Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers were briefed this morning. Tribune…

In the final days of the spring session, lawmakers are working on a legislative package aimed at addressing the state’s growing energy needs and rising costs without derailing the ambitious goals championed by Gov. JB Pritzker to make the state carbon-free by midcentury.

“What we’re trying to do is find ways to ensure those capacity spikes don’t continue for years into the future, and there’s really only two ways of doing that, and that’s by either decreasing demand for electricity or increasing supply,” said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat who’s leading energy legislation efforts in the Senate. “I think that’s really the underlying impetus for energy bills this session.” […]

The legislative draft also would create an ambitious new goal for large-scale energy storage through large batteries that would absorb excess wind and solar power for later use, along with goals to deliver clean, low-cost energy, while also promoting several efficiency measures supporting virtual power plants.

Cunningham said that if the larger legislative package does not come together, proposals within the measure could still be pushed as individual bills.

* Chalkbeat…

Illinois lawmakers have passed a bill that will help school districts expand dual language programs, in which students are taught in English and another language throughout the school day.

House Bill 3026 passed the Democratic-controlled Senate along party lines with a 43-12 vote on Thursday. The proposal now heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office for final approval.

The bill requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create guidance for school districts interested in establishing new dual language programs or expanding existing programs. The guidance must be completed by Dec. 15, 2026 and would be required to cover topics such as curriculum, instruction, assessment and accountability, and professional development for staff.

* Tribune…

This past Memorial Day weekend saw an overall decrease in gun violence compared to last year, according to Chicago police data.

According to preliminary data from 6 p.m. on Friday to Monday at 11:59 p.m., there were 21 shooting incidents over the holiday weekend, with 24 victims involved. Police also said that there were three homicides over the weekend.

Tribune reporting from last year said there were at least 31 shooting incidents during Memorial Day weekend of 2024.

Gun violence citywide has also decreased in recent years. As of last week, Chicago police said that the city has seen a 22% decline in fatal shootings and a 32% decline in shootings compared with 2024.

*** Statewide ***

* Farm Week | County fair season begins across Illinois: While some fairgoers may be counting down the days until they can enjoy a corn dog and a lemonade shake-up, the Greene County Fair and the Martinsville Ag Fair are set to launch the county fair season this week. “It’s promotion of agriculture. It’s bringing people in that are not familiar with agriculture to see what people in agriculture do,” said Greene County Fair Board Secretary Mark Walker about county fairs.

*** Downstate ***

* Muddy River News | DCFS report: Denman Elementary physical education teachers gave ‘birthday spankings’, taped students mouths shut: While the investigation revealed no lasting physical marks from these actions, it was determined that such behavior was “wildly inappropriate, but not criminal” since there were no sexual connotations. Multiple parents with students at Denman, as well as Denman teachers, verified the incidents with Muddy River News. They said their children had begged them not bring treats or attempt to have their respective classes recognize their birthdays at school for fear of getting the “birthday spankings.” The names of the students, families and teachers asked for their names to be withheld for fear of repercussions from within the Quincy School District.

* SJ-R | Here’s why a Springfield attorney was suspended for 2 years: The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, which operates under the state’s Supreme Court, last week ruled on the case of Salena Rachelle Young after a complaint was submitted in 2024. Young “knowingly” submitted timesheets to the Illinois Attorney General’s office showing she worked full days while she also worked part-time as a Sangamon County assistant public defender and operated a solo law practice.

* WJBD | Unemployment drops across South Central Illinois: The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported unemployment dropped nine-tenths of a percent in April to 3.5-percent. That’s nine-tenths of a percent lower than in March and a full percent lower than a year ago. The data translates into 560 on the unemployment rolls in Marion County, down 150 from March. The county’s work force also grew 190 people to 16,204.

* BND | Millstadt-area resident finds black bear in her yard. What to do if you see one: The bear stuck around Seavey’s home, and she spotted him again the morning of May 20, curled up in a ball underneath one of the trees in her backyard. He then got up, stretched, yawned and walked down her driveway headed across her front yard. “I was like, ‘Oh, you have got to be kidding me,’” Seavey said.

* WSIL | Thrillville Thrillbillies season opener begins today: First pitch is set at 7 p.m. at Mountain Dew Park. Officials say the first 1,000 fans will receive a magnet schedule. New for this season is the “All You Can Eat Seat”. Thrillbillies officials say every seat is an all-you-can-eat seat. As a way to encourage more fan turnout, the $20 tickets could feed a family of four for $80.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | How the South Works quantum transformation is unfolding: If the Silicon Valley-based company is successful, it will help turn what has so far been a lab experiment into the next big thing in technology. By using a radically different approach to computing, quantum technology could result in unbreakable cybersecurity, new treatments for disease or creation of composite materials in a fraction of the time, and modeling of weather patterns more accurately and over longer periods than what is possible now. It’s a moonshot with no guarantee of success, one that nonetheless has proven irresistible to startups, big tech companies and academic researchers.

* Crain’s | Across from proposed quantum campus, residents weigh risks and expectations: hey’re asking: Will the project bring jobs? Will gentrification displace us? And top of almost everyone’s mind: What are the possible health and environmental effects of extensive construction on a site they suspect is still contaminated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals? Anne Holcomb owns a multi-unit South Shore building. She gets calls “from real estate speculators at least once a week. She tells them, “You don’t want to buy over here until the whole thing is built, because during construction, everyone over here will be poisoned by breathing toxic construction dust from that brownfield. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that liability.”

* WTTW | 3 People Killed, 24 Shot Across Chicago Over Memorial Day Weekend, Well Below Other Recent Years: Police: According to Chicago Police Department figures, 24 people were shot in 21 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and midnight Monday. That marks a steep decline from the same weekend in 2024, when at least 41 people were shot, nine fatally. In 2023, more than 50 people were shot over the Memorial Day weekend, including 11 who were killed. The previous year, 47 people were shot, nine fatally.

* Tribune | After years on the front lines of violence prevention, Englewood group faces layoffs as DOJ shifts priorities: His team of workers does round-the-clock work to tackle the root causes of community violence, leading peer-to-peer support and group therapy sessions. They help kids apply for college and jobs, and host programming for kids. They are often the first to crime scenes, even before police. In late April, due to the end of a federal grant that supported many of those efforts, Perkins had to lay off five of the outreach staff at his violence intervention nonprofit, Think Outside Da Block. His organization isn’t the only one that received cuts, and he said there will be half the number of people this summer out in the community mediating conflicts.

* WBEZ | 16 new Chicago speed cameras to start ticketing drivers just days from now: The new cameras, mostly placed on the North Side, are about to finish a 30-day warning period and a two-week blackout period so notices could be delivered. […] One of the new cameras at 4716 N. Ashland Ave. is painted black, and has a smaller profile than older, gray speed cameras drivers are familiar with. The camera, attached to a light pole across from Chase Park, has been flashing in recent weeks as drivers sped past.

