Budget-related, transit bills finally start to move
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * The House has approved the appropriations bill… ![]() Democratic Reps. Kifowit and Walsh voted against the budget. Rep. Ammons is excused. Rep. Crespo, who was ejected from the House Democratic caucus, voted for it. In case you somehow missed it, our end of session “cheat sheet” is here. * Senate narrowly passes revenue bill (without the digital ad tax)… ![]() According to Brenden, Democratic Sens. Belt, Glowiak Hilton, Halpin, Joyce, Loughran Cappel and Turner voted against it, and Sens. Fine, Lightford (excused) and Ellman didn’t vote. * Senate narrowly passes the BIMP… ![]() * Senate approves appropriations bill on final passage… ![]() * House approves revenue omnibus on final passage… ![]() * Senate passes transit bill that is doomed in the House… ![]() * House approves BIMP on final passage… ![]() * Senate passes bond authorization bill… ![]() * House approves bond authorization bill on final passage… ![]()
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Even more session updates (Updated x5)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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UPDATE: Digital ad tax deleted in proposed amendment - Digital ad tax revived in revenue omnibus (Updated x3)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller *** UPDATE *** I told this to subscribers a bit ago: The Senate has introduced amendment 3 to the revenue bill (HB2755). The amendment deletes Article 92, the digital ad tax, and then removes it from the effective date section. So, if they adopt amendments 2 and 3, there will be no digital ad tax. Adding: Senate Assignments has moved amendments 2 and 3 to the floor. The tax appears dead. Adding: The Senate narrowly approved the revenue bill without the ad tax. It now moves to the House. * As of late yesterday, the Democrats were saying that they’d dropped the idea of taxing digital ads on big corporations. But a slightly broader Digital Advertisement Tax Act is included in today’s omnibus revenue bill…
There’s other language requiring companies that have at least $25 million in sales to file tax returns, but it doesn’t look like they have to pay anything. Anyway, Mark Zuckerberg et al ain’t gonna be happy. …Adding… The revenue estimate on the original digital ad tax was $725 million. So, if they’re estimating a billion dollars in increased revenue (as Sen. Elgie Sims said yesterday), it seems unlikely that this money is included, perhaps because a raft of lawsuits are expected. …Adding… Ah, OK. A group of progressive Senators working with some House members apparently pushed for this tax. I’d heard earlier today that they were trying to bolster health spending. …Adding… OK, things are more clear now. If you scroll down to the very end of the revenue bill, you’ll see effective dates. The digital ad tax (Article 92) doesn’t take effect until January 1, 2027. * Here are a few other items. The dollar estimates come from House Revenue Committee Chair Curtis Tarver during this evening’s hearing…
* Delays final payment from sales tax on motor fuel to Road Fund. $171 million. * Sports wagering tax: The tax shall be $0.25 per wager for the first 20,000,000 annual combined Tier 1 and Tier 2 wagers. The tax shall be $0.50 per wager for each wager in excess of 20,000,000 annual combined Tier 1 and Tier 2 wagers. $36 million. * Removes hotel exemption for short-term rental hosting platforms. $15 million. * Adds nicotine analogs (click here) to the tax rolls, as well as “any form of the chemical nicotine,” except for smoking cessation products. Increase tobacco tax to 44 cents. * “Joyce v. Finnegan” change, which is explained here: $72 million.
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The Utah weirdness deepens
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * As we discussed earlier this month, Salt Lake City’s Deseret News allegedly “confirmed” that Gov. JB Pritzker would speak at a Democratic Party event in Ogden, Utah on May 31, which is today. That turned out to be false. Pritzker did not agree to appear, but was sending a video. * Last night, Salt Lake City’s ABC4 reported this…
* OK, three things… 1) Pritzker is in Springfield; Click here for the video.
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Villivalam lays out transit plan to reporters (Updated x4)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here to read the new transit reform and funding proposal. The Senate sponsor, Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) talked to reporters shortly before the language surfaced… Summary of Villivalam’s remarks about funding…
* $50 million fare increases * $113 million in efficiencies * Package/delivery tax, which they’re calling an “environmental impact fee” [groceries, medications will be exempt] * Rideshare tax …Adding… Regarding the delivery tax…
There’s lots more in the bill than what he talked about. * Transcript…
Please pardon all transcription errors. A top union official said this afternoon that organized labor is “full speed ahead” on the plan. …Adding… More revenue…
…Adding… Two letters sent to legislators against the proposed delivery tax. Faith leaders, Latino leaders. …Adding… We’ve talked about this before, but here is some of the real estate transfer tax language…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - More session updates (Updated x3)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * As we wait for final language on transit reform, another transit mystery appears… ![]() * JG-TC | What could downstate Illinois’ public transit agencies get in new funding bill?: Currently, about 7.5% of state sales taxes collected within transit service areas are deposited into the Downstate Public Transportation Fund, which funds 65% of the operating costs of public transit districts. The remaining share comes from fares and local revenue sources. More than $300 million is expected to be deposited into the fund this fiscal year, according to budget documents. But under the proposed revamp, the share of state sales tax dedicated to downstate transit would increase to about 12.5% and the state cost share would increase to 75% for urban transit districts and 80% in rural districts. * Sun-Times | For mentally ill people facing low-level charges, lawmakers take steps to get them care, not prosecution: The legislation would put a time limit on how long people facing a misdemeanor charge could be held in a hospital. Because they wouldn’t have spent more than a year in jail for a misdemeanor, they wouldn’t spend more than a year in treatment. * Daily Herald | Three-point seat belts to be required on new school buses in Illinois: The belts will be required in every seat in newly purchased or leased school buses. Buses already in operation won’t need to be retrofitted with belts. * Tribune Chicago arts commissioner touts increased grants for artists, defends against criticism | Chicago arts commissioner touts increased grants for artists, defends against criticism: Hedspeth is proud of having secured the extra money, given Chicago’s thorny fiscal outlook. Johnson and the City Council budgeted $7 million for the grants, $1 million more than the year before, but less than the $10 million allocated in former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s 2023 budget, when the city’s coffers were bolstered by a massive influx of federal COVID-19 funding. * Crain’s | Ascension nears $3.9B deal for outpatient centers, including 3 around Chicago: Ascension’s own footprint in the Chicago market has recently shrunk, as it sold eight of its hospitals to Prime Healthcare in February and closed Ascension St. Elizabeth in Chicago. Ascension maintained ownership of Ascension Alexian