Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

As the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget Director Alexis Sturm warned a House committee that uncertainty about President Donald Trump’s economic and administrative policies could affect Illinois revenue, the president announced new tariffs will take effect Tuesday on imports from some of Illinois’ top trading partners.

After initially pausing implementing 25% tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico, Trump announced in a social media post Thursday morning that tariffs will begin on March 4. In addition, he said the U.S. will add another 10% tariff on Chinese goods. […]

Meanwhile in the Illinois Statehouse, Sturm told the House Revenue and Finance Committee that revenue projections in Gov. JB Pritzker’s introduced budget account for the possibility of tariffs affecting the economy.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in our outlook based on what’s going on at the national level regarding tariffs, tax policy, what the Federal Reserve is going to do,” Sturm said. […]

Asked whether there are any spending cut plans for downturns in revenue projections, Sturm the governor’s office doesn’t have a backup plan.

“At this point, no,” Sturm said. “I think the important thing to watch is what happens in April.”

Sturm hinted there could be some good news for state finances when income tax revenue is reported at the end of April. She said state officials are expecting a “pretty significant April tax payment,” which could cause state officials to reevaluate their revenue projections for the current fiscal year.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WCIA | ‘Drugs don’t work if you cannot afford them’: Rally held in Illinois Capitol to regulate prescription costs: Many people across Illinois are struggling to pay for their prescriptions, and around 250 people came together in the Capitol with an idea to curb the prices. Advocates are fighting for the Illinois lawmakers to pass a bill to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. That five-person board will cap the prices of certain drugs across the state to ensure residents can afford them.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Chicago sees dealmaking slump as early Trump moves drive uncertainty: Dealmaking has remained stuck in neutral in 2025 as uncertainty about the impact of President Donald Trump’s early actions has kept mergers and acquisitions activity light, belying forecasts for a long-awaited market surge this year. “It certainly has not materialized,” said Brad Haller, senior partner for mergers and acquisitions at business and technology consulting firm West Monroe. “In terms of new inbound activity, the first two months of this year, it has not met our expectations.”

* Fox 32 | Why is Brandon Johnson testifying before Congress?: In January, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a formal letter to City Hall, requesting Johnson’s participation in a public hearing on Capitol Hill. The letter cited concerns about the impact of sanctuary policies in Chicago and three other cities—New York, Boston, and Denver. It claimed such policies fail to comply with federal law and suggested, “Citizens of all four cities have suffered due to sanctuary policies.” House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) confirmed all four mayors will testify at the full committee hearing on March 5.

* Bloomberg | Walgreens rises on report that Sycamore would split company: Sycamore, which has been reportedly exploring a purchase of Walgreens for months, is planning on splitting up the company’s US and UK pharmacy businesses, as well as its specialty pharmacy unit, the Financial Times reported Thursday. Walgreens shares rose as much as 7.3% when US markets opened. They had gained 18% this year through Wednesday’s close. Representatives for Walgreens and Sycamore declined to comment. The stock was up 4% at about $11.50 as of 11:50 a.m. on Thursday.

* Sun-Times | Bears have 4th-most salary-cap space as NFL announces record-high $279.2 million cap: Regardless of where the final number fell, the Bears were set to have the fourth-most salary-cap space when the new league year begins March 12. After recent cuts of tight end Gerald Everett and defensive end DeMarcus Walker, they’re on track to have $79.5 million in space when they start negotiating with free agents March 10. That trails only the Patriots at $127.8 million, the Raiders at $96.5 million and the Commanders at $81.9 million. NFC North rivals the Vikings ($63 million) and Lions ($51.5 million) also are in the top 10, and the Packers have $48.8 million to spend.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Monica Gordon | Lives are lost in south suburban Cook County because it’s a trauma center desert: In the heart of the Southland, a critical health care gap has been widening, one that endangers lives every day. The absence of a trauma center in this region is more than an inconvenience; it is a public health crisis that demands immediate attention and collective action. As someone who has lived and worked in the south suburbs throughout my career and served as an elected official, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of this health care void. Trauma centers are not just hospitals; they are lifelines. These centers significantly improve survival rates and patient outcomes for traumatic brain injuries, gunshot wounds, injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes and so much more.

* Naperville | Naperville craft brewers worried about potential impact of Trump’s aluminum tariffs: For Naperville’s Go Brewing, aluminum cans play a substantial role in manufacturing. Ask president and founder Joe Chura, and he’d say about 99.99% of the nonalcoholic craft brewery’s offerings are doled out in aluminum cans. So with President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on all imported aluminum set to go into effect on March 12, the potential local impact “is really on our mind,” Chura says.

* Sun-Times | Graduate saddled with $138K debt for ‘worthless’ degree sues loan servicer Navient for fraud: An Aurora woman who attended a “predatory for-profit” college in the Loop filed a proposed class action lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of student loan borrowers who were shut out of getting their loans discharged, following a 2022 settlement against loan servicer Navient Corp. Amanda Luciano, 38, racked up more than $138,000 in debt and has paid off about $52,000. The lawsuit says Navient should have erased her loans because she attended a “predatory for-profit” school. Instead, the company refused and wouldn’t explain why. Luciano filed the lawsuit against Navient and its subsidiary, Navient Solutions, in Cook County Circuit Court, saying the servicer fraudulently and unfairly denied her request to have her loans discharged. Her complaint seeks class action status for other Illinois borrowers who also received “boilerplate” denials from Navient.

* Tribune | Ex-sailor pleads guilty to terrorist plot to attack Naval Station Great Lakes in 2022: A former sailor at the Naval Station Great Lakes has pleaded guilty to a 2022 terrorist plot to attack the base in Chicago’s northern suburbs on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, purportedly to avenge the death of an Iranian general killed by U.S. forces. Xuanyu Harry Pang, 38, of North Chicago, pleaded guilty to conspiring to and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense premises with the intent to obstruct the national defense of the U.S., court records show.

*** Downstate ***

* WJBD | Demolition work underway for new operating and emergency room at Salem Township Hospital: Demolition work is now underway in the future area that will house the Salem Township Hospital emergency and operating room areas. Hospital CEO James Timpe says no surprises have been found. “Demolition has been underway for about three weeks, and we’re seeing the area downstairs that used to be the rural health center is being cleared out,” Timpe said. “It’s looking good, and we should have a plan from our architect in a couple of weeks. They’ll send that out for bids, and we’ll see if we can come in under budget.”

* Shaw Local | Keast ousts Schore in Bourbonnais mayoral primary: The village of Bourbonnais will have a new mayor after the April 1 consolidated general election. Trustee Jeff Keast soundly defeated four-term incumbent Mayor Paul Schore in Tuesday’s Bourbonnais Citizens Party primary race. Keast has been a trustee for 10 years. According to unofficial results, Keast finished with 1,061 votes (60.7%) to Schore’s 686 votes (39.3%).

* WJBD | Marion County Board hires new county highway engineer: The Marion County Board has hired Alex Kreke as its new county highway engineer, pending IDOT approval. Kreke is currently an engineer with the city of Wentzville, Missouri. Road and Bridge Committee Co-Chair Adam Smith says Kreke is originally from Dietrich and wanted to return to the Southern Illinois area. “He seems to be really motivated to be back in the area, and he seems like he’s very much interested in learning about the county highway business,” Smith said. “He’s got a lot of experience with city streets, sewers and infrastructure, so he ought to be a great fit for our county.”

* Illinois Times | The Taste of Black Springfield: Celebrate Black History Month and experience the best of local Black-owned food, music and fun at the same time. This event’s menu ranges from barbecue to soul food to sweet treats. Entry is free but event attendees are urged to donate to vendors at the event. Fifteen Black-owned businesses are set to provide their specialties for this event.

*** National ***

* Bloomberg | From egg prices to housing, US inflation is heating up again: “Our outlook is very much for inflation to be coming back. We’ve been saying second half of this year, but it seems like the pressures are already starting to build,” said Lauren Saidel-Baker, economist at ITR Economics. And between the administration’s policies on tariffs and immigration, there’s more to come, she said. “I want to be absolutely clear: there are upside risks to our inflation outlook.”

* NYT | Organ Transplant System ‘in Chaos’ as Waiting Lists Are Ignored: For decades, fairness has been the guiding principle of the American organ transplant system. Its bedrock, a national registry, operates under strict federal rules meant to ensure that donated organs are offered to the patients who need them most, in careful order of priority. But today, officials regularly ignore the rankings, leapfrogging over hundreds or even thousands of people when they give out kidneys, livers, lungs and hearts. These organs often go to recipients who are not as sick, have not been waiting nearly as long and, in some cases, are not on the list at all, a New York Times investigation found.

* The Atlantic | Inside the Collapse at the NIH: The lights at the NIH are on; staff are at their desks. But since late January, the agency has issued only a fraction of its usual awards—many in haphazard spurts, as officials rushed grants through the pipeline in whatever limited windows they could manage. As of this week, some of the agency’s 27 institutes and centers are still issuing no new grants at all, one NIH official told me. Grant-management officers, who sign their name to awards, are too afraid, the official said, that violating the president’s wishes will mean losing their livelihood. (Most of the officials I spoke with requested anonymity, out of fear for their job at the agency, or—for those who have left—further professional consequences.)

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Stop Credit Card Chaos In Illinois

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

A last-minute provision called the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) was snuck into the budget process last May and will create chaos for small businesses and consumers across Illinois if it takes effect on July 1, 2025.

The IFPA gives corporate mega-stores like Walmart and Home Depot — who pushed for this backroom deal — millions more in profits, while small business owners get new expenses and accounting headaches. What’s more, consumers could be forced to pay for parts of their transactions in cash if this law moves forward.

A recent court ruling in the litigation challenging the law suggests IFPA is likely pre-empted by federal law for national banks and will only apply to credit unions and local Illinois banks, putting local banks at a disadvantage against their national competitors.

Illinois lawmakers should repeal the IFPA and focus on protecting small businesses and consumers across the state — not lining the pockets of corporate mega-stores.

Stop the countdown to chaos by supporting a repeal of this misguided and flawed policy. Learn more at https://guardyourcard.com/illinois/

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DuPage County sheriff says he’s running for governor (Updated)

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick’s Facebook page…

Sheriff Mendrick is running for Governor of Illinois!!!