* Crain’s | Advocate Trinity’s South Works investment aims to address health equity: When completed, at a budget of about $300 million, the new hospital will have state-of-the-art technology and an emergency department designed to address the urgent needs of its patients, but with far fewer in-patient beds than the current structure. The present 205-bed facility is being replaced by a 53-bed hospital, as Advocate says its current patient volume is about 72 in-patients per day and new sites of care are meant to absorb lower-acuity patients.

* Block Club | Meet Chicago Public Schools’ Only Competitive Bass Fishing Team: Taft hosted the Skokie Lagoons tournament for the first time since starting its bass fishing team in 2009. It is still the only Chicago public school with such a team, and the Norwood Park High School team’s roster has grown from four members to 15. “A lot of the kids who are on this team are very squirrelly, but they calm down when they fish,” said Scott Plencner, a Taft history teacher who coaches the team. “It gives them something to focus on; it’s kind of meditative.”

* Block Club | As Pet Surrenders Surge, Chicago’s Overcrowded Animal Shelter Sounds The Alarm: Chicago Animal Care and Control has taken in an average of 56 pets per day so far in May at its Pilsen shelter, said Armando Tejeda, the agency’s public information officer. That’s up significantly since 2013-2017, when the shelter took in an average of 34 animals per day, Tejeda said. “We’re doing the best we can as far as managing transfers and adoption, but just to be on this track and trying to sustain this intake volume, it’s increasingly hard,” Tejeda said.

* Chicago Mag | Requiem for the Montrose Beavers: “No animal has been more important to the natural and social history of this region than the beaver,” Joel Greenberg wrote in his 2002 book, A Natural History of the Chicago Region. Indeed, these engineers of the animal kingdom transformed the land, building dams that created ponds and wetlands. And their dense, water-repelling fur was highly desired by humans, who turned those pelts into fancy hats. But trapping — and destruction of wetland habitats — decimated the species. By the time Chicago became a town in 1833, the wood-chomping rodents were getting scarce here, and by the end of the 19th century they were entirely gone.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | New Aurora Mayor John Laesch chooses his leadership team at City Hall: Soon after taking office, Laesch hired three new people from his transition team to work in the Mayor’s Office and recently appointed four others, with approval from the Aurora City Council, to other upper city management positions. Shannon Cameron, who led Laesch’s transition team, was hired to be his chief of staff — a position that seems to functionally replace the chief management officer position formerly held by Alex Alexandrou. The job of the chief of staff position, Laesch told The Beacon-News, will be to run the city when he is not around, even though he plans to be hands-on with city staff. The goal is to have him and Cameron be “interchangeable,” he said.

* Tribune | New Homer Township leadership pledges to reduce highway commissioner salary, review civic center costs: It’s been about three months since the Homer Township Reset slate won the February Republican primary, ousting the incumbent administration, and the group is ready to get to work, Homer Township Supervisor Susanna Steilen said. Because the Reset party ran unopposed in the April 1 election and state law states most township officials assume their duties the third Monday of May, it’s been a long wait, Steilen said. The Reset slate, which also includes Highway Commissioner John Robinson, Clerk Tami O’Brien, Collector Sara Palermo and Trustees Ken Marcin, Chris Sievers, Don Melody and Keith Gray, were sworn in May 19.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville-based Alive Center for Teens to start franchising: The nonprofit is ready to start franchising, the center has announced. With locations in Naperville, Aurora and Hanover Park, the organization has launched a social franchise model and is hoping to “significantly expand its proven teen support system statewide,” the release said. “That’s really the message we’re (giving) out, that we’re here,” said Kandice Henning, CEO of The Alive Center. “That we have a solution that is proven and works and we are willing to share it. We really want to help more kids and impact more kids in a positive way. (We want to) help more families and more communities ultimately.”

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park, Park District pair up after spat on Fourth of July fireworks: There has been friction between the village and Park District over control of the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center, which the Park District bought from the state last year for $1 and has plans to redevelop for recreational uses. The village had also sought to acquire the 280-acre property, northwest of Harlem Avenue and 183rd Street, with plans to develop it for property and sale tax generating entertainment uses.

*** National ***

* NYT | Trump Allies Look to Benefit From Pro Bono Promises by Elite Law Firms: Earlier this year, the Trump administration agreed to spare Skadden and eight other large law firms from executive orders that could have crippled their businesses in exchange for commitments from those firms to collectively provide nearly $1 billion in pro bono legal work and represent clients from all political points of view. Now individuals and organizations allied with Mr. Trump are starting to request that the firms make good on the free legal work they committed to perform, according to 11 people briefed on the outreach, including some who requested anonymity to discuss internal law firm business.

* WIRED | There’s a Very Simple Pattern to Elon Musk’s Broken Promises: WIRED examined the history of Musk’s pledges on everything from Full Self Driving, Hyperloop, Robotaxis, and, yes, robot armies, with a view to reminding ourselves, his fans, and investors how reality in Elon’s world rarely matches up to the rhetoric. Tellingly, Musk’s fallback forecast of “next year” turns up repeatedly, only to be consistently proven wrong.

* NYT | The C.D.C. Now Says Healthy Kids Don’t Need Covid Shots. Is That True?: It’s true that for many children, a case of Covid will be inconsequential. They might have a runny nose, a cough or other mild symptoms, if any at all, and bounce back within a few days. But some children do become seriously ill and, in rare cases, die from their infections. And data shows that over one million U.S. children have developed long Covid.

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Unions call on Pritzker to support their Tier 2 pension overhaul

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers were told about this earlier today. Today, the union coalition We are One Illinois sent this letter to Governor JB Pritzker…

As you know, the We Are One Illinois coalition has been working steadfastly to fix the broken Tier 2 pension system. Since this effort ramped up last year, our participating unions have been in constant communication with legislators and your office about proposed changes.

Throughout this process, you and your office have repeatedly emphasized the importance of ensuring that any legislative changes to Tier 2 strengthen the financial standing of both our pension systems and the state as a whole. To that end, we have worked diligently toward a proposal that we believe will not add to the state’s unfunded pension liability, nor negatively impact the state’s credit ratings, nor require significant additional funding from the state budget this year or in the near future.

The legislation we have developed also acknowledges your recent proposals to address the shortcomings in the state’s pension funding ramp and resolve the so-called “Safe Harbor” issue that has existed in Tier 2 since its inception.

After many months of discussions with key lawmakers, we believe we have arrived at a proposal that satisfies these principles, makes real progress to ensure public employees on Tier 2 can receive a more fair and decent pension, and strengthens the state’s finances for the long term.

We discussed this legislative proposal with your GOMB director last week and have introduced it into the legislature as an amendment to SB 1937. We ask that you stand with us in supporting this important legislation as we work with legislators to pass it through the General Assembly before the scheduled end of session on May 31.

This amended proposal addresses the four core areas where Tier 2 benefits have fallen short for public employees, including:

• Improving the final average salary calculation
• Lowering the retirement age
• Improving the cost of living adjustment
• Increasing the Social Security Wage base to address the so-called “Safe Harbor” problem

None of these changes represent full equity with Tier 1 pension provisions, but rather provide an indicator to our members-public service employees of every kind-that there is greater hope for security and dignity in retirement.