Brothers and Ascension Alexian Brothers Rehabilitation hospitals in Elk Grove Village; Ascension Saint Alexius and Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health hospitals in Hoffman Estates; and Ascension Saint Joseph in Chicago, as well as several other assisted living communities. The deal would give Ascension, one of the biggest nonprofit health systems in the US, added scale amid a broader shift in which care is moving toward lower-cost settings outside of traditional hospitals. * Block Club | Irving Park Food Pantry Awarded $1 Million City Grant To Build New Home: The $1 million grant will go toward the development of a multi-use building the food pantry and other nonprofits and community groups will use, city officials said. It’s estimated the project will cost about $2.1 million to complete, and it should not need a zoning change to move forward, Psiharis said. * WBEZ | What happened to Chicago’s Japanese neighborhood?: The reason Chicago’s Japanese neighborhood disappeared is directly tied to a Chicago immigrant experience like no other. Japanese-Americans didn’t end up in Chicago of their own accord: The U.S. government forcibly resettled 20,000 of them to the city from World War II incarceration camps. And, as part of that effort, the government pressured them to shed their Japanese identities and assimilate into white society. * WTTW | The Bank of America Chicago 13.1 Half Marathon Is Sunday. Here Are the Expected Street Closures, Race Schedule: The fourth annual Bank of America Chicago 13.1 half marathon on Sunday is expected to bring 10,000 runners through the West Side. The course starts and ends at Garfield Park and also takes runners through Douglass Park and Humboldt Park. The race begins at 7 a.m. Sunday. Race-related events, including a wellness walk and race day festival, will also be held throughout the weekend. * Sun-Times | 23 students at Whitney Young Magnet High School get perfect ACT scores: That was a first in the school’s 50-year history, Harris said. Students in past years had received perfect scores, but it was a first to have that many students get perfect scores in the same year. The ACT tests students’ knowledge and skills in English, mathematics, reading, writing and science reasoning. Less than 1% of students who take the ACT nationally get a perfect score of 36. * WTTW | ‘Egregious Delays’ and No Attorney Assistance: How Those Incarcerated Fight Their Convictions: Every year, hundreds of people in Cook County file these petitions, compiling alleged evidence of police misconduct, violations of constitutional rights or claims of actual innocence. It’s a vital tool for those alleging injustice to get a new trial or be resentenced — Chicago has some of the highest numbers of wrongful convictions in the nation. Incarcerated people typically file on their own, as they don’t have the right to an attorney provided by the state for these petitions. * Daily Herald | Neighbors oppose marijuana dispensary proposed near Bartlett day care center: But officials at the DuPage County Health Department clarified Friday that under current regulations it can’t issue a food permit to any retail operation offering products that contain hemp. * Daily Herald | West Dundee begins exterior demolition of shuttered Spring Hill Mall: Earlier this month, Carpentersville officials approved purchasing the recently closed Kohl’s store — the last remaining portion of the mall that was up for sale — for $2 million. West Dundee officials have said buying the mall was critical to reimagining the property into a mixed-use development featuring residential, retail and entertainment. A recent study indicated that the 70 acres of mall property inside the ring road and another 32 acres adjacent to it could support up to 1,500 residential units and 325,000 square feet of commercial use. The mall offered 1 million square feet of commercial space. * SJ-R | That’s a wrap: Annual charity music festival not returning to Springfield: On May 23, the Legacy of Giving (LoG) Music Festival announced the end of the chapter for the annual festival. Citing reflection on the end of the event, organizers posted to Facebook the difficult decision to not stage a festival in 2025, and thanking past volunteers and sponsors of the event. “While we’re unable to continue the festival in its current form, we are incredibly proud of the impact it has had, raising both awareness and funds for charity,” the Facebook post said. “The memories we’ve created, the talents we’ve celebrated, and the causes we’ve supported will remain a testament to the power of coming together as a community.” * WCIA | Former Clark Co. student arrested in Indiana after bomb threat of former school: A former Marshall High School graduate was arrested in Indiana after planning to deploy destructive devices at her former school. In a joint statement from the Marshall Police Department and Marshall Community School District, they announced that on Friday, they were informed of the arrest of a past graduate of Marshall High School in Evansville, Indiana, where the female subject currently lives. * Bloomberg | Trump’s attorney general steps up fight with American Bar Association: The Trump administration will not provide the American Bar Association with access to its judicial nominees, escalating a fight with the group that traditionally rates the candidates ahead of Senate confirmation hearings. […] The Justice Department will no longer tell judicial nominees to provide waivers to the ABA to access non-public information, according to the letter. The nominees also will not sit for interviews with the ABA or respond to questionnaires from the group. * WIRED | The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database: The Department of Justice has argued that extensive DNA collection activity at the border provides “an assessment of the danger” a migrant potentially “poses to the public” and will essentially help solve crimes that may be committed in the future. Experts say that the children’s raw genetic material will be stored indefinitely and worry that, without proper guardrails, the DNA dragnet could eventually be used for more extensive profiling.
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Timeline cleansers
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * From my old pal Toby Trimmer at IDNR…
Very cute indeed… * Meanwhile, speaking of cute, Oscar got his summer haircut the other day… ![]() [Photo credit: Isabel Miller]
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Live coverage
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * We’ll see if this works…
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*** 2025 end of session cheat sheet ***
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller Substantive: * Election omnibus - HB 1832 | SA2 * House transit bill - SB 2111 | HA1 * Energy omnibus - SB 0040 | HA5 | HA6 | HA7 * Tier 2 Pensions - SB1937 | HA1 | HA 2 * Classroom mobile phone ban - SB 2427 (Second Reading) * Senate transit bill - HB3438 | SA2 | SA3 | SA4 | SA5 * Statewide Innovation Development and Economy Act - SB2008 * 340B program expansion: HB 2371 * Medical Aid in Dying - SB 1950 | HA2 * Clean Slate Act - SB1784 | HA1 * Procurement omnibus - SB26 | HA2 * Trial lawyer’s bill (click here for background)- SB328 * Bond Authorization Act - HB 3374 | SA2 * Revenue omnibus - Now HB 2755 | SA2 | SA3 * FY26 Appropriations bill SB2510 | HA1 | HA2 [technical cleanup] | HA3 * Medicaid omnibus - SB2437 | HA1 | HA2 * Police and fire omnibus - HB 3657 | SFA * Prescription Drug Affordability Act - HB 1697 | SA2 | SA3 | SA4 | SA5 * Safe Gun Storage Act - SB8 * FAIR Act - HB 3363 [If you know of anything that should be added, or isn’t properly updated, please let us know in comments ASAP. Thanks!]
