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House Republicans walk out of chamber as J6/Trump resolutions begin (Updated x5)

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* House Resolution 118…

Condemns President Donald Trump’s inexcusable pardons of his coconspirators and criminals convicted of attacking police officers, attacking our Capitol, and attacking our democracy.

The House Republicans called for a caucus meeting during debate. They came back in and then walked out during the roll call…

The HGOPs are holding a press conference.

* The other resolutions teed up for debate…

HR116

* HR115: Calls on President Donald Trump to stop the actions of his administration that are making communities less safe, undermining the rule of law, and raising the cost of living. Urges federal lawmakers to instead prioritize comprehensive reforms, including a pathway to citizenship, and focus on the safety of every community, the economic security of every family, and the rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

* HR117: Condemns President Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine equal pay, make workplaces less fair, and limit opportunity. Condemns the false, hateful comments President Trump and his allies have used to impugn and demean working people. Renews commitment to prioritize equal pay for equal work, opportunities for all, and protections in our workplaces in Illinois.

* HR119: Calls upon President Donald Trump to abandon his reckless tariff plans that would raise costs on Illinois families and businesses.

…Adding… From the HGOP presser…

…Adding… Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) was asked this question today…

You are a police officer. I mean, do you agree, though, that should people that assaulted police officers be pardoned?

He didn’t answer, and instead tried to pivot to the SAFE-T Act. He was asked again, and he didn’t answer again.

* Rep. Chris Miller (R-No Relation) has talked on the floor this session about his strong support for the president’s actions and was asked for his thoughts. Rep. Cabello interrupted to say…

We’re not here to discuss what’s going on nationally. We’ve got some issues here in this state.

* House Republican Leader Tony McCombie…

Q: The Democrats would say that this is in response to some of the comments that have been made by some members of this caucus about some of these topics, whether it’s immigration or some of the other topics that were addressed in some of those resolutions. What would you say to them? What would you say to those that would say that the House Republicans are not talking about some of these issues that you just mentioned, that you guys are talking about some of these topics.

McCombie: Why are they so worried about what the super minority was saying on the other side? And if they’re having to be talking about some of the members of a caucus within our caucus, why are they so worried about a small group within our minority, they’re still part of our team. What are they worried about? What are they scared about? I think they should just worry about their own districts and worry about the election cycle.

…Adding… During the roll call on HR115, Marcus Evans calls out Republicans by name to ask if they want to vote…

…Adding… House Speaker Chris Welch…

What’s been coming out of Washington, DC these last couple of weeks has been sad and concerning on many levels, and the people who elected you to be here would want you to be here, to speak for them… pardons to rioters who severely harmed law enforcement officials. We are here to speak up against that freezing legally mandated funding for state and local governments and blocking the services families need to keep a roof over their head, blocking the funding for Head Start programs to keep their doors open. We are here to speak up for those families who need those services.

But there’s 40 people who were elected by people in this state who walked out on those people today, they should be here speaking out against issuing tariffs on our friends and allies in Canada and Mexico that will raise the cost of everything in our districts and their districts too, but they’re not here to speak up for those people. They’re not here to talk about President Trump taxing working families all across this country to pay for tax cuts for his billionaire friends. They’re not here to talk about a president who is doing everything except addressing our broken immigration system. They’re not here to talk about him leading by fear and intimidation, causing immigrant families to stay inside and not go to school, not go to church, not visit restaurants, not visit malls. They’re not here.

They’re not here to talk about the president attacking workers rights and Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs that data proves work and make us all better, even people in their districts. They’re not here to talk about special government employees who no one elected using Nazi salutes and accessing America’s most personal and confidential information.

They’re not here to talk about what’s coming out of Washington DC. What’s coming out of Washington DC can be summed up in one word, fascism. Fascism. Fascism.

They should be here to speak out against fascism. We cannot be silent. We must rise up. Speak up, speak out. We cannot walk out on the people that sent us here. We have to stay in faith. German pastor Martin Niemöller once said, ‘First they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist, then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. But then they came for me, but there was no one there left to speak for me.’

Members, this is not a time to be silent. This is not a time to walk out on your job. This is not a time to walk out on the people who sent you here. This is a time to stay, Stand and fight.

We have members who were elected to represent people on that side of the chamber who traveled to Washington, DC on January 6, 2021 to march for Donald Trump, with Donald Trump, but today, February 5, 2025, they couldn’t stay and do their jobs and speak out against fascism.

But we’re here, Illinois.

