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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune…

Criminal justice reform has long been one of the most divisive issues between Democrats who control the Illinois General Assembly and the Republican minority.

But it’s also created a split between progressive Democrats and party moderates, who walk a fine line as they seek to avoid being labeled as weak on crime during the next election cycle. The intra-party differences have been on display in the final weeks of the spring legislative session as lawmakers have considered bills aimed at giving a chance at freedom to people serving lengthy prison sentences for crimes committed when they were youths and dropping a requirement that inmates serve a significant percentage of their original sentence.

Last month, the divide left House Democrats unable to pass legislation that would have provided additional resentencing options for people convicted of committing crimes when they were under 21. It was a rare instance of a Democratic bill failing after being called to a floor vote.

Democratic State Rep. Justin Slaughter of Chicago, a progressive on criminal justice issues who sponsored the sweeping 2021 criminal justice reforms known as the SAFE-T Act, acknowledged that for the party to be uniformly on board, proposals need to have “the right mix of fairness in the justice system without disturbing the goals of enhancing public safety and ensuring accountability.” […]

Criminal justice is an area where politicians have to tread carefully, said Chicago state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, a Democrat from the party’s moderate wing.

“I think we have to be thoughtful about how we change the system and make sure that those that are charged with keeping us safe have the tools that they need and at the same time, we are dealing with the root causes and creating opportunities particularly for young people to live their best lives,” she said.

* Click here for some background. WREX…

City of Rockford leaders met with officials from Carbondale to highlight their efforts in curbing domestic violence across Rockford last week.

Last fall, Mayor Tom McNamara and Jennifer Cacciapaglia, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention, presented at the Illinois Municipal League’s Annual Conference in Chicago.

Their session focused on Rockford’s innovative and comprehensive approach to reducing domestic and community violence.

Carbondale representatives met with City of Rockford staff and partners involved in the Mayor’s Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention sharing strategies in reducing domestic and community violence. […]

[Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey] is interested in the adapting overall program collaboration in Rockford, especially with the Family Peace Center, in hopes of addressing gun and youth violence in Carbondale.

*** Statewide ***

* WTTW | Lockdowns, Staffing Shortages at Illinois Prisons Leads to Visit Cancellations: Cut visits are one impact of the “staffing crisis” IDOC is facing, as the prison watchdog group, John Howard Association, reported in the fall. That understaffing has led to an increase in lockdowns, which typically result in facility-wide restrictions consistent with solitary confinement or restrictive housing. Lockdowns have risen 285% from the financial year 2019 to 2024, according to that John Howard report. When a facility is on lockdown, visits can be limited or eliminated altogether, the report states.

* WCIA | ‘People say enough is enough’ — Citizens Utility Board fighting record-breaking gas rate hike: Nicor Gas submitted a major price hike request back in January — $309 million — and the ICC still has seven more months before it makes an official ruling. However, the Citizens Utility Board has remained consistent in its messaging against the request. “Consumer advocates argue that Nicor Gas’s bid for a record-breaking rate hike is rife with excess and fat and is more than double what the company can possibly justify,” said Jim Chilsen, the CUB’s Communications Director.

* Tribune | Illinois weather enthusiasts alarmed at how federal cuts may endanger lives and diminish pursuit: A back-and-forth on staffing has put the agency, like many others, in a state of limbo. Thousands of probationary employees were fired in mid-February, ordered by a federal judge to be rehired a month later and then put on administrative leave, only to see the U.S. Supreme Court block that rehire order last month. Staff shortages have also temporarily suspended and reduced weather balloon releases that track temperature, pressure and wind speed in the Great Plains and Midwest.

*** Statehouse News ***

* NYT | In Illinois Senate Race, Old Grudges and a Test of Pritzker’s Power: In 2021, [Congresswoman Robin Kelly] defeated Mr. Pritzker’s candidate to become chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. In another election a year later, Mr. Pritzker pushed Ms. Kelly out and installed his chosen candidate. Ms. Kelly was also Mr. Krishnamoorthi’s boss when they worked together in the office of the Illinois State Treasurer in the 2000s, a period that ended with the two on bad terms. Mr. Krishnamoorthi declined to speak about his work with Ms. Kelly. She said, “We’re fine now.”

* Canary Media | Illinois’ grid needs batteries. Can the legislature deliver?: Illinois’s ambitious clean energy transition, which mandates a phaseout of fossil-fuel power by 2045, depends on adding large amounts of energy storage to the grid. This is especially true now with the proliferation of data centers. Utility-scale battery installations will be key to ensuring that renewables — along with the state’s existing nuclear fleet — can meet electricity demand. That’s why energy companies and advocates are racing to get legislation passed that incentivizes the addition of battery storage on the grid, before the state legislative session ends May 31.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* South Side Weekly | Lawsuit Accuses Sheriff of Retaliation Over Fraud Investigation: senior Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigator has filed a lawsuit claiming she was illegally retaliated against after refusing to share certain information with superiors about a sweeping federal investigation into ghost payrolling, fraud, nepotism, and forgery at the agency. Sgt. Nicole Pagani’s sixty-page lawsuit against Sheriff Tom Dart and his office includes multiple alleged violations of Illinois’ human rights and whistleblower protection acts, as well as federal sex discrimination and harassment claims.

* WBEZ | Contesting Cook County property taxes can feel like a part-time job: Unlike Korth, many suburban homeowners don’t have to navigate the appeals process on their own. Suburban township assessors provide guidance for homeowners challenging their property assessments. Niles Township Assessor Scott Bagnall said he filed about 1,500 appeals on behalf of his residents for tax year 2024, and he predicts he will file about 1,000 more this year.

* Sun-Times | Inside a clout-heavy company’s yearslong bid to open a cannabis dispensary in Bolingbrook: Days before people swarmed marijuana dispensaries across Illinois to get their first taste of legal weed on Jan. 1, 2020, a clout-heavy Chicago businessman named Carmen A. Rossi established a company aiming to cash in on the expected “green rush.” On the company’s incorporation papers, he listed Alex Acevedo, a son of former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo, who had recently lost a Chicago City Council race, as a manager.

* Daily Herald | Affordable housing apartments proposed for former quarry site in Batavia: The Residences at River Point is estimated to cost $24.2 million. The developer is asking for $1.2 million in aid from the city. The Batavia City Council will discuss the matter at its committee-of-the-whole meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday. According to a memo, The Residences at River Point would set aside one-quarter of the apartments for households making 30% or less of the area median income. Roughly half would be earmarked for households making 60% or less of the AMI, and the rest would be for those making 80% or less of the AMI.

*** Chicago ***

* Intersect Illinois | Chicago’s Moving Up: City is Top Ten Moving Destination: People are increasingly moving to Illinois, according to an annual survey by moving company Penske Truck Rental that lists Chicago as the eighth most popular moving destination in the U.S.
Chicago last cracked the top ten list in 2021. Penske, which published its findings Friday, based the rankings on one-way consumer truck rentals last year. “Those of us who know and love Illinois aren’t surprised that Chicago’s a popular destination. The city’s an axis for innovation, offers a rich culture and deep talent pool, and a wealth of opportunity,” said Intersect Illinois President and CEO Christy George. “Intersect Illinois is primed to bring even more jobs and businesses to our state.”

* Crain’s | Chicago-area new home sales see one of the strongest first quarters in a decade: Builders sold 1,568 newly built houses, condos and townhouses in the first three months of the year, according to a new report from Tracy Cross & Associates, a Schaumburg-based consultant to the homebuilding industry. Since 2015, there’s been no higher sales volume in the first part of the year other than 2022, when all homes, new and existing, were riding the COVID-era housing boom. In the first quarter of that year, builders sold 1,620 new units.

* Tribune | ‘Jayden Perkins is a hero’: Prosecutors open case against 11-year-old’s alleged killer: It was an automated message from the Illinois Department of Corrections informing her that the man who had terrorized her since high school would be released from prison shortly after threatening her life, Cook County prosecutors said Monday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. One day later, they said, he barged into her Edgewater apartment, stabbed her 11 times and more tragically still, fatally stabbed her 11-year-old son, Jayden Perkins. The prosecutors opened their case in the trial of the alleged attacker, Crosetti Brand, 39, who is facing felony charges of murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated domestic battery in slaying on March 13 of last year.

* Daily Herald | American, United rivalry boils over in lawsuit on O’Hare gates: American Airlines is suing the city claiming it breached a 2018 agreement by initiating a gate redistribution that would benefit United and to its detriment. “American is committed to keeping O’Hare competitive, as our presence yields more extensive flight schedules and lower fares for our Chicagoland customers and travelers from across the world,” the airline said in a statement. “That’s why we’re taking action against the Chicago Department of Aviation’s premature trigger of the reallocation of gates at O’Hare — the timing is not only a violation of the agreement signed in 2018, but it unfairly upsets the competitive balance at O’Hare by making it more difficult for us to grow.”

* Crain’s | Quantum park planned for South Works site signs an Australian startup: Diraq, which is a Fermilab partner and one of the startups being incubated in a federal government quantum program, says it will join the quantum park that is being built on the former U.S. Steel South Works site on the Far South Side. Like PsiQuantum, the anchor tenant for the quantum park, Diraq hopes to develop a utility-scale quantum computer that will be powerful enough to perform tasks that traditional computers cannot.

* WTTW | Step Into Chicago’s Swamps, Where a Shedd Researcher Has Found Surprising Biodiversity: Today, hundreds of acres of what were once slag heaps — a byproduct of steel manufacturing — have been reclaimed as natural and recreational areas managed by the Chicago Park District. Partners including Friends of the Chicago River, The Wetlands Initiative and Audubon Great Lakes have poured resources, both in terms of funding and manpower, into wetland restoration projects, including knocking back invasive species like phragmites, a tall grass.

*** Downstate ***

* IPM News | Champaign’s police review board aims to improve policing, but some fear it lacks power to make change: One major flaw, in her view, is that police officers investigating their own colleagues appear to not be swayed when CRS members call for reforms, policy changes and more accountability for police officers who exhibit inappropriate behavior. Additionally, certain cases are not reviewed by the CRS at all, and police aren’t required to implement or even respond to CRS recommendations. “We can sit here, and we can make all these recommendations, and we can have all these concerns about the investigation,” Harmon-Threatt said. “But the only people we’re complaining to are the people who did the investigation.”

* Illinois Times | Economic gaps persist for Blacks: Black residents are concentrated in neighborhoods on the city of Springfield’s east and north sides, where they make up between one-third and three-fourths of residents in some Census tracts. Those neighborhoods have some of Sangamon County’s highest poverty rates – between 30% and 50%. The Springfield area’s status among the top third most segregated U.S. metropolitan areas between Blacks and whites helps to fuel economic gaps that have persisted for decades here and across the nation, experts say.

* University of Illinois Champaign | Illinois leads most rigorous agricultural greenhouse gas emissions study to date: Before they can recommend practices to reduce nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases from agricultural soils, scientists first have to understand where and when they are released. Sampling soil emissions is labor intensive and expensive, so most studies haven’t done extensive sampling over space and time. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sought to change that, rigorously sampling nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from commercial corn and soybean fields under practical management scenarios over multiple years. Not only can this dataset lead to mitigation recommendations, it can refine the climate models that predict our global future.

* WGLT | Illinois Wesleyan University puts rules on paper about demonstrations: “What we’ve done since that complaint was filed, and much of this was done before I ever got here, was update policies with regard to everything from peaceful rallies to university posters to external speakers, things that weren’t in writing,” said Zenger. He said IWU probably did not have those before out of “naivete,” not knowing a world crisis would create such intense dialogue and crisis.

* The Southern | Night’s Shield receives state grant for homeless youth program: One local organization is among the 10 non-profits receiving a $20,000 grant from the state of Illinois to strengthen its community impact. The Night’s Shield is a West Frankfort-based organization serving the lower 17 counties. Its homeless youth program, established in late 2020, serves youth aged 11 to 23 years who are unhoused or housing insecure.

* WSIL | Fight the bite: Protect against ticks in Southern Illinois this May: “Lyme disease is a serious bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of infected ticks,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States affecting more than 500,000 people nationally each year.” Dr. Vohra emphasized the importance of checking for ticks. “As the summer approaches, I encourage our residents to learn to ‘Fight the Bite’ and protect yourself and your loved ones from tickborne illnesses. If you have been in wooded or high grassy areas and are experiencing symptoms – fever, fatigue, headache and a circular rash – see your health care provider immediately,” said Vohra.

* The Southern | SIU students create marketing plans for real clients, including an iconic theater: As the iconic Varsity Theater prepares to celebrate its 85th birthday next month, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale senior hospitality marketing management class presented proposed marketing plans for the Varsity Center’s second life as an arts and entertainment venue. It’s all part of the experiential learning that’s intrinsic to the classes taught by Niki Davis, director of the hospitality, tourism and event management (HTEM) program and professor of practice.

*** National ***

* WaPo | The hidden ways Trump, DOGE are shutting down parts of the U.S. government: The effects are especially pronounced at the EPA, where staffers at 11 labs have struggled to continue researching an array of environmental threats, including air and water pollution as well as toxic “forever chemicals.” The labs are run by the Office of Research and Development, or ORD, which may be eliminated as part of a broader reorganization of the agency. On paper, the division still exists. But in practice, the office’s research has been crippled by a new requirement that Trump officials approve all new lab purchases, according to three ORD employees.

* NYT | Trump Declares High-Speed Internet Program ‘Racist’ and ‘Unconstitutional’: The act was written to help many different groups, including veterans, older people and disabled and rural communities. But Mr. Trump, using the incendiary language that has been a trademark of his political career, denounced the law on Thursday for also seeking to improve internet access for ethnic and racial minorities, raging in a social media post that it amounted to providing “woke handouts based on race.”

* Politico | Judges warn Trump’s mass deportations could lay groundwork to ensnare Americans: Trump’s close adviser Stephen Miller has railed daily against what he’s called a “judicial coup” that has largely centered around rulings upholding due process rights of immigrants. Miller has scoffed at the notion that people Trump claims are terrorists — even if they deny it — must be allowed to contest their deportations, saying they only have the right to be deported. Miller suggested Friday that the White House was “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus, the right of due process to challenge a person’s detention by the government.

* WaPo | Fake pizza orders sent to judges seen as threat to judicial safety: Many of the deliveries have gone to judges presiding over lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s policies. The U.S. Marshals Service has been tracking the deliveries, and judges have been sharing details about their experiences in hopes of finding out more about what they call an ongoing attempt at intimidating the judiciary. Some of the pizza deliveries have gone to judges’ relatives. In recent weeks, orders have been placed in the name of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’s son, Daniel Anderl, who was fatally shot at the family home in New Jersey in 2020 by an attorney who posed as a delivery person.

* Columbia Journalism Review | How We’re Using AI: To see this new power for yourself, work through the free, open-source textbook I recently developed with Derek Willis, a data journalism teacher at the University of Maryland. We show how journalists can harness large language models to find needles of corruption in the haystacks of data produced by political campaigns. Techniques like these are already changing how Reuters journalists gather news by making a superior form of machine learning accessible to a much wider circle. I can’t say where this all leads, but it’s clear to me that these tools are finally fit for our purpose.

* The Telegraph | Weight-loss jabs ‘halve the risk of cancer’: Researchers analysed the health records of more than 6,000 obese patients with Type 2 diabetes, half of whom were given bariatric surgery while the others were prescribed GLP-1 weight-loss jabs. The Israeli team found that while weight-loss surgery cut the risk of obesity-related cancer by up to 42 per cent, the impact of the injections might be even better.

  8 Comments      


Farm Bureau exec director on townships: ‘Legislators in urban areas are seeing it from their perspective and they’re not seeing the other perspective’

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Time and again over the years, big city newspapers, columnists and good government groups have thundered about the number of townships in Illinois. It’s practically accepted as fact by those folks and others that townships should be abolished to bring down property taxes. But not everyone is on board. From Rita Frazer’s RFD Radio interview with Illinois Farm Bureau’s executive director of governmental affairs and commodities Kevin Semlow…

FRAZER: You also mentioned a possibility of a bill being put forward that has to do with consolidation in local government. What’s that about?

SEMLOW: Earlier in session, there was a piece of legislation to consolidate township forms of government.

It was a very aggressive piece of legislation and there was large outcry from township officials. Of course, a lot of our members rely on township services, roads, those types of things and there was pushback.

We’re hearing questions because that bill was never called for a vote.

The sponsor realized, I think, the controversy and sensitivity around this issue.

It is being pushed by [Gov. JB Pritzker’s] office. The governor feels that there are too many units of government in the state of Illinois.

We have 131 different forms of local government in Illinois: Municipalities, counties, townships, school districts… and then all kinds of special districts.

We’ve got over 8,000 different units of local government. That’s a lot.

So, numbers-wise, they’re just saying, “Let’s make this easy and cut those down.” Well, the bad side is townships do provide a valuable service.

We know that legislation isn’t being called by itself. I don’t anticipate it’ll come up this next month, but we’re keeping our eye out for that, working with township officials of Illinois and their association, making sure that doesn’t happen.

But we know the governor’s office is still asking for behind-the-scenes communications and negotiations with the township officials to see if there’s some way to do that.

So, we’ll keep a monitoring of that and in the end line, we want to make sure there’s an efficient, balanced approach to whatever they come up with, if they do want to try and do some type of consolidation, incentivizing those types of things.

We’re keeping an eye on it, but I don’t think it’s going to happen yet this year.

FRAZER: You made mention that even though there is a big number, it doesn’t mean that it’s not efficient.

SEMLOW: Exactly. You’ve got to look at the different types of townships, especially [because] you’ve got townships in urban areas that serve a purpose — and then downstate, it’s a different purpose.

So that’s what I think is getting lost in translation. Legislators in urban areas are seeing it from their perspective and they’re not seeing the other perspective.

There’s some communication back and forth that needs to happen on those differences.

  41 Comments      


RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail creates more jobs in Illinois than any other private sector employer, with one out of every four workers employed by the retail sector. Importantly, retail is an industry in which everyone, regardless of credentials, can find a viable career path.

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

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Updates to today’s edition

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Embargoed campaign stuff

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The late embargo on this meant it couldn’t be included in this morning’s subscriber edition, which goes out at about 5 o’clock every morning…

EMBARGOED
May 12, 2025, 7AM

Announcement from Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison

Today, Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison announced his candidacy for Congress in Illinois’ Eighth Congressional District. He released this statement on his historic candidacy:

“As the grandson of immigrants and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I never saw people like me in leadership growing up. That is why it means so much to me to announce I am running for Congress.

I’m running for Congress because I believe that if you work hard, you should be able to earn a living wage. I believe in advancing policies that support families, and that everybody deserves a fair shot to get ahead. These are the principles that have guided my work in public service, and the principles that will drive my campaign.

The race ahead won’t always be easy, but I’m ready for the challenge. It is an honor to rise to the occasion and fight for the community I care so deeply about. Growing up in the Northwest suburbs of Illinois has given me so much, and I look forward to continuing the conversations about the issues that matter most to all of us”

Kevin Morrison is a Cook County Commissioner and candidate for Congress. In 2018, he made history as the first openly LGBTQ+ and youngest-ever Commissioner, as well as the first Democrat to represent his district. As Chairman of the Technology and Innovation Committee, Human Relations Committee, and Emergency Management and Regional Security Committee, as well as the Vice Chair of the Forest Preserve Finance Committee, he has been a leader on mental health, small business, the environment, public safety, and tenants’ rights. Kevin has delivered results for working families and marginalized communities.

Kevin was raised in Elk Grove Village, where he attended public schools before graduating from DePaul University in 2013 and UIC Law School in 2024. He brings years of public service experience, including as an Edgar Fellow and a former member of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Board, an organization supporting LGBTQ+ candidates. Kevin Morrison is running for Congress to fight for working people in Illinois and our shared values.

Kevin Morrison has received endorsements from the following leaders in the IL-08 Congressional District:

Maggie Trevor – Cook County Commissioner
Nicolle Grasse – State Representative
Bill McLeod – Mayor, Hoffman Estates
Paula McCombie – Mayor, South Barrington
Daniel Hebreard – President of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Rob Martwick – State Senator
Adriane Johnson – State Senator
Ted Mason – Elk Grove Township Democratic Committeeman

More to follow.

That district is currently represented by US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Senate.

* A 6 o’clock embargo on this one meant it also wasn’t included, and allowed someone else to claim they had it “first”…

**EMBARGOED UNTIL Monday, May 12th at 6:00AM CT**

Today marks the launch of Illinois Blue PAC, the first federal political action committee organized for Illinois’ 2026 U.S. Senate race, in support of Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton.

Formed to support a candidate whose story, record, and leadership have sparked early enthusiasm across Illinois, Illinois Blue PAC aims to help elevate Stratton’s message and ensure voters across the state hear from a leader who brings both lived experience and statewide impact to the race.

A proud daughter of Chicago’s South Side, Stratton’s path into public life was shaped by her role as the primary caregiver for her mother during her battle with Alzheimer’s — an experience that deepened her understanding of the health care system and continues to inform her approach to leadership. She began her career as a professional mediator and later served in the Illinois General Assembly before becoming the state’s first Black woman elected Lieutenant Governor.

Since taking office in 2019, Stratton has helped lead the Pritzker-Stratton administration’s efforts to raise the minimum wage, eliminate the grocery tax, expand access and make Illinois a safe haven for health care, and pass one of the strongest gun safety laws in the country.

Before entering elected office, Stratton built a career focused on uniting communities, solving problems, and changing how the law impacts vulnerable populations. She served as an administrative law judge, mediator, and restorative justice practitioner, and was a founding board member of both the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center and the Council on Criminal Justice. A lifelong advocate for young people and underserved communities, Stratton’s work has always centered on dignity, fairness and healing.

“I’ve spent the last six years serving as Lieutenant Governor of the great state of Illinois, and I’ve seen firsthand the progress that’s possible when we treat the needs of middle-class families as a focal point, not just a talking point,” Stratton said in her campaign announcement.

Her campaign has already earned the endorsements of Governor JB Pritzker and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. A recent poll conducted by the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association shows a wide open field with Stratton leading once voters hear more about each candidate and their background.

“Juliana Stratton understands what Illinois families face because she’s lived it — as a caregiver, a mediator, and a public servant,” said David Lobl, Chair of Illinois Blue PAC. “She brings compassion and clarity to every room she’s in, and she knows how to build coalitions that actually deliver. That’s the kind of leadership we need in the U.S. Senate.”

Illinois Blue PAC is chaired by Chicago native David Lobl, a seasoned health care and political consultant who has previously advised the Governor of New York and the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Mark Kalish, a former member of the Illinois House of Representatives and a leader of the Health Care Council of Illinois PAC, joins as Senior Advisor, with a background in advancing legislation and building cross-sector support on health care issues.

Alex Hanns, founder of the public affairs consultancy StrategyA and former communications advisor to Governor JB Pritzker, leads the PAC’s messaging and media relations efforts, bringing experience in advocacy, electoral, and public sector campaigns across Illinois.

Stephan Miller, founder of media firm CreoStrat and former Chief Brand Strategist at Chicago-based Kivvit (formerly ASGK, now Avoq), leads paid media efforts, drawing from experience on candidate and issue-based campaigns in the U.S. and abroad.

The PAC has received early support from health care leaders and advocates across the state. Its first federal filing will occur in July.

About Illinois Blue PAC
Illinois Blue PAC is a federal political action committee supporting Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton’s campaign for U.S. Senate. We believe in expanding access to care, advancing economic dignity, and electing leaders who deliver results. Juliana Stratton has spent her life fighting for Illinois families, and we’re proud to support a campaign fueled by compassion, credibility, and momentum.

* Someone else claimed to have a “SCOOP” on this story. But, because of the 5 am embargo, I was able to include it in this morning’s Capitol Fax. I’m told that everyone who received this release was informed that it was not exclusive…

Embargoed until 5 AM ET tomorrow — Rep. Kelly to Announce 18 CBC endorsements

Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly announced that 18 Members of Congress of the Congressional Black Caucus have endorsed her campaign to succeed Senator Dick Durbin in the United States Senate. The members include Representatives Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Andre Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), and Jahana Hayes (CT-05).