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All hands on deck! (Updated x2)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Isabel and I both received this earlier today. Did you?… ![]() * Regarding the delivery tax…
* Let’s move to a completely different topic…
This post will likely be updated. …Adding… Transit…
…Adding… On the Digital wager tax, which would tax a fraction of online sports betting… ![]()
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session updates (Updated x3)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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It’s just a bill
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* NBC Chicago…
* National Association of Social Workers, Illinois…
* WAND…
* WAND…
* Tribune…
* Crain’s…
* WAND…
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The state budget has grown even less than I thought
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Yesterday, we discussed an Illinois Policy Institute story about the increase in state government spending since Gov. JB Pritzker took office. Using the IPI’s numbers, I told you that spending had actually grown 10.5 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars since the beginning of FY20, the governor’s first budget. But a numbers wonk Democratic legislator I know put together numbers from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget to show that the inflation-adjusted spending increase, including the governor’s proposed FY26 budget, is actually 8.6 percent since FY19, the last Bruce Rauner budget… ![]() * More importantly, though, the legislator then factored in the evidence-based school funding formula and state pension contributions and discovered that the increase for everything else has been only 1.92 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars… ![]() And these numbers do not include the money the state has put into its Rainy Day Fund. (For FY25 and FY26, inflation is measured from Jan 2019 through Jan 2025, instead of July to July, “due to data limitations,” so the overall increase is undoubtedly lower.)
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Open thread
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Every year about this time I find myself singing “Been waitin’ for the BIMP all day” to myself… Ol’ BIMP be packed up tight
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Lawmakers unveil $55B spending plan with just 1 day left to pass it. Capitol News Illinois…
* Related stories…
∙ Week in Review: Scramble to Pass State Budget; Assisted-Dying Bill Advances ∙ State Week: The legislative session winds down ∙ Tribune: Democrats propose tax hikes on cigarettes, vaping and gambling to balance $55B budget * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Governor Pritzker has no scheduled press conferences. * WCIA | IDPH issues health warning on wildfire smoke: “Breathing wildfire smoke can have immediate health impacts, including respiratory and cardiovascular effects,” IDPH officials said on the agency’s website. “Particle pollution may also affect the body’s ability to remove inhaled foreign materials, such as viruses and bacteria, from the lungs.” Children, older adults, people with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular disease and people with low socioeconomic status are described as being the most at-risk from wildfire smoke. * Tribune | Here’s who wrote a letter of support for former House Speaker Michael Madigan: Former Gov. James R. Thompson, who penned the letter prior to his death in 2020, wrote that he could always “count on Mike to give it to me straight, tell me the truth and stick to his word.” Thompson, a Republican who served as governor of Illinois from 1977 to 1991, wrote that “there were times when I didn’t much care for him” but “I always respected him, and I have never questioned his integrity.” * WBEZ | What it’s like to graduate from college while inside an Illinois prison: The Augustana Prison Education Program, or APEP, began full-time in the fall of 2021 and gained accreditation the following spring. It now has about 30 people enrolled. Students take college courses on everything from physics to poetry — but without access to the Internet and sometimes writing assignments by hand. “It’s the same Augustana degree requirements, same professors, same rigor — in a prison,” said Sharon Varallo, the program’s executive director. * Rockford Register Star | Illinois counties, cities listed as sanctuary jurisdictions by Trump administration: The Trump administration has added more than 100 Illinois counties and cities to a national list of jurisdictions that could be targeted if they do not comply with federal immigration laws. * Daily Herald | ‘A political time bomb’? RTA predicts service cuts as local leaders say state transit plan is ‘pickpocketing’ the suburbs: “We are grateful for the Senate focusing on the fiscal cliff, however, as proposed, the new revenue included in (Thursday’s) Senate bill fails to address the region’s $771 million transit operating budget gap and would result in significant service cuts in 2026,” RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard said. The critique came as Kane County leaders lambasted the plan at a news conference for “pickpocketing” the suburbs. Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Ram Villivalam, however, stressed that the whole region has to share the burden. * Hm…
* Illinois Lawmakers | Spring Session Countdown… * WCIA | Illinois AG joins lawsuit to stop federal cuts to science, research programs: In the lawsuit he and the coalition filed, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is seeking a court order to block the implementation of the NSF’s new directives to eliminate programs addressing diversity in STEM. In addition, the changes would eliminate funding and programs that Raoul said, “help maintain the United States’ position as a global leader in STEM.” * South Side Weekly | For Senior Homeowners, Solutions to Expensive Home Repairs Can Be a Lifeline… or Leave Their Families with an Inheritance of Debt: Home repair is at the root of the ability of senior Chicagoans to stay in their homes as they age. Local organizations are trying to provide relief without depriving seniors of the ability to pass their homes down to the next generation. * Crain’s | Buyers and sellers are hitting snags under Chicago’s new anti-gentrification ordinance: The first problem is a potentially large obstacle to buyers — whether they are the existing renters or outside buyers — securing a mortgage. The second is in obtaining title insurance, a buyer’s protection against legal threats to the property’s ownership, or clear title. City Hall’s Law Department is “working to identify a solution to the issue” of title insurance, a Department of Housing spokesperson told Crain’s in an emailed statement. In a later statement, the city said “the Department of Housing is unaware of any statements that Fannie Mae will not lend to buildings that have a right of first refusal. However, we are actively looking at the ordinance to address the issues” that Crain’s asked about. * Fox Chicago | Major update to Kennedy Expressway project lets express lane drivers head to O’Hare: The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Thursday that the north end of the Kennedy Expressway work zone is shifting as of Saturday night. Starting Sunday morning, drivers leaving downtown will be able to exit the express lanes north of Irving Park Road to continue on Interstate 90 and reach O’Hare International Airport. * South Side Weekly | Jobs. Block Clubs. Investment: How Chicagoans Are Interrupting Violence at its Roots: The causes and solutions to gun violence are difficult to quantify—or control. One thing is clear: gun violence is highest in Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods. Organizers in the hardest-hit communities like Garfield Park say tackling poverty is the only way to create lasting change. * Ronald S. Safer: I prosecuted Larry Hoover. Here is why he should not have his sentences commuted.: Through extraordinary investigation, too lengthy and intricate to detail here but well documented in a monthslong trial, federal agents obtained recorded conversations of Hoover in state prison giving orders to his top lieutenants. While publicly claiming to be a changed man, privately, Hoover described how the GDs needed to enforce drug street taxes: “But this is our land. We fought battles on this land so everybody got to pay taxes,” he said. The GDs collected these taxes through the threat of drive-by shootings, beatings and torture, not audits. In one poignant conversation, Hoover described how the GDs needed to corrupt our youth. He urged a gang leader to share some of