It’s just a bill (Updated x2)
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* The Illinois Education Association…
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) is working to pass Senate Bill 2914 this session, a bill that would put an end to a long-time practice of school administrators keeping accusations that have been proven false in an educator’s employment record.
IEA seeks safe public schools for every student and every school employee and supports accountability for misconduct. This bill includes a right to challenge issuance of the warning, or allegations in the warning, to the school board and allows the facts to be reviewed by a non-biased third party, if necessary.
School management associations, including the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Large Unit District Association, Illinois Principals Association and others have launched a disinformation campaign against the bill.
“Think about this: School management is fighting to keep false accusations against educators in their permanent employment record. No wonder we have a teacher shortage. No teacher deserves their career and reputation taken from them based on unsubstantiated, faulty claims,” said IEA President Karl Goeke.
The bill does the following:
- Seeks to ensure that when a Notice to Remedy is used, the allegations included in the warning are factual and substantiated. It does NOT change current practice in issuing a warning or limiting management’s decision-making authority on addressing misconduct.
- Keeps students safe. These warnings are issued for behavior that is considered “remedial,” and are not intended as an avenue to address misconduct that impacts student safety. If misconduct rises to the level of student safety, it is NOT impacted by this bill.
- Allows a non-biased third party to assess the allegation to prevent frivolous cases and hold everyone accountable. Arbitration is not the goal, but is necessary when a warning cannot be supported by fact. The cost of the arbitrator will be split between the union and the district and NOT on the district alone. […]
The bill passed out of a House committee last week on a 7-2 vote. It is awaiting a vote on the House floor.
…Adding… I was just sent a short SB2914 bill analysis…
Under current law, a school district gives a teacher a Notice to Remedy if there are allegations of student-related misconduct that could be remedied because substantial harm to a student has not yet occurred. This notice process is commonly used in situations related to student safety or student well-being that do not yet rise to the level of substantial harm to a student but pose concerns. The School Code lays out the process for providing a Notice to Remedy, including a requirement that the school district vote on the language of the notice.
The bill amends this process in two significant ways: (1) expands what must be included in the warning before school board approval; and (2) permits the recipient of the notice to proceed to binding arbitration after the school board vote and allows the arbitrator to render a decision on the specifics of the written warning. The plain language of the bill makes binding arbitration available for any matter subject to a notice, meaning there are no limitations on what topics can or cannot be the subject of a notice of remedy that proceeds to binding arbitration. The bill does not provide guidance to the arbitrator or limit the findings of an arbitrator. In practice, the bill gives the arbitrator the ability to override a vote of an elected school board and lengthens an already lengthy process.
…Adding…
A response from the Illinois Education Association in regard toSenate Bill 2914:
A school district can give a Notice to Remedy (NTR) for a wide range of alleged misconduct – not just student-related issues. For instance, an NTR could be issued in regard to attendance, record keeping, insubordination, or other issues. Current law states that nothing prevents administrators from moving straight to dismissal for issues involving student safety. SB 2914 does not change that. SB 2914 does not dictate what conduct can and cannot be addressed through an NTR. That is a management decision and remains a management decision.
SB 2914 requires that the “warning specify the nature of the alleged misconduct that needs to be remedied.” In fact, the bill includes language allowing the establishment of patterns of behavior, which was a request of school management. The bill establishes a process for fair due process when allegations in a warning are unsubstantiated. And, the elected school board is an essential part of the process in the bill.
Arbitration is the necessary, impartial third-party level of due process. IEA supports accountability for misconduct. Arbitration is not the goal. Only NTRs with false, undocumented or unsubstantiated allegations require arbitration. Keeping documentation of false or unsubstantiated allegations in a teacher’s file for the remainder of their career should never be acceptable.
* Press release…
During a press conference Wednesday, members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus will outline their proposal to enhance AI protections as it relates to mental health help, identity security, price-gouging safeguards and much more.