This newest proposal also reforms and modernizes the way we pay down the unfunded pension liability to put us on a path to 90% funding by 2045 and 100% funding by 2049.

Based on our initial analysis, we believe this proposal will be at least credit neutral, will not add significantly to the pension liability, and will not require considerable additional state funding. In short, this proposal can put us on a path to improve the inadequate and insufficient Tier 2 pensions for public employees while also addressing our state’s decades-long pension funding problems - and without damaging our current budgetary situation.

We recognize the uncertainty coming from the federal government and share your concerns about potential cuts to critical services. However, we cannot ignore the teachers, firefighters, nurses, or other public employees who provide these services every day across our state. These workers deserve a retirement that allows them to live with dignity and pay their bills after a lifetime of service.

There have been dozens of hearings, conversations, and discussions about this topic as lawmakers and organized labor have worked to find a solution to this pressing problem. We have a unique opportunity in these final days of the legislative session to make significant progress on a problem that has plagued Illinois for years.

We hope that you will join us in this critical endeavor, and together we can make real strides to fix Tier 2.

The amendment is here. They want to use some of the money freed up after two pension obligation bonds are paid off.

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The fight over working hours for Direct Support Professionals (Updated)

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Senate Republicans last week…

Members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus are calling on Governor JB Pritzker to protect critical funding that provides care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Illinois. In a letter sent today Republican Senators urged him to fully restore a proposed $32 million cut to Direct Support Professional (DSP) service hours in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs), where nearly 10,000 Illinois residents with IDD receive care.

“There will be lean years and there will be tight years, but every year – the state budget is a list of priorities. It is our duty as legislators to represent not just our constituents but all vulnerable Illinoisans who need our state’s help and protection,” the letter reads. “The IDD community has been pushed aside for far too long. This year you have the chance to prioritize them and make promised investments that help bring dignity and quality of life to these valued and vulnerable citizens.”

While the Governor’s proposed budget includes a 50-cent wage increase for DSPs, the Senate Republicans point out that the impact is undercut by the planned reduction of 900,000 service hours—the impact of which could eliminate an estimated 430 positions and result in a net loss of $32 million to the community-based care system.

The letter also highlights that thousands of Illinois residents remain on the state’s PUNS waiting list for services, and many more are living with aging caregivers who fear for their loved ones’ futures. Additionally, they argue that the proposed cuts would disproportionately impact downstate and rural areas, which already struggle to meet staffing needs and lack nearby facilities.

Senate Republicans say the proposed rollback threatens the state’s progress toward meeting federal requirements under the Ligas Decree and increases the risk of institutionalization for individuals with disabilities—a path many families have worked for decades to avoid.

The Senate Republican Caucus is urging the Governor to restore the full $32 million in service hours and recommit to building a fair, inclusive, and compassionate system of care for individuals with disabilities and their families.

* Pritzker’s spokesperson responded last week…

Governor Pritzker has made unprecedented investments and policy changes to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois — over $1 billion new dollars compared to FY ‘19. The Governor continues his prioritization of this population with a more than $100 million increase in the DHS DD division to support community services, including further wage increases for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).

Rather than ever acknowledging Governor Pritzker’s historic improvements, Senate Republicans are proving past is prologue and refusing to stand up against a leader of their own party who has one goal: to make life worse for people who aren’t rich. If these members meant a single word they said in this letter, they would be hauling their sorry selves to Washington DC right now to urge the Senate to not cut healthcare, food benefits and countless other critical services Illinoisans rely on. They might have uttered one syllable of disagreement when Bruce Rauner was dismantling the human services infrastructure of Illinois.

This is yet another disappointing, albeit unsurprising, stunt from individuals who have not once put the people they represent above cheap, partisan nonsense.

* Shore Community Services took both parties to task in a press release. Excerpt…

At the state level, Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget includes modest increases to caregiver wages and reimbursement rates. However, this progress is negated by a simultaneous proposed cut to hours for direct support professionals (DSPs).

“Medicaid is the backbone of our disability service system in Illinois, and DSPs are the backbone of our organizations. Without these caring and professional individuals, people with IDD will lose critical support that enables them to live full and independent lives in the community,” said Erin Ryan, CEO of Shore Community Services.

Under the Governor’s proposed budget, there is a reduction of 1 million DSP service hours ($32 million), affecting more than 10,000 people who reside in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs). These cuts equal a direct loss of daily support for individuals to assist with transportation, daily living activities, and access to community resources.

At the federal level, House Republicans released a budget reconciliation bill plan which includes approximately $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts could lead to up to 13.7 million Americans losing health insurance, according to estimates from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

From Early Intervention for young children (ages birth to 3) to personal care services and community-based programming such as group homes and day programs, Medicaid is often the only payer of disability services, especially for the majority of disabled people who are very low-income. This foundational program has enabled millions to access therapies, equipment, housing, school-based health services, and more.

“Cuts to Medicaid and waiver-funded services will threaten health, independence, and quality of life for people with IDD,” Ryan said. “Every year we fight for more resources, and each victory underlines the commitment Illinois has made to end the segregation of people with IDD and invest in truly integrated community-based supports. We are concerned about what cuts could mean for our communities.”

* Capitol News Illinois last month…

Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, asked IDHS whether DSP providers were consulted when deciding to reduce service hours in favor of higher wages. [IDHS Secretary Dulce Quintero] replied that providers were consulted during the Guidehouse study and that it “has been a very transparent process.”

However, providers in the They Deserve More coalition told Capitol News Illinois that they did not feel included in the decision-making process.

“I’ve been in every meeting, there’s not one that I missed,” Carmody said. “There was no consultation.”

A reduction in DSP service hours was first proposed in late 2023, but Carmody maintained there was an agreement that the current 28.5 million DSP hours would remain in place. She says the proposed budget cut amounting to 895,000 state-funded service hours came as a surprise.

“Why on earth would we have fought for over a year to stave off these cuts only to agree that it would only be a temporary measure? It’s preposterous. It’s counterintuitive,” said Carmody. “That was not the understanding. The understanding was that the community system would retain 28.5 million hours of DSP services.”

Carmody said some impacts on funding for DSPs were expected in future fiscal years, but not this year or to this extent. She also acknowledged the budgetary challenges of this fiscal year and said the current administration “hands-down” has done more than past administrations.

…Adding… From Senate Republican Leader John Curran’s Press Secretary Whitney Barnes…

Instead of engaging on the important issue of how to better serve vulnerable Illinoisans, Gov. Pritzker’s Administration responded (yet again) with hyper-partisan talking points and personal insults designed to mask the severity of the cuts the Governor has proposed to the developmentally disabled community in Illinois.

I can simplify the Senate Republicans’ request:

Will Governor Pritzker be moving forward with cutting over 900,000 hours for DSPs supporting Illinois citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or will he consider the Senate Republicans’ request and fully reinstate the $32 million in his proposed wage cuts to help bring more dignity, care, and quality of life to these vulnerable and valued Illinoisans?

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Updated context to today’s subscriber edition

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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As Budget Is Finalized–Remember That Senior Care Can’t Wait

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The push to prioritize home care for seniors has overwhelming and growing support in the IL GA, with 30 Senators and 59 Representatives signed on.