his opulent wealth with younger gang members. * Crain’s | Restaurant group delivers boutique steaks straight to your kitchen: Lettuce Entertain You’s new Prime Meats by Lettuce, set to launch June 2, will be a delivery-only butcher shop offering more than a dozen cuts used at restaurants from RPM Steak to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab. The group says it has long-standing relationships with farmers, ranchers and purveyors across the world, and it’s tapping into that network to bring recreational chefs cuts of meat they might not otherwise be able to access. * Sun-Times | Kool & the Gang’s Michael ‘Chicago Mike’ Sumler dies at 71: Michael “Chicago Mike” Sumler, who grew up on the Side Side and worked and traveled with the band Kool & the Gang, died May 25 following a car accident in suburban Atlanta. Kool & the Gang posted of his passing on Facebook: “We’re deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our longtime wardrobe valet, Mike Sumler. Mike worked alongside Kool & the Gang from 2000-2015, making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night. He also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the top of the show.” * South Side Weekly | Cook County Medical Debt Help Comes Too Late: Cook County became the first local government to buy medical debts in bulk. But data shows the majority of debt was relieved for people who likely should have qualified for free care—a sign that hospitals are failing to screen for some of the region’s poorest patients. * Shaw Local | Ticketing begins right away as Yorkville bans heavy trucks from Kylyns Ridge, Cannonball Estates: “You had some people barreling through the subdivisions and semi-trucks too,” Mayor John Purcell said during the May 27 city council meeting. “We’re going to get out there and start ticketing them right away.” The heavier trucks would be denied usage of the residential streets including Blackberry Shore Lane, from the intersection of Northland Lane to the westerly dead end. They will also be denied usage of Northland Lane, High Ridge Lane, and Norton Lane. * Lake and McHenry County Scanner | Disgraced former McHenry County detective pleads guilty to charges of official misconduct : A disgraced former McHenry County sheriff’s detective has pleaded guilty to charges that he used county property to arrange drug and prostitution deals and allowed a woman to drive his squad car while he was intoxicated. Christopher Marvel, 41, of Poplar Grove, was sentenced to two years of probation and about $1,700 in fines after pleading guilty to two counts of official misconduct, court records show. * Naperville Sun Naperville fire and police combat recruiting crisis with creative tactics to attract candidates: “People in this day and age … want mobility,” he said. “They want to be able to go and live wherever they want.” Another challenge is a lack of paramedics, Puknaitis said. A 2022 study by the American Ambulance Association and Newton 360 found the turnover among paramedics and emergency medical technicians across the country ranges from 20% to 30% annually. * Daily Southtown | Mobile help for opioid overdoses rolls into south suburbs with aid of Cook County $1M grant: The program was announced Friday during a news conference outside the Posen Fire Department’s headquarters, with the new van and another already in use by Family Guidance Centers parked outside. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said while opioid overdose fatalities are “trending in the right direction,” the problem is still of major concern. * Daily Herald | Expect hazy skies from Canadian wildfires that could last throughout weekend: Smoke is expected to move into the suburbs around noon and will affect air quality, potentially affecting those with respiratory issues. Thunderstorms are expected in the area this evening, but the severe weather isn’t anticipated to be enough to clear the air. * WCIA | Champaign School Board president responds after tense meeting outing superintendent: A contentious Champaign School Board meeting is still making waves almost 24 hours later. The meeting saw an approval to move on from Superintendent Dr. Sheila Boozer — a fiery public comment period — and even a near fight. “We conducted some tough business last night,” said Champaign School Board President Tony Bruno. * WCIA | Danville alderman banned after aggressive argument: Alderman Thomas Hightower was seen cursing out the mayor and the Danville Police Chief. It happened at city hall during a new alderman orientation. Now, Hightower is left facing some repercussions because of his actions. “What made me mad with the mayor was the time when I was talking to the chief, when I was fussing at the chief, the mayor was recording me without my knowledge,” Hightower said. * WTVO | Judge halts Rockford’s efforts to limit video gaming terminals: 17th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Fabiano issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit brought by Kelly Quinby, the proprietor of Spinning Slots, at 1625 Sandy Hollow Road, after the city refused to license a 6th video gaming terminal (VGT) at the location, despite allowances by the Illinois Gaming Board to do so. * WGLT | Mural celebrating anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Lost Speech unveiled in downtown Bloomington: The “Lost Speech” resulted in the formation of the Illinois Republican Party and is thought by historians to have been an intense condemnation of slavery. The mural depicts Lincoln giving the address at the 1856 Bloomington Convention, also known as the Anti-Nebraska Convention, at Major’s Hall that was located at the corner of East and Front streets from 1852 until 1958. * WIRED | DOGE Is Busier Than Ever—and Trump Says Elon Musk Is ‘Really Not Leaving’ : “I expect to continue to provide advice,” Musk, wearing a black hat with DOGE written on it and a black shirt reading “DOGEFATHER,” said during Friday’s press conference, while noting that his legal limit for service as a special government employee was coming to an end. “I expect to remain a friend and an advisor.” * Status | The Business Insider Bloodletting: To be fair to management, Business Insider is very much reckoning with forces far outside its control, namely a structural collapse in the very distribution model it was built upon: SEO. For years, the outlet drew large volumes of traffic from Google search. Its e-commerce operation, in particular, was engineered for such traffic, surfacing affiliate-driven shopping guides and “best of” lists that was algorithmically served up to the masses. But that golden pipeline is now drying up. Google has recently rolled out major changes to its search engine—including the AI Overviews feature—that deprioritize traditional news links in favor of machine-generated summaries. * Post-Tribune | Steel industry experts react to Nippon Steel, U.S. Steel deal: The United Steelworkers Union still remains concerned about what Nippon’s involvement in U.S. Steel means, saying much is still up in the air. “Our core concerns about Nippon Steel — a foreign-owned corporation with a documented history of violating U.S. trade laws — remain as strong and valid today as ever,” said a May 28 union statement, “and that is so whether U.S. Steel and Nippon adhere to the same deal that they have pursued since December 2023 or whether they tweak the terms to satisfy concerns in Washington.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Saturday, May 31, 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 - More session updates (Updated x4)
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Prosecutors want 12.5 year sentence for former Speaker Michael Madigan (Updated x2)
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for the full document…
…Adding… Jon Seidel…
…Adding… More…
* Tribune | Feds want lengthy 12 1/2-year prison sentence for ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan, while defense asks for probation: [Madigan’s attorneys] submitted more than 200 letters of support from relatives, colleagues, former politicians and everyday people who said he touched their lives. “Mike Madigan is a remarkable husband, father, friend, and public servant,” Madigan’s defense team wrote in their 55-page filing. “Throughout his 83-year life, Mike quite literally changed the lives of tens of thousands of people in his district on the south side of Chicago. He positively impacted millions of people throughout the State of Illinois.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session updates (Updated x6)
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Powering Illinois’ Energy And Economic Future