Today I’m announcing that I will not be running for a third term as DuPage County Sheriff in the election cycle of 2026. This was a very hard decision to make. The legislation changes that have been imposed on Illinois from the governors office are state laws that directly conflict with existing federal laws. The safety act stops us from rehabilitating people in our jails and the sanctuary city laws force federal authorities into our neighborhoods because these state laws deny them access to these criminals while they are in custody within a correctional facility. This is not right. My family and I have decided that we want our State back. We don’t like being fearful of crime that is randomly occurring now in our streets, homes and our retail stores due to soft on crime legislation. We don’t want to move out of Illinois like so much of our population. We really don’t. We love this state. That’s why I’ve decided to run for the Office of Governor of Illinois. I will bring safety, security and fairness to the city of Chicago and the rest of our State. I will bring more than 30 years of law enforcement and correctional facility experience in the second largest county in the State of Illinois to a city that desperately needs it. I will bring State laws back into alignment with law enforcement principles that make rational sense and will once again create an environment in our homes that will make all of us feel safe. An environment where citizens will once again apply to be police officers. Our culture is being eliminated by senseless laws created by our current government that persecutes cops and empowers criminals. I’m here to stop the bleed. To do this we must have strong leaders with actual law enforcement experience. That’s why my current Undersheriff, Eddie Moore, has my full support and endorsement to be the next DuPage County Sheriff. Undersheriff Moore has been with me from the beginning and has helped me create what the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office is today. I feel secure in my home County where I can run for Governor and still have a Sheriff that will keep us safe and secure. Eddie Moore is that person. He has no equal in a race for Dupage County Sheriff. I’ve asked a question to thousands of people over the last 6 years and have only received one response, without question; “do you think that DuPage County should be more like Chicago and mimic their attributes or should Chicago be more like DuPage County and assimilate our attributes?”Take a guess at what every single answer was? DuPage!!!We are DuPage strong. Let’s be Illinois strong! What we have done can be done Statewide. Don’t let them put you to sleep with “it’s always been this way” talk. We need a secure future for our State and we will make Chicago and Illinois safe again.

* Sheriff Mendrick went on Ray Stevens’ WLS program today. Core message…

We have two, I’d say, major problems in this state, and it’s going to be the sanctuary city status, and it’s going to be the SAFE-T Act.

I mean, starting with sanctuary city, you know, you have a safety issue there too. But what, I guess I don’t understand, because, you know, we have a very large budget too, and the sheriff’s office is the biggest, second biggest county in the state. But I get audited all the time. I mean, I get audited probably three, four times a year by all kinds of different entities. I don’t see how you could go so over-budget. And whether you agree with the sanctuary state or don’t, I don’t understand the concept of having a policy that enables something that’s going to blow your budget out of the water. I don’t know how you can say, ‘Hey, I’m going to have a policy. I know it’s going to cost a billion dollars more than the budget that I’m given, but I’m going to keep this policy, and I’m going to still cost money.’ And what a billion dollars was last year will probably be more like $3 billion this year.

Please pardon any transcription errors.

* Regarding Gov. Pritzker’s rhetoric about President Donald Trump and whether that has had an impact on DuPage County…

Well, there have been some things that were staged shortly, nothing that was disruptive, though. I think what they’re trying to do is just to make sure there’s a heartbeat behind the budget request. I mean, when you’re that far again over budget and, you know.

I want to talk really quick about the ICE raids too, you know, I get a kick out of this where we’re hearing all these complaints about ICE raids, ICE raids. But then I want to go back to policy. We have a sanctuary state policy that says we cannot speak to the federal government that’s in charge of a nationwide push for illegal immigrants, and they’re saying that they want to get rid of their rapists and murderers. But part of that is you have no access, ICE has no access to our jail system. So you got to feel bad for the federal government in a way, because they’re charged with the job, the only way they can do it now, they’re being forced to not go to a jail, which is a safe environment where you’re going to get your rapist or murder. I don’t have anybody in my jail, neither does Cook County, that is there just for immigration. They’re there for whatever any other citizen would be arrested for. So they’re in this environment, and they don’t allow access to a jail. So then ICE is forced to go into neighborhoods, find them where they are, and then, yeah, there’s collateral damage now, too, because if say there’s two criminal illegal aliens, and then there’s two people who are just here illegally, if they let those people go, they’re technically committing a crime on ICE laws. I mean, these are federal laws. I mean, so you have a policy that defies federal laws, and it’s also causing your budget to blossom billions over what it’s supposed to be.

* SAFE-T Act…

I gotta go back to the SAFE-T Act, and why it bothers me so bad is it actually promulgates long term incarceration. So you take, before the SAFE-T Act, you take a burglar, you come in. We used to classify like a burglar. We call them low hanging fruit. It’s usually a substance driven crime. We do full detoxification stabilization of your personnel through psychiatric services. We have 200 classes, courses taught by 80 counselors and educators per week. And then we start vocational training. We have welding, tiling, dry walling, horticulture, indoor and outdoor, small engine repair, the tattoo removal, suits for success, they get suits. And then we have a re-entry program, so we bring our recidivism rates down from a 75 percentile level down to more closer to 20%, so that is because we’re stabilizing a personality and getting them a job. And what the SAFE-T Act does is they let them go. They believe they’re just getting a ticket, but that still qualifies as an arrest. So when you get three more of them and finally wind up in front of a judge, you’re a multiple offender, and you can do 15 years in IDOC, so the SAFE-T Act actually pumps them out temporarily, until they go to court, then they’re getting the big charges. So the SAFE-T Act fails. And we have so many people on warrants, we haven’t reduced our population. Nothing in the SAFE-T Act worked, other than demoralizing the police being soft on crime and, you know, taking away, I would say, just the protections from the police and giving those protections to criminals.

* Asked whether he has campaign donors…

So you know, I’ve been an elected official for six years, and we actually ran pretty hard. We ran for preparatory about two, three years prior to that to first get elected. So through the course of my political career, I’ve have thousands of donors. So I do have donors en masse, and I have been starting getting calls just yesterday without announcing, people are hearing rumblings. And these are from some of the bigger guys that are saying that first they want to make sure that a) that I’m Republican. I think a lot of these people don’t want another, and I mean no offense to Democrats, it’s just that the Democrat policies that have led to what I think, the dismantling destruction of Illinois, aren’t popular anymore. I think they want to see conservative values. And when I say I’m a Republican, that means, yes, I am conservative. It doesn’t mean that I’m hardcore and, you know, extremist, no, not at all. In fact, you know, I understand the value of the real business.

In ten years, he’s raised $854K. As of the end of the last quarter, he had $87K in the bank. He had one race, in 2018, which he won. He was unopposed in 2022.

* You’ll likely hear this question a lot from him…

Obviously, I want to protect the police. I want to see police empowered again. I want to see us be tough on crime again. You know, I always ask this question every forum I go. Thousands of people, I’ve never had an adverse reaction to this question other than one answer. Now you’ll see clearly what question this is? So, I would say, so do you think that DuPage County, second biggest county in the state, right next to Chicago, do you think that they would do better by absorbing the attributes and being more like Chicago? Or do you think Chicago could benefit from absorbing the attributes of DuPage County and being more like us?

…Adding… From DuPage County Board Chair Deb Conroy…

MAGA Jim Mendrick’s brand does not match the majority of voters in DuPage County. This is a great day for JB Pritzker, Illinois and DuPage Democrats.

* Related…

* Capitol News Illinois | Audit finds Illinois’ noncitizen health care programs far outstripped original cost estimates: The audit, which lawmakers requested in late 2023, comes one week after Pritzker delivered his annual budget proposal to the General Assembly. The governor’s plan would defund the newer of the two programs, which is aimed at noncitizens aged 44 to 64, while leaving in place the smaller program for noncitizen seniors aged 65 and older.

* Tribune | Audit finds many were improperly enrolled in state health care program for noncitizens, while costs were vastly underestimated: The cost overruns were particularly pronounced in the program meant for recipients ages 42 to 64, with the actual expenditure of $485 million through the three years ending June 30, 2023, the period covered by the audit, coming in at nearly four times the initially estimated cost of $126 million, according to the report. During the same period, the actual cost of the program for those 65 and older was $412 million, nearly double the original projection of $224 million.

* Crain’s | Illinois’ immigrant health plans cost taxpayers much more than projected, audit finds: Auditors found 6,098 enrollees designated as “undocumented” who had Social Security numbers. When that information was presented to the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services, or HFS, the agency provided responses for a sample of 94 enrollees. Auditors determined that 19 of those 94 should have been designated as lawfully present or as being a legal permanent resident — an important distinction because legal permanent residents become eligible for Medicaid after five years in the U.S.

* Sun-Times | Pritzker team vastly underestimated health care costs for adults who lack legal status, state audit finds: At a news briefing in Chicago Wednesday, Pritzker bypassed some of the errors spotlighted in the audit and focused on the fleeting nature of immigration status. He also spoke of his support for universal health care. “I think the thing that is missing from the reporting, and what I would point out to you, is that number one, people’s immigration status changes during the course of a year. You’ve got people who were eligible for the program, who became ineligible for the program,” Pritzker said.

* WTVO | Audit finds Illinois vastly underestimated cost of noncitizen heathcare on taxpayers: Republicans have been critical of the program since its inception. “We’re the only state that puts this burden on Illinois tax on their own state taxpayers taking this on and to not run it properly and to have these large cost overruns, that’s how you end up with a budget deficit,” Senate Minority Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) said Wednesday. “That’s what’s crowding out spending on education. That’s what’s crowding out spending on other components of the state budget. That’s why we need an audit.”

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It’s just a bill

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* HB1710 from Rep. Kam Buckner was discussed in a subject matter hearing of the House Gun Violence Prevention Committee yesterday. WAND…

State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) has been working on a law enforcement transparency bill for several years. The plan would require law enforcement to create quarterly reports on all homicide and violent crime in their communities.

In the report would be the crime, the date it happened and the status of the case. This would let people keep themselves updated on police progress on crimes that impacted their families. […]

“Nobody wants to get rid of gun violence more than legal gun owners,” State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) said. “I want to reiterate the need for proper prosecution and not just for penalizing the individual but for closure for the victims and the victims family. I appreciate what you’re trying to do.”

Illinois State Police are currently against the bill, but are in conversation with Buckner to change some language of the bill. […]

The bill is still in committee where lawmakers could vote on it later in session.

* Sun-Times…

Decades of predatory towing practices in Illinois have led to pulled licenses, a name change, at least one folk song and many a frustrated driver.