The voices of seniors and workers are breaking through, as in this new radio ad that started hitting Chicago stations on Saturday, and in the video below, making the case that Illinois needs to put seniors before big corporations and the ultra-wealthy:

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Mayor Johnson says ’some room’ to delay transit funding after May 31, but ‘not very much’

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson held a press availability this morning…

Reporter: On the transit bill. It seems it’s possible that they try to tackle the structure and governance part and not revenue. Do you think that’s acceptable to do one without the other at this time, or does the revenue need to come in May?

Johnson: Let me just say that I’m grateful for the productive work that is being done in Springfield. As I’ve said before, our equitable distribution and fair share of resources for Chicago in the region, that’s my number one priority, particularly at a time in which we’re already seeing the benefits of our investments right where wholesale occupancy is up, tourism is up. The ridership is up. 300 million riders last year alone. So we know that there is a growing need for reliable and affordable public transportation. As far as the parsing out of action, that is typical of Springfield. My position is we have to do both, right and, our team has worked hard to ensure that the governing structure is situated properly for the future. And the resources, that’s where we really have to roll up our sleeves and dig in a little bit more to ensure that that equitable distribution comes to fruition. But all in all, sometimes it it’s more manageable to parse elements of something of this magnitude apart. And I don’t necessarily have any grudge towards that effort.

Reporter: The agencies themselves have said they need the revenue to avoid cuts. They would have to schedule, I guess, a series of meetings that they’re required to schedule to talk about cuts before they actually implement them. Is there time to bring in that revenue on their timeline if they don’t do it this week?

Johnson: There is some urgency to respond to the financial needs that exist today. As far as the timing is concerned, look, as I said, there’s clearly a growing appreciation and confidence in our public transit system. There’s more work to be done, but as ridership continues to go up, as well as tourism continue to improve. We were talking about $20 billion of infusion as a result of tourism. We’re going to have to have a fully funded, well supported transit system, safe, affordable and reliable. And again, there’s no secret that we have to move with some expediency to ensure that the funding is there. Again, the timing of it all, probably some room there, not very much though.

It’s a big lift to do both this week. We’ll see.

* Other topics…

Reporter: Continuing the Springfield theme, when you went down there, you talked about kind of four lower level asks, your priorities asking out of Springfield. I’m wondering, have you gotten any assurances from your team down there, or lawmakers? You know that things like the mandated categories for schools, the 911 surcharge, telecommunication tax, you know better than I do. Are you getting any, you know, confirmation that what you need is going to come through in this budget with only a couple days left in the session?

Johnson: Well, there’s still work to be done, right? What I will say is, as we take nothing for granted, as you know, and as you’ve covered over the years, these last few days become, you know, paramount. Our team is working hard to make sure that, as you mentioned the categoricals, for instance, for special education, for transportation, bilingual education, that those reimbursements don’t drop below what we’ve had in the past. We actually believe that there should be some increase there. There’s nothing that’s guaranteed, and our work continues there to ensure that they ask that we have for the people of Chicago that those tasks become realized. Now, there’s always room to negotiate, and there’s different forms in which these asks can be delivered, but we’ll continue to work through that process to ensure that those investments reach Chicago.

Reporter: I’m hearing from one of the lawmakers who’s key, involved with the budgeting, who describes your team’s presence down presence down there as virtually being absent. Now, can you respond to that?

Johnson: We’re there. We’re there.

* Bears…

Reporter: Let’s shift to the Bears, your favorite topic. So we’re kind of closing time in Springfield. We know that they’ve been in active talks about getting some kind of funding for a new stadium with lawmakers there. Is the city engaged in any conversation with lawmakers during this last week to try to maintain, keep them here in Chicago?

Johnson: The door is still open for the Bears to remain in the city of Chicago. I’ve expressed my commitment and our team has put forth terms that we believe are fair and are attractive. Obviously at this point, I’ve done everything that I possibly could do to ensure my commitment to the Bears in our city. And they need support from Springfield. I mean, that’s really what it comes down to. Those conversations have always been led by the Bears. Because just like the Bears had to come to me about how the city could wrap itself around an agreement, and we were able to respond to the organization, the Bears also have the responsibility to speak to the leadership in Springfield in order to secure a stadium. Look, that is out of my control at this point, if the Bears do not receive support from Springfield, then they’ll have to make decisions that are best for their organization. As far as I’m concerned. You know the door is still open.

I’m not sure that the Bears are engaged in “active talks” about state funding with anyone.

Many thanks to Isabel for cleaning up the recorded transcript. However, just in case, please pardon any transcription errors.

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Powering Illinois’ Energy And Economic Future

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

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It’s just a bill

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Grist…

Two years ago this week, the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. the Environmental Protection Agency significantly limited the agency’s ability to use the 1972 Clean Water Act to safeguard the nation’s wetlands from pollution and destruction. The decision determined that wetlands — waterlogged habitats that help filter water and sequester carbon — must be indistinguishable from larger bodies of water to be eligible for protection under the law. […]

Illinois appears to be well positioned to protect its wetlands. It’s a blue state with Democratic supermajorites in both state legislative chambers and a governor friendly to climate policy. But last year, a wetlands protection bill never made it to the General Assembly for a vote. And Illinois State Senator Laura Ellman, the primary sponsor of the bill, is pessimistic about pushing the same bill through the legislature this year.

One major opponent stands in the way: the Illinois Farm Bureau. “If the Farm Bureau is against it, a lot of legislators from downstate will be against it,” Ellman told Grist. “I think a lot of planets would have to align before we could get this bill passed this session.” […]

Ellman’s bill is “definitely in a precarious situation this year,” said Jennifer Walling, who runs the Illinois Environmental Council, an organization that advances environmental policy statewide. “This is something that makes so much sense. It should be bipartisan support, and yet it’s getting a lot of challenges.”

* The Pantagraph…

Virginia-based Revolutionary Racing wants to develop a 200-acre parcel of vacant land on Decatur’s western edge into a one-mile harness race track that would include a casino with 900 gaming positions. […]

But in order to do that, they first need Illinois lawmakers to authorize an additional horse racing license. Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, has a bill that would do that, but whether it moves before the legislature wraps up next week is anyone’s bet. […]

Joyce filed an amendment earlier this week that removed the opposition of Accel Entertainment, which owns FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing — previously known as Fairmount Park — in Collinsville, by adding a provision increasing the amount of off-track betting locations they are permitted to have from nine to 18.

That removes a big hurdle. But others remain. The owners of the Golden Nugget Danville and the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino in East Peoria remain opposed.

* Tribune…

Also up in the air are elements of Pritzker’s legislative agenda, a menu that includes legislation involving consumer protection, education, local governance and abortion rights, one of the governor’s signature issues.

One measure passed by the Senate and awaiting approval from the House would provide more protections under Illinois’ 2023 shield law, which prevents health care workers from facing disciplinary action by the state if, for instance, they provide abortion care to someone from another state that has more stringent abortion restrictions. […]

The governor is also pushing legislation that would regulate pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, companies that act as intermediaries among drugmakers, insurance corporations and pharmacies.