We are here. The Democratic caucus is here. We’re united on this floor. We’re here speaking up for you, Illinois. We’re here speaking out for you, Illinois, whether you’re in a blue district or a red district, we’re here. What Trump is doing is wrong for Illinois, what Trump is doing is wrong for America, and we are here to speak out against it. We will resist, we will fight, and we will win. Vote yes and condemn this nonsense coming out of Washington.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* From the House Republicans…

In response to several House Resolutions brought forward by the majority party, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement after her caucus left in a unified protest, refusing to vote:

“Today, House Republicans stood together for working families across Illinois and against the petty political games of the majority party. We are here to promote economic growth, improve public safety, and deliver real relief to taxpayers. It’s time to do our jobs—offering solutions that benefit our state and the hardworking people we represent. House Republicans are here to work, not to waste time on political theater.”

In closing, Rep. Kam Buckner called the Republicans “the Houdini caucus, silence and absence, ignoring the harsh realities of what their inaction will lead to for the people that they represent, proving that they’re in a rocky relationship with democracy. Nobody in any of our districts gets paid to leave their job early, and they don’t expect that of us. What they do expect is for us to fight, for them, to push back against ham handed, haphazard, nonsensical government action. And we, those of us who remain, will do exactly that.”

…Adding… More from McCombie’s spokesperson…

“I think we struck a nerve: The Speaker’s unhinged grandstanding this evening just proves our point. If Speaker Welch needs ideas on how to serve Illinois families, House Republicans have solutions to get the job done.”

29 Comments

Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated x2)

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s…

Gov. JB Pritzker says the Trump administration’s widely reported plans to slash funding and staff at the Department of Education, or eliminate it altogether, could cost the state’s schools billions. […]

Federal funding accounts for roughly 10% of budgets for K-12 schools, he said. […]

Pritzker also noted the importance of federal support for special-education funding.

“To get rid of special education is to harm the most vulnerable children in our state,” he said.

* CBS Chicago…

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at making it easier for relatives to become a child’s foster parents.

The Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act would allow the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services more flexibility in certifying grandparents and other relatives as foster parents for children in their family. […]

Currently, relative caregivers must go through the same certification process as traditional licensed foster parents who may be total strangers to a child, making it difficult for them to take in a related child as their own. […]

The KIND Act also makes sure related foster parents would get the same financial benefits as traditional licensed foster caregivers to help them pay for the care and supervision of a child in their care.

…Adding… This will cause a stir…

WHAT: Press conference introducing legislation to restore protections for peaceful advocacy in
Illinois by repealing the state’s 2015 anti-boycott law targeting advocates for Palestinian freedom.

WHO: State Representative Rashid
State Senator Porfirio
Advocates representing the Illinois Coalition for Human Rights, a diverse multifaith coalition of local advocates including, Rabbi Brant Rosen, Lesley Williams, Deanna Othman, Sheri Maali

WHEN: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

WHERE: Blue Room Illinois State Capitol Building Springfield, IL

WHY: Illinois’ 2015 anti-boycott law has had serious consequences for human rights advocacy. The most prominent example came when the state divested from Unilever after Ben & Jerry’s decided to stop selling ice cream in Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territories due to human rights concerns. President Trump’s latest statement—calling for the U.S. to take over Gaza—raises the alarm about the risk of wholesale ethnic cleansing, making the repeal of this law even more urgent. Illinois must not be complicit in shielding human rights abuses from accountability or suppressing peaceful advocacy.

VISUALS: Coalition of diverse faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and community members gathering to support legislation protecting constitutional rights, including the right to advocate for Palestinian freedom.

* A little session update…

Apparently, folks are tiring of the Illinois Freedom Caucus speeches during what's so far been a nothing-burger legislative week https://t.co/X4iCkntctb

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) February 5, 2025

…Adding… After two Democrats spoke in debate, the House Republicans called for a caucus of between an hour and an hour and a half.

* Equality Illinois…

Equality Illinois Boards of Directors launches an open search process to identify the next CEO for the statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization

Brian C. Johnson, the CEO of Equality Illinois since 2016, announced today that he will transition out of the role on June 30th after nine years helping to grow the statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization into a multi-issue and high-impact advocacy organization. He will focus his energies in the interim on fighting back against the hate-filled agenda flowing from Washington DC, making Illinois the first state in the country to protect the lives of sex workers by fully decriminalizing adult consensual sex work, and providing for a smooth leadership transition.

“It has been a privilege of a lifetime serving the half a million LGBTQ+ Illinoisans over these past nine years,” Johnson said. “I have served during three Presidents, worked with two Governors, and partnered with three Chicago mayors. We have even survived a global pandemic and shutdown together. But now is the right time to hand the baton over to the next leader who will direct the important work ahead. I plan to spend this next year discerning how I can continue to serve Chicago, Illinois, and our country while spending some more intentional time as a husband and father; my two favorite roles.” […]

Commenting on the transition during this time, Johnson said “I know these are tough times. We are under attack like we haven’t been in my lifetime. This is why we are planning a thoughtful extended transition.” Johnson added, “Until then, I am all in. I am comforted to know that Equality Illinois has never been better poised to meet this moment.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Illinois attorney general says state will protect gender-affirming care, despite Trump executive order: After a week of uncertainty for Illinois hospitals and clinics over an executive order seeking to end gender-affirming care for minors, the Illinois attorney general issued a statement Wednesday saying the state will protect such care. The statement, from Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the attorneys general of 14 other states, says that federal dollars remain available to institutions that provide gender-affirming care despite the executive order, and that Illinois and the other states will take legal action if that funding is halted.