Now state legislators have proposed a bill to curb towing companies’ ability to take advantage of car owners whose vehicles crash or break down.

The bill would give the Illinois Commerce Commission the authority to crack down on businesses that use loopholes under current laws and hold towing firms accountable, said state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago.

The commission has fined repeat offenders hundreds of thousands of dollars, but many of these fines go unpaid, while some bad actors continue operating by renaming their businesses.

More from ABC Chicago…

“The problem is these fines go unpaid, and the bad actors continue to be just that,” said Ruben Ramirez Jr., Chief of Police at Illinois Commerce Commission Police. “They ignored the citations we write and continue illegal operations, and because of the way the current towing safety towing law is written, they can register with a new towing license just by using a new company name.”

“Our bill, Senate Bill 2040, takes aim at these bad actors and their shady business practices,” State Senator Celina Villanueva said. “Their predatory practices will no longer be tolerated. One critical provision in the Bill would ban towing companies from holding on to personal property.”

The proposed bill would not be regulating pricing, which is done by federal law. ABC7 will provide updates as to when the new bill moves forward for a vote it’s in the beginning stages.

* WAND…

The Illinois Pharmacists Association and Illinois Council of Health System Pharmacists are backing Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to lower drug prices and increase access to community pharmacies. […]

“It is through the tireless efforts of these elected officials that we hope to see the end of PBM-driven practices that have long terrorized patients and pharmacies here in Illinois,” said IPhA President and Petersburg Pharmacist David Bagot. “Together, we can ensure PBMs no longer control the system at the expense of the patients and the pharmacies.” […]

The governor’s legislation could set new transparency requirements and penalize PBMs when they fail to comply. Sponsors told WAND News that they plan to have the bill language filed next week. […]

Still, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association told WAND News last week that Pritzker missed the mark on the value of pharmacy benefit managers. Their organization argued that the core mission of PBMs is to lower prescription drug prices and increase access.

“PBMs are working on behalf of Illinois employers, unions, and patients in the fight against high drug costs and are the only stakeholder in the prescription drug supply chain dedicated to lowering drug costs,” PCMA leaders stated. “In fact, PBMs save patients and employers $1,040 per person per year in the state and will save Illinois patients and health plans $39.9 billion over ten years.”

* Sen. Robert Peters…

Illinois workers are on track to receive more options and better security when it comes to saving for retirement thanks to a new measure sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters, which advanced out of the Senate State Government Committee Wednesday.

“We know retirement savings can be a challenge for Illinoisans, especially those without access to a 401(k) or similar employer plan,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “This bill gives workers more flexibility to choose the best retirement savings options for their situation.”

In 2015, the state created the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program to address the growing gap in retirement savings for Illinois workers. Nearly 40% of private sector workers in Illinois do not have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, leaving many with no way to save for the future. Since its inception, the program has helped over 150,000 participants save more than $200 million for retirement, with more than 25,000 employers offering the program to their workers.

Peters’ measure is designed to expand these efforts, giving workers more options for retirement savings. By allowing workers to hold both a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA, the bill offers more flexibility and personalized savings strategies. The initiative would also make the program more portable, meaning workers can continue contributing to their retirement savings even if they change jobs, without losing track of their funds.

“We’re not just creating savings accounts, we’re creating a system that supports our workers throughout their careers,” said Peters. “This measure ensures workers can manage their savings no matter where they work, while also holding employers accountable for properly enrolling their employees and submitting contributions. It’s a win for our state’s workforce and their financial futures.”

Senate Bill 1441 awaits further consideration from the full Senate.

* WCIA…

A proposal to exempt the Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration projects is picking up steam in the Capitol. […]

“What we’re looking for right now is more co-sponsors and seeing if we can get this moved along quickly,” [Annette McMichael, a Hopedale resident and boardmember for Illinois’ People’s Action,] said. “It’s really more of an amendment to the current bill to make sure that we protect our only water source in central Illinois.” […]

There are currently several iterations of the same bill, but they all seek to accomplish the same goal. Representative Carol Ammons recently added over 20 cosponsors to her version — HB 3614.

“Our risk level is zero on this bill, and that’s why we are working on this session to make sure we can be clear about that and protect the aquifer,”

As of this morning, HB3614 has 24 Democratic co-sponsors.

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Open thread

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker announces round 3 of medical debt relief program at University of Chicago. WGN…

* Related stories…

∙ NBC Chicago: Illinois has erased nearly $350 million in medical debt, Pritzker says
∙ Fox Chicago: Illinois slashes $220M in medical debt for 170K residents, more relief on the way

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | State representative blasts Metra for failing to release internal investigation results: State Rep. Kambium “Kam” Buckner called on Metra to release the findings of an internal investigation, expressing his “deep disappointment” in the rail agency’s decision to withhold the results of the work of an outside law firm. “At a time when fiscal constraints require us to scrutinize (transit) governance, operations and agency structures, this lack of transparency raises serious concerns,” he wrote in a letter to Metra’s board. “Simply put, you cannot ask taxpayers to pay for an investigation and then tell them they have no right to know the results.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Audit finds Illinois’ noncitizen health care programs far outstripped original cost estimates: A pair of health care programs that benefit noncitizens – one of which is already on Gov. JB Pritzker’s budgetary chopping block – far outstripped its original estimated price tag and cost the state of Illinois $1.6 billion through last summer, according to a new audit of the programs published Wednesday. The report also found more than 6,000 people enrolled in the state-funded programs were classified as “undocumented” despite actually having social security numbers. Some of those people were green card holders who would have instead qualified for health coverage like Medicaid or traditional insurance.

* ABC Chicago | Couple shocked by $26K water bill from city of Chicago, others come forward: ‘We’re on edge’: Elizabeth Finan and her husband have owned a North Side apartment complex for decades. She said every other month, they get a water bill for about $3,000, but her January bill made her jaw drop: $26,369.94. […] Finan said they called an engineer the next day to inspect the building for leaks, but nothing was detected. So, she called the city’s Department of Water Management. “She said the last actual reading was in 2017, and these are all estimated and when they came out and read the meter, this was the bill,” Finan said.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Doug Scott confirmed to five-year term as ICC Chairman: Scott was reappointed to a five-year term by Governor JB Pritzker in January 2024 after serving out the remainder of former Chairman Carrie Zalewski’s term. […] “States are at the forefront of keeping the country’s clean energy ambitions apace. Three years ago, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) charted Illinois’ path to a 100 percent clean energy economy, and in the years to come, the ICC will continue to play a critical role in steering Illinois toward its decarbonization goals,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As a regulator, Doug Scott understands the importance of balancing reliability, safety, and affordability alongside these goals. Illinois is fortunate to have Chairman Scott at the helm of the ICC.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker says federal funds still being withheld; warns of further spending cuts: Meanwhile, Pritzker also warned this week that as many as 770,000 Illinoisans stand to lose Medicaid health care coverage under a Republican-backed budget resolution that cleared the U.S. House Tuesday night. That resolution, which would amend the current federal fiscal year’s budget, calls for deep cuts in federal funding for Medicaid, a health insurance program for low-income and disabled individuals that is jointly funded with state and federal money.

* WAND | Senator Rose responds to Health Alliance’s decision to end majority of coverage by 2026: State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) is also looking for answers. “I wish I had answers, I don’t, but we’re trying to get them. And I’ve already talked to CMS, the meeting is set for Tuesday of next week to to try and figure out where they’re going to go in open enrollment,” said Rose. Nearly 200,000 people are losing their health insurance. And 600 people are potentially losing their jobs.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | In anticipation of rush, DMV facilities to open on Saturdays for Real ID applicants: The extended hours begin this Saturday and will run through May 10. Twelve of the facilities will be open to walk-in customers on Saturdays for the first time, starting at 7:30 a.m. In addition to the Chicago DMV at 7301 W. Lexington Ave., the facilities in Addison, Aurora, Des Plaines, Elgin, Joliet, Lake Zurich, Melrose Park, Plano, St. Charles, Waukegan and Woodstock will have Saturday hours.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | To balance Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2025 budget, Chicago installing 50 new speed cameras to ticket drivers: Chicago will add 50 speed cameras as part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to balance this year’s budget, increasing the stock of the devices used to ticket drivers by 30% citywide. The city’s Department of Transportation confirmed this week that it is “actively working” to install the 50 cameras this year but declined to share the locations, saying they have yet to be finalized.

* Tribune | City Council passes Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $830 million infrastructure bond plan after pushback: Aldermen approved the plan in a 26-23 vote a day after Johnson’s administration proposed a version with clearer spending guardrails. While opponents decried the debt package as financially irresponsible, allies of the mayor defended it as a typical and crucial way to fund basic infrastructure work. “We are not mortgaging the future of our children. We are building the roads that they are going to use,” Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, said.

* Sun-Times | After OKing plan to save 7 Acero charter schools, CPS may decide to close several of them after all: The about-face would suddenly leave three campuses shuttered at the end of this school year and the other four facing uncertain futures. But it’s not a done deal — some board members are pushing to keep at least five schools open next year.

* Tribune | Trauma on trauma: Immigration agents detain Acero charter schools parent on eve of school board vote to shutter some locations: In a letter Wednesday, Acero officials said “Community Wellness Protocols” were immediately implemented at two schools, Victoria Soto High School and Jovita Idar Elementary, which share a campus, to “maintain the safety and security” of the schools’ community. Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Safety and Security was also engaged, according to the letter signed by the schools’ principals, Elizabeth Obrzut and Nicolle Macias. ICE agents did not attempt to enter either school, according to the letter. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

* Crain’s | Tech incubator 1871 is leaving the Merchandise Mart: “As you all know, 1871 has not been immune to the post-COVID challenges that many organizations — especially nonprofits — have faced,” CEO Betsy Ziegler told members and partners in a letter today. “While our impact across Chicago and beyond has grown significantly, like many other businesses, we were not able to adapt our real estate model quickly enough to the evolving economic landscape.