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] What if Illinois could expand its energy grid, attract AI and emerging tech companies to the state, and provide over 60,000 new jobs with no impact on communities or the environment? SOO Green makes it possible. Built along existing rail corridors, this underground transmission project will deliver 2,100 MW of low-cost reliable power making the electric grid more resilient in the face of extreme weather while unlocking billions in economic investments for Illinois. The SOO Green Advantage:
• 60,000+ new jobs • Lower energy costs for families and businesses • $26 billion in economic benefits statewide • $9.8 billion in health benefits by reducing emissions With SOO Green all ratepayers will enjoy a more reliable grid, protection from rising energy costs, and a stronger economy for Illinois. Learn more at www.soogreen.com.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The waiting game is in full swing…
* Axios…
* Block Club Chicago | Got A Text From The DMV? It’s Probably A Scam: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has a warning for Illinois residents: Beware of texts claiming to be from the “Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles.” Recent texts to vehicle owners about outstanding traffic tickets that must be paid immediately are phishing scams, according to a video released by Giannoulias’ office. The Secretary of State’s Office does not send text messages about vehicle registrations or driver’s licenses. * Tribune | Illinois Senate to weigh measure prohibiting public schools from denying students based on immigration status: In the final days of the spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers this week advanced a bill to the Senate that would prohibit public schools from denying a student access to free education based on that child’s immigration status or that of their parents — a move aimed at reinforcing long-standing constitutional federal protections amid renewed scrutiny of immigrant rights at the state level. The bill, sponsored in the House by Chicago Democratic Rep. Lilian Jiménez, would prohibit a child within Illinois from being deprived of free public education through high school “based on the child’s perceived or actual immigration status or the child’s parent’s or guardian’s perceived or actual citizenship or immigration status.” The legislation also says a school must not exclude a child “from participation in or deny a child the benefits of any program or activity” for those same reasons. * Tribune | Illinois House passes bill allowing terminally ill people to end their lives with physician’s help: It marks the first time a medical aid in dying bill has passed through one legislative chamber in Illinois since advocates unsuccessfully pushed for the practice to be legalized in the state last year. The bill passed late Thursday by a 63-42 vote, just three votes more than the minimum number required for bills to pass the House by a simple majority, with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans in voting against it. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois bill aims to lower cost of prescriptions, rein in pharmacy benefit managers: A bill that seeks to control the rising cost of prescription drugs while also offering financial help for many small, independent pharmacies in Illinois cleared the state Senate on Thursday and awaits action in the House. The bill, known as the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, contained in House Bill 1697, would put new regulations and impose new fees on a large but little understood segment of the prescription drug industry — pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. * Sun-Times | Because Johnson balks at compromise ‘granny flats’ measure, affordable housing lags, ex-zoning chair says: That’s the hard reality of the stalled “Accessory Dwelling Unit” ordinance, according to Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) who spent more than a year trying to forge a compromise while serving as acting chair of the City Council’s Zoning Committee. Lawson was tasked with holding down the fort after allegations of bullying and intimidation of colleagues forced the resignation of Johnson’s former Zoning Chair, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), who has since been appointed Chicago Park District superintendent. * Sun-Times | Is Chicago’s interim U.S. attorney here to stay? Judges could play an unusual role in picking top prosecutor: Andrew Boutros’ appointment by Attorney General Pam Bondi gives him only four months to serve. President Donald Trump could try to appoint someone else. Or federal judges could end up making the call. * WTTW | CPS Renews Urban Prep Charter Schools Contract After District Previously Sought to Take Over Schools: A previous iteration of the board voted in October 2022 to revoke Urban Prep’s charters with CPS set to take over management of those schools amid allegations of financial mismanagement and sexual misconduct by Urban Prep leadership. Urban Prep’s founder Tim King resigned his position that year following an investigation into allegations he sexually touched and groomed a minor student. King has denied those allegations, though they were substantiated in a report from the CPS Office of Inspector General. * WTTW | ‘The Experience of a Lifetime’: CPS CEO Pedro Martinez Reflects on Tenure as He’s Set to Leave School District: Martinez on Thursday reflected on his time as Chicago’s schools chief during what will be his final monthly meeting of the board before he exits the city to take over as Massachusetts’ next school board commissioner. “This district welcomed me with open arms when I came to the United States from Mexico at the age of 5,” an emotional Martinez said. “I was at Walsh Elementary, where I learned how to speak English, where teachers began to see the potential in me that I did not see in myself.” * CBS Chicago | Former Dolton mayor Tiffany Henyard could be jailed if she doesn’t show up to court Friday: Henyard is due in court for failing to produce records in a lawsuit against her and the village over documents she hasn’t handed over as part of a Freedom of Information Act request. A judge previously said Henyard could be fined $1,000 a day if she doesn’t give the documents to the plaintiff’s lawyer. If Henyard doesn’t show up to court Friday, she could be thrown in jail. * Daily Herald | ‘I was in fear for my life’: Reports, video tell story of Rolling Meadows sergeant’s road rage arrest in Elgin: Minutes after the road-rage altercation that left him behind bars and on unpaid leave, Rolling Meadows police Sgt. Carlos Saez told investigating officers he was defending himself from a “gang member” trying to disarm him. “He was overpowering me, and I was in fear for my life,” Saez said. Some eyewitness reports and surveillance video that captured the brawl in the middle of a busy Elgin road paint a different picture, one of two men engaging in a fistfight … until one used a gun. […] He’s accused of pistol-whipping the other man during the confrontation, leaving him bloodied from a cut to the temple, and firing a gunshot near his head. * Daily Herald | Aurora fills alderman vacancy: The Aurora City Council has named Will F. White to fill the vacant alderman-at-large post. Council members approved White’s appointment this week after interviewing four applicants in a closed-door session. Mayor John Laesch said that at least 130 people applied for the position. He interviewed 14 residents and narrowed the choices to four. * Daily Herald | DuPage forest preserve plans major transformation of Wood Dale golf course: The DuPage County forest preserve board is set to vote next week on a contract with Wadsworth Golf Construction to move forward with a planned renovation of the district-owned course. The contract on Tuesday’s board agenda is expected to cost up to nearly $14.9 million. Wadsworth also completed the overhaul of Oak Meadows, transforming a property with a history of flooding into a prime 18-hole course officially renamed The Preserve at Oak Meadows. In recognizing the project with one its 2017 “Force of Nature” awards, the Chicago Wilderness Alliance highlighted how previously manicured fairways and turf became acres of upland prairie and oak savanna. * Daily Southtown | Frankfort receives $1.6 million grant to expand bike and pedestrian trail system: The village applied for the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program in 2022, but was unsuccessful. Ogle said they applied again last year but budgeted for the $2.2 million project to ensure construction was set for next spring. The 10-feet-wide, 1.5 mile long trail is expected to open to pedestrians and bicyclists next summer, Ogle said. * Naperville Sun | Naperville City Council: New pay structure for