The legislation, among other things, would prevent PBMs from sending patients to pharmacies where they have a financial interest and it would also include prohibiting PBMs from pocketing certain savings on medications.

A bill that is expected to include language for a Pritzker-led measure that would allow some community colleges to offer four-year degrees advanced through the House Executive Committee Friday. But Democratic Rep. Curtis Tarver of Chicago at that hearing said, “The Black Caucus has some concerns about the concept and the bill in general.”

* Rev. Dr. K. Edward Copeland, pastor and former public defender…

Last month, the state of Illinois took the first step in over 70 years to fix an under-funded and resource-starved public defense system when the Illinois House of Representatives passed the Funded Advocacy & Independent Representation (FAIR) Act.

While other states are facing sweeping lawsuits or releasing accused people from jail due to a failure to provide public defenders to poor people who can’t afford an attorney, Illinois is moving in the other direction by working to establish a robust public defender system statewide. Thanks to the leadership and sponsorship of Rep. Dave Vella, a former public defender in Winnebago County who saw firsthand how broken the system is, the FAIR Act is now being considered by the Illinois Senate.

As a former assistant public defender in Kankakee County, I applaud the House for recognizing and addressing what has been painfully obvious to many for too long: for decades, public defenders in Illinois have worked too many cases at once with inadequate budgets and little-to-no support staff or administrative support. Individuals’ Sixth Amendment rights are at risk because of it. […]

The FAIR Act, HB3363, promises meaningful reform. It creates a statewide public defender office to collect data, establish caseload standards, and provide resources to smaller jurisdictions that struggle with attorney recruitment and retention. […]

But there is another way. The FAIR Act establishes a state commission to facilitate appointment of public defenders across this state. This approach is endorsed by national legal professional organizations because it makes plain sense: The branch of government that administers trials and hands down punishment to those who are convicted should not be in the business of appointing or removing people responsible for one side in a legal fight. The system cannot afford even the suggestion that judges and attorneys for the accused are operating in concert.

* WAND…

Illinois has made significant investments in mental and behavioral healthcare since the COVID-19 pandemic. A bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could make Illinois one of the first states to provide universal mental health screenings for young children and teens.

Early detection can be critical to help youth receive the best mental health services. Senate Bill 1560 could require public schools to offer age appropriate, confidential mental health screenings to identify mental health concerns and link students to support. Students in grades 3 through 12 would participate in the screenings once per school year. […]

Senate Bill 1560 passed out of the House on a 72-36 vote last week. It previously gained unanimous support in the Senate.

The legislation would take effect at the start of the 2027-28 school year if Pritzker signs the bill into law.

* Chicago State University President Zaldwaynaka Scott and President of the Chicago Urban League Karen Freeman-Wilson…

Our state’s economy, equity and educational future are all intertwined, and depend on us closing the funding gap for our public universities.

That’s why we strongly support Senate Bill 13 and House Bill 1581, the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and state Rep. Carol Ammons,D-Urbana. These visionary lawmakers have laid out a bold, data-driven blueprint to address a decades-long pattern of disinvestment in our institutions. […]

Between 2013 and 2019, the number of Black students attending Illinois public universities dropped by 34%. This is a crisis. The proposed legislation meets this moment by ensuring all of our public universities receive the resources needed to adequately serve our students.

SB13/ HB1581 start by calculating each public university’s unique “adequacy target” (what it costs to deliver a quality education). It then compares that target to the university’s current resources and fills in the gap, prioritizing funding for institutions that have historically been furthest from full funding. Every public university stands to benefit, but those with the greatest need will finally see more meaningful, sustained investment.

* WAND…

State representatives passed legislation Friday to allow anyone charged with their first weapon-related offense to apply for a FOID card while they participate in a pretrial detention program.

Current state law allows nonviolent offenders charged with their first offense to participate in divergence programs such as the First Time Weapons Offense Program in Chicago. Upon completion, the state’s attorney dismisses the charges, but the individual cannot apply for a FOID card until after charges are dismissed. […]

All of the current requirements for legal gun ownership in Illinois would remain the same. Sponsors explained the Illinois State Police would also have the ability to deny someone’s application for a FOID card if they are ineligible. […]

Senate Bill 1899 passed out of the House on a 97-11 vote. The measure now moves back to the Senate on concurrence due to an amendment. It previously gained unanimous support in the Senate.

* Capitol News Illinois…

House Bill 2688, sponsored by Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, would allow certified nurse midwives to enter a written agreement with a physician to provide or assist with home births. In designated maternity care deserts, they can enter into such an agreement even if the local physicians don’t provide home births.

The bill only applies to certified nurse midwives, who must be a licensed advanced practice registered nurse, or APRN, and have at least a graduate degree in midwifery. It does not give the same privileges to certified midwives, who are required to have a graduate degree in midwifery.

In recent years, the number of home births across the nation has been steadily rising. The CDC reported that 51,642 home births took place across the country in 2021. That number was a 12% increase from the number of home births in 2020, which the CDC said was the largest increase since at least 1990.

The rise in home births in Illinois is often attributed to the rise in the state’s maternity care deserts, which are counties without a single hospital, birth center, or licensed health care professional who offers obstetric care.

HB 2688 has passed both chambers, it only needs approval from the governor to become law.

* Advantage News…

A bill that looks at reducing school gun violence without impeding Second Amendment rights had passed out of the Illinois House and Senate. HB1316 is a result of an incident in Murrayville Republican State Representative CD Davidsmeyer’s district tin which a student threatened to commit an act of gun violence against another student after they were released from school on an “early out” day.

The victim told school administrators who did not notify the principal immediately since it was just a threat. The victim’s parents got involved after hearing that nothing was done immediately to the student who made the threat.

[Rep. Davidsmeyer] says gun violence is something he takes “extremely serious.” The bill was approved unanimously in the House and Senate. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for consideration.

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RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments.

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

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What the proposed Medicaid and SNAP cuts mean for Illinois

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee released its recommendations for budget reconciliation early last week. A preliminary review by the Congressional Budget Office projected that, if implemented, at least 8.6 million Americans would lose their Medicaid coverage during the coming decade.

That translates to well over 300,000 Illinoisans.

In addition, the CBO projected that 5.1 million more people would lose their health insurance because of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ new rules regarding Affordable Care Act tax credits and restrictions on obtaining and retaining eligibility, including work requirements.

That would be about 190,000 more Illinoisans, for a total of about half a million people losing coverage here.

Another part of the U.S. House’s budget reconciliation proposal would reduce the federal Medicaid expansion match under the Affordable Care Act from 90% down to 80% for any state that used its Medicaid “infrastructure” to provide health insurance to undocumented residents.

Illinois’ All Kids program and its health insurance for undocumented older adults, as well as the adult insurance programs that Gov. JB Pritzker wants to cut off, all use the state’s Medicaid infrastructure to provide state funding for undocumented residents.

If that ultimately passes, the reduction to 80% would trigger a state law which halts all state funding for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act if the federal match falls below 90%.