* Sun-Times | Federal lawsuit says Chicago police officers framed man in 2011 slaying of fellow cop: One of the men who was initially charged in the 2011 slaying of Chicago Police Officer Clifton Lewis has filed a federal lawsuit alleging fellow officers “perpetuated a wide-ranging scheme” to manufacture evidence to secure convictions in the case. Alexander Villa’s conviction was vacated and charges were dropped in October after the Cook County state’s attorney’s office learned that the defense had not been provided with some potentially exculpatory evidence — evidence that could have been favorable to their client.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Suburban Chicago elections: Two high-profile politicians ousted, Larry Dominick keeps control of Cicero: Closer to Chicago in west suburban Cicero, town President Larry Dominick appeared to hang onto his seat, with 57% of the vote against challenger Esteban Rodriguez. Dominick started working for the town’s public works before becoming a police officer and then mayor in 2005. He said his major achievements include reducing local gang killings and improving town services.

* Shaw Local | Nguyen likely secures ballot bid for DeKalb mayor race in April election: If unofficial results hold, Nguyen’s name will appear with three other challengers to be DeKalb’s next mayor: incumbent Cohen Barnes, 7th Ward Alderman John Walker and Kouame Sanan, who works in NIU’s IT department.

* Fox Chicago | Chicago suburb approves ban on Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC edibles: The Elgin City Council has officially approved a ban on certain THC products, a move that will remove Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC edibles from store shelves. […] Unlike cannabis products sold at licensed dispensaries, these edibles are largely unregulated and have reportedly been linked to a surge in poison control calls.

* Tribune | State police: Crete man sent threatening email to Gov. JB Pritzker : The email containing “a message of a threatening nature” was sent to Pritzker’s Office of Constituent Affairs from an email associated with Michael Dascenzo, 49, on Jan. 9, state police said in a news release. Authorities didn’t say exactly what the email stated but did say the email sparked an investigation that led to them obtaining an arrest warrant on Tuesday.

*** Downstate ***

* Herald Whig | One day after primary, Moore kicks campaign into high gear: Independent mayoral candidate Linda Moore kicked her campaign into high gear on Wednesday ahead of the April 1 consolidated election when she will face Mayor Mike Troup. “(It’s the) first day of the consolidated election cycle,” Moore told those gathered for her press event Wednesday afternoon. “I am so excited to be able to share with you my plan for how we’re going to fix and grow our city.”

* WGEM | Prairie Farms announces Quincy expansion: At a Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday, Mayor Mike Troup announced plans for Prairie Farms to expand. Troup said the company bought two lots next to their property at 24th and Broadway. According to Troup, the expansion will add 10-15 jobs.

* 25News Now | Bloomington non-profit suggests cabin village for housing city’s homeless: “The shelter village would really be able to cater to those individuals who really just need their own space to connect with others when they choose and to be alone when they want to be as well,” said Audrey Cail, Home Sweet Home’s Director of Client Services. It will cost about $2.5 million to build the village. HSHM plans to fundraise and apply for a grant through McLean County to pay for it. They need a lot of money to make this happen, but the Home Sweet Home staff, believe in what they’re doing.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford Public Schools: Girl’s tragic death is a ‘wake-up call’: An 11-year-old student in Rockford, Illinois, died by suicide on February 21st. The student’s family alleges that bullying at Eisenhower Middle School contributed to her death, but the school district says they have not found evidence of this. [Superintendent Ehren Jarrett] emphasized the importance of communication and encouraged students to report any concerns they have, assuring them that resources are available.

* KWQC | Rock Island cancels meetings after protesters gather outside of city hall: The protesters are angry at the city after an officer fatally shot a driver on Jan. 5. After an investigation, the officer returned to duty and the county attorney’s office released body camera footage of the shooting. At one point Monday, Davenport police blocked access to the Centennial Bridge.

*** National ***

* Florida Politics | Who will run for Byron Donalds’ seat in Congress?: Former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis could also jump in. The investment manager and frequent CNBC guest now lives in Southwest Florida and could bring an opportunity to self-fund. Catalina Lauf, another former Illinois congressional candidate who worked in the Commerce Department under Trump, has also moved to Florida and been suggested as a possible candidate.

* WaPo | Finally, something is puncturing conspiracy theories: A new paper in the journal Science by Thomas Costello of MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Gordon Pennycook of Cornell University and David Rand, also of Sloan, is so exciting. It finds hope in new technology: a conversation partner powered by artificial intelligence. In a pair of studies involving more than 2000 participants, the researchers found a 20 percent reduction in belief in conspiracy theories after participants interacted with a powerful, flexible, personalized GPT-4 Turbo conversation partner. The researchers trained the AI to try to persuade the participants to reduce their belief in conspiracies by refuting the specific evidence the participants provided to support their favored conspiracy theory.

* NBC | FDA cancels meeting to select flu strains for next season’s shots: The email, Offit said, offered no explanation for the scrapped meeting. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The cancellation comes as the United States is in the midst of a particularly severe flu season. So far, 86 children and 19,000 adults have died this season, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

* NYT | The Covid Alarmists Were Closer to the Truth Than Anyone Else: Five years later, though the world has been scarred by all that death and illness, it is considered hysterical to narrate the history of the pandemic by focusing on it. Covid minimizers and vaccine skeptics now run the country’s health agencies, but the backlash isn’t just on the right. Many states have tied the hands of public health authorities in dealing with future pandemic threats, and mask bans have been implemented in states as blue as New York. Everyone has a gripe with how the pandemic was handled, and many of them are legitimate. But our memories are so warped by denial, suppression and sublimation that Covid revisionism no longer even qualifies as news. When I come across an exchange like this one from last weekend, in which Woody Harrelson called Fauci evil on Joe Rogan’s show, or this one from last year, in which Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe casually attribute a rise in excess and all-cause mortality to the aftereffects of vaccination, I don’t even really flinch.

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

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Feb 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Thursday, Feb 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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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WTTW…

In August, a federal judge ordered that most of Stateville Correctional Center’s population be transferred to other prisons due to derelict conditions.

But one section was excluded because it “does not exhibit the risks of falling concrete that exists in the general housing units”: the health care unit. […]

Disability rights group Equip for Equality filed a lawsuit against Latoya Hughes, acting director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, alleging that she violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act by holding the men inside in “unduly restrictive and isolating conditions compared to prisoners without disabilities, because of their disabilities.” The lawsuit also alleges she deprived the men inside of programs otherwise available because of their disabilities. […]

The lawsuit alleges one man died since these men were left in the facility after Stateville was otherwise closed. Witnesses said they saw staff disregard his urgent medical needs for the hours leading to his death, according to the lawsuit. A week later, two individuals heard staff laughing about the man’s absence, joking that he was “on a permanent writ,” the lawsuit continues.

* Ready Nation Illinois…

As our state and nation grapple over where best to invest public resources, ReadyNation commissioned the national polling firm of Zogby Analytics to survey 400 Illinois business leaders concerning these early learning priorities. Results of this online poll — conducted between Dec. 9, 2024 and Jan. 9, 2025 — reveal overwhelming support for early childhood services and their role in maintaining a stable and productive workforce. Here is an overview of key survey findings.

Employers and managers continue to see costly fallout from child care challenges, both for working parents and for employers’ own bottom line.

• 81.1% of surveyed business leaders agree that their employees “struggle with finding and retaining stable, affordable child care and early childhood programs” (24.3% strongly agree).

• As a result of these challenges, 66.4% of respondents say they’ve seen their employees losing
work hours. Other consequences they’ve witnessed among employees lacking stable child care:
o Lost wages – 58.3%
o Lost jobs/positions – 48.8%
o Lost promotions – 37.3%

• Executives have also experienced these business problems resulting from child care struggles:
o Reduced productivity – 66.8% of respondents
o The need to replace displaced workers (63.3%) and train/retrain new hires (49.5%)

• Overall, 92.8% of surveyed executives concur that high-quality child care and early education
are important to “workforce stability and productivity” (59.3% strongly agree). […]

An economic priority: Business leaders overwhelmingly want to increase public investments in young children’s learning and development.

• 91.5% of poll respondents support “greater public investments in high-quality child care and early childhood education,” with 51% expressing strong support.

• 97.1% of business leaders say investing to improve the quality and stability of early childhood teachers and staff is “beneficial for the state’s economic development.”

• 95.3% concur that public investments in early childhood facilities’ construction and renovation would “enhance the availability and quality” of such programs statewide.

• Regarding the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood that’s being developed, to consolidate oversight of core birth-to-5 programs spread across three agencies:
o 85.8% of business leaders express con1idence this unfolding effort will improve services’
access and quality
o 92.8% agree “streamlining and simplifying” these early care and education programs will
benefit kids, families, service providers and local communities

• Looking to the future, 93.1% of executives agree that Illinois’ current, multiyear approach to improve early childhood services — based on the research and recommendations of a bipartisan commission in 2021 — will “positively impact the workforce in Illinois.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Baptist News Global | Be ‘hopeful doom-scrollers,’ Pritzker urges: “I want to thank you for the late nights and for your early mornings and for leaving your family functions to formulate legal strategy over Zoom calls,” he said. “And I want to thank you for canceling Friday night drinks with friends so you could file briefs and battle executive orders. Boy, do we need you. I know what the last six weeks have asked of you. You’ve had to be hopeful doom-scrollers. “You’ve had to wake up every single day and be your smartest and be your sharpest because you live well with the worry that anything less will mean the constitutional republic you love so much may slip away,” he continued. “You’ve been stepping up when it seems like everyone else is stepping back.”

*** Statewide ***

* WIFR | Free test prep courses offered at all public universities in Illinois: The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is working with Kaplan to provide more than 40 free courses through the Prepare for Illinois’ Future Program. Students will have access to Kaplan’s preparation for professional licensing exams, graduate-level exams and credential exams including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, NCLEX-RN, USMLE, Illinois State bar exam, real estate and securities exam and more.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Brandon Johnson’s $830 million borrowing plan narrowly approved in City Council: The plan, passed 26-to-23, had been blocked from a vote at a previous City Council meeting as opponents criticized a lack of clarity on the projects that would be funded by the bonds and worried the backloaded debt payments risked a further downgrade of the city’s credit rating. Johnson’s team tweaked the proposal to clarify the funding would not be used for operations expenses at Chicago Public Schools as some have claimed. Any capital spending for CPS would need to be approved by the local alderman.