* Click here for some background…

While we wait for a Madigan verdict, here’s a development in the case against Illinois Sen. Emil Jones III.

Prosecutors say there’s talk of resolving the case short of trial, and a decision is expected by Monday: pic.twitter.com/iNqQTXOkZ1

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) February 5, 2025

* The Triibe | Social justice organizations push to automate expungement and record sealing in Illinois: The Clean Slate Illinois Coalition (CSIC), which is leading the effort, aims to streamline expungement and record sealing statewide. Advocates say the economic impact is projected to restore up to $4.7 billion in lost income to the Illinois economy, as people with sealed records could see an estimated 20% wage increase, according to CSIC. For many impacted by the criminal justice system, the stigma of a conviction doesn’t end once their sentence is complete. A criminal record creates barriers to housing, jobs, and more, according to Antonio Lightfoot, who’s among those lobbying for the Clean Slate Act.

* Crain’s | 2nd bill in Springfield aims to get rid of single-family zoning: The bill, HB 1814, calls for small municipalities in Illinois to let builders put up multi-unit structures on most lots that are now zoned for single-family residential. It complements a bill introduced a year ago that would do the same in large municipalities, including Chicago.

* WAND | Amy Meek to serve as Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights: Meek is a civil rights attorney. The announcement comes alongside Alex Bautista’s transition from IDHR after nearly 8 years of service to work on special projects with the Governor’s Office of New Americans. “Alex Bautista has been an essential advisor for the last 6 years. He was thoughtful, deliberate, and collaborative,” said IDHR Director Jim Bennett. “I am confident that Amy Meek will rise to the occasion in her new role as she leads our efforts to secure freedom from unlawful discrimination for all individuals in Illinois.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Following budget strife, Mayor Brandon Johnson says passing a spending plan is ‘City Council’s responsibility’: At an inaugural “Lakeside Chat” community engagement event to tout Johnson’s 2025 budget, the mayor and his budget director Annette Guzman sought to appeal directly to constituents after a bruising road to securing enough City Council votes for the $17.1 billion 2025 spending plan two weeks before the Dec. 31 deadline. But the event at Harold Washington Library, originally billed for 300 guests, saw only a few dozen attendees.

* Crain’s | City asks judge to reconsider ruling on how TIF dollars are awarded: Cook County Circuit Judge Cecilia Horan ruled last month that an internal city committee that reviews funding requests for the city’s tax-increment financing districts met the definition of a public body and violated the Open Meetings Act by not holding public meetings or making committee agendas available, nor taking notes or audio recordings of the nearly monthly meetings. In a motion filed yesterday asking Horan to reconsider the ruling, the city argues the decision would have the “unintended consequence of chilling communications of high level officials that are necessary to do the business of the residents of the city of Chicago.”

* FYI…

Mayor Brandon Johnson is accepting an invitation to testify on Chicago's sanctuary city status as part of a GOP House probe. pic.twitter.com/jS6xSXEBAn

— Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) February 5, 2025

* More City Council drama…

City Clerk Anna Valencia accuses a member of the mayor's staff "improperly" asked that a video of a public meeting be edited & that an employee of the clerk's office took down the video before Valencia ordered it restored: https://t.co/5pDB5iHbEn

— Heather Cherone (@HeatherCherone) February 5, 2025

* WTTW | Lawsuit Filed by Man Who Spent More Than 29 Years in Prison After Being Tortured, Wrongfully Convicted Set for Trial: The police detectives who tortured James Gibson were directly supervised by Jon Burge, a disgraced former Chicago police commander. Dozens of lawsuits and complaints alleging physical abuse have been filed against detectives trained by Burge, who city officials admit tortured and beat more than 100 Black men during his career. Although no physical evidence or eyewitness ever linked Gibson to the murders of 61-year-old Lloyd Benjamin and 56-year-old Hunter Wash in an Englewood garage in December 1989, the then 23-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison after telling police he was in the garage when the two men were killed.

* Block Club | Chicago Fire’s Near West Side $80 Million Training Center Opening Next Month: The new “world-class” center includes two and a half hybrid grass/turf pitches, three synthetic turf pitches, a 10,000-square-foot inflatable dome and a 56,000-square-foot performance center containing the soccer club’s athletic and medical facilities. Construction is nearly done and the soccer club expects its professional team to start training at the Near West Side center before the Major League Soccer season begins in late February. Plans call for the center to officially open in March.