WHO: State Senators Bill Cunningham, Mary Edly-Allen, Laura Ellman, Graciela Guzmán, Rob Martwick, Laura Murphy, Steve Stadelman, Rachel Ventura and Karina Villa
WHAT: Press conference on legislation to protect against harmful AI outcomes
WHEN: Wednesday, May 13 at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Blue Room, Illinois State Capitol and live on BlueRoomStream.com
* Sen. Linda Holmes…
State Senator Linda Holmes continues to lead measures to restrict species from owners of traveling animal acts by adding more specific breeds to the list of wildlife banned for this use. […]
House Bill 4255 would add specific breeds to the offense of unlawful use of animals in traveling acts to include cougars, jaguars, leopards, lions, tigers, non-human primates, bears, and all elephants, not just endangered species. It also adds any hybrids of these animals. Anyone knowingly using a covered animal would be committing a Class A misdemeanor.
According to Humane World for Animals (formerly known as the Humane Society), big cats, non-human primates, bears, and other wild animals used in traveling acts and circuses are caged. Some operators charge premiums to feed, pet, hold, play with or ride the animals, and dangerous animal incidents are increasingly reported across the United States.
Animals used for public handling are typically pulled from their mothers shortly after birth to be hand-raised, a practice that denies newborns critical maternal care. Baby animals with weak immune systems are subjected to stress, neglect, and mistreatment associated with public handling.
“Wild creatures aren’t on this planet for our handling and amusement,” Holmes said. “These out-of-state exhibitors are solely to blame for this exploitation and harm. As county fair and festival season is coming, we hope Illinois families will no longer be exposed to this cruelty.”
House Bill 4255 passed in the Senate Criminal Law Committee Wednesday. It now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
* Rep. Kimberly DuBuclet…
State Rep. Kimberly DuBuclet has introduced House Bill 5759 to establish the Illinois Baby Bond Trust Fund, a long-term economic mobility initiative designed to address persistent wealth disparities and strengthen financial opportunity for children born into low-income households.
Under the proposal, children born in Illinois through the Medicaid program after July 1, 2024, would receive a state-administered trust account seeded with $5,000 and managed by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. Eligible participants would gain access to the matured account upon turning 18 and maintaining Illinois residency, with funds intended to support asset-building opportunities such as higher education, workforce training, homeownership, or small business development.
The legislation is grounded in the understanding that economic inequality is driven not only by income disparities, but also by unequal access to capital, assets, and long-term wealth accumulation. HB 5759 seeks to create an early financial foundation for children born into economically vulnerable households while advancing a preventative, asset-based approach to economic development.
“We cannot talk seriously about economic mobility without addressing the structural barriers that prevent families from building long-term financial stability,” said Rep. DuBuclet. “This legislation recognizes that wealth creation often begins with access to capital and opportunity. By investing early in children and families, we can help create stronger pathways into the middle class and reduce long-term economic inequities.”
Supporters of the proposal point to growing national research suggesting that early-childhood asset investments can produce measurable long-term public benefits, including improved educational attainment, increased workforce participation, higher rates of homeownership, and reduced reliance on public assistance programs later in life.
The legislation also reflects a broader national policy conversation around Baby Bonds and public wealth-building strategies aimed at narrowing racial and generational wealth gaps. HB 5759 is modeled in part after Connecticut’s Baby Bonds program and would position Illinois among the first states in the nation pursuing a statewide trust fund initiative of this scale.
“This is not simply a social program—it is a long-term economic strategy,” DuBuclet said. “If Illinois wants to strengthen its future workforce, expand economic participation, and build a more resilient economy, we must be willing to invest in young people early and intentionally.”
The Illinois Baby Bond Trust Fund would be administered through the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, with implementation and oversight responsibilities established through state rulemaking processes.
Rep. DuBuclet introduced HB5759 late last month, but it has not yet been assigned to a committee.
* WAND…
The Illinois Senate Education Committee unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to help schools alert first responders to emergencies faster. […]
This bill requires public and private schools to consider using a mobile panic alert system for emergency and crisis response. Sponsors said the Illinois State Police will work with the State Board of Education and Emergency Management Agency to develop rules for the panic alert system.
“We are moving to limit the use of cell phones in schools,” said Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Crest Hill). “I think this is a measure to help schools and districts consider ways that parents can feel safe to have their kids in school.”
House Bill 5107 now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration. It received unanimous support in the House last month.