nonunion employees approved, energy procurement workshop discussed: The council unanimously approved new pay ranges for nonunion employees. The altered structure is the result of a compensation study completed in April by consultant McGrath Human Resources Group. By analyzing city salaries against compensation data from comparable organizations — such as the Naperville Park District and DuPage County, among others — McGrath found that Naperville’s nonunion pay structure wasn’t in line with the average market rate, according to a city staff report. * Naperville Sun | Donna Vickroy: At 78, suburban ‘Butterfly Man’ still releasing thousands of monarchs and swallowtails: Since he emerged as a butterfly rescuer in 2007, Bob Erlich has released more than 36,000 monarchs and swallowtails into Chicago’s suburban landscape. “It never gets old,” the 78-year-old Evergreen Park resident said. “From that first release to today, it’s still wonderful to watch them take flight.” After reading a newspaper story 18 years ago about the endangered monarch, the former jewelry salesman decided to pivot a job layoff into a retirement cause. * WQAD | Rock Island-Milan School District deputy superintendent placed on leave amid investigation: Jeff Dase, deputy superintendent of the Rock Island-Milan School District, was placed on administrative leave earlier this month amid an internal investigation. […] Dase was previously the subject of a separate complaint in late 2024. That investigation reviewed concerns about his conduct during a meeting but found no violations of board policy or professional conduct standards. No disciplinary action was taken at the time. * Illinois Times | Two Springfield attorneys have law licenses suspended: The report states that work schedules subpoenaed from the Sangamon County Public Defender and Illinois Attorney General’s offices show her working for both entities during the same hours. Further, the report contends court dockets show both Jason and Salena Young appeared as lawyers in court in private parental rights cases at a time when they were supposed to be working for the taxpayers. Jason Young was suspended from practicing law for 90 days, beginning Dec. 10, following an investigation into these allegations. * WGLT | New health care provider for Rivian employees coming to Normal outlet mall: Phase one will allow Florida-based Pentus Health to serve the majority of Rivian’s employees and contractors. That phase should be completed by the end of June. Ultimately, the 35,000-square-foot space will be open to others in the Bloomington-Normal area. The estimated cost for when the project is complete, including medical equipment, is around $10 million. * IPM News | School board votes out Champaign Unit 4 Superintendent Shelia Boozer: The majority of the school board voted Thursday to approve a separation agreement with Superintendent Shelia Boozer. The move received vocal disapproval from a largely Black audience of parents and civil rights leaders. “Your leadership as superintendent of Champaign Unit 4 schools has been transformative. You didn’t just lead. You made us feel like we belong,” parent and Booker T. Washington STEM Academy Principal Cessily Thomas told Boozer. * AP | Trump’s list of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ includes some that support his immigration policies: Officials who back President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown questioned how their jurisdictions wound up on a list of more than 500 that the Department of Homeland Security says are obstructing enforcement. Several communities were misspelled, including Cincinnati, which was spelled Cincinnatti. * WaPo | Contradicting RFK Jr., CDC keeps recommending covid vaccine for kids: The CDC did not remove the coronavirus vaccines from the childhood schedule, as Kennedy said it would, when it updated its website late Thursday. Instead, the agency recommends the shots based on “shared clinical decision-making,” meaning children can get vaccinated if their parents and doctors agree.
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Fun with numbers
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
That looks really bad. But using their numbers means that almost $10 billion of the $14.7 billion increase was inflation. So, in real inflation-adjusted dollars, state spending has increased by about $5 billion through six budgets, or about $833 million a fiscal year. That’s a 10.5 percent actual increase since July of 2019, when Pritzker’s first budget was enacted.
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See What Real Shoppers Have To Say About The IFPA
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The IFPA would create chaos for local businesses and shoppers – potentially requiring Illinoisans to pay CASH for sales tax. What do real shoppers think about this untested mandate from Springfield? We found out.
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The Jay giveth and the Jay taketh away
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * SB2008 is sponsored by Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea)…
More on SB2008 from the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
* SB26 is also sponsored by Rep. Jay Hoffman. The following press release is from a large number of business groups, including the two mentioned above, the Chicagoland Chamber and the IMA…
The trial lawyers’ bill cleared the House yesterday 75-37 and goes back to the Senate for concurrence.
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It’s just a bill
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WAND…
* The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
If signed into law, SB2008 would also expand STAR bonds statewide, giving municipalities new financing tools to invest in capital projects that attract visitors and boost local revenues.
* Subscribers know more. WAND…
* House Minority Leader Tony McCombie… Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie recently passed a measure to expand the eligibility of Fire Chief license plates to include Mutual Aid Box Alarm Systems (MABAS) chiefs and allow trained and authorized MABAS chiefs to use red or white lights, sirens, and warning devices when responding to emergencies. * WAND…
SB453 passed out of the House Labor & Commerce Committee (15-8) this morning. * WIFR…
Rep. Sosnowski introduced HB4070 yesterday, it is highly unlikely it will see any movement before June 1. * Sen. Rob Martwick…
* WAND…
* Sen. Julie Morrison…
…Adding… The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois…
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See What Real Shoppers Have To Say About The IFPA
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The IFPA would create chaos for local businesses and shoppers – potentially requiring Illinoisans to pay CASH for sales tax. What do real shoppers think about this untested mandate from Springfield? We found out.
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Roundup: Collar counties, labor push back hard on transit funding proposal (Updated)
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. Sun-Times…
* Daily Herald…
* Crain’s…
* Tribune…
* WTTW…
…Adding… RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard…
* More…
* Center Square | Mass transit reform legislation revealed but funding stream finds pushback: State Sen. Seth Lewis, R-Bartlett, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, said a recently filed amendment to mass transit legislation appears to confirm Republicans’ fears that it is a Chicago-Cook County takeover of regional transit funding. “Senate Republicans have engaged in good faith negotiations for over a year now with our Democratic counterparts on the Senate Transportation Committee. But what House Democrats have put forward is essentially a bailout for Chicago, giving the city a bigger share of future revenues while cutting the suburbs out of key decisions. We are continuing to work with our Senate colleagues with hopes that the ultimate solution is fair and equitable for the entire region, including the suburban riders we represent,” he said in a statement. * NBC Chicago | Chicago transit plan that would raise rideshare taxes, tolls blasted by critics: Under the terms of the proposed plan, the Regional Transportation Authority would be replaced by a new entity called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, which would oversee the CTA, Metra and Pace. Governing that new organization would be a 20-member board, which would have five members appointed by the governor, five by Chicago’s mayor, five by the Cook County Board President, and five members appointed by county board chairs representing each of the five “collar” counties serviced by public transit lines.