“I’m honored to have the support of so many colleagues who I have worked closely with in Congress to deliver for families,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. “We are in a moment that demands tough leaders with proven experience, who can stand up to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and MAGA Republicans and fight back as they target Illinoisans’ Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and drive up costs. I never back down from a fight, and I’m proud to have the support of my colleagues who know that I can get the job done.”

Robin’s House of Representatives colleagues endorsing her today have seen up close her proven record of delivering results from Illinoisans. In Congress, Robin has been a relentless advocate for gun violence prevention, leading a sit-in on the House floor to protest inaction on gun violence and co-sponsored landmark legislation protecting victims of domestic violence. Her efforts helped pass the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in 30 years. Robin has also championed closing gaps in maternal health care, passing a law to dramatically expand Medicaid postpartum coverage to a full year. In the Senate, Robin will continue fighting to make Illinois safer from crime and gun violence, lower costs for families, and tackle health inequities.

For the most part, I think these embargoes are goofy.

* Also, click here for an impressively long list of endorsements lined up by Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl in her bid for 10th District Democratic State Central Committeewoman.

  17 Comments      


It’s just a bill

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WAND…

A plan to block Illinois law enforcement from searching vehicles based solely on cannabis odor is moving to the House floor. Although, the bill faces strong opposition from police, Republican lawmakers, and moderate Democrats.

An Illinois Supreme Court ruling in September did not give probable cause for police to search vehicles if they smell burnt cannabis. Yet, a ruling in December gave probable cause for law enforcement to search vehicles if they smell raw cannabis.

“Both the Vehicle Code and Regulation Act regulate the possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle on the highway,” Rep. Curtis Tarver (D-Chicago) said Friday. “Consistency between the two laws is essential so the users of cannabis know how to possess cannabis without violating laws and police officers know when they have the probable cause to enforce laws.” […]

The legislation passed out of the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee on a tight 8-6 vote Friday morning. However, Tarver promised to hold the bill on second reading and work with stakeholders.

* Crain’s…

Proposed state legislation that would boost funding for public universities is pitting the University of Illinois System against underfunded institutions that are struggling with deficits, layoffs and declining enrollment.

The Adequate & Equitable Public University Funding Act calls for an additional $135 million a year over 15 years, or $1.75 billion in additional funding, for the state’s public universities. The bill grew out of a two-year state commission study that addressed the lapse in state funding that has caused tuition to double, placing a heavy burden on low- and moderate-income families. […]

Nine of the 12 public universities support the bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford in the Senate with 10 co-sponsors, and Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana in the House, with 27 co-sponsors including House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

But the bill is in jeopardy for the current session due to resistance by the University of Illinois, the state’s flagship institution, which dwarfs the other schools in size and prestige. In testimony during a Senate Executive Committee subject matter hearing last week, officials representing the U of I System, which also includes the University of Illinois Chicago and University of Illinois Springfield, said that although they support the bill’s aspirational goals, they disagree with the methodology.

* Sen. Javier Cervantes…

To clear up confusion around when young people who are incarcerated can petition for youthful parole, State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes is sponsoring legislation that would clarify the timeline available for people who were committed an offense under the age of 21. […]

Currently, young people who were under 21 at the time of committing a criminal offense can file a petition for a parole hearing up to three years before they are eligible for parole. If appropriately filed, the Prisoner Review Board sets a parole hearing date three years from the date it received the petition. However, sometimes a person is already eligible for a youthful parole hearing when they file a petition because they have already served the required number of years. This has caused some confusion when they file a petition over if the parole hearing can take place within a year, or if they have to wait three years for a hearing.

House Bill 2546 would clarify that youth offenders can file a petition for parole up to three years before becoming eligible. Additionally, it clarifies that the hearing can be scheduled a year in advance. This addresses previous confusion from the Prisoner Review Board that required offenders to wait three years for their hearing, not the time period for them to file the petition. With this clarity, young people may be able to have their parole hearing in a more timely manner, allowing them to re-enter society earlier. […]

House Bill 2546 passed the Senate Criminal Law committee on Tuesday.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Attendees of the 2025 Native American Summit, organized by the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, were draped in regalia and leading a drum ceremony for the first time in an Illinois that was home to a federally recognized tribe.

And it was happening amid a backdrop of Native American groups working to secure passage of a bill that would ban what they say is offensive imagery in Illinois school mascots.

“Our identity has been frozen in time, and it’s going to stay frozen in time as long as we’re portrayed as mascots and things of the past,” said Matt Beaudet, a citizen of the Montauk Tribe of Indians who was in Springfield to advocate for the bill’s passage. […]

This year’s top priority would require K-12 schools to pick new logos and mascots by July 2026 to replace any that have Native American names and imagery by 2030. That measure passed the House 71-40 on April 10 and is awaiting action in the Senate in the session’s final three weeks.
If it becomes law, it will mark the latest in a series of policy wins for Native groups that have been working at the Capitol for measures they say go a long way toward righting historic wrongs. […]

While the mascot ban is still unsettled, working group members are already individually considering legislation for next session, though there is no consensus yet at a group level.

* WAND…

A community land trust buys land, usually single family homes, under the condition they will not flip the house. While owning the property, they will give the house to a low income family at a low price, but again they cannot flip the house.

Bloomington-Normal is the only place outside Chicago that has a community trust fund. Mark Adams with the Bloomington-Normal Community Land Trust said this housing model will give families a chance to own a home. […]

This task force is a continuation of one made in 2023, which released a report last year. In the report, members of the task force recommended the state raise awareness of this housing model to the public, adjust tax burdens on CLT’s and remove CLT restrictions at the city and County level. […]

This task force bill passed out of the Illinois House housing committee on a partisan 10-3 vote. This proposal will now head to the House floor for further debate.

* Crain’s…

Hundreds of school bus aides, health care workers, waiters and other low-wage workers gathered at the state Capitol in Springfield in late March, urging Illinois to approve higher wages. […]

“We have hundreds of members here today from (Chicago Public Schools, University of Illinois Chicago), secretary of state, and many other units, to let our legislators know we support the people who support us,” Dian Palmer, president of SEIU Local 73, said to those gathered in Springfield. “It’s time for the General Assembly to show us they support our members by passing these bills, fulfilling their promises and investing in our members.”

In the crowd were workers who provide in-home health care to seniors. They support passage of Senate Bill 120, which would increase their hourly minimum wage from $18 to $20.

Aides who work with school bus drivers to ensure students’ safety sought passage of House Bill 1654 so they could receive unemployment compensation during summers. Illinois bus aides average $36,117 a year in salary, according to Glassdoor.

HB1654 has missed its deadlines to advance in the House.

* Brownfield Ag News…

The deputy director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance says a proposal [SB2387] to introduce a new per acre fee for taking agricultural land out of production is gaining momentum in the General Assembly.

Liz Rupel says proceeds from the Agricultural Land Conservation Act would benefit local soil and water conservation districts.

“With the math that has been done it’d raise upwards of $10 million, which would absolutely serve most of the needs of the soil and water conservation districts operational budget.” She says, “It also could potentially serve some of the other programmatic funding.”

The fee would be paid by the buyer or lessee of agricultural land that’s being converted to other uses like solar farms, industrial parks, or residential developments.

SB2387 received a May 23 extension to move through the Senate.

* WCIA…

An Illinois lawmaker wants to give survivors of human trafficking and related offenses more time to get justice.

Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Crest Hill) passed a bill out of the Senate Criminal Law Committee that would remove the statute of limitations for victims of sex trafficking or exploitation to bring charges after they turn 18 years old.

“The victims of crimes like these can take time to come forward because of trauma or other hardships,” Loughran Cappel said. […]

The bill passed both chamber committees with full bipartisan support, and it has already passed the House of Representatives.

* Sen. Paul Faraci…

An overhaul of outdated state rules could be underway, thanks to a measure from State Senator Paul Faraci that aims to modernize local government, cut bureaucratic waste and expand access to critical programs like broadband grants and low-income energy assistance.

“Illinois residents deserve a government that works smarter and serves better,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “This measure would eliminate what’s no longer working and reinvest in what our communities need right now: digital access, energy assistance and local control.”

House Bill 3187 aims to cut outdated responsibilities and redirect resources to programs that serve everyday Illinoisans. Under the measure, obsolete duties – like requiring the state to manage freight rate data – would be eliminated from government handling, and respective industry experts would take the lead.

The bill would also expand eligibility for grant programs focused on closing the digital divide, including updates to the Community Technology Center Grant Program and the Digital Divide Elimination Fund, helping more neighborhoods access high-speed internet and digital tools. Similarly, under Faraci’s measure, unused funds from the long-dormant Good Samaritan Energy Trust Fund could be directed into active energy assistance programs for low-income residences, helping families in need access critical resources. […]

House Bill 3187 passed the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday.

  11 Comments      


“I Love What I Do, But May Have To Walk Away”: Home Care Workers Leaving Because Of Poverty Wages

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Over 20,000 seniors in Illinois who are eligible for the Community Care Program are going without needed home care because there are simply not enough workers willing to work for the program’s low wages.

“I love what I do. I’m a caregiver by nature and taking care of our seniors is my calling,” said Juandalyn Reese.

Juandalyn, a care worker in Fairview Heights, has spent the last 35 years providing seniors with the kind of hands-on services that make it possible for them to remain in their homes. But home care workers need to cover their own basic expenses in order to survive. “I may have to walk away from doing what I love because I cannot pay my bills. I’ve maxed out on my credit cards just to cover basic necessities and I can’t go on much longer like this.”

“We do important work, but it feels like we’re forgotten,” Juandalyn said.

That’s why we need to pass HB 1330/SB 120 to give home care workers a desperately needed raise and to attract the workers needed to serve all of our seniors who need home care. Our home care workers deserve living wages and our seniors deserve quality care. Care can’t wait!

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Going forward, the party’s over

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

I spent some time talking with a top legislative budget negotiator last week who said rank-and-file legislators will very soon have to come to terms with a state budget environment unlike anything many have ever seen before.

The “budgeteer” didn’t know yet how things would shake out, but the person was adamant that weak revenues combined with total uncertainty from both the federal government and in the national economy meant the new state budget should most definitely not be overloaded with spending.

Statehouse types talk about “budget pressures” every year around this time. It’s second nature for legislators and interest groups to propose more spending, regardless of what the revenue situation looks like.

Public employee unions are pushing for the most spending, and at the top of their list is a proposal to spend $30 billion during the next 20 years to bolster pensions for their members.

The teachers want a $200 million annual increase in the K-12 Evidence-Based Funding program, above the current $350 million hike. And there’s a proposal to spend about $1.7 billion in the coming years to increase funding for higher education, a similar plan to the K-12 EBF model.

Everywhere you look, somebody wants $10 million more a year, or $20 million, or $60 million or whatever for their programs.

Nobody is really wrong. In some cases, small and even large increases beyond what the governor’s proposed budget contains are very much needed. There’s also little doubt that a strengthened K-12 EBF program would help tamp down property taxes, and more money for higher ed could keep tuition from rising even faster.

But, as the governor said in his February budget address, state-sourced (non-federal) revenues grew by 15.9% in Fiscal Year 2021 and 13.2% in FY2022. “We expect to finish this year with 5% revenue growth,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at the time. “For 2026, our forecast projects a 1.9% increase.”

While that’s tiny, Pritzker’s FY26 revenue projection was still $712 million above what the legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability originally predicted.

The commission did revise its revenue estimates upward not long ago. But next fiscal year’s forecast is still significantly below the governor’s budget forecast.

The new commission revenue prediction for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1, was revised up by $266 million, which is a lot of money, but only represents a half-percentage-point increase.

But that more generous estimate is still $471 million below the governor’s base revenue forecast. The governor added about $500 million on top of that with his proposed changes to existing laws.

As a percent of the overall budget, they’re not far apart. But the $471 million difference is still real money and not easily dealt with, particularly since the governor claimed in February to have proposed increasing state discretionary spending by less than 1%.

The federal government is a very big reason why the new commission estimate wasn’t as high as some had hoped. Federal revenues will fall by $270 million in the coming fiscal year, or 6%.

During the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, federal revenues are projected to drop by $347 million, or 8.5%, compared to the revenue estimate issued just a couple of months ago in March.

Both of those projections could be on the low side, depending on what the courts and the Republican-controlled Congress approve.

Combining both state and federal revenues, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability says this fiscal year should see a $317 million revenue increase, due mainly to tax returns filed in April, which is a positive reflection on last year’s economy.

But going forward, the party’s over.

Even some Republicans are warning the economy under President Donald Trump could very well drag down state revenues.

State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, told reporters late last month the increases in capital gains taxes during President Joe Biden’s last year in office “are not sustainable” going forward, according to Capitol News Illinois.

And Davidsmeyer said of Fiscal Year 2027: “I think it’s going to be an even worse look.” He also pointed out that Illinois growth often lags other states, which will compound the problem.

The legislative leaders and the governor can decide to use either the legislature’s forecast or the governor’s forecast or somewhere in between.

But considering we don’t yet know what impact the next federal budget and other presidential actions could have on the state’s finances and its economy, choosing the most conservative outlook would most definitely be the prudent path.

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Vote YES On SB 2385/HB 3350 To Protect The 340B Drug Discount Program And Invest In High-Poverty Chicago Communities

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Sinai Chicago serves an area including 1.5 million people on Chicago’s West and Southwest sides, where poverty rates range from 30%-50%. As the state’s largest private safety net provider, Sinai considers the federal 340B drug discount program a “safety net in and of itself.” With 340B savings, it has provided patients with free or deeply discounted medications, and it has invested in specialty clinics and medication management services.

Yet, drugmakers restrictions on hospitals have reduced their ability to expand access to care and new healthcare services—counter to the 340B program’s intent. The 340B program requires drugmakers participating in Medicaid to discount outpatient medications to healthcare providers caring for uninsured and low-income patients. One glaring restriction, Sinai noted, is limiting where patients can get discounted drugs. In some instances, hospitals are only allowed to contract with one pharmacy for an entire community.

“Such a policy does not ensure access to essential drugs for a patient population like the one Sinai serves,” the hospital said. “The threat and fear of 340B program reductions can prevent planned extensions of care and new programs in clinical areas greatly needed in our community that would not otherwise have access to care.”

Support Senate Bill 2385 and House Bill 3350 to ensure they can continue to do so. Learn more.

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Today’s must-read

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Tribune has a very good story about several energy-related issues. Let’s focus on just one, but you should read the whole thing…

[Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council] said the first of these [priorities in the coming energy omnibus bill] is battery storage, which is intended to help wind and solar connect to the PJM and MISO grids by capturing and then releasing their power in steady increments.

Illinois has been practicing for this moment. Since the CEJA bill passed in 2021, the state has spent $280 million to install battery storage facilities at former coal plants, said Gough, the Pritzker spokesman.

The legislative debate about a statewide rollout of this effort could start with an ICC recommendation, issued May 1, that Illinois deploy 1.04 gigawatts of battery storage starting in August. The state would deploy another 2 gigawatts of storage by 2027 and plan for even more after that. […]

For now, the ICC is looking only at batteries that can pump electricity back into the grid for four hours at a time. “That’s not enough to carry you through a weeklong blizzard,” Pruitt said. “But you can manage the regular daily fluctuations.”

In its report, the ICC estimated that the 3 gigawatts of battery storage it’s proposing by 2027 would cost average residential ratepayers $1.69 a month at Ameren and $1.17 a month at ComEd.

But it would save them money later, the ICC said, by reducing the state’s dependence on PJM and MISO capacity auctions, thereby driving down prices.

I have just one tiny nitpick: Local 150’s Marc Poulos is not “a top Democratic fundraiser in Springfield.” This is the second time the Tribune has called him that. Poulos doesn’t raise money. He helps direct the spending of money. He’s a fundSPENDER.

  26 Comments      


Illinois Medicaid: Working Together To Support The Health Of Our Families, Communities, And State

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Coordinating lifesaving care for Niah across states

Nearly half of all babies born in Illinois are covered by Medicaid.

“Niah,” of Naperville, is among them.

Born in 2021, Niah was diagnosed with a complex heart condition, including congenital abnormalities and cardiac arrhythmia. Soon after her first birthday, Niah’s doctors determined that she needed lifesaving heart surgery—quickly.

The challenge? Niah’s condition was so unique that only a handful of specialists in the U.S. could treat it. Surgeons at Boston Children’s Hospital were ready to take the case.

Niah’s care team and Medicaid health plan worked together to get her swiftly approved for the procedure, arranging an air ambulance to transport Niah. The health plan also coordinated travel and lodging for Niah’s parents to be with her. Their care coordinator
called every day to check in and ensure their needs were met.

Niah’s surgery was a success. Today, she is a curious, energetic toddler who sees renowned specialists back home in Illinois for ongoing care.

Paid for by the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans

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Open thread

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My brother Devin named his youngest son after himself. But Devin jokingly told me when I was in southern Illinois a week ago that he should have named him Richard III, after our dad and myself, because he’s so much like us. The kid’s nickname is Budgie and I absolutely love this pic…

What’s going on in your neck of the woods?

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Domestic violence law named in memory of Karina Gonzalez takes effect on Mother’s Day. Sun-Times…

    - Law enforcement must now confiscate guns from alleged abusers within 96 hours of a judge issuing a protection order, and judges can issue a search-and-seizure warrant for firearms.
    - The law is named for Karina Gonzalez, who authorities say was fatally shot by her husband, Jose Alvarez, in July 2023. Her 15-year-old daughter Daniela was also killed, and her son Manny was injured.
    - “An immigrant woman from Mexico, who worked dead-end jobs and survived an abusive husband, will now go on to save the lives of other domestic violence victims,” Manny said in a tribute to his mom.

* Related stories…

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

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s second year found him fighting unexpected battles: The mayor’s permanent selection to helm the Chicago Transit Authority after embattled President Dorval Carter stepped down in January has also lagged for months, even as the mayor’s office quietly conducted a nationwide search for candidates but appeared to come up short. State Rep. Kam Buckner, a 2023 mayoral candidate who hitched much of his platform to the idea of improving public transit, was offered the job but turned it down, according to sources familiar with his decision.

* Tribune | Feds say funding freed up for Great Lakes invasive carp project, though President Donald Trump and Gov. JB Pritzker still snipe at each other: President Donald Trump issued an executive order late Friday supporting an important Great Lakes project in Illinois to contain invasive carp, but the president still found a way to call out Gov. JB Pritzker, who responded by saying he was glad the White House “heard our calls about the importance of delivering federal funds.” Trump’s order and Pritzker’s response mark a rare point of policy agreement between the governor and a president whose administration Pritzker has compared to Nazi Germany. Pritzker has harshly criticized Trump on an array of broad issues and has also noted that the Trump administration has held back some $2 billion in federal funds meant for Illinois.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WCIA | State Senator initiates audit into Discovery Partners Institute after project objective change: In Springfield, State Senator Chapin Rose is leading a full audit of the Discovery Partners Institute at the University of Illinois. There was supposed to be a tech hub built in Chicago, but that project was cancelled and shifted to focusing on quantum computing. U of I System President Timothy Killeen has been heading the institute for the past eight years. […] The state audit commission unanimously approved the Mahomet Senator’s request late last month. Rose said the process will most likely take months to complete.

* Capitol News Illinois | Capitol News Illinois reporters win prestigious Peter Lisagor awards: Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit news service, is proud to announce three of its reporters were nominated in four categories for the prestigious Lisagor Awards. These awards celebrate journalistic excellence across Illinois and northwest Indiana, spanning print, digital and broadcast media. CNI’s Beth Hundsdorfer was selected as winner in the Best Public Service category for her investigative reporting on funeral home licensing in Illinois.

*** Statewide ***

* Press release | Congresswoman Robin Kelly announces endorsement of 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus: Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly announced that 18 Members of Congress of the Congressional Black Caucus have endorsed her campaign to succeed Senator Dick Durbin in the United States Senate. The members include Representatives Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Andre Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), and Jahana Hayes (CT-05).

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson at the two-year mark: I’ll stack my business record against any mayor’s: When pushed on why business leaders don’t agree with his self-assessment, Johnson took another opportunity to hit what’s become one of his favorite punching bags: former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Their pro-business person had raised property taxes for three years and left out of here with junk status,” he said. “Of course they might feel a certain way, because who wants to believe that a middle-school teacher can demonstrate a stronger business agenda than someone who has made millions of dollars in the market? It goes against their norm.”

* Tribune | The school board president is trying to nix the superintendent requirement. Why does it matter?: The city clerk and 30 aldermen signed a letter Thursday urging the school board to uphold a resolution it passed in late March requiring the incoming Chicago Public Schools chief executive officer to hold a valid Illinois professional educator license with a superintendent endorsement. A day earlier, the Tribune reported that school board President Sean Harden was whipping votes to go back on that resolution, which passed unanimously about two months earlier. The goal, board members said, was to let Mayor Brandon Johnson’s second-in-command, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, fill in for the role while the district and city conduct a wider search for a permanent superintendent. Pacione-Zayas does not have a superintendent endorsement.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | For sale: 20 old Chicago school properties: The buildings have sat empty for 12 years. Several are architecturally significant with striking details and character taking up multiple city blocks. But many are in rough shape, with copper stripped from the pipes, broken windows, and graffiti covering walls. One had to be torn down after an extra-alarm fire last year. Now, Chicago Public Schools aims to sell the former schools, putting 20 properties out to bid once again, with the hopes of seeing them repurposed and the possibility of bringing in around $8.2 million and avoiding spending more on future upkeep.

* Block Club | Transit Advocates Push Mayor, Board For Nationwide Search For Next CTA Boss: Irvine, an avid public transit rider who sits on the board of directors for advocacy group Active Transportation Alliance, said the CTA board should consider candidates who have “deep experience” running a large transit agency, an understanding on how to secure federal funding, a history of transit use and a commitment to transparency. […] “Please do a gut check and ask yourself this question: Are you confident there is no one else available in the world who can do this critically important job better?” Irvine said. “Is this really the best person for the job?”

* Tribune | After weekslong wait, piping plover Searocket returns to Chicago and partner Imani for the summer: “We’re just so excited that Searocket is back. Happy Mother’s Day to her,” said Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator for Chicago Piping Plovers. “We’re so glad to have a mother back in our midst.” The female plover comes home to competitive piping plover dating scene: In addition to Imani, Montrose has welcomed 2-year-old Pippin, a returning male from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and two other males, originally from Michigan, that were passing by.

* NBC Chicago | Migration alerts issued for Chicago area, with thousands of birds taking flight: According to experts, the highest traffic times for migrating birds typically occur between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., with hundreds of thousands of birds crossing over the Chicago area on highly trafficked evenings. During “Migration Alerts,” homeowners and building managers are asked to turn off lights and to take other precautions to help protect migrating birds. Owners of tall buildings are asked to turn off or dim decorative lights during migration season. Residents and building owners are also asked to close blinds when possible so that birds don’t become disoriented by bright lights.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | East Aurora District 131 to turn two elementary school classrooms into center for students new to the United States: The goal is for students in the program, set to begin next fall, to get a crash course in English skills and knowledge of how the school district operates before joining their grade-level peers at their assigned district school. […] This sort of program is new to East Aurora, according to a district spokesperson, but it’s not a new idea, Guzman noted. As they designed their proposal, district officials looked to examples in Illinois and beyond.