* Press release…
Illinois Senate GOP to Discuss Proposals Focused on Property Tax Relief and Transparency
WHO: State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason)
State Senator Chris Balkema (R-Channahon)
State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry)
WHAT: Illinois Senate GOP press conference to discuss Proposals aimed at improving Illinois’ property tax system by creating greater consistency in assessments for wind and solar energy projects, reducing unnecessary paperwork for senior citizens receiving homestead exemptions, creating a new property tax exemption for qualifying senior citizens, and modernizing how property assessment information is made available to the public.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Illinois Capitol Blue Room
* WAND…
[HB4948] would require drivers who commit two offenses within a year to install the speed limiting device in their vehicle. This comes as sponsors said 75% of people with suspended licenses continue to drive. […]
House Bill 4948 passed unanimously out of the Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.
“Our current methods are not working,” said Rudy Faust with Families for Safe Streets. “The intelligent speed assistance program is a practical and equitable step towards saving lives of both drivers and vulnerable road users without limiting mobility.”
This plan previously passed out of the House on a 77-24 vote with on representative voting present.
* More…
* WAND | IL Senate committee approves plan requiring court date reminder texts for people on pretrial release: The bill would require pretrial service agencies to send two reminder text messages to people on pretrial release before their required court dates. It also states that pretrial services agencies must keep a copy of the message and a delivery receipt within their records. Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) said research shows texts are very effective in helping people make their court dates.
* Sun-Times | State lawmakers want to rein in artificial intelligence: Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, is pushing for AI models to be defined as “products,” leaving them liable for any damage they cause a user — in the same way sickness from contaminated food or a car crash from faulty design falls on the shoulders of their producers. “If there were warning signs for suicidal ideation or psychosis, a human being might refer that person to a professional who could help,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “By contrast, what we’re seeing with AI chatbots is that they are predisposed to validating everything that a human being says, even if it is wrong or dangerous.”
* WVIK | Illinois lawmakers weighing proposal expanding housing and support services for people leaving prison: The Home for Good Act, HB0624, would create a statewide reentry housing and services program aimed at reducing homelessness among formerly incarcerated people and lowering recidivism by connecting returning residents to support services. The bill passed the House on April 17 by a vote of 63 to 34. […] SB4162 has been assigned to the Appropriations committee and awaits the Senate’s vote, with a committee deadline of Friday, May 15.
* Fox Chicago | Video: Illinois lawmaker on megaproject bill, AI regulation: State Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) spoke with us about a number of key issues in Springfield, including the status of the megaprojects bill key to a new Bears stadium and another bill to put more regulations on AI models.
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Another day, another loss for Tom DeVore
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tom DeVore lawsuit filed last year…
COMPLAINT
Plaintiff Thomas G. DeVore, through counsel, complains against Defendant Tony McCombie, as the Illinois State Representative of the 89th District and Illinois Republican House Minority Leader, as follows:
Nature of the Case
1. In this First Amendment case, Plaintiff challenges the constitutionality of the manner in which Republican State Representative and Republican Minority House Leader McCombie regulates speech on a Facebook Page she utilizes to discuss government business and to interact with users about government business.
2. Defendant McCombie uses an official Facebook Page to discuss government business and to interact with users about government business. For approximately seven years, she has utilized this Facebook Page to discuss government business and has interacted with users about government business in relation to her roles as a Republican State Representative as well as Republican House Minority Leader.
3. Hundreds of Illinois citizens participate in the comments sections of this Facebook Page, expressing opinions, asking questions, and engaging in debate. Because of the way Leader McCombie uses her Facebook Page, the Page is a public forum under the First Amendment.
4. In an effort to suppress dissent in this forum, McCombie hides or deletes certain comments that criticize her or her policies, thereby making those comments invisible to the other constituents who are engaging in discussion on her Facebook Page and preventing certain citizens from engaging in debate with other members of the community. In at least one instance, Minority Leader McCombie has permanently banned Plaintiff from being able to engage in this forum at all after he has posted comments critical of the McCombie’s political activities, thereby completely prohibiting Plaintiff from being able to petition the Republican House Minority Leader on this public forum. These actions amount to content-based regulation of speech that violates the First Amendment.
Basically, DeVore was claiming that Leader McCombie’s personal/political Facebook page was actually her de facto official page, even though she clearly has a separate official page. The whole thing was doomed from the start.