* Crain’s | Citadel nears deal to shrink, move Chicago office: More than two and a half years after Citadel uprooted its headquarters from Chicago, the hedge fund is poised to slash its office footprint in the city and move out of its namesake Loop tower. Citadel is in advanced talks to lease about 55,000 square feet on two floors in the office building at 353 N. Clark St., according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The new office space in the 45-story River North tower would be a fraction of the 315,000 square feet it leases today at 131 S. Dearborn St., known as Citadel Center.

* NBC Chicago | Here’s the timing of when icy roads could impact Chicago-area travel: A winter weather advisory will take effect Wednesday afternoon across all of northern Illinois and parts of northwest Indiana, as up to one-tenth of an inch of ice could coat untreated roadways and sidewalks, along with power lines and tree branches. The advisory will first take effect across areas south of Interstate 80, including LaSalle, Grundy and Kankakee counties in Illinois, along with Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana. The advisory will take effect at 6 p.m. in the rest of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, and remain in effect until Thursday morning.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Mental health advocates decry planned service cuts, layoffs at Arlington Heights hospital: Northwest suburban mental health advocates are speaking out against the planned cuts to inpatient psychiatric services and layoffs of more than 100 workers at Arlington Heights-based Northwest Community Healthcare. Arlen Gould, a board member of the North-Northwest Suburban Task Force on Supportive Housing for Individuals with Mental Illness, called the proposed cuts by corporate owner Endeavor Health “troubling” at a time when the demand for mental health treatment continues.

* Tribune | North suburban schools prepare for potential immigration raids: Kalman Resnick, a Chicago-area immigration attorney, told Pioneer Press that it’s unlikely that immigration agents will attempt to detain students in school. “I don’t think it’s a priority (for the Trump administration) right now. They’re prioritizing people who are already in the process of deportation, either because they either have an outstanding order of deportation, or they have a criminal conviction,” he said.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | Springfield-based health system names new president and CEO: The health system announced Mandy Eaton will be the new president and CEO beginning April 1. Eaton will take over for Ed Curtis who is retiring at the end of March. Before coming to Memorial, Eaton served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Cone Health, a non-profit healthcare organization that includes five hospitals and numerous outpatient locations serving a five-county area in North Carolina.

* WCIA | ‘I was absolutely shocked’; Effingham teacher surprised by classroom guest: “Hello, is this Becky Wilson?” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This is Governor JB Pritzker calling, how are you?” “Illinois is among the best states in the nation on these [test] scores for eighth graders for reading and math, and it can’t happen without great teachers like you,” he went on to say.

* WAND | Peoria County now has one confirmed case of tuberculosis: The Peoria County Health Department has confirmed one tuberculosis (TB) case in the county, and the patient is now in active treatment. […] Claushayla Nunn, an epidemiologist at the health department, said when someone’s infected, they’re isolated. “The team of disease specialists will track and do Directly Observe Therapy [where they watch the patient take medication if there is an active patient,]” said Nunn.

*** National ***

* AP | President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship order is put on hold by a second federal judge: A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a second nationwide pause on President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for anyone born in the U.S. to someone in the country illegally, calling citizenship a “most precious right.” U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman said no court in the country has endorsed the Trump administration’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment. “This court will not be the first,” she said.

* AP | NWSL creates $5M fund for players as part of a settlement from abuse scandal in 2021: The funds will go to players who experienced abuse. The settlement also requires the league to maintain safeguards put into place following a pair of investigations released in late 2022 that found widespread misconduct that impacted multiple teams, coaches and players. It also gives the attorneys general, Kwame Raoul of Illinois, Brian L. Schwalb of Washington, D.C., and Letitia James of New York, the ability to oversee changes that the NWSL made after the scandal broke, and the ability to fine the league if it fails to uphold those changes.

* AP | Pro-Trump Arab American group changes its name after the president’s Gaza ‘Riviera’ comments: Bishara Bahbah, chairman of the group formerly known as Arab Americans for Trump, said during a phone interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday that the group would now be called Arab Americans for Peace. The name change came after Trump held a Tuesday press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and proposed the U.S. take “ownership” in redeveloping the area into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

13 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Quick session update

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Bat nabbed in Capitol

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Heh…

"It's getting BATTY in the Capitol" -@Alex_Degman

There's a bat loose in the Capitol and it really likes the hall of Governor's portraits. It ignored the other obvious pun, though. It landed on Big Jim Thompson's portrait instead of Bruce Rauner's pic.twitter.com/tUWFOZe2tz

— Cole Henke (@cole_Henke) February 5, 2025

* Captured!…

An analogy is begging to be identified.