* Tribune | Featuring Black-owned and wellness businesses, the Aux opens in Evanston: Named The Aux, the hub will be able to house up to 12 businesses at its building when fully occupied. The Aux so far hosts a Wintrust Bank kiosk, a community kitchen, a gym, a laundromat/cafe, a podcast studio, a hair salon, a doula office, a startup office and open spaces for socializing and community. Co-developer Tiffini Holmes said that while people might assume wellness only adheres to physical exercise, the businesses at The Aux are meant to focus on health and wellness holistically, including mental health and more.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton hopes ties to Pope Leo XIV will burnish town’s image and spur growth: Dan Lee, a longtime Dolton resident, said Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, brings a newfound pride. Lee has lived in the community since 1989. “This is a 180-degree turn from what we’re used to,” Lee said Friday. “I’m looking forward to some positive scrutiny that this can bring.” The village has suffered after years of alleged corruption among village mayors past and more recently Tiffany Henyard, who was tossed out of office with the most recent election.

* WBEZ | Model UN is helping these Chicago-area teens feel hopeful about the future: Roughly two dozen teens wearing business attire packed a conference room at Hinsdale Central High School in the southwest suburbs on a recent weekend. They were debating the best way to revive Sudan’s collapsing health care system. This United Nations simulation for teens is part of a growing program in DuPage County that participants say helps them feel connected and optimistic about the world. That’s especially notable at a time when the United States is withdrawing from its traditional place in global affairs.

*** Downstate ***

* Sun-Times | Car dealer took 84-year-old consumer for a ride with ‘unscrupulous’ prize promotion, lawsuit says: Bakken — who’s being represented by the nonprofit Prairie State Legal Services, which filed the lawsuit in Kankakee County circuit court — says it started with a scratch-off ticket he received in the mail in December. Excited about winning, he called the phone number on the prize mailer. “The guy that answered said, ‘Those are good numbers. Come on down,’ ” Bakken says. When he got there, a woman at the dealership told him he didn’t actually win $10,000 but that she’d like him to stay and chat.

* WQAD | Rock Island’s Christian Care receives multi-thousand-dollar grant from Illinois’ treasurer: Nine other small non-profits throughout the state are being awarded funds by the Charitable Trust Stabilization Program, which exists to assist organizations like Christian Care with achieving their missions of serving people. Frerichs in a recent local press conference cited the federal government’s cuts to programs which previously supported Christian Care as a reason the state chose to offer monetary reservations in the Quad Cities.

* WGLT | Non-union ISU workers demand raise; RISE initiative update given at ISU Board of Trustees meeting: University workers such as office administrators, student advisors, IT and administrative aides do not currently have a contract guaranteeing raises. Several other ISU employee groups have unionized, most recently tenured and tenure-track faculty. Their contract locks in raises. Organizers presented a petition at Friday’s ISU Board of Trustees meeting, with 204 signatures. It requests the board “allocate appropriate funds to ensure a fair and equitable raise of at least 4% by July 1.”

* BND | This metro-east Girl Scout camp was almost closed. Now it’s bigger: The Pines were built with money from the contributions of Ameren Illinois and Ralph and Donna Korte, Higgins said. The new trail was built by the Agency for Community Transit, which manages transit in Madison County. Fundraising has been ongoing for weeks prior to the event. The Girl Scouts raised $10,000 total additional funds, with Ameren Illinois contributing $3,000 and Gillihan Concrete contributing $7,000. Amy Truitt, the organization’s development manager, said they were hoping for $55,000 by the end of the night.

* WAND | Carle to lay off over 600 employees starting in July: The data listed on the Illinois workNet Center website says that the Carle Health located at 3310 Fields South Dr. in Champaign is scheduled to lay off 612 employees starting on July 8. This is due to Carle subsidiaries Health Alliance and FirstCarolinaCare ending all insurance plans other than Medicare Advantage by January 1, 2026.

*** National ***

* NPR | USDA, DOGE demand states hand over personal data about food stamp recipients: The sweeping and unprecedented request comes as the Trump administration ramps up the collection and consolidation of Americans’ sensitive data, and as that data has been used to make misleading claims about people in the U.S. illegally accessing public benefits and committing fraud, and to build a greater capacity to deport them.

* NYT | U.S. v. Google: What Both Sides Argued in a Hearing to Fix Its Search Monopoly: In August, Judge Mehta ruled that Google had broken antitrust law when it paid companies like Apple, Samsung and Mozilla billions of dollars to automatically appear as the search engine in browsers and on smartphones. He also ruled that Google’s monopoly allowed it to inflate the prices for some search ads, adding to its unfair advantage.

* AP | Judge pauses much of Trump administration’s massive downsizing of federal agencies: The order, which expires in 14 days, does not require departments to rehire people. Plaintiffs asked that the effective date of any agency action be postponed and that departments stop implementing or enforcing the executive order, including taking any further action. They limited their request to departments where dismantlement is already underway or poised to be underway, including at the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which announced in March it will lay off 10,000 workers and centralize divisions.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, May 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Reader comments closed for the weekend

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Billy Strings covers Old & In The Way…

Until he sank so low there was
Nothing no one could do

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WTTW…

On Feb. 10, 2025, Governor JB Pritzer officially signed into law House Bill 4144 (now Public Act 103-1065), better known as Karina’s Law. […]

The law goes into effect this Sunday, on Mother’s Day. […]

The language of law specifies that law enforcement are required to remove firearms from an alleged abuser’s home within 96 hours of a court-granted order of protection.

“Up until we passed this bill, the option was always there, on both the criminal side and the civil side, for someone to choose the firearm remedy. So, people were checking that box, but there was no procedure for the courts, and for law enforcement, to follow to actually get those guns out of the hands of abusers,” said state Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia).

* The Detroit News…

President Donald Trump is expected to sign a memorandum Friday afternoon directing his administration to take steps to block invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes and signaling support for a construction project in Illinois that would install barriers to prevent the carp from infiltrating Lake Michigan.

In a fact sheet provided first to The Detroit News, a White House official said the memorandum directs the administration to “expeditiously implement the most effective mechanisms, barriers, and other measures to prevent the migration and expansion of invasive carp in the Great Lakes Basin and the surrounding region.”

The memorandum explicitly expresses support for a $1.15 billion project at the Brandon Road Lock & Dam in Joliet, Illinois, that would install several methods to serve as a barrier to the carp, “provided that the State of Illinois does not stand in the way of its construction.”

The swipe at Illinois comes several months after the state postponed signing paperwork with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for land acquisition that’s needed to proceed with the project’s construction, after Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker cited the uncertainty of funding from the Trump administration.

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | What Trump’s cuts to federal climate research could mean for Illinois: Illinois researchers have always played a role in the National Climate Assessment. University of Illinois emeritus professor Donald Wuebbles has contributed to all five previous reports, including serving as a lead author of the fourth assessment in 2017. He said his greatest concern is that the report could now move forward under a different team of scientists hand-picked by President Donald Trump, who has a history of denying climate change as a “hoax.”

* 25 News Now | New safe digging regulation in Illinois law takes effect: One of the biggest changes revolves around the required waiting period. The time and day of the call no longer counts toward that waiting period, meaning Illinoisans must call at least three business days in advance before starting any project that requires digging.

* Press Release | DCEO Invites Filmmakers to Enter Shortcuts Short Film Contest: “DCEO’s Illinois Film Office continues to serve as an integral partner for the 815HORTS festival,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “I encourage eligible filmmakers throughout the state to submit their short films to the Shortcuts contest for their chance to be featured on the big screen as part of Illinois’ world-class film industry.” The Shortcuts winner will receive $250 and be screened at the 815HORTS festival, a short film festival based in Rockford scheduled November 14-15, 2025. All Shortcuts submissions received by August 31, 2025, will be automatically submitted for screening consideration at 815HORTS.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Semafor | JB Pritzker: ‘I put my money where my mouth is’: “ I’ve also supported candidates financially wherever I could, and the Wisconsin race is a great example of that. Compared to Elon Musk, you might say that I got an awfully great return on investment. I think it’s $30-$40 million that he spent, not to mention offering, what, a million dollars a piece to a few people to get them to vote Republican? That seems illegal to me. But yes, I put my money where my mouth is. I happen to have the ability to support people financially.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Dolton picks new village administrator, chief of staff in flurry of appointments: He said he and trustees want to be thorough in filling jobs, including police chief, and said he is heartened by the number of potential applicants. “We have had the blighted image as a community,” House said Thursday morning. “It’s encouraging to see so many people willing to work with the community.” Keith Freeman will “transition” out of his job as Dolton’s village administrator, being replaced immediately by Charles Walls, House said. Walls will be paid $100,000 annually, the mayor said.

* Daily Herald | ‘Education and enforcement’: Why you can expect to see more police on Route 59 today: If you can’t drive 55, you probably want to stay off 59 today. Police departments across the suburbs — from Wauconda up north to Naperville down south and nearly everywhere in between — are teaming up for a regional traffic safety initiative all day Friday along the Route 59 corridor. That means more officers out on patrol looking for speeders, texters, seat belt skippers and other traffic scofflaws.

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan, New Trier students learn about segregation fight; ‘This shows what activism can do’: After Waukegan students journeyed to Winnetka in November, learning about redlining by banks to make it harder for Black people to get mortgages, New Trier students came to Waukegan in March for a class about the desegregation of Whittier Elementary School in the 1960s. “That was something I thought was only about the South,” New Trier senior Anna Hill said. “We learned how the people made a change in their community,” Alex Palmer, another New Trier senior, said.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Juan Sifuentes ousts longtime East Aurora school board president Annette Johnson from top role: In the latest leadership shake-up at East Aurora School District, board president Annette Johnson was ousted from her role as president by fellow board member Juan Sifuentes at a board meeting Monday. At the same meeting, the board swore in Johnson, who won reelection on April 1, along with two challengers – Mayra Reyes and Vannia Valencia – who defeated incumbent board members Bruce Schubert and Theodia Gillespie during the election.

* Tribune | Meet Jim Downey, the Joliet guy who had the secret sauce to transform 50 years of ‘SNL’: Downey, you see, contains words the way a flood contains water. He’s 72, and despite more than 50 years as a revered godhead of comedy writing, the riverbed has never run dry. The first time we talked, the interview went four hours. The second time, five. Mulaney said that when they both wrote at “Saturday Night Live,” Downey would often call him to craft the week’s cold opening: “Once Jim got on the phone, I knew it was my afternoon.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson’s bid to reshape Chicago Fire Department explains four-year wait for new contract: During a mid-term interview with the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, Johnson offered his most pointed explanation to date for why the acrimonious negotiations with Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 are headed for arbitration that poses risks for both sides. With a $1.12 billion shortfall and $3 billion more in federal funds on the chopping block, the mayor is determined to confront a cost-cutting challenge his predecessors avoided.

* Sun-Times | CPS Board president rips into outgoing CEO and budget-cutting proposals: The president of the Chicago Board of Education is tearing into the school district’s embattled CEO, saying that the budget proposals he produced for next school year are “unsatisfactory and incomplete,” and that Pedro Martinez’s planned June exit from the school district should be accelerated. “The current CPS CEO’s recent focus has been on his professional future and not on the long-term stability and success of our school district,” Sean Harden said in a statement. “His actions have undermined our Board’s ability to make the best decisions on behalf of CPS students.”

* Nadig Newspapers | $503,000 owed in property taxes for Portage Theater; owner not at building court hearing: According to city attorney Glenn Angel, Manuel Glicksberg had been the lead person on the LLC which owns the theater but that he lost the theater in a divorce settlement. The new owner of the LLC was identified as Jamie Glicksberg, who reportedly is a partner in the law firm of Croke Fairchild Duarte and Beres. Angel said that she is believed to be residing outside the country.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Bloomington plans to formally endorse shelter village: The city council will vote on the resolution during its 6 p.m. Monday meeting at the Government Center. The move would jumpstart negotiations on a sale of the property to Home Sweet Home Ministries [HSHM] which would operate The Bridge, a shelter of 48 tiny sleeping cabins that would be located at Main Street and Oakland Avenue.

* WCIA | Going back in time at Bresee Tower: Danville is waiting to see when a more than 100-year history will come to an end. Bresee Tower has long been a pillar downtown, but crews are ready to get started with demolition. City officials said demolition could have started as early as 2 p.m. on Thursday, but that time has come and gone.

*** National ***

* CNBC | China’s exports surge as shipments to Southeast Asian countries offset plunge in U.S. trade: Imports slumped by just 0.2% in April from a year earlier, compared with economists’ expectations of a 5.9% drop. China’s shipments to the U.S. plunged over 21% in April year on year, while imports dropped nearly 14%, according to CNBC’s calculation of official customs data. Chinese U.S.-bound shipments had risen 9.1% in March, as exporters rushed to frontload orders ahead of tariff hikes.

* Business Insider | Trump’s deal with Paul Weiss is being turned against him in court: For the law firms choosing to fight Trump’s executive orders targeting them, rather than striking deals with the president, the Paul Weiss deal has turned into a potent weapon. They’ve cited Trump’s quick revocation of the order — just six days after it was initially issued — to argue that the orders never had any legitimacy in the first place. The order, had it been carried out, would have revoked the security clearances of Paul Weiss lawyers out of “the national interest” and barred them from entering government-owned buildings, potentially including even courthouses and post offices.

  2 Comments      


Illinois Medicaid: Working Together To Support The Health Of Our Families, Communities, And State

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Helping Logan manage his neurological disability and gain independence

Turning 18 is a significant milestone. But for people with complex health conditions, becoming a young adult can be overwhelming.

“Logan,” a Medicaid member, was feeling the weight of his newfound responsibilities. He was hopeless, anxious, and depressed.

Born with spina bifida, Logan requires a shunt, a thin tube passed from the head to the abdomen. It allows the necessary drainage of cerebrospinal fluid from the brain.

As a young adult navigating the healthcare system, Logan struggled. He needed new supplies for his shunt. He had also outgrown his leg braces and his wheelchair was broken. While he did not know where to start, help was on the way.

Given Logan’s need for specialized support, his Medicaid health plan assigned him a care coordinator, Caitlin. With a care coordinator in Logan’s corner, his overwhelming feelings started drifting away.

Caitlin helped him secure new medical supplies, including a custom-fit wheelchair. Logan restarted physical therapy and began seeing a mental health counselor.

“Through the help of my managed care plan and Caitlin, now it’s easier taking care of myself properly,” Logan says.

Paid for by the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans

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Bost announces reelection with Trump’s ‘complete and total endorsement’

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) launched his campaign for re-election at Thursday evening’s Monroe County GOP Century Club Dinner with the full endorsement of President Donald Trump. Bost, a two-time Illinois co-chair of Trump’s campaign, has earned Trump’s endorsement in five consecutive election cycles.

“President Trump is saving our nation for the second time, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have his endorsement as we work together to advance the America First agenda,” said Bost. “In a short time, we’ve made historic strides in protecting American workers, ending the border crisis, and advancing our conservative values, but our work is far from over. This Marine isn’t finished fighting for the incredible people of Southern Illinois.”

In a Truth Social post announcing his endorsement of Bost Thursday evening, Trump said, “Congressman Mike Bost is a Tremendous Champion for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District! A U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, and Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Mike is fighting tirelessly to Strengthen our Military, Care for our Veterans, Stop Crime, Stand with our Brave Law Enforcement, Secure our Border, Cut Taxes, Promote Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. He has been with us from the very beginning, helping us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Mike Bost has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

Bost was first elected to Congress in 2014 and has long been a key Trump ally on issues ranging from border security and public safety to protecting American manufacturing, the Second Amendment and pro-life values. Prior to his election to Congress, Bost served as a state legislator, small business owner, professional firefighter, and a United States Marine.

Bost was also endorsed by Trump when he defeated Darren Bailey by three points in the 2024 Republican primary.

Thoughts?

  14 Comments      


Report: Belvidere plant will still reopen, but without a $3.2 billion battery factory and parts hub

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s…

Plans by Stellantis for a battery factory and a regional parts hub in Belvidere are off the table, a United Auto Workers official says.

The maker of Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles still plans to build a midsize pickup truck at Belvidere in two years, which would employ about 1,500 workers, as announced in January.

But the $3.2 billion battery plant and a much larger regional parts hub are no longer part of the plan, UAW Vice President Kevin Gotinsky told Crain’s sister brand Automotive News. Local officials have been hearing the same thing, says state Rep. Dave Vella, who represents the district that includes the plant.

It means the plant, which was idled by Stellantis two years ago, will still reopen, saving 1,500 highly prized auto assembly jobs. But it will be much smaller than originally planned.

  1 Comment      


Repeal IFPA Now

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]


Jody Dabrowski, CEO of Illinois Educators CU:
IFPA Will Harm our Members and our Communities.
“My members would be so frustrated.”
Stop the Chaos for Our Hard-Working Educators!

Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.

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Second candidate announces for Sen. Fine’s seat

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers were told earlier this morning. The North Shore Record…

New Trier Democrats President Patrick Hanley announced during a gathering at his Winnetka home that he will run for the state senate to replace Sen. Laura Fine (D-9th District), who is seeking Schakowsky’s national seat. […]

“Every decision I will make for you in Springfield will be grounded in sustainability,” [Hanley] said. “Of the environment, of the atmosphere, of the water, yes, but of our society and our economy and our democracy too. We’re going to plan for 100 years not just the five ahead of us.” […]

In a statement provided by Hanley’s campaign, Schakowsky said, “Patrick is exactly the kind of bold, progressive Democratic leader — and fighter — that Illinois needs. I am proud to enthusiastically endorse Patrick Hanley’s candidacy in Illinois 9th State Senate district.” […]

Aside from his volunteer work with the New Trier Democrats, Hanley also chairs the Village of Winnetka’s Environmental and Forestry Commission; serves on the executive board of Openlands, a nonprofit conservation group; and has helped Reform for Illinois and Fairvote Illinois fight for electoral reforms.

Hanley conceded that he likely will not be the pick of the Democratic Party of Illinois, but said his “grassroots” campaign is about the future of the state’s Democratic Party.

* Evanston Now…

Hanley helped lead Operation Swing State, an organizing group that led Illinois volunteers to knock on doors across Michigan and Wisconsin in the lead-up to November’s general election. […]

Hanley will face Evanstonian Rachel Ruttenberg, deputy committeeperson for the Democratic Party of Evanston and former deputy chief of staff for policy in the office of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Ruttenberg announced her campaign Thursday.

Fine has represented the 9th Senate District in Springfield since 2018. Before her, the district was represented by now-Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss. […]

Ruttenberg’s campaign says she’s backed by Illinois House Majority Leader Rep. Robyn Gabel, State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowtiz, State Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl and former Evanston Democratic Committeeperson Eamon Kelly.

* More…

    * Journal & Topics | Ruttenberg Announces For 9th District State Senate: When Fine was asked Thursday if she is backing Ruttenberg, she said, “Not now.”

    * Evanston Round Table | Local Dem leaders running for state senator open midterm downballot contests: Both Ruttenberg and Hanley’s announcements in the state Senate race are downstream of the bigger contest developing further up the ballot for the U.S. congressional seat currently held by longtime Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th District). Schakowsky announced Monday that her current 14th term will be her last, joining U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in voluntarily ending their long tenures representing Illinois at the national level. Since these announcements, both now-open races have seen rapid campaign rollouts by aspiring Democrats and open speculation about who else might join the fray.

    * Tribune | Glenview state Sen. Laura Fine joins race to replace US Rep. Jan Schakowsky: Fine, a longtime resident of Glenview, may end up part of a crowded primary field of Far North Side, and north and northwest suburban Democrats running to replace the 14-term Schakowsky in the strong Democratic district. A progressive critic of the far right and social media content creator, Kat Abughazaleh, had already announced she was joining the race even before Schakowsky said she planned to retire. Abughazaleh also has a head start in fundraising for next year’s race. The primary will be held on March 17.

  6 Comments      


Illinois Medicaid: Working Together To Support The Health Of Our Families, Communities, and State

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Home visit shows Gus the upside of care coordination

Over 400,000 Illinoisians are dual eligible, receiving Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Most are older adults with fixed incomes below the poverty level.

“Gus,” age 74, falls into this category. He lives alone, is a lifelong smoker, and has a medical history including hypertension and shingles.

When his health plan called to engage Gus in care coordination, he shut down the idea, saying he “didn’t need the extra help.” Measured by its ability to ensure members receive an annual wellness visit, the plan kept trying. Gus begrudgingly agreed to a home
visit.

The home visit was a game-changer. Gus’s hypertension was severely uncontrolled, and he was prescribed new medication and a blood pressure monitor. A social worker and care coordinator assisted with food and utilities resources.

With a team by his side, Gus has a new outlook. Dietary changes have him feeling better, and he’s working with his landlord on needed home repairs.

“Gus was a prickly pear at first,” says Brandon, his care coordinator. “Through progress and setbacks, we’ve built a trusting relationship—and helped keep him out of long-term care.”

Paid for by the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans

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It’s just a bill

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Cristopher Belt…

State Senator Christopher Belt passed a measure to stop gym and fitness centers from cancelling or changing benefits of a promised lifetime membership.

“We all know the feeling of being swamped by memberships and subscriptions, the last thing we need is a price hike on what was a promised rate.” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This legislation makes sure gyms and fitness centers are honest with their members.”

Belt’s measure is designed to prevent fitness centers and gyms from changing prices or reducing benefits for any “lifetime membership” price they advertise. If a fitness center wants to change prices or benefits for one of these contracts, they would have to clearly disclosure their intention when the gym membership contract is being signed.

“What we are trying to do here is uphold a standard for consumers,” said Belt. “Deceptive tactics looking to squeeze money from our residents will not be tolerated, no matter the industry.”

Senate Bill 314 passed the Senate on Thursday.

* Crain’s…

Opposing interests in the health care world are escalating their fight over an Illinois bill on the 340B drug discount program, which seeks to prevent pharmaceutical manufacturers from restricting which providers get the steep drug discounts allowed for in the federal 340B legislation.

Companion bills House Bill 3350 and Senate Bill 2385 follow the general text of legislation considered by other states that require drugmakers to give discounts to all the pharmacies that contract with hospitals and federally qualified health centers under 340B.

Numerous pharmaceutical manufacturers have restricted the scope of the federally mandated discounts to provider’s contracted pharmacies. While federal and state courts weigh in on whether drug companies can refuse discounts to contracted pharmacies, state legislatures are seeking to establish their own rules, with Arkansas and Louisiana already passing similar bills. […]

“It’s a bare-knuckled fight on both sides,” said Bill Sarraille, a health policy expert and professor at the University of Maryland. […]

Today marks SB2385’s deadline to get out of the Senate, while HB3350 remains in the House Rules Committee.

* WAND…

An Illinois bill to crackdown on third party warranties for car dealerships passed a Senate committee unanimously.

The plan would require any warranty deal outside the dealership to provide a copy of the contract which clearly displays a summary of all the costs.

These costs would include deductibles, service fees, coverage limits and repairs or services not covered by the contract. State Sen. Michael Halpin (D-Rock Island) said he’s seen these type of contracts in his district.

“Transactions they’ll have you pay for sometimes are lost in the fine print,” Halpin said. “So what this is designed to do is to get on very specific disclosure all in one place as to what’s covered and what’s not.”

* Center Square…

Operators of virtual currency kiosks in Illinois may soon be regulated by the state.

The Illinois Senate Executive Committee advanced legislation Wednesday which would place kiosks that exchange cryptocurrency and cash under supervision of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

State Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, said Senate Bill 2319 provides consumer protections.

“Currently there are no regulations, no consumer protections for cryptokiosks in Illinois. This bill establishes those consumer protections, and it also provides the industry a predictable setting to not only operate, but also grow here in Illinois,” Ellman said.

* Investigate Midwest…

The Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP), proposed during this year’s Illinois General Assembly, would have required food vendors like M.J. Kellner to provide more information about how and where they source their food.

House Bill B3701 and Senate Bill 2187 would have significantly changed state food procurement practices, which advocates say are outdated and divert millions of public dollars out of state each year, instead of going to local farmers. The bills would have also raised standards for food companies’ labor, environmental and animal welfare practices.

However, state lawmakers did not pass the bills before a key legislative deadline in April.

“That is what you call a missed opportunity,” said Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, the Senate bill’s sponsor.

* Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton…

After experiencing a sexual assault, survivors often face the added stress of figuring out how to get to a safe location once their medical exam is complete. To help ease this burden, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton advanced a bill that would expand the state’s sexual assault services voucher program to cover transportation following treatment.

“No one should be left stranded after a traumatic experience,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “This bill makes sure survivors can get to their next destination safely, without worrying about the cost.”

In Illinois, after an individual receives medical care for a sexual assault, hospitals issue a voucher that a patient can use for related health care expenses. The voucher is valid for 90 days from the date of their hospital visit and can be used to cover costs of ambulance rides, medical forensic or laboratory services, pharmacy expenses and follow-up health care treatment.

Glowiak Hilton’s measure, Senate Bill 1274, would expand the list of eligible expenses covered by the voucher to include taxi or rideshare services, such as Uber or Lyft, to return home or to the transferring hospital, or to reach a shelter. The legislation follows the recommendation of the Illinois Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Services Implementation Task Force, which identified rideshare services as a helpful option when providing support for sexual assault survivors. […]

Senate Bill 1274 passed the Senate on Thursday.

* Sen. Graciela Guzmán…

By collecting data on the need for more affordable housing options, State Senator Graciela Guzmán joined the initiative to incentivize government agencies and organizations to invest and support affordable housing projects throughout the state. […]

Illinois has passed legislation addressing housing insecurity by prioritizing the needs of the state’s most vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has implemented a multi-year strategy, Home Illinois, to strive towards functional zero homelessness statewide. Additionally, the Illinois Housing Development Authority finances and encourages the growth and preservation of affordable housing for renters at 80% of the area median income and below. These measures have worked to prevent some of the most vulnerable Illinoisans from experiencing homelessness.

However, folks earning between 80% and 140% of the area median income are often overlooked. Still facing a lack of reasonably priced housing, middle-income earners are pushed into the affordable housing market, making it less accessible for them and folks with even lower incomes.

House Bill 3616, led in the House by Rep. Will Guzzardi, aims to illuminate the demand for affordable housing and the lack of housing inventory that middle-income earners are facing. It would require IHDA to collect data on the available inventory of affordable housing in each local government in Illinois available for sale or for rent to extremely low-income and middle-income households. Every five years, IHDA would be required to publish the data collected, make the data available to the public, and report the data to the General Assembly. From there, it may be used to influence policy to invest in more development of affordable housing options. […]

House Bill 3616 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

* Brownfield Ag News…

The deputy director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance says a proposal gaining momentum in the state legislature would expand on-farm processing exemptions for poultry producers.

Liz Rupel tells Brownfield it would increase the state’s exemption from 5,000 chickens per year.

“We are asking for it to increase to 7,500 to process those chickens on farm with the right facility in place.” She says, “We would love to see the ability for these farmers to sell those products at farmers markets.”

Currently only on-farm sales or deliveries from the farm are allowed. She says it’s a step toward bringing Illinois regulations in line with surrounding states. […]

She says the legislation has passed the Illinois House and is expected to see bipartisan support in the Senate this week.

* WAND…

A plan moving in the state capitol could create a task force to study how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted chronic absence of students.

This group could identify strategies, mechanisms, and approaches to help families, teachers, principals, and superintendents address chronic absence for K-12 students.

The state’s previous attendance commission’s work ended in December 2020, and lawmakers intended to bring a task force back to better understand the ongoing impact of the pandemic. […]

Senate Bill 407 passed unanimously out of the House Education Policy Committee Wednesday and now moves to the House floor for further consideration. The measure previously gained unanimous support in the Senate on April 9.

  7 Comments      


Support SB 2385/HB 3350 To Protect The 340B Drug Discount Program And Invest In Healthcare Services

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Without the federal 340B drug pricing program, Graham Medical Group health and urgent care clinics in Williamsfield, Glasford and Galesburg wouldn’t exist.

Thanks to 340B, Graham Health System now provides convenient options for primary and urgent care. In addition, the system uses 340B savings for financial assistance to patients who can’t afford care. In Canton, where Graham Hospital is located, 14% of the population live in poverty. The poverty rate is almost 21% in Galesburg and over 14% in Glasford.

340B savings have helped the system maintain an operating margin that allows it to remain independent and keep services in the rural communities they serve. Like other hospitals and health systems, though, Graham Health System has been subjected to restrictions drugmakers began imposing in 2020.

“We are a safety net provider in a rural area. Without us, our patients would need to travel 45 minutes or more for healthcare. Many don’t have the means or the resources to do so,” the system said.

Over 100 Illinois hospitals participate in 340B to provide increased access to care and comprehensive health services. Support Senate Bill 2385 and House Bill 3350 to ensure they can continue to do so. Learn more.

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Open thread

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

  12 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Advocates urge CTA board to conduct nationwide search for new president.Sun-Times…

    - Advocates urged patience, noting the makeup of the CTA is uncertain as state lawmakers consider legislation that could either merge the agency with Metra, Pace and the Regional Transportation Authority or empower the RTA.
    - Following the public comments, board members met in a closed session for about an hour, then adjourned the meeting without discussing any business.
    - “The Board takes very seriously its responsibility in appointing the next leader of the CTA and will fairly and consistently assess any candidate that is formally presented before the Board for consideration,” the transit board said in a statement.

* Related stories…

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

    Sponsored by ReadyNation Illinois

    Illinois business leaders overwhelmingly agree: Early childhood services are a fundamental economic priority, to be preserved and strengthened. Our FY26 state budget should reflect that, investing further in affordable, high-quality child care for working parents. We desperately need to improve early childhood teachers’ compensation and shore-up Early Intervention therapies for young children with developmental challenges, whose families face lengthy service delays. At the federal level, it’s crucial that we protect Head Start’s vital, comprehensive services for kids from birth to age 5, and for their families — an important piece of our early learning system.

    In a recent poll of 400 Illinois employers and managers, two-thirds of respondents reported that child care insufficiencies have hurt their employees and business productivity. Four out of five noted their struggles to recruit skilled workers. And to tackle these challenges, 91.5% of business leaders said they support “greater public investments in high-quality child care and early childhood education” for their proven power to stabilize today’s workforce as well as help prepare a better-skilled workforce for tomorrow.

    There’s a reason 93% of surveyed business leaders believe our state’s multiyear approach to improve birth-to-5 services — based on the recommendations of a bipartisan commission — will “positively impact the workforce in Illinois.” Let’s stick with that plan; it’s good for business.

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

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol City Now | Legislative leaders eye budget: “This is going to be an incredibly difficult year, just as a baseline, before our budget negotiations are completely upended by a tweet,” said Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). “We’ve conditioned our members to understand how tight this budget year is going to be. This is a different year than last year or the year before.”

* WTTW | Former Death Row Inmates on the Complicated Legacy of Late Illinois Gov. George Ryan: One of those men was Illinois Prison Project Director of Education Renaldo Hudson, who attended Ryan’s memorial Thursday in Kankakee. “I had these mixed kind of feelings about Gov. Ryan, and, I’ll be honest with you, today, it’s like it landed with me the weight of the decision that he made, if that makes sense?” Hudson said. “When I was in the midst of my own stuff, like you can have what’s called tunnel vision. And so I have to admit that I was wallowing in that, and when I sat there and listened to his heart being shared through the people that was the closest to him, I really melted. You know the yesterday began to melt away.”

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois state parks draw highest number of visitors in more than a decade: Illinois state parks saw more visitors in 2024 than any point in the past 15 years, according to new data from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Illinois’ 290 state parks and 56 historic sites recorded more than 41 million visitors last year, which was the most in 15 years, following several significant capital projects to upgrade and improve many of the parks.

* Sun-Times | The rush in Illinois to become a U.S. citizen amid immigration crackdown: Advocates say these changes are pushing more green card holders to move quickly. “People want to protect themselves in case anything happens,” said Idalia Flores Guzmán, director of programs administration with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights. Flores Guzmán says their citizenship applications are higher in 2025 after ticking up slightly in the three prior years. Other organizations are also seeing more applicants: Once a month on Saturdays, the lunchroom at Instituto del Progreso Latino on the Southwest Side is packed with green-card holders hoping to start the naturalization process. Since January, that number has grown.

* Sun-Times | Chicago and Illinois politicians praise ‘Da Pope’: Chicago politics isn’t dominated by Irish Catholic officials like it used to be, but local leaders of all faiths hailed the selection of the South Side’s own Robert Prevost as the next pope. “Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago!” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a post on the social media platform X. “Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon.”

* CDC Gaming | Illinois casino revenue up 18.7% year-over-year in April: Illinois’ 17 casinos reported $162.6 million in adjusted gross receipts last month, a year-over-year increase of 18.7% compared to the previous year’s $136.9 million. The Illinois Gaming Board reported in its casino summary report that of the AGR, electronic gaming devices made up $122 million, rising from $104 million, a 17.3% year-over-year increase. Table games produced $40.5 million in AGR, an increase of 22.8%, rising from $32.9 million recorded last year.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Subscribers were told about this yesterday. Evanston Now | Ruttenberg running for state senate: She says he has endorsements from Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, State Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl, State Rep. Bob Morgan, State Rep. Daniel Didech as well as Northfield Township Trustee Daniel Schack, Skokie Trustee Lissa Levy, Committeeperson Emeritus Mike Kreloff, and former Evanston Democratic Committeeperson Eamon Kelly. “Rachel has the experience and determination to stand up for residents of the 9th district and make sure Illinois remains strong in the face of our upcoming challenges,” Gabel said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work together in the General Assembly.”

* Sun-Times | Former Gov. Ryan remembered at Kankakee service: ‘Nobody is the worst thing they ever did in their life.’: Among family members and loved ones in the front row of Asbury United Methodist Church was Andrea Lyon, nicknamed the “Angel of Death Row” for having represented many facing the death penalty. Lyon, who represented Ryan in his legal case, still contends he was targeted for political reasons. She said the loss of the Willis children broke his heart even if there were others who Lyon felt deserved more of the blame. She described Ryan, on his tougher days, as “imperfect and loyal to a fault,” unfortunately trusting those he shouldn’t have and leading to a period of disgrace for him.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Two years in, Mayor Brandon Johnson admits he’s made some missteps, gaffes: In spite of those successes, Johnson’s public approval rating is languishing in the single digits in some polls and in the best surveys, in the low 20% range. “I don’t give much attention to polling,” Johnson said. The mayor appears to be betting that his road to recovery lies in revving up the Black base that carried him to a general election victory over Paul Vallas in 2023. He won 29 of 50 wards, including a clean sweep of all majority Black wards.

* WBEZ | CPS Board president rips into outgoing CEO and budget-cutting proposals: The president of the Chicago Board of Education is tearing into the school district’s embattled CEO, saying that the budget proposals he produced for next school year are “unsatisfactory and incomplete,” and that Pedro Martinez’s planned June exit from the school district should be accelerated. “The current CPS CEO’s recent focus has been on his professional future and not on the long-term stability and success of our school district,” Sean Harden said in a statement. “His actions have undermined our Board’s ability to make the best decisions on behalf of CPS students.”

* Sun-Times | Contractor who made $14M in Bridgeport bank scheme, testified against brother-in-law, gets 5½ years: A Chicago contractor who made $14.3 million in an embezzlement scheme that tanked a politically connected Bridgeport bank was sentenced Thursday 5½ years in prison. Boguslaw Kasprowicz could have faced twice as much time for his role in the Washington Federal Bank for Savings fraud, but he “provided substantial assistance” to federal prosecutors by testifying against major players in the case — including his brother-in-law.

* Block Club | DePaul Student’s ‘Grant Slam’ Music Fest To Draw 500 Attendees — And It All Began In His Dad’s Basement: “I was in a band, a couple of friends were in bands,” Lendvay said. “In the heat of it, running around and moving stuff, planning what people were going to do and when, it was the most gratifying feeling I’ve ever had.” That party has grown into an annual music festival with city permits, four porta-potties and small paychecks for the talent. The crowd has gone from 30 people in his father’s basement to more than 300 on the Little League baseball outfield grass of Jonquil Park, 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave., in Lincoln Park.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | West Chicago mayor faces pushback after appointing new city administrator, attorney: Bovey’s actions prompted most of the 14-member city council to question the legality of the changes. Both sides spent much of the three-and-a-half-hour meeting debating whether Bovey had exceeded his authority as mayor. Council members eventually decided to pause the meeting and reconvene on May 19.

* Sun-Times | Illinois paper straw business craters after Trump’s push for plastic: Boss Straw touts its product as the “best, earth-friendly paper straw in the world.” But since February, sales have plummeted 85% at the paper straw maker in Woodstock. Nearly 14 million paper straws are sitting in limbo at Boss’ warehouse, about 1½ hours from Chicago. President Donald Trump issued an executive order “to end the use of paper straws” on Feb. 10 and barred federal agencies from procuring them. Following Trump’s mandate, many U.S. distributors have stopped ordering paper straws even for the private sector and reverted to plastic, said Guy Spinelli, founder of Boss Straw. “If it keeps up the way it is, [Trump] will drive me out of business by the end of this year,” said Spinelli. “It would be the end of the story.”

* Daily Herald | ‘I didn’t resign’: Carpentersville board replacing village manager: John O’Sullivan, who was hired as village manager in 2023, was let go more than a week ago. Tuesday’s agenda includes a formal vote by trustees removing O’Sullivan as village manager. O’Sullivan, who served as a village trustee before becoming village manager, confirmed he was fired after the board met behind closed doors on April 29. He said he cleared out his office the following day. […] In a written statement, Village President John Skillman said it was time for the village to move in a different direction.

* Fast Company | You can buy the new pope’s childhood home for $199,000: Listed on Redfin for $199,000 at the time of publishing, the home matches an address and tax records first reported by South Cook News. It also aligns with Prevost’s personal history. Born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, he spent most of his life in the region. The home, constructed in 1949, is typical of this neighborhood, which is filled with single-family homes built in the mid-century as families were attracted to lawn life and nearby train lines that could bring them into the city. Dolton is an area that HBO’s show Southside once perfectly dubbed, the “south side of the Southside.”

* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect trustees approve Lions Club events, address conflict complaints: Four of six village trustees are Lions Club members, including club President William Grossi and past president Vince Dante. Both Grossi and Dante abstained from Tuesday’s vote, noting they’ve done so for all Lions-related matters. “Some of us wear three hats in the village,” Dante said. “None of us had any financial gain by any organization we’re part of. We’re all just volunteers.”

*** Downstate ***

* Illinois Times | Urban farming in Jacksonville: The 21-year-old Caballero is a student at the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired in Jacksonville. In April he began working for the Jacksonville Mainstreet Farms Initiative as part of a year-long partnership funded by AmeriCorps VISTA. A typical day may find Caballero planting seeds, moving plants, weeding one of the city’s community gardens or operating a lawn mower. The work is challenging but rewarding for Caballero, who has retinitis pigmentosa. This condition affects primarily his central and distance vision, and the way that light hits his eyes can make things better or worse, depending on the situation.[…] However, the Trump administration notified AmeriCorps April 25 that approximately 85% of the agency’s staff were being placed on leave and ended nearly $400 million in grants. According to America’s Service Commission: “This sudden termination will shutter more than 1,000 programs and prematurely end the service of over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers.” AmeriCorps has now filed a lawsuit alleging the administration does not have the power to unilaterally cut or end AmeriCorps grant or service programs.

* WCIA | U of I study finds alcohol use by Illinois teens double the national average: The study is conducted every other year and collects data on health and social issues like substance use, bullying and other issues in Illinois students in 8th, 10th and 12th grades. In 2024, data showed that alcohol use by teens in Illinois was nearly double the national average. 13.7% of Illinois students said they had consumed alcohol during the last 30 days, compared to 6.9% of students nationwide.

* BND | Judge temporarily blocks Trump from slashing relief funds from metro-east school: A federal judge issued a preliminary order this week blocking the Trump administration from cutting off states’ access to hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for public schools — including $19 million for the East St. Louis school district. U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, of the Southern District of New York, on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction preventing the enforcement of an order issued in late March by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, May 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Kansas News Service…

The U.S. Department of Energy had a vision: Slash in half the amount of a potent greenhouse gas that enters the atmosphere when growing corn and sorghum for biofuel.

That gas — nitrous oxide — mostly comes from spraying chemical fertilizer onto fields. So in practice, achieving the agency’s goal meant figuring out how to grow those crops with dramatically less nitrogen fertilizer, but without cutting into harvests.

If that sounds ambitious, it’s because the idea came from a branch of the energy department that officials like to call the Moonshot Factory.

Scientists in Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Texas, Illinois and other states believed they knew how to make the change happen. They were ready to launch the work this year, with benefits not just for fighting climate change but also reducing pollution in rivers, lakes and the Gulf of Mexico.

But 10 days after taking office, the Trump administration decided to hold off on this $38 million investment that the energy department had previously boasted could save farmers $6 billion in fertilizer spending.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago school board members raise concerns about Illinois labeling schools: Illinois is poised to change how it measures student and school performance — including changing the scores needed to be deemed proficient on math and reading tests. In Illinois, schools are given one of five designations based on a variety of data about how well their students do on math and reading tests and how often students miss school. How many students graduate and how many freshmen are passing their classes are factors for high schools. “Exemplary” schools are the top 10% of all schools statewide and “intensive support” schools are those in the bottom 5%.

* Fox Chicago | Funeral held for former Illinois Gov. George Ryan today: His memorial service started at noon at the Ashbury United Methodist Church. Ryan, the 39th governor of Illinois, died last week at age 91 after a brief stay in hospice care. Ryan passed away peacefully at his home in Kankakee, surrounded by his family. He was remembered as a “loving and attentive husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather,” his obituary said.

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker signs order protecting autism data in response to federal research plan under RFK Jr: Pritzker’s order prohibits state agencies from collecting or disclosing personally identifiable autism-related data unless it’s required for care, legal compliance or program eligibility. Even then, such efforts must still follow strict privacy and data minimization rules. Contractors, vendors and grantees who work with state agencies must follow the same restrictions, and are barred from storing the data. Any disclosures of autism-related information must also be limited to the minimum amount of information and anonymized when “allowed and practicable,” according to the order.

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois regains access to $77M in federal education funds following judge’s order: The effect of McMahon’s order was to immediately cut off access to funds that states said they had already committed to spend but not yet made the actual expenditures. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 17 states in suing the federal government to block McMahon’s order. “The Trump administration’s shortsighted and illegal decision to attempt to rescind already-appropriated education funding would hurt vulnerable students the most and could wreak havoc on the budgets of school districts throughout Illinois and the nation,” Raoul said in a statement Tuesday.

* WAND | Dedicated FAFSA assistant could be added to all high schools under IL plan: The bill would not create a new role at schools. Instead, a current staff member or teacher would be taught the application process, where they would be able to assist all students with their FAFSA forms. […] Another FAFSA proposal would give students time during school to fill out their forms. Both policies passed the Senate education committee unanimously. They will now head to the Senate floor, where lawmakers could talk about it before session ends.

* Illinois Times | Sangamon County Republicans host 2025 Lincoln Day Dinner: The Sangamon County Republican Committee hosted the annual Lincoln Day Dinner on Wednesday, May 7, at the BOS Center in Springfield. The keynote speaker was Johnny “Joey” Jones, a FOX news host and U.S. Marine corps veteran who lost both legs above the knee while serving as an explosive ordinance disposal tech in Afghanistan. Jones is also the author of the book Unbroken Bonds of Battle: A Modern Warriors Book of Heroism, Patriotism, and Friendship.

* Block Club Chicago | The Fight To Save State’s Immigrant Health Care Program: ‘We Are Not A Burden. We Contribute’: “I’m really concerned about not having health insurance. Without it, I’m going to stop getting [many] treatments,” said Gabriela Piceno, a Southwest Side neighbor and recipient of the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program. The program provides health care for low-income adults ages 42-64 who are not eligible for Medicaid due to their immigration status. Amid a projected state budget deficit and previously underestimated program costs, state officials announced it won’t be renewed next year. A similar program for people older than 65 will continue, state officials said.

*** Chicago ***

* WBEZ | Chicago mayor criticized for pushing his chief of staff for interim CPS leader: The majority of board members are aligned with the mayor and at least one member made the argument that the board needs someone who they know and is in step with their values. Johnson’s education agenda has been thwarted by his conflict with Martinez, which is why Johnson’s appointees fired him. The Chicago Tribune first reported that the mayor’s chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, is being considered to temporarily replace Martinez.

* Tribune | Robert Prevost was ‘the pride and joy of every priest and nun’ at St. Mary’s on Chicago’s South Side: “When I heard the news of the new Holy Father at that moment, at least here in Chicago, the sun came out,” said the Rev. Greg Sakowicz, rector of Holy Name Cathedral. Some would say the sunny weather was just a coincidence, Sakowicz acknowledged. But “a coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous,” he added. Prevost’s Catholic roots were planted in Chicago’s south suburbs, where he lived in Dolton with his parents and two brothers. He grew up in St. Mary of the Assumption parish on the Far South Side, attending school there and serving as altar boy.

* Block Club Chicago | 28 Vacant Lots To Be Turned Into Affordable Homes In Back Of The Yards: In the coming weeks, the nonprofit The Resurrection Project plans to break ground on 28 city-owned vacant lots that will be turned into single-family homes by the end of the year, said Lizette Carretero, director of financial wellness for the Resurrection Project. The Pilsen-based nonprofit is part of Reclaiming Chicago, an initiative to build or rehab 1,000 homes on the South Side and 1,000 homes on the West Side. In partnership with other local organizations, the nonprofit has already completed 20 homes in Back of the Yards.

* WBEZ | Chicago favorites and jazz greats set to perform at Chicago Jazz Festival 2025: Esperanza Spalding: A masterly bassist, the singer-songwriter has won five Grammys, and was the first jazz performer to be named Best New Artist in 2010. spalding was most recently nominated for her 2025 album “Milton + esperanza,” a collaboration with Brazilian artist Milton Nascimento. She’ll close out the opening night.

* Block Club | Swan Paddle Boats At Humboldt Park Are No More: The company had operated out of the lagoon boathouse, 1301 N. Humboldt Park Drive, since 2018. But business had been slow since the pandemic, and sales never picked back up, said franchisee co-owner Rodney Knight. “It didn’t make financial sense after COVID,” Knight said. “Over the winter, we looked at numbers in the past year and the trends where things are going and just couldn’t come up with a solution to … make the numbers work.”

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | ‘Moment of great significance’: Peoria Bishop Louis Tylka celebrates first American pope: “We welcome the news of the election of the new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, with hearts full of joy and hope,” said Tylka in the statement. “As the People of God, we pledge support and fidelity to Pope Leo XIV as the Successor of Peter. United with the universal Church , we are ready to walk in faith alongside our new Holy Father, trusting in God’s providence and grace.”

* WGLT | Connect Transit ready to take over rural public transit in McLean County starting in July: Connect Transit plans to replicate these routes, and fares will not be required because Show Bus hasn’t charged since COVID-19. Normal’s Town Council voted to let Connect Transit provide services outside of Bloomington-Normal’s corporate limit a month ago. The City of Bloomington has not yet approved the change.

* WCIA | Village of Savoy approves redevelopment contract in downtown plaza project: Developers said it’s a step in the right direction and the CEO of the project, Kyle Kirchhoefer, said the contract will help them get a better time frame of when the work will start. After connecting with the community through surveys and focus groups, the goal is building them a downtown area they don’t want to leave. “Having a downtown that kind of looks like it’s always been there, but it’s new,” Kirchhoefer said. “Some smaller shops where we can have local businesses that can come in and they want to have their ice cream store, or kids haircut place, or arcade or whatever it might be that we want to build this so it’s feasible for them to do that. We want to have it local for the community.”