* Great lawyering there, Tom…
“Failed to state a claim for relief.”
Sheesh.
He should really think about sticking to selling egg rolls.
…Adding… Click here for the full opinion.
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* Starting off with some background from SCOTUS blog…
The Supreme Court [last month], in the case of Louisiana v. Callais, struck down a Louisiana congressional map that a group of voters who describe themselves as “non-African American” had challenged as the product of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. By a vote of 6-3, the justices left in place a ruling by a federal court that barred the state from using the map, which had created a second majority-Black district, in future elections. Although Wednesday’s ruling did not strike down a key provision of the federal Voting Rights Act, as Louisiana and the challengers had asked the court to do, Justice Elena Kagan suggested in her dissent (which was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson) that the majority opinion by Justice Samuel Alito had rendered the provision “all but a dead letter.”
The decision was the latest, and presumably final, chapter in a long-running dispute arising from Louisiana’s efforts to adopt a new congressional map in the wake of the 2020 census. The first map that the state adopted, in 2022, had one majority-Black district out of the six allotted to the state. A group of Black voters – who comprise roughly one-third of the state’s population – went to federal court, where they alleged that the map violated Section 2 of the VRA, which prohibits discrimination in voting. […]
“In sum,” Alito concluded, “because the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create an additional majority-minority district, no compelling interest justified the State’s use of race in creating SB8. That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander, and its use would violate the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.” […]
But the requirements that the court imposes on Wednesday, Kagan contended, “will effectively insulate any practice, including any districting scheme, said by a State to have any race-neutral justification. That justification can sound in traditional districting criteria, or else can sound in politics and partisanship. As to the latter, the State need do nothing more than announce a partisan gerrymander,” she said. “Assuming the State has left behind no smoking-gun evidence of a race-based motive (an almost fanciful prospect), Section 2 will play no role.”
* NPR earlier this month…
Tennessee Republicans on Thursday passed a new congressional map that would crack Shelby County — home to majority-Black Memphis — into three different districts, in an effort to eliminate the state’s lone remaining Democratic-held seat. […]
The state is the first to pass a new congressional map after the U.S. Supreme Court last week weakened the Voting Rights Act’s protections against racial discrimination in redistricting. […]
Tennessee GOP lawmakers defended the new map, saying their goal is partisan, to send an all-Republican delegation to Washington, D.C. […]
President Trump has urged Tennessee and other GOP-led states to redraw their maps before this fall’s midterm elections, as part of his mid-decade redistricting push. Earlier Thursday, Tennessee Gov. Lee signed a bill that repealed a state law prohibiting mid-decade redistricting.
* The Associated Press yesterday…
The US Supreme Court on Monday set the stage for Alabama to eliminate one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections, creating an opening for Republicans to gain an additional U.S. House seat in a partisan battle for control of the closely divided chamber.
The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling in April that struck down a majority-Black U.S. House district in Louisiana as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, significantly weakening a provision of the federal Voting Rights Act.
Alabama officials had pointed to the Louisiana case as reason for the Supreme Court to end a judicial order to use a court-imposed House map until after the 2030 census. The high court on Monday overturned that order and directed a lower court to reconsider the case in light of the Louisiana decision. That could free the state to instead use a map approved in 2023 by the Republican-led legislature that includes only one district where Black residents comprise a majority.
Anticipating a court reversal, Alabama officials recently enacted a law allowing it to void the results of a May 19 primary for some congressional districts and instead hold a new primary under the revised district boundaries. Alabama had asked for an expedited decision ahead of the primary.
* Moving on to Missouri and South Carolina…
Missouri’s top court is hearing an important legal challenge [today] to one of President Donald Trump’s earliest redistricting successes while lawmakers in Louisiana and South Carolina weigh whether to become the most recent Republican states to redraw U.S. House districts ahead of the midterm elections.
Rather than waning, a national redistricting battle that began 10 months ago has intensified as the November elections draw nearer — inflamed by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and provided grounds for states to try to eliminate voting districts with large minority populations.
