Chicago Bears could get break on property tax valuation for former Arlington Park, but wouldn’t get cut on tax rate. Tribune…
-The Chicago Bears got a preliminary split decision on their property tax appeal for the former Arlington International Racecourse Tuesday.
-The tax appeal board valued the racecourse property at $138 million, down from the $192 million market valuation by the Cook County assessor.
- The board also ruled that the land should not be classified as vacant for 2023, because its grandstand was not completely demolished until December.
* Isabel’s top picks…
* WCMY | IL farmers take legislative concerns to Springfield: Illinois Farm Bureau president, Brian Duncan, says the organization is closely watching numerous legislative proposals this spring… “But we’ve got to watch them because you never know.” He says, “I mean, whether it’s truck regulations, looks like it may be headed for a battle and some of the bans on pretty valuable crop protection products that I hope don’t see the light of day.
* Bloomberg | Supreme Court leaves elite school’s diversity policy intact: A divided US Supreme Court refused to question an admissions policy at a competitive Virginia public high school, turning away contentions that the program was designed to reduce the percentage of Asian-American students. […] Illinois’ big schools, including the University of Illinois and University of Chicago, had been preparing for the worst case scenario to preserve their diversity initiatives after the court struck down affirmative action last year.
* Mariyana Spyropoulos is out with a new ad for Cook County Circuit Court clerk…
Thoughts?
Click here to watch Governor Pritzker’s State of the State and Budget Address at noon.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* STL PR | Trump endorses incumbent Bost over Bailey in heated race for southern Illinois House seat: Trump is the latest in a slew of establishment Republicans to endorse the sitting congressman. Others include House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Bailey has won the support of one of the two other GOP members of Illinois’ congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Hindsboro, as well as Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida.
* Rockford Register Star | Winnebago County leaders debate use of funds to help newly arrived migrants: A Winnebago County Board committee is considering a resolution to not provide financial support to any newly arrived migrants outside of transportation out of the county. “We want to make sure the asylum seekers, migrants are able to get to the landing zone of Chicago safely,” said Operations Committee chair Keith McDonald, R-6.
* WSPY | Resolution for non-sanctuary migrant status for Sandwich offered: The resolution states that the city does not possess sufficient financial funds or infrastructure to accommodate the many possible needs of illegal immigrants. In addition, the resolution to prioritize Sandwich citizens’ safety and prosperity. No action was taken on the resolution by the city council.
* NPR Illinois | Illinois Comptroller provides portal to track migrant-related spending: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she wants to give taxpayers more information about state expenditures on the asylum seekers who have been arriving in Illinois. Mendoza has opened a portal on her office website. “While the state is incurring expenses that, frankly, should be paid by the federal government, I want to make sure that taxpayers know exactly what the state is spending money on when it comes to the arrival and care of asylum seekers,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
* Crain’s | After altercation, City Council member calls on colleague to resign leadership posts: In a text to Crain’s, Yancy said Mitchell “became aggressive and attacked me unprovoked” during a conversation about Mitchell’s opposition to a South Shore Housing Preservation ordinance Yancy introduced in the fall. “No punches. He grabbed me around the head and shoulders in what felt like an attempt to wrestle me to the ground. We had to be separated,” Yancy told Crain’s.
* WBEZ | Mayor Brandon Johnson pitches borrowing $1.25 billion for housing and development: In a major shift away from how the city currently funds development, Johnson plans to pay for the massive borrowing package by knocking out another priority: letting dozens of the city’s controversial tax increment financing, or TIF, districts expire. TIF districts siphon tax dollars away from the city’s general funds to pay for local development projects, and Johnson plans to use the recouped tax money from expiring TIFs to pay for the debt.
* Sun-Times | Chicago sues five giant oil companies, accusing them of climate change destruction, fraud: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court Tuesday that names BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell, accusing the companies of discrediting science and misleading the public as the climate crisis continued to wreak havoc on the planet. The city is also suing the trade group American Petroleum Institute, which it accuses of conspiring with the companies to deceive consumers through disinformation campaigns even as the industry acknowledged internally that climate change was real.
* Tribune | Dollar store restrictions to get Chicago council vote: The so-called small-box retailer ordinance would prohibit store operators from opening at new sites within one mile of preexisting locations. It would require new stores to display placards with maintenance and emergency information. The legislation seeks to rein in the businesses sponsor Matt O’Shea says have hurt access to healthy food in poor neighborhoods and left stores across the city unkempt.
* Crain’s | At City Club event, CPS CEO keeps the door ajar for charter schools: “We’ve been very clear that we want options for all of our children across the city,” Martinez told Crain’s after a Feb. 20 City Club of Chicago event. “I believe we have some of the most amazing choices with our magnet schools, selective enrollment, our charter schools — and, in the meantime, we’re going to continue to strengthen our neighborhood schools. So it’s not an ‘either-or’ for me. It’s an ‘all of the above.’ ”
* Naperville Sun | Yet another gun-related arrest at Naperville TopGolf, sixth since September: Over a two-month period last fall, police made four separate, but similar gun busts there — all resulting from an officer spotting a gun through a car window while doing a foot patrol of the venue’s parking lot. After the fourth bust, police said they were working with TopGolf to keep a close eye on safety.
* WGN | Illinois eclipse map: Which cities will have the best view?: The path of totality, or the thin track across the U.S. from which the sun will appear totally obscured, starts in Texas and continues northeast through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Unlike in past years, 2024’s solar eclipse will be at least partially visible throughout all 48 contiguous states.
* Crain’s | Nearly 200 staffers to be laid off from Tribune printing plant: There is no word on what positions are affected, but the scheduled layoff of 198 employees is set to take place on April 22, according to a WARN report filed Feb. 15 with the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. The layoffs come as Freedom Center, where the Chicago Tribune is printed, is set to become the location of the permanent Bally’s casino. Bally’s bought the 30-acre riverfront site for $200 million last year to redevelop it as a 1 million-square-foot casino and hotel. In the deal with Bally’s, Tribune Publishing agreed to terminate its lease and move operations by July 5.
* Crain’s | Lab-grown meat company puts plans for Glenview plant on hold: About five months after it announced it would open its first commercial-scale cultivated-meat production plant at the industrial park Dermody Properties is developing on the site, Upside, citing cost-effectiveness and efficiency, will first expand operations at its existing facility in California before continuing with the buildout of the Glenview project.