* WSIL | Southern Illinois marks May 8th storm with emergency prep advice: On May 8, 2025, the 16th anniversary of “the May 8th Storm” or otherwise known as the “Super Derecho” is being observed. This significant date serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared for emergencies, such as power outages. The Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association encourages residents to assemble a basic emergency supply kit. Essential items include water—one gallon per person per day for at least three days—and a three-day supply of non-perishable food. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio with NOAA Weather Radio and extra batteries is also recommended.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Downtown Flossmoor business owners share concerns during Small Business Administration visit: For each small business Willette LeGrant stepped into in downtown Flossmoor Wednesday, the more she said she felt connected to the community as a whole. “I do not feel like I was talking to small businesses,” the Illinois district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration said after the tour, guided by Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson. “I felt like I was talking to members of my family.” […] LeGrant was welcomed to Flossmoor with open arms, given free food samples and even a confetti filled balloon with her name on it from Balloon Bar and Party Supplies, a storefront that Javanah Barnes opened only a month ago.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora City Council set to consider new $35 million fire department headquarters: The new fire station and headquarters building would be located on the site of the current Aurora Police Department headquarters, which is located on Indian Trail, to create a combined Aurora Public Safety Campus. Aurora Fire Department officials have said this move would improve the department’s operations in multiple ways, including lower fire and emergency medical response times, much-needed expanded office space for department administration and a new storm-hardened, high-tech Emergency Operations Center.

*** National ***

* Inside EVs | Another Tesla Cybertruck Promise Goes Bust: The accessory—essentially a large, secondary battery pack for boosting range—had been delayed time and time again since it was first announced. This led to onlookers claiming that the accessory was just vaporware and would never be delivered. Well, it turns out that these conspiracy theories were right, as Tesla announced to reservation holders on Wednesday that it wouldn’t be delivering the Range Extender and would be refunding deposits in full.

* AFP | Alphabet’s share price plunges on traffic drop testimony: Shares in Google parent Alphabet plunged more than seven percent on Wednesday after an Apple executive told a federal court that the search engine’s traffic fell on Apple products last month. Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, testified at an antitrust trial in Washington that Google search volume was losing traffic to AI alternatives such as ChatGPT or Perplexity, according to US media reports.

* Tribune | US retires database tracking billions of dollars of climate change-fueled weather damage: The agency said its National Centers for Environmental Information would no longer update the Billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database beyond 2024, and that its data — going as far back as 1980 — would be archived. For decades, it has tracked hundreds of major events across the country, including destructive hurricanes, hail storms, droughts and freezes that have totaled trillions of dollars in damage. The database uniquely pulls information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s assistance data, insurance organizations, state agencies and more to estimate overall losses from individual disasters.

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Cole Henke’s Emma Shafer story is a must-watch

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Heckuva story by WCIA’s Cole Henke…

* Transcript…

Announcer: Kristi Noem came to Springfield today to attack Illinois immigration protections, and she used the death of Emma Shafer to help advance that political agenda without her family’s consent. Our capital bureau chief Cole Henke is live outside of the governor’s mansion in Springfield. And Cole, Noem didn’t just stop at mentioning her name.

Henke: That’s right. Instead of going to the Capitol to attack Illinois laws or even the governor’s mansion, which is right behind me here, she instead went to the house where Emma Shafer was killed on the other side of town. Her mother not only didn’t approve of her using her name, she actively protested outside of the governor’s mansion today against Noem’s trip. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was joined by several families who either lost loved ones in crimes involving non citizens or to drug overdoses, but the majority of remarks in Springfield were focused on the story of a person whose family was not there.

Noem: Just a couple of houses away from here, Emma Shafer was brutally stabbed and murdered by an illegal alien.

Henke: Emma Shafer was killed in her home two years ago, right behind where Nome spoke. Her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Calixto is accused of the crime. Her death rocked the capital city. She was a pillar of the activist community organizing for several major causes in town, including immigrant rights. Protesters say she would have been on the front lines opposing Noem’s rhetoric.

Nick Dodson, Emma Shafer’s friend: Would have been the loudest person there. She would have been a person that organized many different people of different backgrounds, ages, beliefs, to all come and support this [protest].

Henke: Not only did her family not give consent to Noem’s office to use their daughter’s story, her mother carried on Emma’s mission the best way she knew how. She joined protesters across town rebuking the rhetoric around immigration from Noem and the Trump administration. In a statement, her mother begged Noem to stop, saying quote, to see her used by Secretary Nome and others to advance a cruel and heartless political agenda is not just deeply painful to us, it is an insult to her memory. This was Noem’s response to my question, if she even tried to get the family’s consent.

Noem: We have been reaching out to them, and weren’t able to get a response to yet, but we have been reaching out to them.

Henke: Were you aware that Emma Shafer’s family is across town at the protest of your appearance?

Noem: No, I wasn’t aware of that. Is that her immediate family?

Reporters: Yes.

Noem: Thank you. [Turns to another reporter] Did you have a question?

Henke: Noem then went on to speculate about Shafer’s case.

Noem: She lost her life to an illegal alien that’s still out at large, um, poss… probably in this state. We can’t confirm that.

Henke: What I did confirm? Springfield Police said Wednesday they have no reason to believe Calixto is even in the country, let alone in Illinois. As for her other claims…

Noem: The local law enforcement and the state law enforcement are barred by state law, with the support of Governor Pritzker, from sharing any information with our ICE officers or HSI officers.

Henke: This is not true. The US Marshals have actively been involved with this case from the get go, and the Trust Act does not prevent local law enforcement from working with the feds on any case involving a criminal warrant. Joining Noem was the Illinois Senate Republican leadership team, including Minority Leader John Curran and Senator Steve McClure, who represents a large part of Sangamon County. Curran said he was not aware of the significance of the location for Noem’s news conference until afterward.

Curran: I would say, highlighting a victim of crime, a murder victim of crime whose life work was centered around the immigrant community, regardless of whether someone was here legally or illegally, was a decision that should not have been made.

Henke: Governor Pritzker issued a scathing statement about Noem’s trip to Springfield as well, saying, quote Trump/ Noem publicity stunts do not make our community safer or our immigration system smarter. Illinois does not need to abuse power or ignore the Constitution to keep our people safe. Like the millions of Americans asking for sensible, humane immigration reform, I encourage the Secretary to spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the homeland.

Please pardon any transcription errors.

* More from Henke…


* Members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus were also at the Noem event yesterday…

Today, all members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus were honored to stand with Secretary Noem at a press conference in Springfield highlighting Illinois’ dangerous defiance of federal immigration law.

The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are issuing the following statement:

“Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Democrats are hell bent on protecting and concealing criminal illegals and spending your tax dollars to take care of them. As Secretary Noem highlighted today, we are talking about criminal illegals who are committing violent acts in our communities and trafficking dangerous drugs into the hands of our youth.

The Freedom Caucus has been calling for an end to the Sanctuary State policies for years; and we are thankful to have President Trump’s support in this fight. President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to enforcing federal law, and where necessary, imposing federal sanctions against JB Pritzker and his state government for refusing to comply. It is time for the Democrats to make a choice; are they going to support our taxpayers and working families in Illinois, or are they going to support illegals? It is time for all Illinois government officials to put the interest of Illinois citizens first.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), chairman; Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), vice-chairman; Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Jed Davis (R-Newark); David Friess (R-Red Bud) and State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability, and integrity in government.

* Rep. Ann Williams asked those members why they were at the event during a floor speech today. Here’s an excerpt…

After she was killed, we did do a resolution to honor her, but her family specifically asked we not speak about it publicly. So of course, we agreed to. Their pain was immeasurable, obviously, and it still is.

Yet here we are, two years later, with the grief still raw, the pain still very real. And yesterday, Secretary Noem doubled down to exploit her memory to score cheap political points. And some of you joined her. If you haven’t already read Emma’s mother’s statement, I’m asking you to please do so. It’s extremely difficult to read. It’s painful, but it’s powerful. Can you imagine losing a child, a family member, a colleague in the way that Emma’s family and friends did, and then having the wound torn open in the way that it happened yesterday, especially when you knew it went against everything this young woman stood for and how she lived her far too short life? It’s hard to imagine. It’s cruel.

So why were you there? Where is the empathy? Where is the understanding? Did anyone hesitate yesterday? Was there even a moment where someone thought this might hurt people who have been through such an unthinkable experience and losing a child in such a hurtful and brutal way?

I’m not going to ask for an apology. The family already did that. They did that through their pain and through their grief on a day that must have been filled with anguish. Instead, I’m going to implore you to take a few minutes to look inward. Ask yourself, was it worth it, and is it worth it to cast aside your humanity, your empathy, to score political points, to treat human beings as political fodder, to ignore pain and anguish and gloat about political wins. That can’t feel good. I don’t know how that can feel good or right.

Not one Freedom Caucus member rose to defend their strong approval of yesterday’s events. And I’m told Reps. Chris Miller, Brad Halbrook and Jed Davis stayed seated the entire time Williams was speaking, while everyone else in the chamber stood.

Discuss.

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More like this, please: MPs granted training reciprocity to become Illinois police officers

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I briefly embedded with the Illinois National Guard’s 233rd Military Police Company in Iraq back in 2003. Those soldiers were professional and highly trained. This is a good move…

Today, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) announced the approval of military reciprocity for service members transitioning into civilian law enforcement careers. Illinois joins 18 other states in supporting veterans and active-duty service members by recognizing military training and experience in the law enforcement certification process.

This announcement comes during Military Appreciation Month, supporting those who wish to continue to serve their communities after active duty by creating a streamlined process for individuals with military experience to pursue careers in civilian law enforcement.

“Today’s announcement honors the commitment of our service members by opening a clear path into law enforcement careers across Illinois,” said Keith Calloway, Executive Director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. “This is about honoring their experience while meeting our state’s workforce needs in a responsible and impactful way.”

The new policy marks a significant change as military police were previously ineligible for certification reciprocity, requiring them to complete the full 640-hour Basic Law Enforcement Academy regardless of their extensive Department of Defense training and operational experience. Now, eligible veterans will be able to request a certification waiver just as applicants from other states and federal agencies currently can.

“This progressive approach by Illinois serves as a beacon for other states,” said Colonel Phillip Warren, Assistant Commandant, U.S. Army Military Police School. “By recognizing the training of military police, Illinois not only honors the service of our soldiers, but also addresses the pressing need for qualified law enforcement officers within the state.”

This policy is the result of months of collaboration between ILETSB, military leadership, and state partners, with the goal of easing the transition to civilian service roles and strengthening recruitment pipelines for law enforcement agencies statewide. During a critical period of staffing challenges nationwide, this change expands the state’s recruitment pool to encourage individuals with relevant experience and a history of public service to continue their careers in a leading veteran-friendly state.

“Our Illinois Army National Guard Military Police and Air National Guard Security Forces personnel spend a lot of time training and learning law enforcement techniques in our ranks. This program expands the number of military occupational specialties that can translate into civilian careers,” said Major General Rodney Boyd, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard. “Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are great employees who perform well under pressure, possess great integrity, and are professional in everything they do.”

The new pathway is now active and available for eligible veterans. To become certified, applicants must meet specific requirements after being granted the waiver request, including:

    • Successful completion of the Illinois Law for Police Course which includes instruction on Illinois specific law, policies, and procedures
    • A two-day in-person Sexual Assault Investigation course
    • A 40-hour Mandatory Firearms Course with Use of Force instruction and training
    • Passing the Illinois Certification Exam
    • Any additional training deemed necessary by ILETSB

Additional information and application instructions can be found at ptb.illinois.gov

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Powering Illinois’ Energy And Economic Future

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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Learn more at www.soogreen.com.

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It’s just a bill

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Mark Maxwell at KSDK…

Illinois lawmakers are debating legislation that could seal the criminal records of up to 3 million residents who have served their sentences for non-violent offenses, potentially removing a significant barrier to employment and housing.

The proposal, spearheaded by Assistant Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria), aims to address what supporters call a double punishment: the formal sentence followed by lifelong economic exclusion.

“We believe that job opportunities, housing opportunities should not be held hostage to a prior offense,” Gordon-Booth said. “It’s about helping people to move their lives forward.”

The legislation, expected to be formally unveiled on Mother’s Day, has garnered support from an unusual coalition that includes prosecutors, police and employers. The measure comes as Illinois faces a workforce shortage of 277,000 unfilled jobs.

* John Cullerton and Jason Barickman…

Having both served in the state legislature — albeit on opposite sides of the aisle and from different parts of Illinois — we share a belief in the power of education to lift individuals, communities and the state as a whole. We worked together to help pass the evidence-based funding, or EBF, formula that transformed the way in which we fund our school districts, and we have seen how that fundamental reform has reshaped the K-12 landscape.

Thanks to additional General Assembly funding, districts have added badly needed positions and programs to support student learning and well-being. Because of EBF, districts have funding predictability, allowing them to plan for the future in ways that are good for students. The new formula and steadfast investment allowed Illinois to withstand the impact of COVID-19 better than the nation as a whole and to rebound with more energy. Today, Illinois is one of the top-performing states in the nation for student academic growth.

It is time to bring that same transformational effort to our public universities. Over the past 20 years, the value of a college degree has grown. Yet, during that same period, Illinois has slashed its support for public universities from roughly 15% of its revenue (matching the national average) to a mere 2%. New research from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability finds that inflation-adjusted spending has fallen 42% since fiscal year 2000, while tuition has more than doubled. This has placed a considerable burden on low- and middle-income families, making it increasingly difficult for students to afford a higher education degree, the report says. […]

The good news is there is legislation on the table that would not only address this issue, but also do so in a way as powerful and transformational as EBF. Two bills — Senate Bill 13 filed by Sen. Kimberly Lightford and House Bill 1581 by Rep. Carol Ammons — take the best of EBF and adjust and apply core principles to the complex world of four-year colleges. Working with experts, stakeholders and university leaders, they have crafted a first-ever formula for Illinois’ public universities. Better still, the proposed formula considers the resources institutions need to fulfill their mission, run effective programs, and meet the needs of students from different regions, economic and academic backgrounds, while also taking into account the resources each university can bring to bear.

* Economic Security Illinois Action Director of Policy and Advocacy Erion Malasi…

As the Illinois State Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced critical legislation to curb junk fees and lower costs for working families, Erion Malasi, Economic Security Illinois Action Director of Policy and Advocacy, released the following statement:

“Economic Security Illinois Action is thrilled to see critical legislation move forward that will curb hidden junk fees and protect Illinoisans. This legislation captures months of hard work with dozens of stakeholders to ensure consumers get a fair shot while businesses can continue to operate in familiar ways. We’re grateful to the Senate Judiciary Committee for advancing this bill and urge the full Senate to take action on legislation that will help lower costs for working families.”

* WAND…

The Illinois House Education Policy Committee unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to require seat belts for all new Illinois school buses.

This legislation could mandate that any school buses manufactured in Illinois have three point seat belts starting in 2031.

Sponsors said this change is solely about student safety, as Democrats and Republicans want children to come and go from school safely. […]

Senate Bill 191 now heads to the House floor for further consideration. The measure passed out of the Senate on a 39-13 vote last week.

* Electrification Coalition Senior Communications Associate Liam Condon…

When I want to purchase something, I go to the company’s website or brick-and-mortar store and buy it. That’s how commerce works. But Senate Bill 1939, which is expected to go before Illinois legislators Wednesday, would make it illegal to buy many electric vehicles in this manner.

Gov. JB Pritzker and many state lawmakers have been effective leaders in the push to modernize transportation. They have brought thousands of well-paying jobs to Illinois, from manufacturing electric trucks in Normal and batteries in Manteno to producing copper for EV batteries and installing and maintaining the state’s rapidly expanding network of 4,400 public charging ports. If they want to guarantee Illinoisans are in the driver’s seat building our electric future, they must vote down the proposed bill.

This legislation would block direct sales from EV manufacturers who have received substantial financial investments from legacy automakers —known as “common entities.” This would prevent independent EV manufacturers from selling cars except through dealer networks with which they have no relationship. If legislators capitulate to large dealership groups by enacting this bill into law, progress toward a secure and prosperous electric transportation future will be stifled. […]

The stated goal of anti-consumer legislation like SB 1939 is to protect the viability of franchise dealerships. While it is true that a healthy dealership sector is important to ensuring consumer choice, the idea that direct sales harm dealerships isn’t true. Data from the National Automobile Dealers Association indicates that franchise dealerships have actually benefited from additional market competition, doing better in states with freedom-to-buy laws than in states that restrict direct sales.

* Sen. Karina Villa…

To meet the needs of defendants who have been determined to be unfit for trial languishing in county jails, State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure Tuesday.

“As is, our justice system is unable to care for every individual living with mental health conditions who is unfit for trial which leads to people being sent to jail rather than receiving the treatment they need to undergo fair court proceedings,” said Villa (D-West Chicago).“Modeling best practices within the criminal justice system and focusing on effective rehabilitation efforts will result in better mental health outcomes for impacted individuals.”

House Bill 3572 would clarify standards to determine whether someone unfit to stand trial should be diverted to outpatient state mental health treatment programs.

Additionally, the bill lays out a process for reducing the maximum time in custody of an individual placed in inpatient treatment by earning credit for good behavior. The goal is to ensure individuals who are unfit for trial do not spend more time in confinement than fit people who were convicted of similar offenses.

According to the Cook County Public Defender, on any given day, approximately 190 people in county jails are awaiting admission to the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Forensic Treatment Program, and another 100+ people are awaiting evaluation. […]

House Bill 3572 passed the Senate Criminal Law Committee on Tuesday.

Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel…

State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel passed a measure out of committee that would allow individuals trafficked or exploited as minors more time to bring forth charges.

“The victims of crimes like these can take time to come forward because of trauma or other hardships,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “Eliminating the time restriction would help ensure survivors can tell their story when they feel ready, not when the law says so.”

House Bill 2602 would extend the time limit for filing criminal charges in cases of forced labor, trafficking or related offenses by allowing charges to be brought at any time if the victim was under 18 years old when the crime occurred. […]

House Bill 2602 passed the Senate Criminal Law Committee Tuesday.

* WAND…

The Illinois House Education Policy Committee approved a bill Wednesday to allow agriculture courses to satisfy vocational education requirements for high school students.

Rep. Mary Gill (D-Chicago) and Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) said students should be able to use their agricultural studies to fulfill graduation requirements.

Their bill clarifies that agriculture education, business or any other ag-related course would meet the vocational requirement starting next school year. […]

The measure passed unanimously out of the House Education Policy Committee and now moves to the House floor for further consideration. Senate Bill 1605 previously gained unanimous support in the Senate.

* Sen. Robert Peters…

In an effort to underline the mission of the Department of Children and Family Services as a support-based agency for vulnerable families, State Senator Robert Peters is spearheading legislation that would remove DCFS’ authority to establish its own peace officer unit.

“Families interacting with DCFS are often in crisis, and the last thing they need is to be treated like suspects,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “This measure ensures DCFS is here to help, not to police, restoring clarity and compassion.”

Peters’ measure would remove the department’s statutory authority to appoint personnel to act as peace officers in counties with more than 500,000 people. Instead, it would reaffirm that any law enforcement needs involving DCFS would be handled by local or state police.

For families already navigating difficult situations, the bill would offer peace of mind and clarity, reinforce trust between communities and DCFS, and reduce chances of escalation. […]

House Bill 1715 passed the Senate Child Welfare Committee Tuesday.

* WAND…

Doula services can be used in Illinois, but a Democratic plan would hope to expand access to doulas to support pregnant people.

The proposal would require hospitals to have a written policy on doulas and allow any patient to bring a Medicaid certified doula of their choosing to the hospital. […]

“This bill ensures patient care receives doula services and lifts the barrier of care to codifying states authority to issue standard recommendation,” [Sponsor Rep. Yolanda Morris said.]

This legislation passed the House human services committee unanimously. It will now head to the House floor, where lawmakers could talk about it in the coming weeks.

  5 Comments      


The legal front: AG wins court order ’stopping Trump administration from dismantling three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries, museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide’

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Click here for the court order. Press release…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with 20 attorneys general, won a court order stopping the Trump administration from dismantling three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries, museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide.

In April, Raoul joined the coalition in suing the Trump administration to stop the implementation of an executive order that would dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued an order Tuesday granting the states’ request for a preliminary injunction to stop the administration from implementing the order and protecting the three agencies.

“The administration’s actions jeopardize critical library and museum programs across the state. These programs help residents of rural communities and underserved youth access educational opportunities and technology,” Raoul said. “I am proud to stand with my fellow attorneys general to stop the unconstitutional attempt to dismantle agencies created by Congress.”

The executive order is the administration’s latest attempt to dismantle federal agencies in defiance of Congress. Attorney General Raoul and the coalition are seeking to stop the dismantling of three agencies targeted in the administration’s executive order:

    • The IMLS, which supports museums and libraries nationwide through grantmaking, research and policy development.
    • The MBDA, which promotes the growth and inclusion of minority-owned businesses through federal financial assistance programs.
    • The FMCS, which promotes the resolution of labor disputes.

As Attorney General Raoul and the coalition assert in the lawsuit, dismantling these agencies will harm communities throughout Illinois and the nation that rely on them to provide important services to the public, including funding their libraries, promoting minority-owned businesses and protecting workers’ rights.

The preliminary injunction granted halts the executive order as it applies to IMLS, MBDA and FMCS. The court found that the states had established a strong likelihood of success on their claims that the order violates the Administrative Procedure Act and disregards the Constitution by attempting to dismantle agencies that Congress established and funded by law.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in this lawsuit are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

* Click here for the lawsuit. Press release…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 17 attorneys general, today filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from illegally terminating billions in congressionally approved funding for electric vehicle infrastructure.

In response to a presidential executive order, the Federal Highway Administration is withholding $117 million that it previously made available to Illinois for the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, hindering Illinois from achieving its goal of having 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030.

“Once again, the Trump administration is attempting to usurp the power of the purse granted to Congress in our Constitution,” Raoul said. “Our transition to a clean energy future includes investing in electric vehicle infrastructure, which was rightfully acknowledged by Congress. I will continue to stand with my fellow attorneys general to fight back against the president’s illegal actions that harm our residents.”

In 2022, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. One provision of the IIJA appropriated $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) to facilitate electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the nation.

On Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order that mandated all federal agencies to pause the disbursement of funds related to the IIJA and the Inflation Reduction Act, including NEVI funding. Despite being tasked by Congress to fund NEVI, the Federal Highway Administration notified states in early February that the agency was revoking all previously approved plans to implement NEVI, a requirement for funding under IIJA.

Raoul and the coalition’s lawsuit seeks a court order against the Federal Highway Administration’s unlawful actions and a restoration of the electric vehicle infrastructure funding to the states.

Joining Raoul in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont.

* Click here for the motion. Press release…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with 12 attorneys general, today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in the coalition’s lawsuit to halt implementation of President Trump’s illegal tariffs. The motion seeks a court order pausing the tariffs imposed under four of the administration’s executive orders without congressional action.

“Our states’ economies rely on international trade, particularly in Illinois, where agriculture is a top industry. The administration’s arbitrary tariffs will impose higher prices on goods our producers and residents rely on and result in unnecessary economic chaos,” Raoul said. “I am committed to continuing to partner with my colleagues to prevent hardworking Americans from footing the bill for the administration’s unlawful tariffs.”

Raoul and the coalition’s motion asks the U.S. Court of International Trade to order federal agencies to stop collecting illegal tariffs the administration imposed on most worldwide products. These tariffs impose a 145% tariff on most products from China, a 25% tariff on most types of products from Canada and Mexico, and 10% tariffs on most products from the rest of the world. Raoul’s motion asks the court to halt the administration’s plan to raise tariffs on imports from 56 other trading partners on July 9.

The motion provides an economic analysis that shows state and local governments in the coalition states stand to pay at least $3.4 billion per year in additional costs due to the tariffs. The states also submitted a Federal Reserve report noting that businesses “expected elevated input cost growth resulting from tariffs” and that “most businesses expected to pass through additional costs to customers.”