* Tribune | Park District boss stepping down after Mayor Brandon Johnson vow to purge holdovers: Chicago Park District Supt. Rosa Escareno is stepping down, the latest shakeup in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration after he vowed to purge officials who aren’t loyal to him. Escareno, a longtime City Hall veteran, submitted her letter of resignation on Wednesday after four years of helming the top job at the Park District, according to sources who are familiar with her decision. […] Her replacement was not immediately clear, but the Johnson administration is considering longtime ally Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th. If confirmed, Ramirez-Rosa’s appointment would further increase progressive representation within Johnson’s leadership team, as the mayor hinted was the goal in his explosive Feb. 10 remarks.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago school board to consider saving 4 of 7 Acero charter schools slated for closure: According to Chicago Public Schools officials, the funding needs for all seven Acero campuses on the chopping block exceed a legal state limit on how much money the district can provide to charter schools. A resolution included on the board’s agenda for its Thursday meeting calls for CPS to provide financial help to Acero in order to keep the Casas, Fuentes, Tamayo, and Santiago campuses open next school year. It then calls for CPS to figure out “the viability” of absorbing those campuses and turning them into district-run schools after next year.

* Crain’s | Convention agency bringing McCormick Place management back in-house: It’s a notable shift by an agency that has lauded the privatization of McCormick Place management for giving the city a competitive lift. The convention center — one of the region’s most important economic engines — was publicly managed from 1960 until 2011, when a slate of labor reforms enacted by the Illinois General Assembly prompted the hiring of a private operator to streamline campus operations and lower costs for trade shows, conventions and other meeting-organizer customers.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan, North Chicago primaries set stage for mayoral elections: Claiming victory in the Waukegan Democratic primary, former Mayor Sam Cunningham enters a four-way race for the city’s top job against incumbent Mayor Ann Taylor — who unseated him four years ago — Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward, and former Ald. Harold Beadling, 4th Ward. Cunningham’s performance was one of four contests for Democratic nominations in Waukegan and North Chicago, with two setting the stage for the April 1 general election for mayor in both cities, and two others putting unopposed candidates on the April ballot.

* Daily Herald | Complaint claims Arlington Heights trustee candidate violated donation limits: The campaign committee for Michele Hunter received in-kind contributions of $6,353.86 and $1,406.22 on Jan. 17 from the Illinois Republican Party for mailing and printing, according to disclosures filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections. Arlington Heights bars candidates for village trustee or mayor from accepting more than $1,000 from any single organization.

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg, Zurich settle suit over public payments for workforce size: The settlement resulted in Schaumburg immediately paying Zurich $20 million in withheld reimbursement funds from the redevelopment area’s tax increment financing (TIF) district. Meanwhile, the maximum amount Zurich can receive over the life of the district was lowered from $100 million to $80 million. TIF funding generally pays for infrastructure improvements within the district for up to 23 years of the district’s existence.

* Lake County News-Sun | Hundreds protest Musk at Libertyville Tesla dealership: ‘What Elon has done to the brand is just make it feel dirty’: “Elon Musk paid to own Donald Trump, who promised to bring down prices on day one, and now people are paying even more,” said Lauren Beth Gash, chair of the Lake County Democratic Party, who was helping run the protest. During Saturday’s protest, a small group of conservative counter-protesters were stationed just a dozen yards away, and the two groups traded barbs and insults. The word “traitor” was thrown back and forth. In the background of the politically charged confrontation was the Libertyville Tesla dealership.

* WBEZ | The first Black-owned airport in the U.S. was in Robbins, Illinois: The Black men and women pilots who came after Coleman all attributed their work to her, explaining that they wanted to continue what she started. Two of these pilots, Cornelius Coffey and John Robinson, were highly skilled mechanics who were able to use their own knowledge of technology to teach, train, and further innovate the field of aviation. Coffey and Robinson met in Detroit and connected over their passion for aviation. After reading about the death of Bessie Coleman, the two were inspired to move to Chicago and apply to attend the Curtiss-Wright School of Aviation. They were the masterminds who built their own airport in south suburban Robbins with the help of Janet Harmon Bragg, the first Black woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license, and Willa Brown, the first Black woman to get both a pilot’s and commercial license. Both Bragg and Brown were trained by Coffey and Robinson, and became their colleagues.

*** Downstate ***

* Illinois Times | Sean Grayson’s attorneys seek change of venue: The trial of Sean Grayson, who is charged with first-degree murder in the July 6 death of Sonya Massey, needs to be moved outside Sangamon County because pretrial publicity would bias potential jurors, Grayson’s attorneys argued in court documents filed Feb. 26. “The print and electronic news media coverage relating to the death of Sonya Massey has been extensive nationally and worldwide, but especially in the local community,” Springfield defense attorneys Daniel Fultz and Mark Wykoff wrote in the request to Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin.

* Pantagraph | Bloomington to acquire Commerce Bank building, see other downtown sites torn down: On Monday, the Bloomington City Council approved two agreements: one with Consolidated Properties LLC to accept the former Commerce Bank building at 120 N. Center St. as a donation to the city, and one with Catalyst Construction to demolish three vacant properties south and west of the former bank to add surface parking at a cost of about $3.9 million.

* BND | O’Fallon’s new emergency alert system wakes up only those who are needed, not everyone: The alert systems went in separately to the public safety building 20 years ago, fire station no. 3 15 years ago, and fire station no. 4 12 years ago. “They were built by three different companies,” Brueggeman said. “If we receive a lift assistance call at 1 a.m. and only need two paramedics, every single paramedic gets a call.”

* Illinois Times | Manufacturing operations moving to Clinton: A manufacturer with more than 100 workers is closing two of its Springfield facilities and moving operations to Clinton after a dispute with the city over building-code violations. Mike Hoyle has owned Kwik-Wall for 19 years, a company that makes movable partitions for conference and convention facilities. Hoyle used an LLC to purchase the former Farm and Home building on North Dirksen Parkway for $2 million in April 2024, according to Sangamon County tax records, but soon found himself at loggerheads with city officials over changes made to the building.

*** National ***

* WaPo | Elon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding: Over the years, Musk and his businesses have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits, often at critical moments, a Washington Post analysis has found, helping seed the growth that has made him the world’s richest person. The payments stretch back more than 20 years. Shortly after becoming CEO of a cash-strapped Tesla in 2008, Musk fought hard to secure a low-interest loan from the Energy Department, according to two people directly involved with the process, holding daily briefings with company executives about the paperwork and spending hours with a government loan officer.

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There’s No End To Credit Card Swipe Fee Greed

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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

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

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

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Audit finds thousands of improper enrollments in noncitizen healthcare program, massive cost underestimates (Updated)

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune reporters Jeremy Gorner and Dan Petrella…

Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration vastly underestimated the cost and popularity of a pair of health insurance programs for immigrants who are not citizens that has ended up costing the state $1.6 billion since the initiative began in 2020, according to an audit report released Wednesday.

Aside from inaccurate projections of the programs’ cost and the number of people who would enroll, the audit uncovered more than 6,000 people enrolled in the programs who were listed as “undocumented” despite having Social Security numbers, and nearly 700 who were enrolled in the program for people 65 and older despite being younger than that. In addition, almost 400 people were enrolled in the programs but appeared to have been in the country long enough to qualify for Medicaid, which is jointly funded by the federal government.

The report from Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s office was published a week after Pritzker proposed eliminating funding for the program that provides Medicaid-style insurance coverage for people younger than 65 who are in the country without legal permission or are in the U.S. legally but have not yet qualified for a green card. The cut, estimated to save $330 million, was part of Pritzker’s plan to close a budget hole once pegged at more than $3 billion.

The cost overruns were particularly pronounced in the program for younger recipients, with the actual expenditure of $485 million through the three years ending June 30, 2023, coming in at nearly four times the estimated cost of $126 million, according to the audit.

* From the Auditor General’s Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors and Adults audit…

Key Findings:

Actual enrollment and actual costs exceeded the initial program estimates for both the HBIS and HBIA programs. Regarding estimated number of enrollees, in FY23:

- for HBIS (65+), the initial estimated number of enrollees was 6,700,
while the actual number enrolled was 15,831;
- for HBIA (55-64), the initial estimated number of enrollees was 8,000, while the actual number enrolled was 17,024; and
- for HBIA (42-54), the initial estimated number of enrollees was 18,800, while the actual number enrolled was 36,912.

Regarding the initial cost estimates for all three fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023:

- for HBIS (65+) the total estimate was $224.0 million, while the actual total cost was $412.3 million or 84 percent higher;
- for HBIA (55-64) the total estimate was $58.4 million, while the actual total cost was $223.1 million or 282 percent higher; and
- for HBIA (42-54) the total estimate was $68.0 million, while the actual total cost was $262.2 million or 286 percent higher.

In FY21, 6,884 individuals were enrolled in HBIS (65+). HBIS (65+) enrollment increased to 11,362 in FY22, 15,831 in FY23, and decreased to 11,464 in FY24. The HBIA (55-64) enrollment increased from 6,675 in FY22, to 17,024 in FY23, before decreasing to 13,596 in FY24. The HBIA (42-54) enrollment increased from 5,823 in FY22, to 36,912 in FY23, before decreasing to 27,941 in FY24. According to HFS officials, the FY24 numbers exclude those who have been removed from the
program due to redetermination or due to the change in eligibility that removed legal permanent residents from the program.

Click here for the full report.

…Adding… Governor Pritzker was asked about the audit during an unrelated press conference…

Reporter: Governor, there was an audit released this morning that showed that your administration underestimated the cost and the popularity of the immigrant healthcare programs that have been discussed in recents years. I’m wondering what happened to cause those estimates off, particularly for program for people under 65?

Pritzker: So I think the thing that is missing from the reporting, and what I would point out to you, is that number one people’s immigration status changes during the course of a year. You’ve got people who were eligible for the program, who became uneligible for the program. So even though you expect that people will move on because, well, it may be their immigration status, it may be because they got a job that has health care coverage associated with it. But you expect them to move on, and maybe they didn’t move on either because they didn’t know they could, should. But that happens, I hate to tell you, on Medicaid as well.

It’s why we do every year redeterminations, and we did it with this program as well. One of the reasons that we even know about some of those people is because of the redeterminations. So people get removed from the program as a result of the redeterminations. But before they got redetermined to not be eligible, they were still on the program and that cost taxpayers money. So that’s a lot of I think what I would say about that.

But the broader context is people need to get healthcare. I am in favor of universal healthcare however that comes together. And we can talk about the myriad ways that we could do that. But people don’t go get healthcare [or] get treated when they don’t have a problem. And so it’s some evidence that there are an awful lot of people out there who need coverage, who aren’t getting it, or who will do anything to get it. And I think that’s a sad state of affairs in our society.