26 Comments

Today’s number: 0.0009 percent

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WGN’s Ben Bradley and Andrew Schroedter…

Often lost in the cacophony of criticism on cable news – and along the campaign trail – is perspective on how often people born biologically male are seeking to compete in girls’ sports.

The Illinois High School Association says of the 320,000 student-athletes competing in all IHSA sports at all levels, only three people born male asked for and received waivers to compete in girls’ sports last year. The organization granted just two waivers the year before.

“Most people didn’t really care – they were just there to compete,” said Ashley O’Connor who competed on the Downers Grove South High School badminton team. “I was terrible and barely made the team. … Being there to do that with my friends was so important to my sanity.” […]

The ACLU says the issue has only come up a few times in Illinois because state law specifically allows people to access bathrooms, locker rooms and sports based on their gender identity. Some Illinois republicans want to change that.

“Just because folks around the state might not be in an uproar over one individual – it doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” said state representative Adam Niemberg (R, Dieterich, Illinois).

45 Comments

There’s No End To Credit Card Swipe Fee Greed

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Credit card companies collect more than $172 billion in swipe fees from customers and businesses each year, but it’s not enough to satisfy their greed. As consumers and retailers continue to grapple with inflation, Visa raised swipe fees on January 1.

Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and the General Assembly took a stand against swipe fee greed by passing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which limits swipe fees from being charged on the sales tax and tip portion of transactions. This law will provide tangible relief to Illinois families and retailers of all sizes.

While Visa and Mastercard fight to protect their unchecked duopoly in court, Illinois policymakers have sent a clear message that enough is enough.

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Here’s something you don’t see every day

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sen. Dale Fowler wearing a fake mustache hanging out with Santa and showing off the beauty of southern Illinois…

It’s time I tell you what’s in the vault…
If you saw one of my last videos then you may have been wondering like many others…what’s in the vault?! To tell you properly, in this video I take you back to the beginning, and you’ll never believe who I found in there…🎅

#southernillinoistreasures #hiddengems

Posted by Senator Dale Fowler on Tuesday, February 4, 2025

14 Comments

It’s just a bill

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Chalkbeat Chicago…

llinois lawmakers are proposing a change to state law that would no longer require school districts to use students’ test scores in teacher evaluations.

Senate Bill 28, if approved, would roll back changes made 15 years ago that were aimed at improving teacher evaluation systems amid a push by the federal government under the Obama administration to link teacher quality to students’ success in the classroom.

Democratic state Sens. Kimberly Lightford, the Senate majority leader who represents neighborhoods on Chicago’s west side and western suburbs, and Meg Loughran Cappel, who represents Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, are co-sponsoring the measure, which would leave it up to districts to decide whether to link evaluations to student growth.

The bill passed out of committee with no discussion Tuesday afternoon. According to the Illinois General Assembly’s website, nearly 400 proponents, including the Illinois Educators Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Principal Association, and Illinois Stand for Children have signed witness slips in support of the change. There were only 11 opponents and two with no position, notably one from the Chicago Public Schools.

If the bill is passed into law, changes would take effect July 1, 2025.

* WAND…

Illinois lawmakers are renewing their push to ban retail stores from selling products containing chemicals linked to poor health outcomes.

Senators passed a plan last year to ban stores from selling products with additives like brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, Red Dye 3 and titanium dioxide by January 1, 2027.

They noted the bill could prohibit harmful additives commonly found in candy, pop and ultra-processed food linked to a recent spike in diabetes, autism, ADHD, and cancer. Although, the legislation failed to move in the House.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias led the push to pass the measure last year. The Democrat shared a video message in support of the new proposal Monday night.

“Illinois must act to ban the use of harmful additives,” Giannoulias said in a post on X. “Please contact your state legislators and voice your support for Senate Bill 93 to help ensure Illinoisans, and especially our children, eat safer and healthier food.”

* WTWO…

Two Illinois lawmakers, Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyvile) and Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield), have introduced legislation that would make daylight saving time “the year-round standard time in the entire state.”

The bills, which contain nearly identical language, aim to eliminate the two yearly clock changes in March and November by making daylight saving time permanent. If approved, the change could take effect in March 2026, provided it aligns with federal regulations.

Both bills (HB 1400 and HB 0039) have advanced to the Illinois House Rules Committee, though similar proposals have stalled there in recent years. Because of that, it remains unclear whether either measure will gain enough support to move forward. […]

In any case that Illinois were to pass a law for a permanent daylight saving change, it would still need to comply with federal laws. States that didn’t previously make a change around a Congressional Amendment in 1972 would need approval from U.S. Congress to otherwise make the change a reality.

* Rep. Sonya Harper filed HB2557 yesterday…

Creates the Cannabis Delivery License Act. Provides that a Cannabis Delivery License shall authorize the license holder to deliver cannabis or cannabis-infused products purchased from a licensed dispensary directly to consumers within Illinois. Sets out application and operational requirements. Provides for penalties and enforcement. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to adopt rules. Effective immediately.