So, either the state would have to give up funding health care for undocumented residents or continue to fund them with state dollars and then pay perhaps a billion dollars a year to make up for the 10-point reduction in the federal match.

No way the state could afford to step in and spend billions upon billions to cover all those folks.

The CBO also released cost estimates last week for the House Republican budget reconciliation plan, and it included even more eye-popping numbers about state Medicaid cuts and increased state costs.

The estimates cover the federal budget years of 2026 up to and including 2034 (apparently nine fiscal years). According to the nonpartisan budget office estimates, changes to the Medicaid program would result in “$698 billion less in federal subsidies.”

A back of the envelope calculation shows that would work out to about $24.4 billion in federal Medicaid cuts for Illinois, or about $2.7 billion a year on average, although the cuts are backloaded. A Kaiser Family Foundation report earlier this month showed Illinois received $21.1 billion in annual federal Medicaid funding out of $606.3 billion in total federal Medicaid funding, or 3.5%.

The CBO also estimates “$78 billion in additional state spending, on net, accounting for changes in state contributions to SNAP and Medicaid and for state tax and spending policies necessary to finance additional spending,” during the same time period.

That would be about $2.73 billion in additional expenses for Illinois, or about $303 million per year on average.

Later in the week, congressional Republican honchos proposed a “manager’s amendment” to their massive reconciliation bill.

One new item would prohibit private insurance companies in the Affordable Care Act exchange to pay for abortions unless “necessary to save the life of the mother or if the pregnancy is a result of an act of rape or incest.”

Illinois requires companies in the ACA health insurance marketplace to cover abortion if they offer pregnancy-related benefits, according to the Department of Insurance.

So, if the congressional provision is enacted, Illinois would have to decide whether to pick up the tab itself or find another workaround.

The same could happen with the amendment’s language banning Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for adults. The proposed ban earlier applied only to children.

The amendment would also move up Medicaid work requirements from the original 2029 start date to 2026, which will undoubtedly result in more Illinoisans being kicked off, if Arkansas’ disastrous experience is repeated here.

The budget office claimed that household resources for those in the bottom 10% of earners would “decrease by an amount equal to about 2 percent of income” in 2027 and 4% in future years, due to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cuts.

Household resources for those in the top 10% would “increase by an amount equal to 4 percent for households in the highest [ten percent] in 2027 and 2 percent in 2033, mainly because of reductions in the taxes they owe,” the CBO reported.

We’ll just have to wait and see what the U.S. Senate does now that the ball is in its court.

* Meanwhile, from the Sun-Times…

About 70% of all the days a person spends in a nursing facility in Illinois are covered by Medicaid, and in fiscal year 2024 that amounted to $3.8 billion in federal dollars for long-term care facilities, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

“Federal cuts to Medicaid will leave state and local governments with vast budget shortfalls that cannot be made up, and the direct result would not only mean an economic impact for communities but also one directly felt by Medicaid customers currently residing in nursing facilities – and those served throughout the Medicaid program,” the department said in a statement.

The bill will place a moratorium on an effort to increase staffing levels at nursing homes, said Gelila Selassie, an attorney with Justice in Aging. Staffing levels at nursing homes are important because they prevent deaths at facilities, she said. The rule would have required an around-the-clock registered nurse and a minimum of 3.48 total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, according to a KFF analysis. […]

Another provision in the bill limits retroactive coverage from three months to one month, said Selassie. Applying for Medicaid requires a lot of paperwork and Selassie said now families will have a shorter window of time to gather the necessary documents. […]

People with disabilities who do not live in facilities will also be affected. Less Medicaid funding for things like personal attendants, wheelchairs and home modifications will mean they won’t be able to live at home, said Bridget Hayman, director of communications for Access Living.

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Repeal The Interchange Fee Prohibition Act Now

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

“In the short remainder of this spring’s legislative session, lawmakers have the opportunity to prevent the upending of a financial system that provides Illinoisians with affordable credit and enables small businesses to thrive…. Hurting local financial institutions and small businesses isn’t the way to grow our economy.

“For the sake of our communities and the members we serve, we call on General Assembly members to repeal this flawed legislation.”

Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.

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Open thread

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Big issues for Illinois legislative session’s final week include public transit, pension reform.Tribune…

* Related stories…

∙ Capitol News Illinois: State budget talks enter final week amid fears of congressional cuts
∙CBS Chicago: Illinois lawmakers face Spring Session deadline to pass legislation
∙ NBC Chicago: Spring session underway for Illinois State Senate
∙ Capitol City Now: IL lawmakers could pass budget by Saturday

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

Sponsored by the Illinois Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance

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

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

* Governor Pritzker has no public events scheduled today.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Illinois coal plants get Trump exemptions from Biden-era rule limiting mercury, other toxic air pollution: In November, the company said it would keep Baldwin running until 2027. Then last month, in an attempt to revive the nation’s dwindling coal industry, President Donald Trump threw a lifeline to Vistra and a few dozen other energy companies, encouraging them to apply for exemptions from the latest federal limits on soot, mercury and other toxic air pollution. Vistra took Trump up on his offer, getting at least a two-year break from tougher regulations at Baldwin and six of its other coal plants: Kincaid south of Springfield, Newton in Jasper County, three in Texas and one in Ohio.

* Daily Herald | Cuts to school mental health grants could trickle down to local districts: Murray Bessette of the U.S. Department of Education’s office of planning, evaluation and policy development stated the grants violate federal civil rights law and conflict with the department’s commitment to “merit, fairness and excellence in education.” One of the grants, the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program, provided ISBE initially with $2.97 million in fiscal year 2022 to increase the number of credentialed mental health service providers for students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That was extended to the end of 2025 and the total obligations were increased to $6.2 million, according to HigherGov.

* Tribune | Illinois finalizes deal for land near Joliet needed for stalled invasive carp prevention project: “This is something that we’ve been waiting for for over a decade,” Marc Smith, policy director for the National Wildlife Federation, said. “It’s very good progress.” The state earlier this year postponed construction on the Joliet-area project, with state officials saying they didn’t want to move forward because they anticipated a federal funding shortfall. Then, two weeks ago, the Trump administration announced it supported the project and that funding was available, though Pritzker and Trump still managed to snipe at each other at the time.

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | IHSA looks for compromise on Right To Play issue: IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said the association decided to get in front of the issue after hearing feedback from member schools. A bylaw proposal allowing athletes to compete in non-school activities is expected to be on the annual ballot this fall. The consensus, Anderson said, is “if we’re going to change the bylaws, it’s best to let the membership do that rather than if we’re forced to change.”

* Crain’s | Cash-strapped Illinois weed businesses ‘bet the farm’ on a risky tax strategy to save millions: Nobody likes paying taxes, least of all cash-strapped businesses struggling for their lives. That’s why a new business strategy has taken off over the past year in the legal cannabis trade: claiming exemption from a burdensome federal tax provision that has — until now — been effectively taxing much of the industry to death. Since early 2024, state-licensed cannabis companies in Illinois and across the country have been changing up their approach to filing and paying federal taxes — specifically to claim exemption to a little-known 1982 provision in the Internal Revenue Code called Section 280E — in a move that is saving many of them eight or nine figures apiece.