Reporter: For redeterminations, the issue is on the cost estimates?

Pritzker: No, I’m saying, I think when you look at who’s covered, how much it costs to cover them. Some of those people become ineligible mid-year, and you’re still paying for them because we don’t know and maybe they don’t know that they’re no longer eligible for that program. We find out when we do redeterminations. We did that for the larger Medicaid population, as you know, in the state of Illinois, which we were kept from doing for three years because of COVID, but we also did it in this program to determine who’s no longer eligible for it. So the program is became a lot less expensive as a result of the work that we did and and as you know, you know we’re no longer operating, or we will no longer operate that earlier the 42-63 cohort, and instead focus on the most vulnerable, who are the seniors that are covered by that program.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

…Adding… House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…

“House Republicans warned about the costly expansion of this program when it was first exposed last year. We could not afford it then, and we cannot afford it now. Yet, Democratic leadership forced taxpayers to shoulder the burden of this reckless spending for non-citizens, pushing our state’s finances to the brink.

“Beyond the overwhelming cost, reports of fraud and abuse make it even clearer that this program must end. There is no need to wait until the next fiscal year—immediately shut it down and protect Illinois taxpayers.”

…Adding… Senate Republicans…

A new report from the Illinois Auditor General confirms significant mismanagement in Gov. Pritzker’s taxpayer-funded free healthcare program for noncitizens, revealing thousands of potentially ineligible enrollees and costs far exceeding initial projections. At a capitol press conference, Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) and Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) highlighted the audit’s findings, calling for more financial transparency from the Pritzker Administration and stronger oversight to prevent further misuse of taxpayers.

“The audit’s findings show the shocking misuse and mismanagement of taxpayer dollars by the Pritzker Administration,” said Curran. “The governor’s overspend on his free healthcare for non-citizens program and gross mismanagement increases costs on all Illinois taxpayers and crowds spending on education and other core services.”

Auditors found that more than 6,000 enrollees classified as “undocumented” actually had Social Security Numbers, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the enrollment process and failure to properly verify eligibility. Senate Republicans voiced concerns that the lack of oversight not only erodes public trust but also leaves taxpayers on the hook for the Pritzker Administration’s failure to manage the program responsibly. Curran and Rose said that Illinoisans deserve transparency and accountability—not more bureaucratic incompetence.

The audit also exposed massive cost overruns, with spending on some age groups running nearly 300 percent over budget. The most extreme overrun came in the 42-54 age group, where costs surged to nearly triple what was projected.

These staggering miscalculations highlight a complete failure of fiscal planning, forcing taxpayers to cover the shortfall, Senators explained.

“Once again, the governor has proven himself unreliable, and we’re finding out after the fact that his estimates weren’t even in the ballpark,” said Senator Rose (R-Mahomet). “If it were up to me, we’d get rid of these programs entirely. Illinois taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for illegal immigrants.”

Senate Republicans have long criticized Gov. Pritzker’s decision to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on non-citizen programs while Illinois families struggle with skyrocketing property taxes, grocery bills, and healthcare costs. Instead of prioritizing hardworking citizens, the Democratic Majority have funneled taxpayer dollars into a program riddled with waste, mismanagement, and a lack of transparency.

The audit’s findings have renewed calls for accountability. Leader Curran reintroduced Senate Bill 1699, which requires detailed annual reports on a range of taxpayer-funded programs for noncitizens—not just healthcare, but also housing, legal aid, and other services. The reports would include total expenditures, specific appropriations, the number of recipients, funding sources, and awarded contracts. To ensure transparency and prevent further misuse of taxpayer dollars, this information would be made publicly available online.

Illinois taxpayers deserve transparency and fiscal responsibility. This audit confirms that mismanagement in Gov. Pritzker’s program has resulted in massive cost overruns and wasted taxpayer dollars. With accountability long overdue, Senate Republicans will continue fighting for reforms that put hardworking families first, demand transparency, and end reckless spending.

The full press conference can be viewed at this link: https://youtu.be/VEL04XfYoGE

* Related…

Sun-Times | Pritzker’s $55.2 billion budget has no new taxes, cuts health care for adults lacking legal status:

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For crying out loud, Chicago: Legalize video gaming and ban these shady sweepstakes games

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* If Chicago and other municipalities don’t step in to ban these sweepstakes games, Illinois needs to do so as soon as possible. The unregulated “gray market” is really a “black market.” Sun-Times…

A man previously tagged as a “mob associate” by law enforcement is accused in a new federal indictment of conspiring to dodge taxes through the use of “sham” companies — and then marrying his 80-year-old girlfriend to thwart her grand jury testimony.

Robert “Bobby” Dominic, 70, is charged with a conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax evasion and failing to file tax returns in the 19-page indictment made public Tuesday.

The charges are the latest tied to the legally gray area of sweepstakes machines. The devices look and operate like typical video gambling machines, but they’re unregulated and largely untaxed thanks to loopholes in Illinois’ gaming laws. […]

Dominic is accused of hiding his income from the feds by having sweepstakes-involved companies pay him more than $500,000 through “sham” companies. One of the sweepstakes companies was owned by James Weiss, the Chicago Sun-Times has confirmed.

The indictment alleges that two sweepstakes companies paid nearly $900,000 to one “sham” company between October 2014 and January 2020, even though it provided no services. The sole member of the company was Dominic’s girlfriend, it says, who died Jan. 4, 2020.

Enough already. These machines are operating out in the open and they need to go away. Chicago encourages this behavior by not legalizing video gaming within city limits. It’s just ridiculous, not to mention the revenues they’re giving up.

More on Jimmy Weiss is here.

* From the indictment…

Between in or around 2014 and continuing until at least in or around 2022, DOMINIC did not file a United States Individual Tax Return, Form 1040.

Needless to say, a casino owner or a video gaming machine distributor couldn’t get away with doing that.

* Overt acts…

a. On or about February 19, 2020, Articles of Incorporation for Sham Company B were filed with the State of Illinois.
b. On or about March 22, 2020, Company 1 entered into a “consulting agreement” with Sham Company B.
c. On or about March 22, 2020, Company 2 entered into a “consulting agreement” with Sham Company B.
d. On or about February 14, 2021, the IRS received a 2020 Form 1099 issued by Company 1 to Sham Company B in the amount of $120,000.
e. On or about February 14, 2021, the IRS received a 2020 Form 1099 issued by Company 2 to Sham Company B in the amount of $185,000.
f. On or about April 10, 2021, Sham Company B filed a false 2020 corporate income tax return which contained false expense deductions.
g. On or about April 6, 2022, the IRS received a 2021 Form 1099 issued by Company 1 to Sham Company B in the amount of $115,500.
h. On or about April 6, 2022, the IRS received a 2021 Form 1099 issued by Company 2 to Sham Company B in the amount of $154,000.

Again, regulators would’ve caught this.

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It’s just a bill

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Bill Cunningham…

State Senator Bill Cunningham held a press conference Tuesday to introduce legislation aimed to address a projected energy deficit for Illinois.

“With energy prices skyrocketing across the country and leaders in Washington opening the floodgates for fossil fuels, our bill makes it clear that Illinois will remain at the forefront of lowering energy costs while investing in clean energy,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This legislation proves to the nation that we don’t have to choose between taking care of our communities, our economy, or our planet.”

Senate Bill 2497 would address Illinois’ energy crisis caused by rapid inflation and steep tariffs on many goods used to build and maintain energy infrastructure. The bill would also address and rectify significant delays in connecting clean energy projects to regional energy grids.

The bill would by establish a target for Illinois to build 15 gigawatts of clean energy storage – a battery technology that stores excess solar and wind power for later use – and remove barriers keeping newly built clean energy infrastructure from connecting to the grid, potentially saving consumers $2.4 billion on energy bills over the next 20 years.

Senate Bill 2497 awaits a committee assignment.

* WAND…

Rep. Nick Smith (D-Chicago) told WAND News Tuesday that he saw and heard stories about so many people who tried to buy tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour but struggled with third party groups that drove up prices.

Smith’s legislation could require ticket sellers to display the full price and assessed fees to consumers when the price is first shown online. Ticket resellers would also be prohibited from selling or offering tickets they do not possess or have a contract to purchase. […]

House Bill 3108 also states that ticket resale marketplaces would not be allowed to include the name of an artist, team or event venue in a URL of a website operated by the ticket reseller or its agents unless it is authorized by the artist, team or event venue. Smith noted ticket issuers should deliver any tickets purchased within four days unless a delay is clearly and conspicuously disclosed at the time of sale. […]

House Bill 3108 has not moved out of the House Rules Committee at this time. Although, Smith hopes to have the plan moved to the Consumer Protection Committee soon.

* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…

To address unnecessary and burdensome Illinois School Code mandates, State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked with multiple statewide education stakeholders to create Senate Bill 1740, which passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.

“As an educator, I know personally how overly burdensome and duplicative educational mandates can harm schools that are already struggling due time constraints and limited funding,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This bill aims to increase administrative efficiency and create more flexibility for local school districts.”

Senate Bill 1740 initiates the reduction of unnecessary school code mandates agreed upon by statewide educational stakeholders. The bill would create the School Code Mandate Reduction Council, comprised of eight members of the General Assembly and one member from each of the 12 statewide educational organizations, to identify and recommend the removal of mandates that align with the state’s goal of providing high-quality education tailored to each student.

“The state should be working to make schools a safe, accessible and supportive place for both students and educators,” said Edly-Allen. “We do not need to bog down our educators with more mandates to their already full plate. I was proud to work alongside Senator Loughran Cappel and many education experts to begin the process of evaluating the 699 mandates introduced since 1982.”

Senate Bill 1740 heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

* Center Square…

Hundreds of Illinoisans descended on the Illinois State House Tuesday calling for legislation to control the rising costs of prescription medications.

State Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, is sponsoring House Bill 1443 that would create the Health Care Availability and Access Board. The proposed board would be an independent body that would review and set upper payment limits in each step of the supply chain. The board would decide which prescriptions would be subject to price caps.

“We really don’t have time to waste,” said Syed. “There are people that are genuinely struggling, these are our neighbors, these are people we love, and we can’t afford to delay the progress on this so Big Pharma can continue to pad profits. It’s critical that we pass this bill this session.” […]

“Over one in three Illinoisans are either skipping pills, cutting pills in half, or skipping refilling their prescriptions all together due to costs, and we don’t believe that it is right,” said Anusha Thotakura, executive director of the public interest group Citizen Action Illinois.