Missouri was the second Republican state after Texas to heed Trump’s call last year to redraw congressional districts to help the GOP win additional seats in the midterms. At issue before the Missouri Supreme Court is whether the new districts violate a state constitutional requirement to be compact, and whether they can remain in place for this year’s elections despite an initiative petition seeking to force a public referendum.
In South Carolina, the issue facing Republican lawmakers is whether redrawing the state’s lone Democratic-held seat could open the door to a clean sweep for Republicans or backfire with additional losses by making more districts competitive for Democrats. State senators have yet to decide whether to allow consideration of a redistricting plan put forth in the House after the legislature’s regular work ends Thursday.
* The Tampa Bay Times…
After a mid-cycle redistricting push to solidify Republican rule, Black voters in Tampa Bay find themselves splintered into five sprawling districts. The new map dilutes Black voting power, which leans Democratic, and threatens the region’s lone blue seat. […]
The 14th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold held by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, saw dramatic change.
Under the old map, the district covered the eastern half of St. Petersburg and much of Tampa. Its population was 17.7% Black. Now, its boundaries cut out East Tampa, parts of Ybor City and all of Pinellas County, including southern St. Petersburg.
The district lost more than 47,000 Black residents, whose share of the population fell to 11.5%, according to 2020 Census population data that states are required to use when redistricting.
District 13, a Pinellas County district that Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna carried by nearly 10 points in her most recent election, lost more than 6,000 Black residents. The redistricting makes it even redder.
* A reporter asked President Donald Trump today for his thoughts on redistricting and concerns about Black members of Congress being drawn “off the map”…
* More…
* Stateline | Supreme Court voting rights ruling set to reshape local power from statehouses to school boards: “While everyone has been focusing on what this means for the power in Congress, there’s a whole other sector of power that it changes,” said Davante Lewis, an elected member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and one of the litigants in a case that pushed Louisiana to create the congressional maps that were eventually struck down in the Callais ruling. “This is a decision on who gets to serve on a school board, who gets to serve on a city council, who gets representation in the judiciary,” Lewis said.
* NPR | Southern Republicans redistrict after Supreme Court rules, Dems lose big in Virginia: The Supreme Court of Virginia Friday nullified the results of a special election on April 21, where 1.6 million Virginians approved redistricting that Democrats hoped would win them four more House seats. In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the legislature followed the wrong process for putting the question, an amendment to the state constitution, on the ballot. Meanwhile, Southern Republicans rushed to redraw their states’ congressional voting maps after an April 29 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which weakened voting rights protections for minority communities.
* AP | Republicans have gained an edge in a US House redistricting battle. What states are taking action?: So far, Republicans believe they could win up to 14 additional seats from new districts in Texas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain up to six seats from new districts in California and Utah. But those tallies presume past voting patterns hold in November. Historically, the president’s party tends to lose seats in the midterms. Democrats need to gain just a few seats in November to wrest control of the House from Republicans, which would give them greater power to oppose Trump.
* The Hill | These are the Southern red states moving to redistrict after Supreme Court ruling: Tennessee lawmakers successfully shepherded through a new congressional map this past week that carves up the state’s only majority-Black district and threatens the lone Democrat in the nine-member House delegation. The new map splits Rep. Steve Cohen’s (D) Memphis-based 9th Congressional District into three congressional districts, while further dividing the city of Nashville into five districts.
* Bloomberg | Democrats Still Hold House Edge Despite Redistricting Setbacks: Democrats currently have a six-point advantage in a generic congressional ballot test, according to Nate Silver’s “Silver Bulletin” newsletter. Data journalist G. Elliott Morris said Sunday that Democrats need to win the nationwide House vote by four percentage points to win control of the chamber. “Republicans have gained a new structural advantage through redistricting,” the nonpartisan Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter wrote Monday. “We continue to rate Democrats as favored to win control of the House, but they are no longer overwhelming favorites.”
* The Hill | With few options left in redistricting, Democrats ramp up affordability message: The House Democratic Caucus will huddle as a group Thursday in the Capitol to chart its next steps on each front. And party leaders insist the Virginia ruling, while a setback, is no permanent barrier to achieving their goals. “We remain undeterred,” Jeffries wrote Monday in a letter to fellow Democrats. “Our effort to forcefully push back against the Republican redistricting scheme will not slow down. We are just getting started.”
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