* Sun-TImes | What Trump’s cuts to Medicaid will mean for nursing homes, long-term care facilities in Illinois: Across Illinois, about 70% of days spent in nursing home care are covered by Medicaid, making it the largest insurance payer for this type of coverage, according to state officials. Advocates worry the proposed cuts will reduce the type of care low-income seniors and those living with disabilities will receive at these facilities.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | Political Roundabout: Mayors in Crespo’s corner, Schneider gets primaried, and is a service tax on tap?: “Fred Crespo is a friend to our Northwest suburbs, but, more than that, he is concerned for this entire state. He is honest to a fault,” Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig, Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly and Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod told the Daily Herald in a letter. The trio “felt compelled to set the record straight,” after Welch removed Crespo as chair of the House Appropriations Committee for General Services and from the Democratic caucus earlier this month.

* Tribune | Illinois lawmakers’ latest perk — continuing education credits for going to work: The new benefit came about from a little-noticed change in Supreme Court rules, a move encouraged and endorsed by multiple lawmakers. It took effect Jan. 1, just in time for the ongoing spring legislative session. At least 29 lawmakers were notified that they could qualify for up to 12 of the 30 educational credits they need to collect over two years. The lawmaker-lawyers can chalk up three hours of credit by simply attending one day of a legislative session, a committee meeting or a subcommittee hearing, according to the new rule. One catch is that they can collect only three credits throughout a legislative session, such as a spring session that lasts several months or a fall veto session that lasts a few weeks, court officials said.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Jenner & Block wins ruling blocking Trump’s executive order: Judge John Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said in his five-page order the actions detailed in Trump’s executive order, which included revoking security clearances for Jenner employees and limiting the firm’s access to federal buildings, were null and void.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools lays off hundreds of tutors before CPS school year ends: Hiring hundreds of tutors was one of CPS’ key strategies to shore up learning as students returned to in-person classes after the COVID-19 pandemic. When elementary school reading scores rebounded, CPS credited the tutors in part for the improvements. But CPS officials said Friday that the school system is “refining and refocusing the program in response to key lessons learned and in alignment with current district resources.” This year, more than 200 schools had literacy and math tutors. Next year, though, only 55 will get math tutors for middle school students, according to CPS, which is facing a budget deficit of at least $529 million.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s ‘missing middle’ housing program adds more neighborhoods, extends developer deadline: Launched in fall 2024, the Missing Middle Infill Housing program began with 40 vacant lots in North Lawndale, which will now be developed into more than 100 housing units. The expansion of the program in April opens up 54 lots across the three South Side neighborhoods. With $75 million allocated to the program, the city expects to create up to 750 residential units. The term “missing middle” refers to the hole in the center of a housing supply that often includes more low- and high-density properties, like single-family homes and high-rise apartments.

* Sun-Times | Family wants city action after woman, 88, is killed in Garfield Ridge: ‘There’s no speed bumps around here’: Fernando Ochoa, another of Maria Ochoa’s sons, said the area has a reputation for reckless driving and he often hears cars racing up and down the street. He wants more speed cameras and speed bumps in the area and stiffer penalties for those flouting the laws. “Every night I hear this going on down Archer Avenue, down 55th, cars drag racing, there’s no speed bumps around here,” Fernando Ochoa said. “We’ve been asking for this stuff for a while and nothing happened. We have no speed cameras here at all.”

* WBEZ | Gerald Reed is suing over alleged torture by Chicago cops: In May 2024, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins found Reed not guilty on all counts, following a four-day trial. His attorney will now seek a certificate of innocence, which would make Reed eligible for nearly $200,000 from the state for his time spent in prison. The lawsuit filed earlier this month in federal court also seeks damages, naming the city and dozens of current and former Chicago police officers as defendants, including Burge.

* Tribune | Soaring Chicago police lawsuit payouts hit record amount — and more are on the way: Through May alone, the City Council has already approved at least $145.3 million in taxpayer payments to settle lawsuits involving the Chicago Police Department, a record number that dwarfs sums from past years, according to a Tribune analysis. That amount — far above the $82.6 million Mayor Brandon Johnson and aldermen budgeted for settlements, verdicts and legal fees involving the department — does not include many smaller payments that face less aldermanic scrutiny.

* WGN | Chicago sees smooth travel as millions hit the road for Memorial Day: AAA predicted 45.1 million people across the country will travel at least 50 miles from home this weekend. The holiday’s previous domestic travel record of 44 million was set 20 years ago. Of that, 87.4% were expected to travel by car, which equals over 39 million people, and an increase of about 3% from last year.

* Sun-Times | 86-year-old owner of Old Fashioned Donuts goes viral thanks to granddaughter’s TikTok: Since 1972, shop owner Burritt Bulloch, 86, has shown up nearly every day to make doughnuts, and he has not only become a fixture in his community, but an inspiration to his family. “My grandfather is the heart of the business,” said Edwards, 23. “He’s said before, ‘If I stop, then that’s it for me.’ This is what keeps him going, and it warms my heart that he has this drive. He was just a young guy with a dream when he moved to Chicago and he’s accomplished so much. I’m grateful for his legacy.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Press Release | Congressman Sean Casten Announces Endorsement of Daniel Biss for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District: Today, Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) announced his endorsement of Daniel Biss for Congress in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Casten’s endorsement comes just days after a slate of state elected officials endorsed Biss, adding to the growing momentum in his campaign. “Congressman Casten is a dedicated, hardworking public servant who brings much-needed expertise and commitment on climate action to Washington. I’m truly grateful to have earned his support,” said Daniel Biss. “Illinois needs a Congressional delegation that won’t back down when Donald Trump and his MAGA followers threaten the services our people rely on or the rights we hold dear. Sean Casten has stood up time and again for the people of Illinois, and I hope to earn the opportunity to fight and win alongside him in Congress.”

* Daily Herald | Few suburban Congressional candidates met financial disclosure deadline: Only three of the more than two dozen candidates for congressional seats serving the North, West or Northwest suburbs turned in federal financial disclosure reports by a May 15 deadline, a Daily Herald analysis revealed. One, 9th District Democratic hopeful and internet personality Kat Abughazaleh, is a political newcomer whose campaign has received national media attention. The other two — Republicans Niki Conforti of the 6th District and Jim Marter of the 14th — are campaign veterans who lost previous bids for federal office.

* NBC Chicago | Suburban couple fights for fair Cook County property taxes after massive increase: “It [the property tax] was affordable until last August when they did a reassessment and the property in the back went from a market value of $107,000 to $752,000 in tax dollars,” Sandra Kucala said. “That’s a 602% increase. Their other two parcels saw double digit increases, too. “It [the tax bill] went from $3,000 a year in taxes to $17,000,” she said. “We can’t even sell it [the property] with the taxes being that high.”