* WAND…

Sen. Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) told the Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday that people who live in neighboring states but work as public safety employees should be able to operate emergency vehicles in Illinois if they have the required driver’s license in their home state.

His legislation also states nonresidents must complete the fire service vehicle operator program with the Illinois State Fire Marshal in order to be eligible. […]

DeWitte said he appreciates the Illinois State Police, State Fire Marshal and Secretary of State’s office working together to make this plan a reality.

Senate Bill 1249 passed unanimously out of the Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday. The proposal now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration.

* The Caucus Blog of the Illinois House Republicans…

The long line of cars that sit idling on the side of the busy roadways leading to O’Hare Airport is threatening the safety of thousands of motorists who travel to O’Hare each day.

Instead of using the cell phone lot created for drivers so they can remain in their vehicles while they await incoming flights at O’Hare International Airport, some motorists are lining up in the emergency lanes alongside the highly trafficked road leading to the airport.

Traffic heading into O’Hare is often traveling in excess of 55 mph. Drivers who pull onto the shoulder, sit on the side of the road or merge back into fast moving traffic create a dangerous scenario for the motoring public. A scenario Illinois State Representative Brad Stephens is committed to preventing.

Last year, Stephens’ O’Hare Driver Safety Act was enacted and is aimed at improving safety for those driving to the airport. The new law prohibits motor vehicles from idling or stopping on the shoulder of a highway, including the highway entrance and exit ramps or on the side of a roadway, within a one-half-mile radius of the eastern entrance to O’Hare International Airport as well as the intersection of Interstate 90 and Interstate 294. It also requires the Illinois Toll Highway Authority to install and maintain cameras along those same areas to help enforce the law.

However, a jurisdictional issue has complicated the installation of the cameras and enforcement of the law, in response Stephens has introduced “a trailer bill” in the form of HB 1502 to ensure all necessary state agencies have the authority needed to implement the provisions of the O’Hare Driver Safety Act.

“I will continue to work with the Illinois State Police, Toll Highway Authority and Illinois Department of Transportation to ensure the safety of the traveling public.” said Stephens.

House Bill 1502 is scheduled to be heard in the Transportation Committee on Wednesday, February 26. Those wishing to file an electronic witness slip can do so on the ILGA website.

* Sen. Julie Morrison…

With more than 60% of infectious diseases in humans originating from animals, State Senator Julie Morrison is working to address public health challenges in Illinois through improved collaboration between health care professionals, veterinarians and environmental experts.

“The well-being of people, animals and our environment are all interconnected,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Through improved communication and collaboration among agencies, we can more effectively prevent and address health risks across the state.”

Senate Bill 291 would establish a One Health Framework Task Force within the Illinois Department of Public Health charged with developing a strategic plan to promote collaboration among physicians, veterinarians and other scientific professionals. The task force would work closely with state agencies to advance health initiatives that benefit both humans and animals, and submit a report of recommendations to the governor and General Assembly by Jan. 1, 2027.

The One Health approach, which is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recognizes the connection between human, animal and environmental health. This framework promotes a multisector approach to addressing broad health challenges, such as diseases that spread between animals and people, and bacteria or viruses that become resistant to medicine. Research shows integrating expertise across disciplines helps achieve better health outcomes for all living things.

“Recent outbreaks like the bird flu and Salmonella highlight the need for a more coordinated response,” said Morrison. “This bill lays the groundwork for a stronger and more proactive approach to addressing these issues in Illinois.”

Senate Bill 291 passed the Senate Public Health Committee on Tuesday and heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

* Politico…

There’s an effort to improve Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site in Petersburg, Ill. It’s where Abraham Lincoln lived in his 20s. Volunteers with the New Salem Lincoln League say the historic site has experienced “deterioration and neglect” and is working with state Sen. Steve McClure, who represents the New Salem and some surrounding Springfield area, on legislation to make needed repairs: Senate Bill 1417 would create the New Salem Preservation Commission to address repairs and improvements; Senate Bill 1496 would appropriate $5 million in state capital funds for site improvements and Senate Bill 1861 would create an exemption from the state Procurement Code for needed purchases.

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The Credit Union Difference

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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Local results: Balich slate swept out in Homer Township; Henyard trounced in Dolton; Durbin candidate fails to make Aurora runoff; Dominick, Jackson win in Cicero and Riverdale

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We saw some consequential election results last night. Let’s start with this one…

The Homer Township Reset slate, a group of Republicans challenging the incumbent township administration, was leading by a large margin Tuesday night in the Homer Township Republican primary after all precincts reported, according to unofficial results.

The Will County Freedom Caucus headed by incumbent Supervisor Steve Balich sought an additional four years, but the Homer Township Reset slate, said they wanted to change the tone of the community.

The race was fueled by allegations the current administration divides the community, isn’t transparent and hires family members of elected officials for full-time township jobs.

Members of Homer Township Reset said the existing administration did not respect residents’ viewpoints. Residents were chastised during public meetings, and the administration didn’t listen to residents’ concerns when they tried to sell open space property.

That’s pretty amazing.

You may recall Supervisor Balich…

The Republican leader of the Will County Board, who also serves as Homer Township supervisor, is defending himself after ordering the U.S. flag outside the township offices to be flown upside down Friday as a symbol of national “distress” following former President Donald Trump’s conviction last week on 34 felony counts.

Steve Balich, long a controversial right-wing figure in Will County politics, is also a Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July and has been hosting regular weekend rallies for the former Republican president.

In a statement posted on the township’s website, Balich sought to explain his decision to fly the inverted flag outside the taxpayer-funded offices. He said it was “bigger than Republican vs. Democrat” as he also repeated a series of Trump-related campaign talking points critical of Democrats about immigration, inflation and the judicial system.

* This result was fully expected…

Trustee Jason House handily won the race for mayor of south suburban Dolton Tuesday, defeating former ally and embattled incumbent Tiffany Henyard and bringing her sole, troubled term to a close in a stunning landslide.

With 100% of precincts reporting, House had nearly 88% of the vote, compared to Henyard’s 12%. It was a convincing defeat for Henyard, who had won 82% of the vote when she won the race for mayor in 2021.

House and the rest of his “Clean House” slate walked out to a recording of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance of “Not Like Us,” dancing their way to the podium before declaring victory. Later, when House’s victory was clear, he addressed his supporters.

Oof…

* According to the Daily Herald, Aurora requires a primary if four or more people run in the first round…

Incumbent Richard Irvin and Alderman-at-large John Laesch will battle April 1 for who gets to be mayor of Aurora.

Unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary election in Kane, Kendall and Will counties showed Irvin with 3,776 votes and Laesch 3,344, as of 9:15 p.m.

1,200 people voted for Alderman Ted Mesiacos, 373 for Karina Garcia and 989 for former alderman Judd Lofchie.

In DuPage, Kane and Will counties, the counts reflected all early, vote-by-mail and Election Day votes. Two precincts had yet to be counted in Kendall, but it was not clear if the Aurora race occurred in those precincts. There was a primary election in Oswego in Kendall.

The totals do not include any outstanding vote-by-mail ballots.

The third-place contestant Mesiacos was endorsed by US Sen. Dick Durbin…

I don't get involved in too many local races, but I wanted to make sure to support Ted Mesiacos in his run for Mayor of Aurora. Ted has the determination and commitment to lead Aurora residents into a better tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/BBPp01AYUt

— Dick Durbin (@DickDurbin) February 18, 2025

Also, Durbin involves himself in lots of local races.

* Cicero is Cicero…

Incumbent Cicero Town President Larry Dominick will serve a fifth straight four-year term, defeating Esteban Rodriguez in the primary election Tuesday evening.

Dominick received 4,586 votes (57.34%) compared to Rodriguez’s 3,412 (42.66%).

Rodriguez was challenging the longest-serving town president in Cicero’s history, Dominick, who has been in office since 2005. […]

“I’m always here for the people. I’ve worked for the town since 1970. I’ve been a lucky guy, worked as a garbage man, police man and now the town president. I’ve had a long run,” Dominick said.

* And, apparently, so is Riverdale…

In Riverdale, indicted Mayor Lawrence Jackson led with 59% of votes against challenger Michael Airhart, according to unofficials results. […]

Jackson was charged in 2023 with perjury and obstruction of justice in U.S. District Court for allegedly lying in a civil deposition about accepting secret funding for his trucking business from a clout-heavy waste hauling firm.

Jackson’s indictment alleged the mayor and his wife started their trucking company, Centennial Holdings, in 2018 despite knowing nothing about the business and putting up no capital. The business was run by James and Kelly Bracken, who own Riverdale Materials LLC, which was sued in 2018 by a competing company that said Jackson gave the business special treatment in his position as mayor. The indictment charges Jackson lied on the stand during proceedings in that lawsuit.

* Meanwhile…

* More races…

* Daily Southtown | Thaddeus Jones declares victory over James Patton in Calumet City mayoral race: Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones celebrated his victory Tuesday night in the city’s Democratic primary. With all 21 precincts reporting, Jones had 2,326 votes, or 60%, compared to 1,533 votes for Ald. James Patton, according to unofficial results from the Cook County clerk’s office. Calumet City filings show no challenger to the Democratic nominee in the April 1 general election. … Several incumbent candidates on Patton’s slate were leading Tuesday night, including 2nd Ward Ald. Monet Wilson, 5th Ward Ald. DeJuan Gardner and City Clerk Nyota Figgs. Figgs had 2,019 votes compared to Cassandra Hobert Elston’s 1,812, and Wilson had 499 votes to Erica Jenkins’ 421. Gardner was leading Roger Munda with 422 votes, or 77%. Members of Jones’ slate leading Tuesday night included Shalisa Harvey in the 1st Ward, with 173 votes to incumbent Ald. Michael Navarrette’s 148. Miacole Nelson was leading in the 6th Ward with 295 votes to Garnadette Stuckey’s 248.

* Shaw Local | Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk appears headed for defeat along with his slate: Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk is trailing behind challenger Richard Tado in the primary Republican election polls as of Tuesday night. … The Algonquin Township campaigns were marked by animosity, with incumbent trustees having filed nine censures against Funk from March 2023 through last December over how he ran the township. Candidates were split in two unofficial but sharply divided camps.