Raoul and the attorneys general explain in the motion that only Congress has the authority to lay and collect taxes and duties on imported goods. The executive orders cite the powers granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), but the attorneys general explain that the law does not give the president authority to impose these tariffs. It only applies when an emergency presents “unusual and extraordinary threat” from abroad – not an ongoing problem. Congress enacted the IEEPA in 1977 and no president had imposed tariffs based on the act until now.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in filing this lawsuit are attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont.

* More…

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL TO JOIN STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL AT HEARING ON FEDERAL OVERREACH
Event is Third in National Series of Community Impact Hearings Around the Country

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul tonight will join four state attorneys general in a Community Impact Hearing in New York, where they will hear from the public about how the Trump administration’s executive orders and other actions are harming them and how they can fight back. This will be the third hearing in a national series of similar events hosted by attorneys general around the country. Raoul will be joined by several other attorneys general who have taken action together against the administration to defend critical services, maintain the benefits people rely on and fight back against federal overreach.

    Who: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul  
    California Attorney General Rob Bonta
    Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
    New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin
    New York Attorney General Letitia James

    When: Thursday, May 8, 2025
    5 to 7 p.m. CST
    Press should arrive no later than 3:45 p.m. CST

    Where: SUNY Westchester Community College
    75 Grasslands Road
    Valhalla, NY 10595
    Livestream: ag.ny.gov/livestream

  9 Comments      


Don’t Greenwash Discrimination: Demand Inclusive Labor Standards In Energy Storage Legislation

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

As Illinois charts its path toward a clean energy future, lawmakers must remember the promises made under CEJA—the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. CEJA was never just about clean energy; it was about equitable clean energy. That means creating good-paying union jobs for all workers, especially those from historically excluded Black and Brown communities.

Yet today, a new energy storage bill threatens to undo that vision. Without strong, inclusive Project Labor Agreement (PLA) language, this legislation risks handing energy jobs to a narrow slice of the construction industry—jobs that will go disproportionately to white, politically connected workers, while locking out the very communities CEJA aimed to uplift.

We can’t let Illinois’ clean energy transition be built on the backs of exclusion. Labor unity means every union has a seat at the table—not just the favored few. Ironworkers, roofers, painters, bricklayers, glaziers, boilermakers, cement masons, carpenters, millwrights and many other crafts helped build this state and deserve a shot at building its future.

Lawmakers: don’t sell out working families. Reject any energy storage legislation that doesn’t include inclusive PLA language. Because when we say “green jobs,” we should mean jobs that are union, local, and equitable.

This isn’t just about jobs—it’s about justice, too.

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Former Gov. Jim Edgar: Last hundred days ’scariest of my life’

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Former Gov. Jim Edgar was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February. But he had a strong and cogent voice last night as he spoke to attendees at his annual Edgar Fellows fundraiser in Springfield…

* Transcript…

First of all, let me explain. My mother taught me it’s not polite for a man to wear a hat inside, and I understand that, but my vanity has not yet allowed me to accept my chemotherapy hairline. So eventually I’ll take this hat off, but I’m not there yet, so just bear with me as I wear a hat inside.

[Applause]

Let me thank all of you for your support and for your attendance here tonight. Your financial support has made the Edgar Fellows possible. We have done 12 years of Edgar Fellows. We’re on our 13th year—I didn’t want to use ‘13th time,’ but anyway—and we’ve had over 470 Edgar Fellows come through the program, and many of them are key players in setting public policy in Illinois and local government. And we have a couple out in Washington now, they’re having a little more difficulty trying to set public policy out there. But the program, in my estimation—what I thought would happen when I started—has surpassed far anything I’d ever hoped to achieve, and it’s because you have helped us financially so we can do the program. Many of the Edgar Fellows are here tonight, and we are hopeful that they’re helping financially too.

They have been superb. Again, you know, it’s easy to get depressed about government these days, and I’ll touch on that in a minute. But if you would sit through the Edgar Fellows, as I do every year, it restores my faith in the future of our democracy. And again, it wouldn’t be possible without your help.

Now, I’m going to say some things that some of you, I know, are not going to agree with me on, and that’s fine. This is America, still America. Friends can disagree over politics and still be friends.

[Applause]

I believe the last hundred days have been the most disruptive and, in many ways, the scariest of my life, which is now 78 years.

I think it’s very important as a nation that when we set public policy, we recognize this is a large and diverse nation—this is a large and diverse state—and you need to have the input of all factions. It doesn’t mean they’re going to get their way, but they ought to be able to be at the table and at least give their thoughts. We shouldn’t leave public policy up to one person’s whim. That’s dangerous. And that’s not productive.

I think that we as a country need to maybe listen to some of the things that we talk about at Edgar Fellows. And this is something I talk about all the time—and many of you have heard me say it. Any of you Edgar Fellows, you’ve heard it. Any of my former staff have heard it several times in speeches in the last few years.

It’s about the three C’s: Civility, Compromise, and perhaps most important, particularly today, is Compassion.

When we’re setting public policy, we’ve got to recognize that you’re not going to get things resolved if you’re not civil to other people. If you call people names and accuse them of dastardly deeds, you’re not going to be very productive in sitting down with them and trying to solve problems. So civility is extremely important. We need to bring that back in our society—particularly in our public policy arena.

Compromise. Now I notice to some people, compromise is kind of a dirty word. To me, it’s the essence of a democracy. Compromise means finding common ground and, again, recognizing we have a diverse society. We need to bring that society together. And listen, again, everybody’s not going to get their way. In fact, if anyone gets 100 percent of what they want, it’s not going to be good public policy. I can tell you, from my experience as governor particularly, I learned I thought I had some really great ideas. But for some reason, the Democrats—and some of the Republicans—didn’t want to go along with it. A lot of the Republicans, to be truthful, as well as the Democrats, didn’t want to go along with my great idea. And we had to sit down, and we had a lot of mean discussions, and at the end of the day, we would compromise.

And I have to say, looking back, the compromise policy worked far better than what I had originally thought up. And the reason was because you had input from all different groups, and that made it much more acceptable to the public to follow. But it also took into consideration all the needs. So again, compromise, extremely important.

But I want to talk probably more tonight about compassion. I often talk about that, because I think if there’s ever been a time when we need to recognize that government needs to be compassionate. You know, one of the major reasons we have government is to help people who can’t help themselves. Now we have it for defense and other things, but much of what we do in government today is helping people who can’t help themselves. And if we don’t do that, then we fail. And I think the last 100 days, we have failed in many areas. I think we should all be so thankful that we were born—some of you weren’t born, but you’re here now—in America. You’re an American.

We are the wealthiest, most fortunate nation in the history of this globe, and we need to remember that. And we need to help those people who need help. Be they our neighbors who have a serious illness, or there’s some poor child in Africa who needs to be fed. We have a responsibility to help those individuals, not to cut back so we can maybe buy another… they lost another jet plane on an aircraft carrier today—$70 million down the drain. Think what that $70 million could have done in a food program or in a health care program. Anyway, we need to keep that in mind when we’re doing public policy. Compassion. We need to be more compassionate, and we need to regain what America was known for—a nation that did have a big heart—and we need to make sure that continues.

[Applause]

That’s my lecture tonight. I don’t get to do this much anymore. I’m sitting out in Arizona, going through chemo and all that stuff. And my dog, Abe—I mean, I talked to him. He wasn’t impressed with my thoughts.

I looked forward to tonight. I told him, ‘We don’t usually speak at these things.’ I said, ‘I want to say some things tonight.’ And I’m just hopeful that a year from now, we’ll look back on this last 100 days as just a bump in the road—that we have restored our place in the world, and our allies know they can trust us. People who are in need know they can count on us. To me, that’s critical as an American—to keep what America has been known for. Enough is enough, though. That’s enough of a lecture.

Let me again just say thank you for your support. I look forward to seeing you next year, and I look forward to being seen next year.

[Applause]

Please pardon all transcription errors.

Thoughts?

  39 Comments      


Healing Communities: Pinckneyville Community Hospital

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

When money is tight, healthcare can become an afterthought, especially when people feel well. Yet part of maintaining good health is preventing chronic conditions such as high cholesterol and diabetes, as well as other health issues, before they take a toll.

Pinckneyville Community Hospital makes it easy and affordable for individuals to monitor their overall health through bloodwork. Four times a year, the hospital offers discounted lab screenings as part of its ongoing commitment to preventive health and wellness.

The screenings—held at the hospital in February, May, August and November—are for critical insights into liver and kidney function, cholesterol levels, average blood sugar, and more.

“These low-cost labs are an excellent opportunity for individuals to take charge of their health, detect potential issues early and make informed decisions with their healthcare providers,” said hospitals leaders, adding that the screenings “are a great resource for those who may not have regular access to healthcare or simply want to keep a closer eye on their wellness.”

Leaders, clinicians and staff at Pinckneyville Community Hospital know that individual and community health depend on hospitals addressing community needs and providing accessible care. Learn more about how Illinois hospitals are healing communities.

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Open thread

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A bit of Bob in the morning…

In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm

What’s up?

  29 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Clock counting down to secure state funding before drastic service cuts to CTA, Metra, Pace. CBS Chicago…

With weeks left to get legislators on board, the RTA is running a massive ad campaign called “Save Transit Now.” The campaign warns that the RTA will face “40% service cuts that will make rides overcrowded.”

The ads cost between $500,000 and $750,000. CBS News Chicago asked RTA chairman Kirk Dillard if the ad is really worth it.

“It is definitely worth it,” Dillard said. “Six thousand letters have been sent to state legislators, and it’s our duty to make sure the public, our riders, and those who don’t even use mass transit know that this crisis would impact their pocketbooks — as well as their lungs and lifestyle.”

The CTA did not participate in the RTA campaign, but Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen issued a statement emphasizing that the CTA is working with legislators for a solution.

* Related stories…

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


Sponsored by the Illinois Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance

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

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Subscribers know more. WCIA | Emma Shafer’s family says Noem used her name to advance ‘heartless political agenda’: While Noem was in Springfield, she also claimed that state law blocks local and state law enforcement from sharing information with ICE officers. But, U.S. Marshals have actively been involved in the case from the beginning. And, the TRUST Act does not prevent local law enforcement from working with federal law enforcement on any case involving a criminal warrant.

* Illinois Answers | Amid Budget Tensions, City Council Members Push to Bring Some Sunshine to City Spending: Cities like New York, San Diego and Pittsburgh have robust, well-staffed budget analysis offices that comb through mayoral budget proposals and poke holes in flimsy projections. A similar Illinois agency plays a critical role in vetting financial data coming from the governor’s office. In Chicago, the City Council Office of Financial Analysis has rarely had more than two employees and routinely misses deadlines for the basic reports required of it. It has no guaranteed funding, limited access to data and depends on the mercies of the top city finance officials whose work it’s supposed to analyze and critique.

* Tribune | School board president paves way for interim CEO to lead CPS without required license: Board members say Mayor Brandon Johnson’s handpicked school board president, Sean Harden, is leading an effort to vote down a resolution requiring the next interim leader of Chicago Public Schools to have a superintendent license, in order to install the mayor’s chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, to serve in the temporary role. If approved, the appointment would be a major shift in Johnson’s administration and elicit strong reaction from critics of the mayor and his strongest ally, the Chicago Teachers Union.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Farm Journal | Bacon Draws a Crowd at the Illinois State Capitol: “Illinois Bacon Day is an opportunity to educate our stakeholders about our industry and discuss the issues currently facing pig farmers,” says IPPA president Josh Maschhoff. “We understand many stakeholders don’t represent rural districts, and Bacon Day is a great way for pork producers to connect with legislators on a personal level.”

* 25News Now | Illinois becomes first state to restrict collection of personal autism records: Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order Wednesday that restricts state agencies and departments from sharing personal information about people with autism. It states that personally identifiable information may only be shared when legally required, necessary for care, or with written consent.

* Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun | Why I’m endorsing Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton for United States Senate: Not only does Lieutenant Governor Stratton have the track record of progress needed to succeed in Washington, she’s also proven that she’s prepared to represent every Illinoisan – no matter who they vote for or where they fall on the political spectrum. As Lieutenant Governor, she’s traveled to every corner of the state, speaking to Illinoisans of all stripes about the challenges they face and their hopes for the future.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Less than half of CPS schools have herd immunity for measles, state data shows: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 97% of Chicago Public Schools students overall were vaccinated against measles, one of eight vaccinations required by the state. But as of the 2024-25 school year, that percentage has fallen to 93%, according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education. Each October, Illinois schools submit their students’ vaccination numbers for that school year to the state board. The CDC says a vaccination rate of 95% provides communitywide immunity and protects vulnerable students, like younger children who have yet to complete the required series of shots, or kids with weakened immune systems.

* Crain’s | Council OKs Johnson-backed plan to let Chicago become a residential developer: A skeptical City Council spent nearly a month probing the necessity of the $135 million so-called Green Social Housing program amid other housing priorities and raised questions over the structure of the nonprofit. But when put to a vote on the City Council floor today, the body approved the ordinance establishing the nonprofit in a 30-to-18 vote. Moments later, a victorious Mayor Brandon Johnson stood with allies on the measure, including lead City Council sponsor Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, 48th, and told reporters, “The people of Chicago called for more affordable units, and that’s exactly what we’re building.”

* Tribune | Miche Fest’s cancellation comes amid ‘political climate’ and issues with artist visas: While some have criticized the organizers for the sudden 2025 cancellation, co-founder Fernando Nieto said, many of their fans have been loyal to the festival for the last seven years. He said the cancellation felt like the right thing to do. “Outside of the effect that it (the cancellation) might have on our business, we felt like it was a responsible thing to do for our fanbase,” said Nieto on Wednesday. “We’ve built up an extremely loyal fan base since day one, and we felt, due to the uncertainty with what’s going on, it would be irresponsible to move forward without a clear path.”

* Sun-Times | Congressional Republicans accused of political witch hunt in antisemitism hearing involving DePaul president : At several points during Wednesday’s hearing, conservative members appeared to threaten Manuel and two other college presidents who were called to testify, Wendy Raymond of Haverford College in Pennsylvania and Jeffrey Armstrong of California Polytechnic State University . “For anyone who doubts my commitment to fighting on these issues, no matter what side of the aisle they’re on, they can go talk to the two chairmen of the board and the one university president in Florida who no longer have their jobs because of me,” Randy Fine, a Republican congressman from Florida, told the university presidents across the witness table. “So I encourage you to keep that in mind when you answer my questions.”

* Sun-Times | Chicago animal control unveils free 24-hour microchip scanning station to find lost pets: The station is open to the public all day, every day outside at the city’s Animal Care and Control shelter at 2741 S. Western Ave. The free scanner is intended to be a faster way for lost pets to reunite with their family faster, the agency said in a statement.

* Tribune | Chicago White Sox match 2nd-worst start in franchise history through 37 games with 2-1 loss: The Sox have lost a club-record nine straight to the Royals and a franchise-record 10 straight at Kauffman Stadium. “We’re right there and we’ve just got to keep going,” Venable said. “These guys are playing well. We have to continue to fight and battle and get that one more hit, that one more pitch, that one defensive play, whatever it might be. “But we’re right there. These guys never stop fighting. Proud of our effort, but we’ve got to find a way to win some of these games.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Cook County housing authority facing potential multimillion-dollar budget shortfall as agencies brace for funding cuts: The Housing Authority of Cook County is facing a potential multimillion-dollar funding shortfall that could have broad repercussions throughout the real estate market as the struggling agency looks to cut costs, possibly leading to greater expenses for its housing voucher holders and a decline in the number of the people it serves. The agency attributes the shortfall to an increase in its voucher usage rate and rising rents, which eat into its limited dollars allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

* Daily Herald | After delays, controversial church proposal heads to South Barrington village board: After months of public inaction, a controversial plan to construct a church and school in South Barrington has cleared a key bureaucratic hurdle and is headed to the village board Thursday night for consideration. But the fate of the landowner’s legal push to disconnect the property from the village hasn’t yet been decided.

* Naperville Sun | Expert panel to help Naperville decide future development of Fifth Avenue land: Next month, a panel of experts will gather in Naperville for two days to help decide how city-owned land around the Fifth Avenue train station north of downtown should be developed. The Naperville City Council received an overview of the upcoming expert panel, which will be hosted by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), at its meeting Tuesday night. Council members also endorsed a list of stakeholders — from local school districts to property owners — they’d like to see involved in the process. The panel is scheduled meet June 10-11.

* CBS Chicago | New Aurora, Illinois data portal tracks economic impact of performing arts venues: The city’s Data and Analytics Division launched the Downtown Revitalization Open Data Portal along with the Aurora Civic Center Authority, The Venue, and The Riverfront Playhouse. The growth and evolution of downtown Aurora is in large part anchored by performing arts entertainment venues — including the Copley Theatre, the Paramount School of the Arts, the Paramount Theatre, the Stolp Island Theatre, the Riverfront Playhouse, The Venue, and RiverEdge Park.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora searching for new alderman at-large: The Aurora City Council has two alderman at-large seats, which unlike the other alderman seats represent the whole city rather than a single ward. One of the current aldermen at-large, John Laesch, was recently elected to be the city’s next mayor, so applications are now open to fill his seat. “This is a unique opportunity for a dedicated resident to help shape Aurora’s future as a member of its legislative body,” said a city news release sent out on Wednesday.

* Patch | Only IL Brewery To Earn Two Medals In 2025 World Beer Cup Might Surprise You: The World Beer Cup recently announced its 2025 list for the best beers in the country, with one Naperville brewery making the list, earning medals for two of its nonalcoholic beers. Go Brewing, which opened in 2022, received the silver medal for Disarm in the hoppy nonalcoholic beer category. The brewery also earned a bronze medal for New School in the specialty nonalcoholic beer category.

*** Downstate ***

* WSIL | Southern Illinois expands mental health care at SIH Mulberry Center in Harrisburg: The expansion aims to increase the center’s bed capacity from 30 to 42, addressing the urgent need for mental health care in Southern Illinois. The project is supported by a consortium of regional healthcare and educational institutions. “Too often, patients in crisis have had to travel hours away or wait days in an emergency room to find an open psychiatric bed,” Smith said. “This expansion will change that reality for our region.”

* SJ-R | ‘Flagship Center’ DMV opens in Springfield with expanded services. What to know: The facility, located at 2701 S. Dirksen Parkway, temporarily closed in 2023 for major renovations and recently reopened. revamped building, now labeled a “Flagship Center,” expands services offered under one roof and adopts the “one stop-shop” model that cross trains employees. Springfield’s facility has served as DMV since 1975 is the second such center in the state to open, following one that opened in downtown Chicago.

* WGLT | After flying solo initially, retiring coach Bob Conkling sees ISU gymnastics soar: When Bob Conkling arrived as Illinois State’s women’s gymnastics coach, he wasn’t looking 20 years into the future, or even a week ahead. There was no time for that. Conkling was the program’s only coach in 2005 and constantly on the go. He had no assistant coach to help train ISU’s existing athletes or recruit new ones. “I knew that I had some work to do,” Conkling said. “You really do need at least a minimum of two coaches with four different events. I knew that had to happen soon.”

* WCIA | Springfield hosting 26th annual Old Capitol Farmers Market: The 26th season of the Old Capitol Farmers Market is beginning with a soft opening on May 14 and a ribbon cutting on May 17 at 9 a.m. Every market starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m., with the season continuing on every Wednesday and Saturday through Oct. 25.

*** National ***

* Inside Higher Ed | The First U.S. Campus in India Is Finally Opening: On Wednesday, the Illinois Institute of Technology announced it had reached an agreement with India’s University Grants Commission to establish a branch campus in Mumbai, opening to students in fall 2026. It will be the first degree-granting U.S. institution on Indian soil and IIT’s first international branch campus. For decades, a complicated legal and tax system prevented U.S. institutions from opening campuses in India. Then, in 2020, the Indian government issued a new National Education Policy paving the way, officials promised, for a much easier pathway to fruitful academic partnerships.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign news

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Thursday, May 8, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

After 17 years of delays, the national mandate requiring Real IDs to fly domestically kicked off Wednesday — sort of.

Passengers without the enhanced identification — or other acceptable alternatives, such as a passport — were still allowed to board their flights with additional random security checks.

The change was imperceptible at O’Hare International Airport, where the security line of the United Airlines terminal gave an estimated wait time of 5 minutes mid-morning.

Most travelers picked at random by a reporter had a Real ID or passport and passed through security as usual.

*** Statewide ***

* Daily Herald | U.S. Rep. Krishnamoorthi running for Durbin’s Senate seat: In a telephone interview Tuesday night, Krishnamoorthi said the time is right to run for Senate because of Durbin’s pending departure. But he said he’s also hoping to shift chambers now because Trump administration policies targeting legal immigration, public housing and aid, and public schools are creating “economic chaos” and causing people to lose their grip on the American Dream.

*** It’s Just A Bill ***

* The Electrification Coalition’s Liam Condon | Proposed bill would limit where customers could buy EVs: When I want to purchase something, I go to the company’s website or brick-and-mortar store and buy it. That’s how commerce works. But Senate Bill 1939, which is expected to go before Illinois legislators Wednesday, would make it illegal to buy many electric vehicles in this manner. Gov. JB Pritzker and many state lawmakers have been effective leaders in the push to modernize transportation. They have brought thousands of well-paying jobs to Illinois, from manufacturing electric trucks in Normal and batteries in Manteno to producing copper for EV batteries and installing and maintaining the state’s rapidly expanding network of 4,400 public charging ports. If they want to guarantee Illinoisans are in the driver’s seat building our electric future, they must vote down the proposed bill.

* Daily Herald | Bill to nix senior road tests for 86 and younger, allow reporting of unsafe drivers clears Senate committee: The redo comes after myriad seniors protested against Illinois being the only state with road tests for older drivers, which they characterized as onerous age discrimination. “We need to ensure that processes, such as renewing a license, continue to be accessible to all, especially for those who pose the least amount of risk to other drivers,” said Senate Transportation Committee Chair Ram Villivalam, a Chicago Democrat.

* WAND | IL bill to require school coaches to receive CPR, first aid and AED training passes Senate committee unanimously: A bill to require training for coaches on how to give CPR, first aid and use AED’s passed the Illinois Senate education committee unanimously Tuesday. It’s an expansion on a bipartisan law last year that required schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan. State Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Waukegan) said in committee this expansion will protect students and teachers.

* President & CEO of Safer Foundation Victor Dickson | Expanding housing access to recently incarcerated Illinoisans is a worthwhile investment: Home for Good, sponsored by state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, and state Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, would be a vital public investment in making that belief real. It expands existing housing programs that have already shown that with housing support and access, people are less likely to return to prison. It would allocate $103 million for rental assistance for people with criminal records who will contribute up to 30% of their income; grant money to acquire, build and rehabilitate affordable transitional and permanent housing; wraparound support services for those seeking housing; and create the Home for Good Institute, a training center for organizations that want to provide this kind of housing.

* WAND | IL Senate committee unanimously approves bill banning firefighting protective gear containing PFAS: The plan requires companies selling protective equipment containing PFAS to provide written notice of why the chemicals are added to the gear by the end of this year. Illinois could then ban people from selling any PPE containing forever chemicals to fire departments starting January 1, 2027.

* WCIA | Illinois bill to include horse riding therapy in coverage passes House Insurance Committee: The state insurance program may soon start covering horseback riding as part of therapy. A bill that passed in the House Insurance Committee would expand insurance coverage for hippotherapy when prescribed by a licensed occupational or speech therapist. Hippotherapy, also known as therapeutic horseback riding, is done by a licensed therapist with assistance from a professional horse handler to support a person to have better physical movement and cognitive processing. It is often used for people with physical disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, arthritis and in some cases Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Ex-CPS principal found dead on day of sentencing in fraud case, lawyer says: At those proceedings, Abedelal’s attorney, Jonathan Bedi, told the judge he was informed last night that his client had passed away. No further details of the circumstances of her death were discussed in court. Ellis told Bedi to extend the court’s condolences to Abedelal’s family. Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri said that once the death certificate is verified the case will be dropped.