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Repeal The Interchange Fee Prohibition Act Now
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] ![]() Mike Valentine, President & CEO of BCU: Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
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Open thread
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Meanwhile, in Opposite Land… Like sunlight dancing on your skin Man, that was so good. Just amazing. Full song is here. What’s up?
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Toll hike, rideshare fees, other new taxes threatening mass transit overhaul. Sun-Times…
- Labor leaders and suburban officials slammed many of the revenue proposals. - State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, derided it as a bailout for Chicago and Mayor Brandon Johnson. Keep an eye out for a transit roundup this morning. Sponsored by the Illinois Health and Hospital Association
* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Governor Pritzker has no scheduled events today. * Sun-Times | At Illinois public universities, campus cops pull over Black drivers at higher rates: Black drivers were more likely than white drivers to get traffic tickets, while white drivers were more likely than Black drivers to drive away with warnings. Nearly 1 in every 3 Black drivers got a ticket rather than a spoken or written warning, compared to almost 1 in every 5 white drivers, according to an analysis of the most recent five years of data available. * IPM News | Uncertain future for Chinese students cause concern at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Many scholars at the University of Illinois are anxious after hearing the US State Department will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students. International students who need to renew their expired F-1 or J-1 entry visa may not be able to return to the U.S. if unable to schedule a renewal appointment… according to an email sent by the International Student and Scholar Services. * Sun-Times | Special section with fake book list plagued with additional errors, Sun-Times review finds: A recent syndicated special section in the Chicago Sun-Times included an article about cooking “delicious meals that don’t require turning on the oven.” The article’s author quoted acclaimed chef Alice Waters on oven-free cooking “as the ideal way to showcase peak-season ingredients,” citing her interview with Food & Wine magazine. Waters was indeed interviewed by Food & Wine in 2023, as cited in the section titled “Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer” — but she didn’t say anything in that interview like what the special section quoted her as having said. Waters’ executive assistant said the chef didn’t provide that quote and wasn’t interviewed for the section. * The Chicago Reporter | Tactical teams in Illinois prisons are reportedly using abusive practices a decade after “Orange Crush” case: Kool-Aid, syrup and peanut butter dumped on clothing and bedding. Wires ripped from electronic razors. Threats and instructions shouted by baton-wielding officers whose identities are concealed by masks and face-coverings. Descriptions of the April 28 tactical team shakedown in East Moline Correctional Facility in northwestern Illinois more closely resemble a fraternity initiation rite than a methodical search for contraband like drugs and weapons. * Crain’s | Two local toy companies land at center of legal fight over Trump tariffs: Two Vernon Hills-based educational toy companies are now at the center of the legal battle over President Donald Trump’s tariffs after winning a preliminary injunction today that blocks the tariff policy as it applies to them. It was the second court in two days to block Trump’s tariffs. The U.S. Court of International Trade issued a more sweeping decision yesterday blocking most of the tariffs, though a federal appeals court today delayed the effect of that ruling. * Capitol City Now | IL lawmakers tussle over Trump’s Medicaid plan: Republicans saw irony in the resolution. “‘President Donald Trump brazenly lied to the American people, stating he would not cut Medicaid while actually lobbying behind closed doors to pass the bill,’” said State Rep Patrick Windhorst (D-Metropolis), reading from the resolution. “Behind closed doors? Where’s this budget being negotiated right now? Behind closed doors!” * Sun-Times | Illinois lawmakers eye remedy for soaring electric bills: The measure in Springfield would give Constellation an option to build a plant if a private data center operator is willing to foot the bill, according to Cunningham. He said no electric customer would be expected to fund the multibillion dollar project. In a statement to the Sun-Times, Constellation said that it has no current plans to add new nuclear plants in Illinois. * The Pantagraph | Former Gov. Jim Edgar, nicknamed ‘The Reader,’ gets fitting tribute in Springfield: “I think it’s one of the most beautiful buildings of government in the state of Illinois,” Edgar said during the ceremony. “Make use of this beautiful building.” A Charleston native and Eastern Illinois University graduate, Edgar served two terms as a Republican representative in the Illinois House before becoming secretary of state in 1981. Among his achievements in that office was overseeing construction of the Illinois State Library building that was dedicated in June 1990. * Center Square | Illinois lawmakers move ‘no content’ budget legislation: The Illinois Senate advanced a shell bill late Thursday evening without disclosing what the budget will include. State Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said his chamber received a House bill with an appropriations title on Thursday. “We are reciprocating today by sending an appropriations title back to the House, and we’ll negotiate with the House on passage of a final budget,” Harmon said. * Governor Pritzker’s chief of staff weighed in on the Tribune’s story about the Bears yesterday.…
* Crain’s | Chances of Bears victory in Springfield dwindling by the hour: The team’s army of lobbyists have been seeking to advance so-called megaproject legislation during the last week of the General Assembly’s spring session that would allow the Bears to negotiate a lucrative property tax break at their planned Arlington Heights stadium development while potentially enabling a sales tax break on construction materials used to build such a project. The stakes are high, but the odds of victory are low. The chances of any bill passing by May 31 are made worse if the team insists on assurances that public infrastructure dollars would follow the megaproject bill. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Board of Education renews 21 charter schools after months of delay: Historically, the school board votes to renew charters in January. But this year, the vote was pushed back several times, leaving families and staff with uncertainty as the end of the school year approached. The board also approved a resolution, first proposed last month, that seeks to impose new requirements and oversight on charter school operators. The resolution was approved with 15 members voting in favor, none against, and five abstaining. There was a brief but unsuccessful attempt by six members to remove a section that says state lawmakers should make changes to the law governing the privately run public schools, including barring operators from closing schools during the term of their agreement with the local school district. * NBC Chicago | Community, elected leaders on South Side call on Pritzker to offer clemency for Larry Hoover: The former kingpin is now waiting to be transferred back to Illinois to continue to serve up to 200 years for the 1973 murder of William Young. “My response is very sensitive to any victim of any act of crime, but I have to go back to 50 years of penal system, which was designed for rehabilitation and at one point do we give a second chance,” asked Alderman Stephanie Coleman of Chicago’s 16th Ward. * Tribune | Here’s when tickets go on sale for the celebration of Pope Leo XIV at Rate Field: Chicagoans can buy tickets to a celebration of Pope Leo XIV’s election beginning Friday, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced. The celebration, set for June 14 at the White Sox’s Rate Field in Bridgeport, is open to all comers. Leo himself, a native of the Chicago area and the first American to lead the world’s Catholics in the church’s history, will not be at the event but will address “the young people of the world” in a video message, according to the archdiocese’s invitation. * Tribune | Chonkosauraus, famed massive snapping turtle, rises again from Chicago River: The famed snapping turtle, dubbed “Chonkosaurus” by internet commentators when pictures of her basking on a Chicago River pylon first went viral in summer 2023, reappeared earlier this week. The celebrity turtle and at least two companions spent the winter in brumation, a period of low activity akin to hibernation. * Block Club | Hazy Skies Likely Friday As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Moves Into Chicago: Smoke is expected to reach the city by early Friday afternoon, with peak concentrations forecasted Friday evening, according to AirNow, which monitors air quality nationally. The smoke will likely shift east overnight, though lower levels of smoke may linger through Saturday and Sunday. Wildfires have spread rapidly this week in the Canadian province of Manitoba, the CBC reports. A state of emergency has been declared and more than 17,000 people have been forced to evacuate the area due to the fires. * Sun-Times | Woman attacked at Carpentersville McDonald’s ‘fought really hard’ for hate crime charge: Grass said the weeks since the attack have been difficult but felt relieved that those responsible were caught and charged. “I fought really hard for that hate crime charge,” said Grass. “I don’t know what the outcome is going to be, but I want them to face consequences for what they did.” Grass was punched, kicked and knocked unconscious during the attack, she said. She suffered serious injuries to her face, including a broken nose. * Daily Southtown | Field grows for successors to Robin Kelly, 5 either running or exploring options: The field of potential successors to Robin Kelly as 2nd Congressional District representative is growing, with five people either announcing their candidacy or exploring a possible run. This week, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller said she’s formed an exploratory committee comprised of south suburban mayors to study her options. Yumeka Brown, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Matteson village clerk, said Tuesday she is a candidate after initially forming a group to explore a run. She is also president of the Rich Township Democrats. * Daily Herald | After some dissent, Villa Park makes police chief its new manager: Villa Park’s police chief is now the village’s manager, but not every trustee agreed with the move. The village board voted at a special meeting Wednesday to make Michael Rivas the new manager, replacing Matthew Harline. Harline had served as the village manager since June 2022. His contract expired May 12, the day new Village President Kevin Patrick was sworn in. The board voted to not renew Harline’s contract. * Shaw Local | Batavia reconsiders restricting Kratom, synthetic hemp sales in the city: Originally proposed as an all-out ban, the city is now considering less invasive regulations aimed at keeping the products out of the hands of children without hindering local retailers. […] The original amendment was negatively received by Council members who tabled the item at their Jan. 28 Committee of the Whole meeting after concerns were raised during the committee’s discussion as well as over an hour of public comments from residents and local retailers. * CBS Chicago | Reach Rescue resale shop in Chicago suburbs helps fund medical needs of dogs and cats: At Reach Rescue’s resale shop in northwest suburban Mundelein, your next bargain could help save a pet’s life. The shop sells upscale items at bargain prices; including furniture, antiques, and even rare collectibles.”All of the funds that come into the resale shop by the purchases are what fund the medical for our dogs, the upkeep of our dogs, and everything that you see in here has been donated to us by amazing people,” said Reach Rescue vice president and director Amanda Dziekanski. * Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove, other suburbs gear up for annual Pride festivities: Buffalo Grove’s seventh annual family-friendly Pride Parade kicks off Sunday ushering in a season of Pride Month festivities across the suburbs. The Buffalo Grove parade at 11 a.m., with the theme “Pride is Natural,” will feature a special tribute to the late Tommy DeLorenzo, the beloved balloon magician whose creations have been a staple of the celebration. Organized by The Pinta Pride Project, the parade will feature more than 100 entries, making it the largest to date. It steps off near Buffalo Grove Road and Lasalle Lane and ends at the Buffalo Grove Fitness Center on Deerfield Parkway. * WIFR | Illinois US Senate hopeful campaigns against ‘devastating’ tariffs in Rockford: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-8) guides a blade along a plank of wood inside Milescraft’s warehouse. The Democrat wears a neon yellow vest with clear, protective goggles. The scene is the latest from the Congressman’s “Trump Tariff Tour.” As a candidate to replace the retiring Senator Dick Durbin, Krishnamoorthi highlights what he calls the “devastating” impact of President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. * WGLT | Heartland Community College president is critical of proposed federal education aid cuts: The head of Heartland Community College says federal proposals to reduce the amount of and eligibility for Pell Grants and other changes to higher education are “out of touch” with the world and students of today. Republican backed legislation would reduce the program by about 30%. HCC president Keith Cornille said school officials are still sorting through unclear proposals, but the consequences would be pronounced, affecting 1,600 currently enrolled Heartland students. Requiring heavier course loads to be grant eligible also could hurt their ability to earn a degree. Other education leaders in Bloomington Normal have also spoken out on the proposals. * WGLT | Advocates for older adults hold day of action in Normal to protect threatened programs: Jewel Johnson is another regular at ARC. She was concerned her meals could one day be go away. “The meals would be cut, which would impact my income,” Johnson said. “We’re all on fixed income, and congregate meals help me budget my grocery bill and and it’s economical.” * WCIA | Champaign Superintendent out and tempers flare at the latest school board meeting: Thursday was the third special meeting for the new Champaign school board — and perhaps the most consequential. Once again, it started with fiery public comment, with many in the crowd showing support at the podium for Sheila Boozer keeping her job as superintendent. […] After about an hour of public comment, the board got to new business — approving an amended employment agreement with Boozer, which will see her depart from the district. * WaPo | Earth is likely to cross a key climate threshold in two years: Seven years ago, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that the world wouldn’t warm 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels until 2040. Then two years ago, the group predicted the world would pass that threshold between 2030 and 2035. Now, new data from the World Meteorological Organization released Wednesday indicates that Earth will cross this point in just two years. * CBS | Last living grandson of 10th U.S. President John Tyler, a link to a bygone era, dies at 96: Harrison Ruffin Tyler died on Sunday evening, May 25, his family said in a statement to CBS News. His grandfather, who was born in 1790, left the Oval Office more than 179 years ago, after serving from 1841 to 1845, well before the Civil War. President Tyler’s immediate descendants lived into the modern age because of two generations of late second marriages to much younger wives. * CNN | Appeals court pauses ruling that blocked Trump’s tariffs: The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s ruling restores Trump’s ability to levy tariffs using the emergency powers he declared earlier this year. The appeals court also ordered that both sides provide written arguments on the question of the blocking of Trump’s tariffs, to be filed by early next month. * AP | White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report: Asked about the report’s problems, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the report will be updated. […] Kennedy has repeatedly said he would bring “radical transparency” and “gold-standard” science to the public health agencies. But the secretary refused to release details about who authored the 72-page report, which calls for increased scrutiny of the childhood vaccine schedule and describes the nation’s children as overmedicated and undernourished.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, May 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, May 30, 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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