* Shaw Local | Oswego Village Trustee Kit Kuhrt behind in bid for second term: With 26 of 28 precincts reporting, Oswego Village Board Trustee Kit Kuhrt was behind in his bid for a second term on the board, according to unofficial results from the Oswego Village Board Republican primary. With two precincts left to be reported, Kuhrt is in fourth place with about 15% of the vote.

* Daily Southtown | Incumbents Jada Curry and Lawrence Jackson lead in Lynwood and Riverdale primaries: A passionate crowd of supporters gathered at Lynwood Bowling Center Tuesday night to rally behind Lynwood Village President Jada Curry, facing a challenge in the Democratic primary. Wearing shirts emblazoned with her slate’s campaign slogan, #LynwoodStrong, they gathered to show their support for the incumbent, who is in the lead with 62% of votes after all precincts reported, according to unofficial results from the Cook County clerk’s office.

* Shaw Local | Here are Will and Grundy counties’ unofficial February 2025 primary election results

* Rockford Register Star | Election results: Here’s who won contested battles for Rockford City Council, Township

* Peoria Journal-Star | ‘Full of gratitude’: Peoria mayor comfortably wins primary: Peoria Mayor Rita Ali and at-large City Councilmember John Kelly have secured their spots as Peoria’s mayoral candidates in April’s general election after emerging as the top two vote getters in Tuesday night’s primary election based on unofficial election results. With 100% of precincts reporting, mayoral candidate Chuck Grayeb, a city councilmember representing the 2nd District, does not have enough votes to advance in the race.

* Herald-Whig | Troup secures nomination in reelection bid for mayor: Quincy Mayor Mike Troup is one step closer to earning a second term. Troup, 67, defeated former 6th Ward Alderman Dan Brink for the Republican nomination for mayor in Tuesday’s consolidated primary election.

* WAND | Urbana and Lincoln Illinois’ Consolidated Primary Election results: In Urbana, Deshawn Williams is leading the mayoral race with over 64% of the votes, while Annie Adams has garnered 21% of the votes with 21 out of 23 precincts reporting. In the Ward 2 Alderman race, Christopher Evans edged out Larry Lister to win the Democratic primary. In Ward 6, Grace Wilken won the Democratic primary to hold onto her seat.

* WCIA | Urbana one step closer to meeting new mayor as primary election ends: The months-long contest between Williams and Adams has had people heading to the polls long before Tuesday. Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons said of the about 23,000 registered voters in the city, about 3,000 had casted their vote as of Tuesday afternoon. At that time, he said about 370 people had voted in person, 1,161 cast their ballot early and 1,435 mailed in their vote.

* Northwest Herald | Here are McHenry County’s unofficial February 2025 primary election results: Voters in McHenry County had their say in the February primary, which will help shape the coming April ballot. The results include early voting, vote-by-mail and Election Day ballots.

* McHenry County Blog | Mike Shorten Wipes Out Incumbent Nunda Township Supervisor Leda Bobera-Drain: McHenry County Board member Mike Shorten, a former Township Trustee, challenged incumbent Leda Bobera-Drain. The results show Shorten winning over 60-40%.

* McHenry County Blog | Three Percent Turnout Decide All But One Township Official in Algonquin, Grafton and Nunda Townships

26 Comments

Open thread

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Pritzker and Illinois Dems say the state is being shorted $1.9B by Trump. Crain’s…

* Related stories…

∙ Capitol News Illinois: Pritzker positions himself at forefront of Trump opposition by invoking Nazis’ rise to power
∙ CNN: Illinois Gov. Pritzker warns against authoritarianism

* Governor Pritzker is in Chicago to announce new medical debt relief for working families at 10 am. Click here to watch.

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois banned life sentences for young offenders—but not for those already behind bars: Illinois is one of 28 states that has banned juvenile life sentences without the possibility of parole. In just over half of these states, the law applies retroactively. Illinois is not one of them.Sen. Rachel Ventura, a Democrat from Joliet, introduced a bill in the previous legislative session that would have made the ban on life without parole retroactive, but it failed. Republican Sen. Seth Lewis, of Bartlett, co-sponsored the measure. Though he declined an interview, a spokesperson said he “still agrees with the concept” but believes the bill’s language needs revisions. The spokesperson did not specify what changes he had in mind.

* STLPR | Federal cuts to Missouri and Illinois national forests have unclear impact: Sources at the Mark Twain National Forest in southern Missouri and the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois confirm there have been positions eliminated but did not provide information on the number or job duties of those employees. They referred all questions to the main office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service. […] “To be clear, none of these individuals were operational firefighters. Released employees were probationary in status, many of whom were compensated by temporary IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) funding,” the statement said.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Rep. Rita Named Illinois Park Districts Legislator of the Year: Rep. Rita sponsored a new law last year, in Senate Bill 2849, to give local governments such as park districts and forest preserves the power to control the flying of drones over their public spaces. The law was aimed at helping control potentially intrusive drone activity over softball and baseball games, swim meetings, trail hiking and other recreational activities. “Since joining the General Assembly in 2003, Representative Rita has been a champion of park and recreation agencies throughout Illinois,” IAPD President and CEO Peter Murphy said in remarks at the IAPD awards luncheon. “Throughout the years, Representative Rita has consistently demonstrated strong support for his local park districts through his unwavering dedication to community parks and recreational spaces.”

* WBEZ | The pros and cons of banning cell phones in Illinois schools: The goal of the proposed cell phone ban is to improve student performance and social skills and fight cyberbullying. But it would also limit parents’ access to their kids. Reset checks in with an education reporter for more on the proposal and hears from an expert on the impact of screens on kids.

*** Statewide ***

* WTTW | Dozens of Illinois Communities Vote to Reinstate Grocery Tax, Many More Expected to Follow: Municipalities are now asking the state to give them more taxing authority, including for all municipalities’ elected officials to be able to enact a local sales tax on motor fuel to fund road and infrastructure improvements. Currently only non-home rule municipalities within Cook County or that have populations over 100,000 have the ability to pass an ordinance to locally tax gasoline at the pump, up to 3 cents a gallon (House Bill 1283).

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | CTU leaders file motion to quash subpoena for their texts, depositions: The subpoenas are part of an ongoing lawsuit between Martinez and the Board of Education over arguments that board members obstructed the chief executive officer’s job duties. The legal dispute and the top CTU officials’ desire not to turn over information comes at a time of intense financial uncertainty for the fourth-largest school district in the nation — now facing several unsettled, high-stakes budget costs that led to the conflict between Martinez, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the teachers union that played a pivotal role in electing him.

* Crain’s | Johnson pushing CPS to cover disputed $175M pension payment: Johnson won City Council approval of a 2024 budget amendment and 2025 budget that both relied on CPS covering the $175 million pension payment made to the Municipal Employees’ Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago on behalf of non-teacher employees at the school district. The city is statutorily required to make the payment on the district’s behalf, but former Mayor Lori Lightfoot began forcing the bill onto CPS’ books as it began its transition to an elected school board. Johnson opposed the move at the time as a member of the Chicago Teachers Union, but now wants to see it through as mayor.

* Sun-Times | Rep. LaHood calls Trump policies a ‘priority’ as he opens search for new top federal prosecutor: Nearly two years after ex-U.S. Attorney John Lausch left office, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood formally opened the search for Chicago’s next top federal prosecutor, insisting that person’s priority must be to ensure “the policies and priorities of the Trump Administration” are implemented here. “The importance of selecting a strong U.S. attorney who will understand the importance of implementing and enforcing our immigration laws, fight to stop rampant and rising criminal activity in Chicago, support our brave men and women in law enforcement, and prevent public corruption is now more critical than ever,” LaHood’s office said in a statement Tuesday.

* WBEZ | Musicians David Byrne, Tom Morello to create new works for Goodman Theatre’s centennial season: The Talking Heads’ David Byrne and writer Mala Gaonkar are the creative team behind “Theater of The Mind,” which comes to the Goodman in the coming season (opening date to be announced). Directed by Andrew Scoville, it’s described as a “theatrical experience you’ll see, feel, taste and hear. Inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research, the show takes you on an intimate and immersive journey inside how we see and create our worlds.” Audiences will be guided through a series of rooms to participate in “thought-provoking neuroscience experiences.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | More jurors seated for Highland Park suspect’s trial, as judge issues warning to media : According to Rossetti, a media outlet published a detailed description of a potential juror that included information on that individual’s employment, job location and spouse’s employment. The court previously had told possible jurors - referred to in court by numbers, not names - that personal information that could identify them would not be published. Publishing such information puts a juror’s ability to be fair and impartial at risk, said Rossetti. It also could have a chilling effect on jurors answering questions honestly, she said.

* WBEZ | Palestinian American mother testifies during murder trial: ‘My son screaming, screaming, screaming’: Shaheen testified that she told Czuba she was Muslim and from Jerusalem when she moved into his property in 2021, and that he expressed no issue at the time with her religion or nationality. That changed, she said, after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. A few days later, Shaheen said she saw Czuba in one of the home’s common areas, and he told her; “Your people are killing Jewish [people] and babies in Israel. Muslims are not welcome here, not in my home.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Plans moving forward for estimated $8 million Oberheim Park in Monticello: Plans for Monticello’s Oberheim Park are moving forward. City Council members approved five acres from the Allerton Public Library to be transferred to the city for the project off of Old Route 47. Terry Summers, the city administrator, said design engineers estimate it’ll cost about $8 million. The money would come from the reserve and general funds.

* BND | Under Trump, trans discrimination lawsuit against metro-east pig farm may be dismissed: President Donald Trump’s policies on transgender issues have prompted a federal agency to ask the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to dismiss its civil lawsuit against a rural New Athens pig farm accused of discriminating against a transgender employee. Court documents show that the employee admitted during questioning that she had provided the farm, Sis-Bro Inc., with a fake Social Security number and was working illegally in the United States.

* AP | Apple shareholders reject proposal to scrap company’s diversity programs: After a brief presentation about the anti-DEI proposal, Apple announced shareholders had rejected it. In a regulatory filing submitted Tuesday evening, Apple disclosed that 97% of the ballots cast were votes against the measure. The outcome vindicated Apple management’s decision to stand behind its diversity commitment even though Trump asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look into whether these types of programs have discriminated against some employees whose race or gender aren’t aligned with the initiative’s goals.

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

Wednesday, Feb 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Wednesday, Feb 26, 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.