* Capitol News Illinois…

House Bill 2502 and Senate Bill 1519 follow the findings of a yearlong investigation by ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune.

The investigation found that schools ticket students for in-schools behavior, even though Illinois law bans school officials from fining students themselves. Instead, they have law enforcement officials issue tickets to students in schools for violating local ordinances.

The investigation found 11,800 tickets were issued to students between 2019 and 2021, and Black students were twice as likely to be ticketed than their white peers. […]

Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, who sponsored the bill in the House, said fees and fines don’t address the underlying issues for which students are ticketed. Instead, he said he thinks school-based discipline, educational programming and restorative justice programs should be used.

“If the student is caught vaping, what benefit to the student is there to have the student get a ticket? The benefit is recognizing that there may be a problem and possibly referring the student to help,” Ford said. “And so, our goal is to help students and not lead them down a path of what we all have heard, the school prison pipeline.”

* HB2534 filed by Rep. Nabeela Syed…

Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Provides that an insurer may not seek information derived from genetic testing for use in connection with a policy of life insurance. Provides that an insurer may consider the results of genetic testing in connection with a policy of life insurance if the individual voluntarily submits the results and the results are favorable to the individual. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an insurer must comply with the provisions of the Genetic Information Privacy Act in connection with the amendment, delivery, issuance, or renewal of a life insurance policy; claims for or denial of coverage under a life insurance policy; or the determination of premiums or rates under a life insurance policy.

* WAND…

State Senate Democrats filed a bill that would make all employers give at least 30 minutes of paid break time for nursing mothers to feed their children.

This would be additional paid break time and wouldn’t conflict with any other paid break such as lunchtime.

State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) said when she was nursing her children at work, it was a struggle to find the time and she didn’t want the future generation of moms to feel the same.

“When you’re a new mom and you’re tired, you’re emotional and you’re getting back to work, for me we did not have that break to take care of my child,” Fine said.

23 Comments

Today’s quotable

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From The Hill…

Frustrations mounted during a tense call last week between Democratic governors and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.). Six Democratic governors, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, pressed Schumer to put up more of a fight against Trump’s agenda.

Healey specifically urged Schumer to slow down Senate votes and do more to stir up public opposition, according to The New York Times, which first reported the call.

That produced an exasperated response from Senate Democrats, who spoke on the floor late into the night Wednesday to highlight the impact the funding freeze ordered by Trump’s budget office would have on communities around the country.

“I would say to my friend [Pritzker], as you would like to have a majority of governors, we would like to have the majority of senators. There’s a limit to how much we can we do,” Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said.

Discuss.

74 Comments

Open thread

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

9 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Advocates ask Illinois lawmakers to increase funding for the unhoused in new budget. WGLT…

- That would mark more than a 30% increase over what the state currently spends on the unhoused.

- The Illinois Shelter Alliance said 4,000 beds are needed to address the increase in homelessness in the state.

* Related stories…

∙ CNI: Pritzker’s budget office projects $3.2B deficit in early look at upcoming fiscal year
∙ Daily Herald: Illinois can overcome its challenging budget realities
∙ Chalkbeat: While the state faces a tighter budget, Illinois’ schools chief asks for a boost in education funding

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | What to do if you encounter a bird or animal with suspected avian flu: Don’t be a hero if you spot birds or animals showing signs of avian flu (dead or distressed birds, multiple signs of sickness). Our instinct is to help, but trying to help a bird with avian flu likely spreads it more.

* Tribune | Madigan jurors end fifth day of deliberations with no verdict: The jury began its discussion Wednesday afternoon, kicking off the final phase of a landmark four-month trial. Altogether the jurors have deliberated for roughly 29 hours — longer than in two other recent high-profile corruption cases. The jury in the “ComEd Four” bribery case, which featured evidence that overlapped significantly with some of the evidence in the Madigan trial, reached a verdict after about 27 hours. Jurors in the racketeering trial of former Ald. Ed Burke found him guilty in about 23 hours.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker stresses importance of federal education funding amid latest threats from Trump: “The Department of Education funds important programs like special education. We have in the state of Illinois many, many parents and their children who need special education and that funding is vital,” Pritzker told reporters at the Illinois state Capitol. “If they take that away, that’s going to be highly detrimental to the people of our state. So, I’m going to do everything I can to preserve that funding. I hope that that doesn’t end up being a target of their attacks. They should know better. It would be shameful to take it away.”

* WAND | Illinois House Republicans demand Pritzker cut migrant services: When it comes to the budget, Cabello said that he wants to bring the new Department of Government Efficiency to Illinois, saying the state should follow Elon Musk’s DOGE and the federal budget cuts. “Let’s find out exactly how much money is going to help people and how much money is going to overhead,” Cabello said. “Because there’s probably way too much money going to the overhead.”