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg aims to slash police hiring time during officer staffing crisis: Desperate to resolve a problematic 13 vacancies among its 119 officer positions, Schaumburg will follow the lead of most other area police departments to bring its six-month hiring process down to the regional norm of two months. Though Schaumburg is in crisis mode, other departments are facing hiring issues as well. “Being short officers as we are can lead to burnout, or officers being tired,” Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said. “We don’t want our officers out there in that condition.”

* Daily Southtown | Former Gov. Pat Quinn shares Memorial Day message in Blue Island: On Monday, Quinn echoed some of the thoughts of Blue Island American Legion Post 50 Cmdr. Joe Serbantez, who said Memorial Day was about more than cookouts and mattress sales. “Yes, we have ballgames and we have picnics and all kinds of celebrations and that’s good,” Quinn said. “We were given a gift by God to be here in the United States as citizens in 2025. That’s all important. But we cannot forget the significance of today, which is to honor all of those who came and served our country. We cannot forget them.”

* WTTW | There’s a Shortage of Native Seeds, So Cook County Preserves Is Growing Its Own Supply: A 2023 report sounded the alarm about the scarcity of native seed: The native segment of the commercial seed production industry is comparatively small and highly specialized, and there isn’t enough species diversity in the offerings that do exist. Too often, key species are unavailable or buyers have to make do with substitutions, and that can affect the success of a restoration project. Pat Hayes, long-time volunteer site steward at Cook County’s 1,000-acre Orland Grassland preserve, didn’t need data to tell her what she’s been experiencing firsthand.

* Sun-Times | McDonald’s is closing its CosMc’s restaurants, including Bolingbrook site: McDonald’s said Friday that it’s closing down CosMc’s, a new restaurant format it began piloting in the U.S. last year. But the company said beverages inspired by CosMc’s will soon be tested at U.S. McDonald’s locations. Among the drinks on CosMc’s current menu: matcha iced latte, turmeric spiced latte, prickly pear-flavored slushy with popping candy on top and a frozen sour cherry energy drink.

* Daily Herald | ‘Peace is not free’: Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice: Streamwood Village President Billie Roth noted the suburb was founded in 1957 as the U.S. and the world continued to move beyond World War II. “Our town was established during a time when the world was recovering from the hardships of war, and we are here today because of the immense sacrifices made by those who fought to secure the freedoms we all enjoy,” she said.

*** Downstate ***

* WEEK 25 | Ameren Illinois customers warned of price spike on summer electricity bills: “These results highlight the ongoing energy challenge in downstate Illinois and the need for a more robust resource planning process on the state level,” an Ameren Illinois spokesperson said in a statement. “Balanced solutions, including transmission, energy storage, renewables, natural gas, nuclear, energy efficiency, and demand response, are needed to provide residents and businesses with affordable and reliable energy,” the company said.

* WAND | Urbana residents face changes in electric supply as municipal aggregation contract expires: The City plans to pursue aggregated pricing again in the spring. Residents have several options: they can remain on Basic Generation Service, subscribe to community solar, or choose their own retail electric supplier. If residents stay on Basic Generation Service for two billing cycles, they will be locked in for another 10 months. Additionally, those who enter a retail contract in the spring will not be automatically enrolled in future aggregation attempts.

* WICS | Springfield city council approves new 13-million-dollar solar energy agreement: Sangamon Solar is building a new 750-acre solar farm south of Chatham. The project is set to cost the city 13 million dollars. That 13-million dollars is from taxpayer money, but it’s not an extra 13 million. It’s money already budgeted, but instead of being spent on electricity, it will be spent on solar energy

* WGLT | A $35 million price tag to dredge Lake Bloomington: A study done for the City of Bloomington estimates the cost to dredge Lake Bloomington at more than $35 million. “And that doesn’t include the drying beds. We would need to acquire land to lay out that silt and whatnot to dry so we can dispose of it,” said Deputy City Manager Sue McLaughlin.

* WGLT | U of I Extension’s Master Gardeners program marks 50 years of research-based advice: Brittnay Haag is the horticulture educator for Illinois Extension serving McLean, Livingston and Woodford counties. She said one of the biggest advances the program has made has been giving more scientific solutions to gardeners, as opposed to internet tips and family secrets. “They really learn proper care and proper techniques that have been researched, that they may not have always done. A lot of them are like, ‘Oh, I learned this from my grandma 50 years ago,’ and that may not be the proper researched-based technique nowadays,” she said.

* WTTW | Black Bears Looking to Relocate Too? Southern Illinois Has a Furry Visitor, Wildlife Officials Confirm: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) said it is monitoring a bear that’s been spotted hanging out all week in St. Clair County in the southwestern part of the state, just east of St. Louis. The bear has had no interaction with humans but has damaged some bee hives on private property, IDNR said.

* IPM News | This Memorial Day, a U of I professor will honor the life of his relative who went missing during WWII: “A few hours of internet searching suddenly led to an understanding that there was information about my relative who died in the B-24 bomber that the family never knew,” Althaus said. “And very quickly this became what would eventually become a five-year research project to try to find the final resting place of my relative, Second Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, Jr.”

*** National ***

* Auto Blog | Tesla’s Odometer Lawsuit Could Be EV Industry’s Dieselgate Moment: A California class-action lawsuit alleges the company uses predictive software to inflate odometer readings by up to 117%, voiding warranties prematurely and forcing owners into $10,000 repair bills. And if the Courts find it to be systematic? Global? Based on the lawsuit data, the total estimated annual financial benefit to Tesla is about $3.99 billion. Nyree Hinton’s 2020 Model Y odometer logged 72 miles/day despite a 20-mile commute, burning through his 50,000-mile warranty in 18 months.

* The Lever | Get Ready To Pay In ZuckBucks: Amid a flood of industry lobbying in Washington, D.C., and Democrats’ capitulation, the Senate is set to pass the GENIUS Act, a sweeping cryptocurrency law that could spread fraud-ridden, destabilizing digital currencies across the banking system. But lawmakers and consumer protection experts warn that the bill has an even more serious problem: It would allow Elon Musk and other Big Tech tycoons to issue their own private currencies. That means we could soon live in a world where all online transactions will require us to pay for goods in billionaires’ own made-up monopoly money, for which tech giants will be able to charge exorbitant transaction fees.

* Slate | Crypto Is About to Cause the Next Great American Financial Crisis: So imagine this scenario: It’s a year from now, maybe two. Crypto-friendly legislation is now law, opening the floodgates for all manner of bank exposure to crypto. Next, the economic recession people have been forecasting for years actually happens. Trump’s erratic economic policies and his embrace of tariffs have boosted the chances of one to as high as 70 percent on prediction markets just last month, although they’ve since come down. Historically speaking, though, recessions are unavoidable. News of a downturn then leads to a sizable drop in the markets. As investors rush to shed themselves of risky assets, crypto, perhaps the riskiest “asset” imaginable, is dumped with ferocity. Soon, there’s a run on the banks, except it’s not like in 2023, it’s far bigger. Instead of only a handful of banks, dozens or maybe even hundreds are affected, including some of the largest in the country. And quelle surprise, we are all obligated to bail the banks out (again) or face global financial armageddon.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Addition to today’s edition

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Tuesday, May 27, 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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