* Block Club | Uber Refunding Riders Hit With City Congestion Fee — But Won’t Say How Much It Owes: The refunds appeared on Uber receipts and directly hit bank accounts for cards used to pay for rides outside the surcharge time window. In some cases, Uber sent messages to riders with the header “Just a quick update.” “You took a ride for which you were incorrectly charged a Chicago Congestion Surcharge due to technical issues on our end,” the Uber message reads. “We have corrected the error and refunded the incorrectly charged amount to the original payment method of this trip.”

* Crain’s | DePaul chief to Congress: ‘We’ve made mistakes’ on antisemitism, campus protests: DePaul University President Robert Manuel told the U.S. House education committee today he was “deeply sorry” for mistakes in handling an anti-Israel encampment on the school’s Lincoln Park campus last spring and for an antisemitic attack on two DePaul students last fall. “We’ve made mistakes along the way” in responding to campus actions after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, Manuel said. “As DePaul’s leader, I want to acknowledge that openly. To our students, our parents, our faculty, our staff, our alumni, and our friends, I am deeply sorry. I know there are areas where we must and will do better.”

* WBEZ | ‘Pure chaos’: Why most Chicagoans used to move at the same time on Moving Day: People from every walk of life participated in Moving Day, including immigrants, longtime residents and those of all economic backgrounds. Picture this: The Chicago Tribune described Moving Day 1865 as “[t]he same grand old crash and confusion.” “Every wagon in the city was pressed into the service,” the writer said, describing packed wagons careening through the streets, torn-up carpets and furniture thrown into heaps, “[c]rying children, storming fathers, bewildered mothers.”

* Block Club | Devil Dawgs Coming To Andersonville, Taking Over Former Reza’s Restaurant: Andersonville neighbors can expect the same Devil Dawgs menu as other locations, including its classic Chicago hot dog, jumbo spicy sausage and Italian beef sandwich. The location hopes to offer an outdoor patio as well, the spokesperson said. […] The business now has four locations in Chicago, including at 937 W. Belmont Ave. in Lakeview, 1431 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park, 804 N. Rush St. in the Gold Cost and 767 S. State St. in the South Loop. There’s also a location in Evanston at 921 Church St.

* Sun-Times | Michael Miner, longtime media columnist for Chicago Reader, dies at 81: Mr. Miner pondered such topics as hypocritical columnists, biases, bad grammar and questionable editorial takes. Former Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich remembered in a Facebook post how reporters used to rush to pick up a copy of the Reader on publication day. “What did Miner have to say about that hot Sun-Times or Tribune story? Was he going to lacerate some terrible reporter? Or editor? Or praise some great reporter? Or editor?” Schmich wrote.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Cleveland-Cliffs to idle Riverdale plant, lay off 281 workers: The idles “are a necessary response to insufficient demand and pricing for the products the affected facilities produce, including rail, specialty plate, and high-carbon sheet; all of which fall outside of Cliffs’ core business focus,” a Cliffs spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The company said the closures are not related to the imposition of tariffs by President Donald Trump, a policy strongly supported by Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves. Cliffs said the idles will start around June 30 and about 950 employees will be out of work during the shutdowns. A WARN report filed recently with the state of Illinois shows 281 workers at the Riverdale facility will be laid off at the start of the closure.

* ABC Chicago | Plainfield man asks Will County judge to reconsider sentence in 6-year-old stabbing, hate crime case: A Will County judge heard his case Wednesday morning. There’s no word on the judge’s decision yet. A jury convicted him in February on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and hate crimes.

* Daily Southtown | Homewood Arts Council bringing rock veterans together for birthday tribute to The Who’s Pete Townshend: One way the 501(c)(3) volunteer-run community organization does this is by presenting events such as Who’s Birthday – A Tribute to Pete Townshend for ages 21 and older on May 10 at Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve’s Senior Hall. “I’m friends with Chris Casteneda, who put this together. He knows me through a couple mutual friends and has seen me play,” said Phil Angotti, one of the event’s performers. “Besides writing original music I play a lot of ’60s things. I’m a huge fan. He knew that so he asked me to part of this show.”

* Daily Herald | Lawyers outline plan for class action suit against Prestige Feed Products: Lawyers representing neighbors complaining about odors from a Mount Prospect animal feed producer in a class-action lawsuit met Tuesday at a Des Plaines church with clients and interested parties. During the meeting at Unity Des Plaines church, Reed Solt and Laura Sheets of the Detroit-based firm Liddle Sheets P.C., explained next steps as the suit against Prestige Feed Products LLC and Cereal Byproducts Co. heads to a May 14 court date before Cook County Judge Clare Sheets said the primary objective of the lawsuit is to secure monetary damages for affected residents and require operators to address the odor issues.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Over 80K in metro-east have elevated ‘forever chemicals’ in their city’s water: More than 80,000 people in Madison County recently learned their city’s water exceeded new state and federal limits on contamination from PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” the last time it was tested. Collinsville had some of the highest levels in the state: four and a half times the limit for one type of chemical.

* WGLT | Former members of Foundation Church in Normal say they faced spiritual abuse: Many said the church, which catered largely to college students, young professionals and youth, has increasingly focused on a patriarchal hierarchy that can be degrading to women, and some said their mental health concerns were directly ignored when raised with church leadership. […] “Most examples of spiritual abuse refer to a church elder or faith leader inflicting abuse on congregation members, often by creating a toxic culture within the church or group by shaming or controlling members using the power of their position,” the writes the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

* BND | Former bishop of Belleville Diocese part of papal conclave to elect a new pope: Gregory, a native of Chicago, served as the seventh bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Belleville from 1993 to 2004. During his tenure locally, he was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as the crisis of sex abuse by Catholic clergy was escalating. In 2002, he pushed the conference to pass the Dallas Charter, which instituted a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse of minors.

* WSIL | See Moments Captured on the Veterans Honor Flight 14: As veterans made their way to Washington D.C. as part of the Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois Flight 14, members of the organization wanted to make sure they documented their trip. As veterans first walked into the Veteran’s Airport in Marion, they were treated with lots of volunteers and crews welcoming them with open arms.

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It’s Illinois bacon day!

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

On May 7th, the Illinois Pork Producers Association will be at the Illinois State Capitol to celebrate the commemoration of Senate Joint Resolution 24 designating May 7th at Illinois Bacon Day. The resolution is sponsored by Senators Chris Balkema, Doris Turner, Sally Turner, Craig Wilcox and Li Arellano Jr. in the Senate, and Reps Kelly Cassidy and Katie Stuart in the House.

Illinois pig farmers, IPPA staff, and FFA state officers will be handing out BLT sandwiches to legislators at the Illinois State Capitol and discussing the role that pork production plays in Illinois.

Illinois pig farmers produce over 6 billion slices of bacon annually. Additionally, Illinois pork production is ranked 4th in the U.S. and supports over 30,000 jobs and contributes an estimated $13.8 billion dollars to the economy.

To help support our farmers, we are challenging consumers to #BringHomeTheBacon. Keep the demand for pork products high by adding bacon (or any pork product!) to your grocery cart every time you shop. In doing so, you are supporting Illinois farms, 96% of which are family owned. Additionally, many local restaurants will be participating in Illinois Bacon Day by featuring a pork special on their menu May 7th.

IPPA president, Josh Maschhoff of Nashville; Illinois pork producers: Cheryl Walsh and Kristi Smith of Princeville, Tyler Main of Altona, Amanda Spinner of Hillsboro, Emmalee Haege of Nashville, and Phil Borgic of Raymond Illinois, will attend the event on May 7th.

* WICS…

Numerous local restaurants will join the celebration by featuring pork specials on their menus on May 7. Participating establishments include ABE’s Hideout, Clay Popeye’s BBQ, Cured Catering, and many more across Springfield, Rochester, Urbana, Yorkville, Bloomington, Champaign, Chicago, Decatur, Jacksonville, and Galesburg.

* Rep. Cassidy celebrated on the House floor by wearing a bacon hat…

Hilarious.

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From the legal front: AG Raoul helps win preliminary injunction to restore federal education grants

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Click here for the preliminary injunction. From yesterday…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of 17 states secured a preliminary injunction today against the Trump administration in an ongoing lawsuit to restore access to critical U.S. Department of Education (department) funds that support programs for students across the state.

The preliminary injunction forces the Trump administration to restore states’ access to funds for programs that support low-income and unhoused students, and provide funding for other essential school services to address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 students.

“The Trump administration’s shortsighted and illegal decision to attempt to rescind already-appropriated education funding would hurt vulnerable students the most and could wreak havoc on the budgets of school districts throughout Illinois and the nation,” Raoul said. “I am committed to joining with my fellow attorneys general to stand up against the president’s continued illegal and reckless actions.”

The injunction, issued today by Judge Edgardo Ramos from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, prevents the department from enforcing a March 28 letter from Education Secretary Linda McMahon rescinding states’ ability to access their awarded grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). On April 10, Raoul and the coalition filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for unilaterally ending access to over $1 billion in grants from ARPA, which the department had previously determined the states could access through March 2026.

To combat the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ARPA funded three education-related programs to help support states’ school systems and direct more resources to the most vulnerable students. These three programs – Homeless Children and Youth (HCY), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), and Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools (EANS) – provide essential resources to help schools and students around the country recover from the lasting impacts of the pandemic.

Raoul and the coalition assert in their lawsuit that the department’s arbitrary and abrupt termination of the states’ access to these funds is causing a massive, unexpected budget gap that will hurt students and teachers by cutting off vital education services.

Attorney General Raoul was joined in filing the lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Oregon, along with the governor of Pennsylvania.

* Meanwhile…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul will join four state attorneys general at a Community Impact Hearing in New York, where they will hear from the public about how the Trump administration’s executive orders and other actions are harming them and to discuss how to fight back. This will be the third in a national series of similar events hosted by attorneys general around the country. Raoul and his colleagues have partnered to take action to defend critical services, maintain the benefits people rely on and fight back against federal overreach by the Trump administration.

    Who: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul  
    California Attorney General Rob Bonta
    Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
    New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin
    New York Attorney General Letitia James

    When: Thursday, May 8, 2025
    5 to 7 p.m. CST
    Press should arrive no later than 3:45 p.m. CST.

    Where: SUNY Westchester Community College
    75 Grasslands Road
    Valhalla, NY 10595

    Livestream: ag.ny.gov/livestream

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Repeal IFPA Now

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

<

Deborah Fears, President & CEO of Chicago Post Office Employees CU:
IFPA Will Harm our Members and our Communities.
“This new law passed in Illinois would be really difficult to explain to our members”.
Stop Chaos for Our Hard-Working Postal Workers!

Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.

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Emma Shafer’s memory used by Secretary Noem to buttress argument on Illinois laws (Updated)

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WICS TV last July…

It’s been one year since the death of Emma Shafer and the Springfield Police Department is still investigating the case.

On July 11, 2023,Sangamon County Dispatch said they received a call around from a woman in Bethalto stating that her brother possibly injured a woman who lived in Springfield.

Springfield Police responded to the 1000 block of S. 8th St. to check on Shafer, and police found her deceased with multiple stab wounds at the residence.

Sangamon County State’s Attorney said an arrest warrant was issued for Gabriel P. Calixto, in connection with Shafer’s death after she was found stabbed to death in her home.

The warrant charges Calixto with three counts of first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery with a bond of $3 million.

Springfield Police said they are actively searching for Calixto with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and additional agencies.

According to the Springfield Police Department, they meet with the US Marshals and are still actively searching for Calixto.

Remember that US Marshals thing because it’s gonna come up later in the post.

* Emma Shafer was a beloved local activist…

Shafer has been described as a young woman intent on making a difference. She was the membership chair of the Sierra Club Sangamon Valley Group, an incoming board member for the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network, a former organizer with Faith Coalition for the Common Good, and an active volunteer with countless other community groups.

“Emma loved to travel, making trips for both pleasure and service to California, New York, Europe, and South Africa. But, she was committed to her hometown of Springfield, and passionate about the concept of Planning to Stay — the idea that every decision made today should be driven by how it will affect future generations,” according to her obituary.

“Emma was a life-long activist. Even as a child, she tended to go sit with the kid eating lunch alone and recruit her friends to join them. She recognized inequities in the way certain classmates were treated and spoke up to ask adults to realize the harm they were causing.”

It adds her long-term plans included hosting of redlining tours to explain the history and impact of racially discriminatory city planning in Springfield. She hosted weekly “soup night” gatherings in her home, bringing together advocates she believed needed to know each other.

* After a large crowd showed up near the governor’s mansion to protest Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference, her handlers moved the event to near the home of Emma Shafer’s parents. Noem abruptly ended the press conference when protesters drew near, as you can see if you click here and skip to near the end of the video.

Emma Shafer’s mom was actually at the anti-Noem protest and was visibly in tears, Isabel told me.

* From Secretary Noem’s remarks…

The one thing that I would like to say is we still we’re standing on the street because of Emma Shaffer. She lost her life to an illegal alien that’s still out at large, probably in this state. We can’t confirm that because we, the local law enforcement and the state law enforcement are barred by state law, with the support of Governor Pritzker for sharing any information with our ICE officers or HSI officers, this is the individual who killed Emma. And I would ask you to implore your leaders here at the State to participate with us so we can bring him in before he kills someone else. He stabbed her repeatedly over and over again. She lost her life, and her killer is still loose today. So I would ask that you continue to go to Governor Pritzker and tell him to change his laws so that individuals like that can be brought to justice.

Remember, the US Marshal’s office and other agencies have been working with the Springfield police on this case since the very beginning.

And let’s be clear, Calixto was a very bad guy. But it’s highly doubtful that the Emma Shafer who so many people knew during her life would’ve approved of Noem’s using her for rhetorical gain. The appearance of Shafer’s mom at the protest solidifies that belief.

Also, despite what Noem said, police think Calixto may have fled the country.

* Let’s go back to the planned event outside the governor’s mansion, a month after the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was ransacked by an intruder. It turns out, the City of Springfield denied a permit to the Illinois Environmental Council to hold an event in that same space earlier this year. From a March 20 City of Springfield email to the IEC…

I apologize for the delay as well as being unable to move forward with a permit for this location.

I was under the impression we were able to entertain new requests but with the status of the block we are not issuing permits to events that are not recurring annual special events that are already on the calendar.

I would be able to move forward with permitting for the area around the Lincoln Statue if you are able to secure permitting through the state for that.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

I’ve asked a city spokesperson why a permit (if any) was issued to Noem, and if a permit was issued for the event near the Shafer home. I have not yet heard back. I’ll let you know when I know.

…Adding… The response from the city spokesperson…

There were no permits applied for or issued by the City of Springfield for the location in question. Additionally, no permission was given by the City to hold an event at any private residence. The Springfield Police Department confirmed they were unaware of the planned routes or locations taken by Secretary Noem.

* Related…

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Protect Access To 340B: Drug Discount Savings Means More Services For Low-Income Communities

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Pharmaceutical manufacturers, many of them based in foreign countries, are making it hard for hospitals like Franciscan Health Olympia Fields to turn savings on drug costs into services for patients. The hospital joined the federal 340B drug discount program “to help serve the uninsured and under-insured community residents in Olympia Fields and Chicago Heights.” The poverty rates in both Chicago suburbs are higher than the 11.6% state average—12.7% in Olympia Fields and 24.7% in Chicago Heights.

The hospital has put those savings toward services, including its:

    • Outpatient Infusion Center that provides comprehensive cancer care;
    • Medication to Bedside program that ensures medication access prior to discharge; and
    • Pharmacist-managed Anticoagulation Clinics and Pharmacotherapy Clinics that improve medication outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions.

“The 340B program serves as a vital lifeline for safety-net providers to support critical health services in low-income or isolated rural communities, which are typically operated at a loss,” Franciscan Health said.

Since 2020, drugmakers have arbitrarily limited access to lifesaving medications acquired through the 340B program, making it harder for more than 100 participating hospitals in Illinois to invest in healthcare—and patients. For one safety net hospital alone, these restrictions have resulted in a $16 million hit.

Support Senate Bill 2385 and House Bill 3350 to prohibit drugmakers from interfering with hospital pharmacy contracts. Learn more.

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Coverage roundup: Krishnamoorthi launches bid for Durbin seat

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers were briefed earlier. Capitol News Illinois…

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is the latest Democrat to enter the 2026 U.S. Senate primary for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat.

Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, has represented the 8th Congressional District since 2017. He was born in India and grew up in Peoria. He earned a law degree from Harvard and has worked in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and led a small tech company in the Chicago suburbs.

Describing his middle-class upbringing, Krishnamoorthi said he’ll “never be quiet while billionaires like Elon Musk and a convicted felon deny the dreams of the next generation for their own egos.”

“People want to know: At this moment, in this time, where is the power to fight back?” Krishnamoorthi said in a video launching his campaign. “What does it look like? Well, I’ll tell you. It looks like you … all of us ready to step up and fight back.”

* Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s launch video…


* Tribune…

Krishnamoorthi’s formal announcement had been expected and it comes two weeks after the 80-year-old Durbin announced he would not seek a sixth term. It also follows announcements by Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson that they would enter the March 17 Democratic primary.

With his bid, Krishnamoorthi injects into the race a mix of moderate policy positions such as supporting small business initiatives — in line with the ideology of many voters in his suburban district — along with progressivism as one of 19 vice chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus, a group that promotes equality for all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“I see myself as kind of a radical common sense progressive,” the one-time small business security firm owner said in an interview before his announcement.

“I’m a racial, religious, ethnic minority immigrant with 29 letters in my name. I identify with people who are strivers or dreamers, as single moms, the most vulnerable, LGBTQ people who have been bullied,” Krishnamoorthi said. “I identify myself with the small businesses who constantly feel like the playing field is unlevel for them relative to big corporations, because I myself felt that way relative to my competitors.”

* Sun-Times…

Krishnamoorthi, 51, is the son of Indian parents, and was raised in Peoria. The Harvard Law School graduate clerked for a federal judge before practicing law in Chicago. He became the first South Asian American in history to lead a congressional committee when he became a ranking member of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

The political dominoes are now in place for other Democrats to run in Krishnamoorthi’s district, as well as Kelly’s 2nd Congressional District. And if Rep. Lauren Underwood also opts to run for the Senate, Democrats are already lining up to run in the 14th District.

In a Sun-Times interview, Krishnamoorthi laughed when asked whether he feels either annoyed or proud of the repetitive mentions of the $19 million and counting campaign war chest he has amassed.

“I think it’s a sideshow. I think that I’m most proud of the tent. The fact that tens of thousands of people have entrusted me with their hard-earned money because they believe in my office. They believe in my mission,” Krishnamoorthi said. “…I think people have seen that. They have entrusted me with resources to pursue that mission. And in light of Elon Musk and the unprecedented amount of money that he has kind of unleashed into the system, I look forward to having the resources to be able to defend my track record and be able to get our message out as well.”

* Politico…

On Friday, Krishnamoorthi will host his first official campaign events, making stops in his hometown of Peoria, as well as Chicago and Schaumburg. […]

Krishnamoorthi was first elected to Congress in 2016, representing the suburban 8th District seat that had been held by Duckworth before she won the state’s other Senate seat. In 2012, Krishnamoorthi lost to Duckworth for the House seat.

This won’t be his first time running statewide. In 2010 Krishnamoorthi ran for state comptroller, losing by a razor-thin margin after he served as Illinois’ deputy treasurer.

Krishnamoorthi is also a longtime behind-the-scenes player in Illinois Democratic politics, including working for Barack Obama’s unsuccessful run for Congress in 2000, his winning bid for Senate in 2004, and his 2008 presidential campaign.

* ABC…

In an interview with ABC News, the five-term congressman said he’s running on a record of confronting “bullies” like Donald Trump and is keenly focused on opposing the efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk to slash federal agencies, programs and jobs.

“I have a track record of standing up to Donald Trump in Congress. I voted for impeaching him twice, but I also … played a big role in the first impeachment hearings on Capitol Hill,” said Krishnamoorthi, who entered the House in 2016, now serves as the top Democrat on the House China select committee on the Chinese Communist Party and is a senior member of the Intelligence and Oversight committees. […]

Krishnamoorthi told ABC News that his record, paired with his ability to “stand up” to Trump distinctly, makes him uniquely positioned for the role.

“I think that your track record matters. I think that the diversity of your experiences, plus … where you come from, I think that matters,” he said. “I think that most of all, who is going to be the most effective at standing up to Donald Trump but also delivering for constituents?”

* More…

    * Bloomberg | Raja Krishnamoorthi Enters Illinois Senate Race for Dick Durbin’s Seat: The contest to replace the retiring Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois continues to get more competitive as a prominent critic of President Donald Trump enters what promises to be a crowded 2026 Democratic primary. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who announced on Wednesday that he’s running for the seat, brings a formidable $19 million war chest to the battle.

    * Axios | Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi launches bid for U.S. Senate: Krishnamoorthi’s announcement video starts off by focusing on his opposition to the Trump administration, saying he spent his “life standing up to bullies.” The 51-year-old, 5-term congressman cited abortion, gun control and opposition to DOGE and tariffs as key issues of his campaign. He also leaned heavily into his ties to former President Obama — who he worked for as a campaign operative — who he said “showed that Illinois will give you a shot even when you have a funny name.”

    * ABC Chicago | Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi running for US Senate: The congressman now joins Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and Representative Robin Kelly in the race for Durbin’s Senate seat. Other possible contenders to enter the race include Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and on the Republican side, Representative Darin LaHood.

  39 Comments      


12 Million: The Number Of Care Hours Illinois Seniors Need And Aren’t Receiving

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

Seniors need access to home care services so they can age with dignity at home. But Illinois seniors aren’t getting the care they need.

There are over 20,000 seniors in Illinois who need home care services but are not receiving care.

What’s more, in 2024, 12 million hours meant for senior home care went unserviced. That means the home care crisis shortchanged Illinois seniors 12 million hours of care that they need. And it’s getting worse.

This number has been growing every year – destabilizing the Community Care Program. And it’s because poverty wages are destabilizing the care workforce. Care workers are leaving the industry because they can’t afford to stay – leaving seniors without care.

“People like me are struggling to access home care services that allow us to continue living independently in our homes because of a workforce shortage that is being driven by low wages,” said Diana Inman, a Decatur senior who receives home care services through the Community Care Program. “My regular [worker] was taken away from me, and it took them a whole week to finally find somebody to come in. That was rough.”

Seniors can’t wait any longer to get the essential home care they need. Support HB 1330/SB 120 to increase the wage floor for home care workers serving seniors in the Community Care Program from $18/hr to $20/hr in 2026. Care can’t wait!

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Roundup: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to visit Springfield (Updated x9)

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. Media advisory from the Department of Homeland Security about Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield today…

This press conference will highlight how sanctuary policies in Illinois have unleashed violence on American citizens — including rape, sexual assault, murder, shoplifting, and more — while shielding illegal aliens responsible from facing consequence.

It’s scheduled to begin at 10 this morning. Watch it live here…

* Organizers are preparing to protest…

* Governor Pritzker’s office had a snark-filed response to Noem’s visit…

As you may have seen, DHS advised Sec. Noem will visit to Illinois tomorrow. As far as we know, these are the events we are aware of with tentative times. As noted below, the Secretary’s team does not communicate with us so if you have questions about the official schedule reach out to DHS: MediaInquiry@hq.dhs.gov.

FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

Daily Public Schedule for Secretary Kristi Noem

Tomorrow, Secretary Kristi Neom will visit Springfield. Despite the Trump Administration being in office for more than 100 days and falsely accusing Illinois of not following federal and state law, Secretary Noem and her team does
not communicate with the State of Illinois and has not asked for support or coordination to enforce immigration laws.

To ensure media can cover this reality television style of governance, the State is advising the following events on her behalf:

Secretary Noem to Arrive in Springfield

Location: Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Springfield, IL

Event Time: 7:30 AM CT

What: Secretary Noem has often been spotted on television cosplaying law enforcement officers, so media are invited to capture her latest costume upon arrival.