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | New study finds Illinois retail generates $112 billion in economic investment annually: The Illinois Retail Merchants Association told reporters Tuesday that retail is the state’s largest private sector employer, with 1.3 million people working in the industry. IRMA President and CEO Rob Karr said retail also brings in over $7 billion of income and sales taxes for Illinois. The state’s retail sector generates a combined direct and indirect total sales impact of $441 billion and supports 2.4 million jobs.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson team pitches new hemp business license to a skeptical City Council: The city has yet to unveil a comprehensive regulatory framework to address concerns about where intoxicating hemp products are manufactured and how they are sold — despite resisting efforts at the state level that some argued would create a de facto ban on hemp gummies, vapes and other products with delta-8 and delta-9. These products have grown in popularity because of their relative availability and lower price compared to legal marijuana.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign pledge to ban no-knock warrants uncertain amid renewed talks on Anjanette Young ordinance: Johnson confirmed in a City Hall news conference that his administration was working on an updated draft of the so-called Anjanette Young ordinance, named after the Black woman who took on the city following a wrongful police raid that made national headlines in 2020 after video showed Chicago cops leaving Young, a social worker, handcuffed and naked in her home during the search. But the mayor repeatedly dodged questions about whether his latest effort would include a major tenet from the original draft — a ban on no-knock warrants — that was the animating force behind Young’s demands for reform.

* Crain’s | United Airlines looks to add gates at O’Hare as it revs up more growth: United currently has 88 gates to park arriving and departing aircraft at terminals. If the airline is awarded the additional six gates, it opens the door for more growth by O’Hare’s largest carrier at a time when the airport has been lagging behind some of its peers.

* Block Club | Diehard Cubs, Sox Fans Won’t Be Able To Conquer A Red Line Doubleheader This Year: This year, the two teams will only play one three-game series on the same overlapping days in Chicago. The Cubs will host the Milwaukee Brewers and White Sox will host the St. Louis Cardinals June 17-19, but the games will start around the same time.

* ESPN | Inside the Bears hiring of coach Ben Johnson: “Having gone through the process, and having interviewed an extensive field of candidates when Ben was clearly No. 1, and [general manager] Ryan [Poles] said we need to go get him, you had to be ready to move,” Bears chairman George McCaskey said. But before they did, the Bears hosted Tennessee State coach Eddie George on Jan. 19. That put the Bears in compliance with the Rooney Rule, which requires at least two external in-person interviews with minority candidates — Ron Rivera was the other. George’s interview was scheduled at least a week before, two sources said. It was George’s only head coaching interview this cycle.

* WBEZ | His pizza wowed even Chicago’s best chefs. But there’s a gut punch.: Last July, doctors discovered cancer in Goldsmith’s stomach. It was a cosmic gut punch for a man who has spent two decades sending customers out the door with delightfully stuffed bellies. Three days after the Banchets, Goldsmith underwent surgery to remove the tumor in his abdomen, which had been successfully shrunk during rounds of chemotherapy.

* South Side Weekly | Brazilian Funk Gains a Foothold in Chicago: The show Brazilian Funk Night combines “all of this Brazilian music with a funk groove and a lot of improvisation,” said Marcel Bonfim, the ensemble’s musical director and bassist. Bonfim is from São Paulo, Brazil, and has performed on stages such as the Chicago Jazz Festival and Jazz Showcase in the South Loop. A year ago, Bonfim released his debut album, Farewell/Despedida, an ode to his immigration journey from Brazil to the United States. He created Brazilian Funk Night as a passion project, with the December show as the second iteration of the night. It all began with inspiration from one of Brazil’s most prolific bands from the ’70s, Banda Black Rio.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | As Cook County’s environmental justice policy takes shape, communities voice priorities and concerns: Several days after Tara Stamps was appointed as a Cook County board commissioner in the summer of 2023, heavy storms flooded homes in her district’s West Side neighborhoods — including her own. “So I wasn’t just a representative, I was a victim,” Stamps said at a Monday town hall focused on the county’s draft of its first-ever environmental justice policy. “My uncle who lives with me who’s a double amputee diabetic, was just on his bed, like a life raft, in the basement. And what’s so sad about that is, so many of the elders were like prisoners in their own homes during this time.”

* Daily Southtown | Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark drops out of race for Thornton Township supervisor: Christopher Clark announced Tuesday he withdrew his candidacy for Thornton Township supervisor to prioritize his work as mayor of Harvey. Clark said the challenges facing Harvey, including $165 million of debt, demand his full attention, leading him to drop out of the township race. “I want people in the city of Harvey to know and understand that even in this particular case, I am willing to make that sacrifice for them,” Clark said Tuesday.

* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County volunteers search deep into the night for the homeless; ‘They left their warm homes to : Cunningham was one of more than 100 volunteers and a small fleet of cars patrolling Lake County on the night of Jan. 29 as part of the 2025 Homeless Point-in-Time Count that she has taken part in for over two decades. The county was broken into smaller regions, and teams of volunteers were given a map of several common locations to check within their regions.

* Fox Chicago | Bus driver shortage in Homer Glen leaves students waiting, district scrambles for solutions: Just last week, 18 bus drivers were absent. Many of them were on medical leave, and others were on sick leave. There are also seven job vacancies right now. What that ultimately means, is that 10 workers from other areas had to get behind the wheel. That included retired drivers, mechanics, and dispatchers who had to step up.

* Daily Southtown | New Lenox gun shop owner, business partner argue wrongful asset seizure and forfeiture abuse in federal lawsuit: New Lenox business owners Jeffery Regnier and Greta Keranen said their lives were turned upside down after officials raided their home and businesses in 2023 while investigating them for money laundering. Regnier said the investigation began due to a $750,000 cash deposit made to his bank, which he says came from a large spike in gun sales at his store, Kee Firearms and Training in New Lenox, during the COVID-19 pandemic. , who ran unsuccessfully in the 2022 Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District, and Keranen, of Kees Construction, face 29 felony charges for fraud and theft of COVID-19 relief funds as well as other offenses, according to two indictments filed in 2023.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | McLean County advisory group recommends spending around $1M to help unhoused: McLean County’s Mental Health and Public Safety Fund Advisory Council [FAC] is recommending around $1 million from the $1.5 million 2025 budget for the taxpayer fund go toward a non-congregate project for the unhoused population. “Between people living unsheltered and people providing services to those unsheltered consistently, we know that we have this gap for people that are chronically unhoused, and we need to shift,” Marita Landreth, the county’s behavioral health director, said in an interview with WGLT.

* WCIS | Under new ISBE requirement, District 186 works to improve student literacy: District 186 has five schools placed on the intensive school list. Meaning, they went through one round, which is four years of an improvement year cycle. But, they have yet to reach the commendable list. Assistant Superintendent, Nicole Moody, said the new requirement will provide benefits for the district. “I think it’s a positive thing that our state board is partnering with districts about what’s happening with the schools,” Moody said. “Particularly the schools that need the most support.”

* BND | Metro-east attorney steps up to help immigrants who fear deportation: Marleen Menendez Suarez’s law firm has been busy over the past few days, and it is all because of a Facebook post she published on Jan. 20 saying that she would prepare legal guardianship and power of attorney documents for free for anyone who fears deportation. “People are very afraid, and they’re very afraid for their children because many of them are U.S. citizens,” Suarez said. “What they’re facing is, if both mom and dad get deported, what happens to their kids, and this is what occurred to me, too. This is why I started doing what I was doing.”

* Herald-Review | On ‘World Nutella Day,’ Gov. Pritzker ‘proud’ of Ferrero’s investment in Bloomington plant: Gov. JB Pritzker marks “World Nutella Day” in the Illinois Capitol. Officials with Ferraro were in Springfield to mark the occasion.

* WAND | Icy conditions across central Illinois: Temperatures will be slow to climb above freezing today, especially north. Ice accumulations will range from a glaze across the south to one-tenth of an inch across our northern hometowns. The freezing rain will change over to all rain south by afternoon and across the north early tonight before ending late tonight.

* PJ Star | Folk music icon Bob Dylan announces Peoria show. Here’s what you need to know: The city was one of 16 additional dates added Monday to Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour. The Prairie Home Alliance Theater at the Peoria Civic Center will host the musician at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 9. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7. As of now, this is Dylan’s lone show in Illinois.

*** National ***

* WGN | NFL replacing ‘End Racism’ message in end zones for Super Bowl LIX: According to the NFL, the end zones at Caesars Superdome for Super Bowl LIX will say “Choose Love” this year. The message aims to counter the catastrophes that have plagued the country since the start of 2025, including the New Orleans terror attack, the Los Angeles wildfires, and the most recent plane crashes in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.

* AP | Trump and Musk demand termination of federal office leases through General Services Administration: The order seems to contradict Trump’s own return-to-office mandate for federal employees, adding confusion to what was already a scramble by the GSA to find workspace, internet connections and office building security credentials for employees who had been working remotely for years. But it may reflect the Trump administration’s belief that it won’t need as many offices due to its efforts to fire employees or encourage them to resign.

* Politico | Mass deportations haven’t arrived but Trump’s PR blitz has: And yet, the number of daily Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, trumpeted each day on X, are still about where they were at times under President Barack Obama. Many of those detained have no violent criminal history and thousands have been quietly released for lack of detention capacity. Drugs and illegal immigrants are still slipping across the border each day.

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

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Wednesday, Feb 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. 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.