Secretary Noem to Visit Regional DHS Office

Location: 3101 Constitution Drive, Springfield, IL 62704

Event Time: 8:30 AM CT

What: Despite numerous instances the Trump Administration has ignored the Constitution, Secretary Noem will ironically visit an office located on Constitution Drive. She is not expected to address the parts of the Constitution
that guarantee the right to due process in the United States of America.

Secretary Noem to Host Press Conference

Location: Governor’s Mansion, Springfield, IL

Event Time: 10:00 AM CT
What: This press conference will highlight how the State of Illinois continues to follow the law, despite the Trump Administration’s continued lies to the contrary. While they claim bipartisan public safety laws in Illinois “unleash violence,” Illinois will continue to ensure law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well while empowering all members of the public, regardless of immigration status, to feel comfortable calling police officers and emergency services if they are in need of help. The State of Illinois has been clear: violent criminals without documentation have no place in our state or our country.

Note: We would urge all pet owners in the region to make sure all of your beloved animals are under watchful protection while the Secretary is in the region.

The governor’s last jab references Noem’s book, which includes a story about killing a Cricket, a 14 month old dog, she “hated.”

* US Rep. Lauren Underwood also got some swings in yesterday when Noem testified before a House panel. From Rep. Lauren Underwood…

This afternoon, Representative Lauren Underwood, Ranking Member of the Committee on Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, questioned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem about the Trump Administration’s failure to follow the law and ensure that the programs and services that protect the American people are fully equipped to achieve their mission.

Throughout the hearing, Noem repeatedly failed to provide answers on the Administration’s illegal and unconstitutional actions to freeze, terminate, and even claw back federal grants and awards that have already been signed into law. Underwood explained how these actions have undermined the constitution and weakened DHS’s core mission of protecting the homeland and keeping Americans safe.

“[We are] three months into this Administration, [and] America is more vulnerable than it has ever been. Our homeland is not secure. The Trump Administration’s actions have pushed us to an unprecedented and sobering moment. America is a democracy, not a dictatorship.” said Ranking Member Underwood. “In a democracy, we are organized around the rule of law and those laws are based on a core set of constitutional rights. As we endeavor to secure the homeland, we must continue to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Click here to watch the hearing.

* Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias wasn’t too happy yesterday when Secretary Noem announced that people without REAL ID can still board airplanes. He’s holding his own press conference right after hers…

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias will hold a press availability to criticize U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield on the day that REAL ID enforcement begins.

“For months, Secretary Noem has been calling the May 7 date a ‘deadline,’ implying that Americans must have a ‘REAL ID’ or they cannot board any U.S.-based flights without a valid passport, which has sent people scrambling to get one ahead of tomorrow,” Giannoulias said. “For the past several months, this has resulted in long lines, frustration and – in many cases – pure panic among residents.”

“Instead of flying across the country to perform campaign-style political stunts designed to traumatize people and promote herself, she should do her damn job!”

Where:
Outside Secretary of State Police District 3 Headquarters
421 E. Capitol Ave.
(Across from Governor’s Mansion)

When:
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
10:30 a.m.

* Meanwhile… From Pritzker spokesperson Alex Gough…

The Illinois Trust Act – which was bipartisan and signed into law by a Republican – is fully compliant with federal law. Despite the rhetoric of Republicans in Congress, this public safety law ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well while empowering all members of the public, regardless of immigration status, to feel comfortable calling police officers and emergency services if they are in need of help.

Governor Pritzker will voluntarily appear before Congress on June 12 to discuss his track record on public safety and the implementation of bipartisan state laws.

…Adding… Veronica Castro, deputy director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights…

“Secretary Noem’s stunt in Springfield today is meant to scare Illinoisans and pit neighbors against one another, but we refuse to let the Trump administration divide us. Illinois is a welcoming state because it’s what our communities – both immigrants and allies – have long supported and organized to make a reality. As Trump and his administration try to make Illinois comply in advance with their repressive deportation campaign, we reaffirm our commitment to working together across communities to make our state safe and welcoming for all people.”

…Adding… The scene in front of the mansion…

…Adding… Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s attempted publicity stunt in Illinois:

“Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law. ​

The Trump Administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors – including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process.

Trump-Noem publicity stunts do not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter. Illinois doesn’t need to abuse power or ignore the Constitution to keep our people safe. Like the millions of Americans asking for sensible, humane immigration reform, I encourage the Secretary to spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the Homeland. ​

Secretary Noem must have not realized she was visiting during Latino Unity Day where we come together celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our community. Today, Secretary Noem was met by a force stronger than her: the people of Illinois.

Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump’s lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance.”

…Adding… Emma Shafer’s mom was actually at the protest against Noem’s visit…


…Adding… The executive mansion was decorated ahead of Noem’s visit…


* Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias gave a short speech and took no questions…


…Adding… Press release…

Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released the following statement on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield:

“Secretary Noem’s visit to Springfield was nothing more than political theater—something she’s all too familiar with. Of course, I believe that anyone who commits violent crimes should be held accountable. Unfortunately, today’s visit does nothing to further that cause or make us safer. The secretary should focus on doing her job and upholding the rule of law, rather than holding unnecessary press conferences.

“What she has done is create a distraction—a distraction from the Trump Administration’s failed policies that are driving up costs for seniors, starting trade wars, and threatening to strip away health care and food assistance from our rural communities. The American people deserve real leadership, not empty gestures.”

* Press release…

Following Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield today, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement:

“Illinois must abandon its sanctuary state policies that have emboldened criminals, harmed families, and wasted billions in taxpayer dollars.

“Instead of doing his job to protect Illinois families, Governor Pritzker is focused on pandering to liberal primary voters for an election that’s three years away.

“Governor Pritzker’s relentless defiance of the federal government is not leadership—it’s reckless. And Illinois families are paying the price.”

* Press release…

Following the Secretary of Homeland Security’s visit to Illinois, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), released the following statement condemning the federal administration’s ongoing immigration failures:

“Today’s visit from Secretary Noem is a staged performance meant to distract from the cruelty, chaos and moral failure that have defined this administration’s approach to immigration. Let’s call this what it is: a desperate attempt to shift blame onto the very communities showing the compassion, humanity and responsibility this administration lacks in the face of a humanitarian crisis.

“Illinois is a welcoming state, built on bipartisan state immigration policy, and we say that with pride. We don’t turn our backs on people because of where they were born or what language they speak. While this administration sows fear and division, we in Illinois choose unity, dignity and hope.

“We have watched this administration weaponize immigration to score points and distract from its own inability to lead. We have watched them rip families apart, detain children and treat human beings like political pawns. Now, they want to come to our state and lecture us on how to respond. We reject that entirely.

“Illinois will not apologize for standing with immigrant communities, and we will not be bullied into abandoning the values that define us. This moment demands more than empty visits and rehearsed talking points – it demands action rooted in decency and leaders who see people, not problems.

“Here in Illinois, we choose to move forward. We will to not back down – not now, not ever.”

* Press release…

Statement from Veronica Castro, deputy director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:

“Secretary Noem’s stunt in Springfield today is meant to scare Illinoisans and pit neighbors against one another, but we refuse to let the Trump administration divide us. Illinois is a welcoming state because it’s what our communities – both immigrants and allies – have long supported and organized to make a reality. As Trump and his administration try to make Illinois comply in advance with their repressive deportation campaign, we reaffirm our commitment to working together across communities to make our state safe and welcoming for all people.”

…Adding… Press release…

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus condemns the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield this week, viewing it as yet another attempt by this administration to instill fear within our Latino and immigrant communities. In response, the ILLC released the following statement:

“It is both sinister and cowardly that Noem would choose Latino Unity Day—a celebration of community advocacy—to undermine immigrant voices. This calculated move aims to fuel anxiety and polarization while exploiting our resilience for political gain.

“The federal administration’s troubling actions reflect a pattern of disrespect, particularly evident in allegations of detaining immigrants without due process. In Illinois, we stand firm in our commitment to protect immigrant communities under the Illinois TRUST Act, which limits local law enforcement’s role in federal immigration enforcement.

“Despite continuous attacks, our communities remain committed to building an inclusive Illinois. We refuse to yield to oppression or the dehumanizing agenda of the federal administration. Their prioritization of harm over support for working-class families reveals a systemic racism that we must challenge. The hyper-criminalization of our people leads to the militarization of Black and Brown communities, and we must do everything we can to protect them.

“Actions like this underscore why Latino Unity Day remains as vital as ever. Despite this clear attempt to overshadow our voices, the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus will continue our unwavering commitment to advancing legislation that protects and empowers our community.”

…Adding… Governor’s office fact check…

Noem: In 2021, Pritzker ordered local officials to stop cooperating and working with our ICE officers.

FACT: The bipartisan Illinois TRUST Act was signed by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner in 2017 and was strengthen by Governor Pritzker in 2021. and prevents local law from enforcing federal civil immigration law so our law enforcement can focus on THEIR jobs – keeping our communities safe. No Illinois laws prevent local law enforcement from providing assistance to federal officials when they have a federal
criminal warrant.

Noem: This governor has bragged about Illinois being a firewall against President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, and it is very clear that he is violating the Constitution of the United States.

FACT: The Illinois TRUST Act is fully compliant with federal law.

Noem: Governors like JB Pritzker don’t care if gang bangers and murderers, rapists and pedophiles roam free in his state. If they are here illegally, he’s going to protect them.

FACT: Gov. Pritzker has repeatedly said convicted violent criminals who are undocumented should be deported. In the United States, deportation should follow the legal process and ensure access to due process. Deportation is not making individuals disappear or tearing apart families because of someone’s tattoos. The State of Illinois does not prevent federal authorities from coming to jails with a federal criminal warrant to remove these individuals.

We are posting related state legislator press releases on our live press release coverage post.

…Adding… Latino Policy Forum…

This morning, a broad and racially diverse group of Illinois community and government leaders gathered at the Illinois State Capitol to deliver a response to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who dropped in briefly to hold a press conference in Springfield where she purposely made false claims about sanctuary policies in Illinois and denigrated immigrants. In their response, leaders were clear and unequivocal about their unified support for Illinois’ immigrant community and lambasted Secretary Noem’s politically motivated and gratuitous stunt and Trump policies that threaten our democracy.

Today’s events also take place as nearly 1,000 Latinos and allies from across the state gather in Springfield for the 15th annual Latino Unity Day, the largest Latino advocacy event in the state, where attendees participate in advocacy, learn about issues impacting Latino communities in Illinois. This year’s event will address the challenges facing Illinois in light of unprecedented attacks from the federal government.

Leaders from community organizations throughout the state, labor, and representatives from the Black, Asian, and Latino caucuses showed their support and helped deliver an important message that hate has no home in Illinois and that they would unite to protect immigrants and everyone in Illinois. […]

Selected Quotes from State Government Leaders […]

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon
“I represent the 39th Senate district, a district as diverse as this collection of friends and legislators, but also contains some of the most established and vibrant Latino communities in our state. I’m honored to join you, not just in protest, but in power. We gather here to show our unity, our resilience and our love and support of our families and our future. There are those who choose to weaponize fear, to turn government agencies into engines of cruelty and hate. So many people have used that word ‘cruelty.’ This is cruelty for the sake of being cruel. Instead of doing their jobs, they are dividing our country and yet here we are gathered in unity. We stand together, working, dreaming, voting, winning. They struggle with walls; we succeed with bridges… We aren’t going anywhere. Our unity is our strength, our superpower. It is my honor and duty to stand with you here today.”

Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Emanuel Chris Welch
“In 2017 I was proud to stand and be the lead sponsor of the Illinois TRUST Act. There’s a great statue behind me of Abraham Lincoln, one of Illinois’s greatest sons. President Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘put your feet in the right place and then stand firm. I am honored to stand here today with this diverse coalition of people who stand firm behind the Illinois TRUST Act… The dystopian vision of Illinois that Secretary Noem outlined today bore no resemblance to the communities we represent here today. Just as the policies the Trump administration is pushing bear no resemblance to the America that we know… This is a state where hate has no home here, fear has no home here. They don’t know that in the Donald Trump/Noem administrations. They don’t know that we are proud of this diverse state that we live in. Diversity is our strength and our power comes from being united in our fight to make sure Illinois continues to be a welcoming state.”

* More…

    * WAND | Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to visit Springfield, sparking backlash: Giannoulias stated, “Instead of flying across the country to perform campaign-style political stunts designed to traumatize people and promote herself, she should do her damn job!” WAND will stream the conference tomorrow at 10 a.m.

    * CBS | Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office slams, mocks Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ahead of visit: Earlier Tuesday, Pritzker confirmed he would testify before Congress next month about Illinois’ sanctuary laws. The hearing by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on June 12 comes after Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), the panel’s chairman, last month called on Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and New York Mayor Kathy Hochul to come before the committee.

    * Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker to testify before Congress on Illinois’ ‘sanctuary’ immigration policies: Last month, Comer sent a letter inviting the governors to appear before the committee May 15 to discuss their states’ “sanctuary policies.” The request came about a month after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, along with the mayors of New York, Boston and Denver, testified before the same committee about similar policies in their cities. Johnson touted Chicago’s downward trend in crime in his opening statement. He went on to argue throughout the six-hour session that the city’s long-standing policy blocking local police from assisting in federal immigration enforcement in fact makes communities safer.

    * NBC Chicago | Noem visit to Springfield draws sarcastic response from Pritzker’s office: Rep. Mary Miller went a step further on Tuesday, calling on Illinois sheriffs to “defy…state sanctuary laws,” and to cooperate with ICE to deport individuals in the country without legal status. “I call on every local sheriff in Illinois to defy these dangerous directives, cooperate with ICE, and support President Trump’s deportation efforts,” she said in an interview with Fox News. “We must act now before one more innocent American life is lost or harmed.”

Thoughts?

  51 Comments      


Powering Illinois’ Energy And Economic Future

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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Open thread

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A little wake-up music…

She got Elgin movement from her head down to her toes

What’s going on in your world?

  8 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi joins increasingly crowded race to succeed Dick Durbin in Senate. Tribune…

    - U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi launched his bid this morning, pitching himself as a “radical common sense progressive” to take on President Donald Trump.
    - Krishnamoorthi’s expected announcement follows ones made by Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson that they would enter the March 17 Democratic primary.
    - Far from a household name to statewide voters, ”Just call me Raja” has long been Krishnamoorthi’s political campaign theme and he is maintaining it for the Senate run.

I’ll have a full coverage roundup for Krishnamoorthi’s announcement later this morning.

* Related stories…

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

Sponsored by Environment Illinois

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

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker to testify before Congress on Illinois’ ‘sanctuary’ immigration policies: Pritzker’s office confirmed Tuesday that the governor would “voluntarily appear” before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on June 12 after its chairman, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, announced in a news release that Pritzker would testify alongside New York’s Kathy Hochul and Minnesota’s Tim Walz.

* Sun-Times | Nicor’s ‘exorbitant’ $309 million rate hike request should be cut in half, watchdogs say: That’s why state regulators should cut the increase roughly in half, experts from the Citizens Utility Board, Illinois Public Interest Research Group and Environmental Defense Fund argued Wednesday. “This company is rolling in profits and they just keep coming to the table asking for more,” CUB spokesman Jim Chilsen said. “This rate hike request is filled with fat and excess, and customers are fed up.”

* Sun-Times | New study suggests insuring immigrants in Illinois gives hospitals a financial lift: That effort has had a domino effect. In a new study, researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California in Los Angeles found what’s known as bad debt, or debt hospitals fail to recoup, declined on average 15% across Illinois from 2021-23 — and potentially as much as 25% at hospitals in counties with the highest enrollment in the state’s immigrant health plans. For the average hospital, a 15% drop in bad debt is around $1.5 million.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | In response to RFK Jr., Pritzker to sign first in nation executive order protecting autism data: Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday plans to sign an executive order to restrict the mass collection and sharing of autism-related data for Illinois residents, in response to the country’s top health secretary’s rhetoric around the cause of autism. The executive order comes after Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, recently said he would undertake a “massive testing and research effort” to determine the cause of autism, including an investigation into whether any environmental factors are causing the development disorder.

* Capitol News Illinois | New study suggests changes to Illinois’ community college-university pipeline: The report by the Partnership for College Completion says that while 79% of community college students start with the intention of transferring to a university, only 35% of them do. The success rate is even lower for low-income students and students of color, the report states. Only 28% of low-income students transfer, compared to 44% of higher-income students. And while Black and Latino students make up 44% of community college enrollment in Illinois, they make up just 31% of those who transfer to public universities.

* Capitol City Now | Illinois House and Senate meet for 7th annual softball game: State Senator, Steve McClure, said honor was on the line this year as, according to him, the officiating last year was questionable, so he was hoping for a fair shot this year. Unfortunately, his Field of Dreams was not to be. Final in the game – House 9, Senate NOTHING.

*** Statewide ***

* Center Square | Illinois’ meat industry discusses successes, challenges in face of tariffs: During an Illinois House Agriculture and Conservation Committee hearing Tuesday afternoon, Jennifer Tyree with the Illinois Pork Producers Association laid out the strengths in her industry. To the question of prospective tariffs, Tyree said they are a big concern they’re monitoring closely, but Illinois’ pork industry is focused on maintaining their market share. “Closer to 30% of our product is exported,” Tyree said. “At this point we are holding our own. We are just trying very hard to continue to keep that market share because I think what is our biggest concern is if we lose market share, it’s very hard to get it back.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Brandon Johnson faces pushback from top ally on eve of pivotal affordable housing vote: Finance Committee Chair Pat Dowell said the plan would simply benefit affluent communities and do little to uplift marginalized communities where “affordable rent is the same as market rent.”

* Background is here if you need it…

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson defends deal on Columbus statues: Asked about the long celebrated, but now more closely scrutinized Italian explorer’s legacy, Johnson Tuesday talked about the trans-Atlantic slave trade and decimation of Indigenous American people that followed Columbus’ arrival. Still, Columbus left a legacy many are proud of, he added. “Art and culture in particular is something that I don’t believe we should erase,” Johnson said. “And we do have to make sure that our presentation is depicting not just truth, but the best part of our existence, which is our collective humanity.”

* Crain’s | Trump goes off on ‘woke’ Obama Center construction: President Donald Trump went on a tangent to lambast the state of construction for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park today during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “I mean look, President Obama — and if he wanted help, I’d give him help because I build on time and on budget — he’s building his presidential library in Chicago. It’s a disaster,” Mr. Trump said. “And he said something to the effect, ‘I only want DEI, I only want woke.’ He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns, the job is stopped. I don’t know, it’s a disaster.”

* President of the Chicago Federation of Labor Bob Reiter’s response…

“While understanding President Trump is thin-skinned and emotionally fragile, I feel it’s necessary to set the record straight on Chicago’s talented and hard working union construction workers. Donald Trump’s wildly inaccurate and offensive rant about the building of the Obama Presidential Center is utterly ridiculous. Chicago’s highly trained, highly skilled union construction workers are building this state-of-the-art facility. The job isn’t shut down and continues on an aggressive schedule despite Donald Trump’s obsession with President Obama. With experienced journeyworkers and new apprentices building this project, you can count on quality and efficient construction.”

* Crain’s | Inside the long-simmering United vs. American grudge match that’s reignited at O’Hare: The dispute between United and American airlines that spilled into federal court last week has roots in a contentious lease agreement signed in 2018 but reflects a deeper rivalry between the two carriers over one of the nation’s biggest and busiest markets for air travel. It’s a history marked by both cooperation and gamesmanship, at times reminiscent of the Hatfields and McCoys—the result of an unusual scenario in which two major airlines have hubs at the same airport.

* Sun-Times | Trump Tower plaza barricades pulled back after months of complaints: Trump Tower building security notified the city Tuesday afternoon that all levels of the plaza and riverwalk were reopened Tuesday morning. A Sun-Times photographer found fences that were moved, now sitting alongside a pathway. The planning department’s investigation found “that the property was not in compliance” with the planned development, which states: “All of the open-to-air components of the River Park/Plaza Improvements … shall be open to the public twenty-four (24) hours a day.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park-Park District budget plan seeks to identify how much more state funding needed for land cleanup: The state earmarked $15 million the Park District could use for cleanup of environmental issues including asbestos and mold, as well as demolishing dozens of buildings, both large and small, on the property. District officials said experts working on the remediation are calculating what additional funds will be sought from the state. The $15 million set aside in state money was based on estimates of the cost of the cleanup made more than a decade ago.

* Sun-Times | ‘U-pick’ flower farm fighting Chicago suburb to reopen, as 20,000 tulips wait to be picked: But in May 2024, the village sent a cease-and-desist letter to owner Chris Yamamoto, forcing him to close shop. The village contends the farm violates its zoning codes for businesses on residential property. Yamamoto believes the farm aligns with the village’s values, so for almost a year now, he’s been fighting to reverse the decision. It’s not about the money. He bought all those tulip bulbs direct from Holland out of a passion for flower farming.

* Daily Herald | After 36 years and more than 1,200 meetings, Palatine village clerk retires: “I enjoyed writing minutes that were succinct, that were clear, concise and accurate,” the former Northwestern University English major said. “Don’t waste anybody’s time reading through mumbo jumbo.” The job, however, goes way beyond taking the minutes. As village clerk, Duer was responsible for overseeing elections, including establishing early voting sites, recommending election judges and ensuring proper signage and nonpartisan administration of polling places.

*** Downstate ***

* Illinois Times | Major solar development opens in Sangamon County: The farm generates 800 megawatts, which is enough power to supply more than 100,000 homes. Previously, the land was used to grow corn and soybeans. [..] Creating alternative uses for farmland gives more options for landowners but places pressure on tenant farmers, said Bill Bodine, director of business and regulatory affairs for the Illinois Farm Bureau. “For some farmers, it’s a challenge, because they need access to land in order to continue their business, to make a profit, to support their families. Sometimes there can be concerns with conversion of farmland simply because it’s a competing use.”

* PJ Star | Tension, transparency and hope: Why a new mayor could mean ‘a new day’ for Washington: In addition to her swearing in as the city’s first female mayor, four new city council members were sworn in, and three other officials were reelected. […] Stevens moved quickly to carry out city business, starting with designating McIntyre and Moss as signatories. City policy requires two authorized signatures on checks and withdrawals, and while those are typically handled by the mayor and city treasurer, additional signatories are needed in case the treasurer would be absent, Finance Director Joanie Baxter explained.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. workers rallying for better contracts: “We want to be able to buy groceries, keep a roof over our head. We don’t want to have to work two and three jobs at a time to make ends meet,” Cecelia Phillips, the AFSCME local 900 president, said. Phillips works in the Champaign County Circuit Clerk’s Office and organized a rally Tuesday afternoon in hopes it’ll change the minds of local government officials.

* BND | About 300 East St. Louis students may lose after-school programs: East St. Louis School District 189 typically uses federal 21st Century Community Learning Center Grants, which supports programming in high-poverty areas, to fund its after-school programming. Those grants have been running out, and District 189 has been struggling to find alternative funding sources, said Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, the district’s executive director of communications.

* WGLT | Big sewer construction project will disrupt homeless encampment in Normal: Mayor Chris Koos said the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District [BNWRD] will begin a large construction project in the area next month. Koos said it’s a good question where the unhoused people at the encampment will go. “We are looking very hard in cooperation with Home Sweet Home Ministries to see if there is any property in Normal and we frankly can’t find anything,” Koos said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. He said the municipality might consider buying something for a shelter village like one proposed in downtown Bloomington.

*** National ***

* Reuters | EV makers Rivian, Lucid flag increasing costs as tariffs bite: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe told Reuters the cost per vehicle was expected to rise by “a couple of thousand dollars” due to tariffs. “Customers are hesitant to make large-dollar purchases, and they’re more price sensitive than they historically have been,” he said, adding Rivian was working on adjusting its supply chain to mitigate tariff costs.

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