Latest news with #IllinoisHouse
Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Pritzker's budget blame game: Trump
Presented by Happy June, Illinois. And congrats to the state legislators who powered through the weekend. TOP TALKER BUDGET BLUES: Gov. JB Pritzker praised state lawmakers Sunday morning for passing a balanced state budget and blamed a 'Trump Slump' for Illinois seeing $500 million in reduced revenues. 'Donald Trump's incomprehensible tariff policies have put a tax on our working families and dampened the nation's economic outlook, the Trump Slump is affecting every state, and the chaos and uncertainty of the Republicans proposed cuts to health care and education and jobs have made budgeting well harder than ever before,' Pritzker told reporters in a press briefing alongside Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Senate President Don Harmon. Illinois House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch had a family commitment. Pritzker said the 'chaos' in D.C. is affecting other states, too. He pointed to Iowa and Indiana that once 'were bragging about their fiscal condition while laughing at ours. My, how times have changed.' We noted that last weel. The governor touted Illinois having nine credit upgrades and seven balanced budgets while 'Indiana's 10 percent budget deficit and Iowa's 5 percent budget deficit caused them to cut public health and higher education and dip into their rainy day fund.' It's sinful: In the end, the Democratic-led Illinois General Assembly approved a $55.2 billion spending plan and a $55.3 billion revenue package for the next fiscal year that also included a good share of sin taxes from online sports betting, to tobacco products, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes. There's a lot that didn't get done: The transit bill to prevent a 'financial cliff' in the transportation industry failed to pass — there's talk now of returning to Springfield to address the problem. An energy bill that would protect the state's power grid didn't pass. And an omnibus bill to improve elections didn't pass. And a proposal to overhaul the state's Tier 2 pension system (which affects public employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2011) didn't make it over the finish line, either (though lawmakers did approve $75 million for a reserve fund for the program). Funding that was approved: $500 million for economic development and investment in site readiness grants to local governments for economic development; $200 million for early childhood workforce compensation grants and a $175 million increase for the Child Care Assistance Program to support 150,000 children. Here's a budget breakdown from the governor's office. By the numbers: 'They passed 432 bills during their five-month spring session, though perhaps none more important than the state's budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The nearly 3,400-page spending plan and other budget-related bills passed just minutes before midnight on Saturday — roughly 30 hours after the measure was introduced,' reports Brenden Moore in The Pantagraph. There was some careful praise about getting over the finish line: Jack Lavin, head of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said his organization is 'pleased' that lawmakers passed an economic development package, 'which included incentives for manufacturers, capital investment programs and business recruitment.' Republicans could only roll their eyes: State Sen. Terri Bryant echoed her GOP colleagues, calling the budget 'irresponsible, unsustainable and wrong for Illinois.' Republicans also criticized Democrats for 'ramming' the budget through in the last hours of the session. RELATED Among bills going to governor's desk: A measure designed to rein in the practices of pharmacy benefits managers, or PBMs, law-enforcement background checks and legal help for immigrants, via the Tribune Chicago public transit in limbo after state lawmakers fail to fill nearly $1B budget gap, by the Block Club's Charles Thrush and Manny Ramos Illinois Senate leaves without taking a vote on plan to let terminally ill people end their own lives, by the Sun-Times' George Wiebe Bears' stadium efforts run out of time in Springfield but state Rep. Mary Beth Canty says deal was close and talks will continue, by the Tribune's Olivia Olander It's the latest tough snap for Bears president Kevin Warren, by the Sun-Times' Mitchell Armentrout and George Wiebe For mentally ill people facing low-level charges, lawmakers take steps to get them care, not prosecution, by the Sun-Times' Frank Main and Stephanie Zimmermann Three-point seat belts to be required on new school buses in Illinois, by the Daily Herald's Russell Lissau If you are Don Harmon, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON At Daley Plaza at 9 a.m. for the annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony — At the Southwest Pumping Station for a Chicago Grand Prairie Water Commission water project announcement Where's Toni At Daley Plaza at 9 a.m. for the annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@ BUSINESS OF POLITICS — WHAT's NEXT: Now that the legislative session has wrapped up, watch for the governor to pivot his attention to the upcoming federal hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 12 about Illinois' sanctuary status. After that, Pritzker is expected to announce whether he'll seek a third term, timing it, likely, with the Cook County Democratic Party slating on July 17 and 18. — Endorsement: State Sen. Robert Peters has been endorsed in his bid for Congress in the 2nd District by the Amalgamated Transit Union, which includes Chicago Locals 241 and 308. — Dueling rallies at Huntley's Trump & Truth Store as owner vows to stay open, by the Tribune's Shanzeh Ahmad THE STATEWIDES — Feds say Michael Madigan should get 12½ years in prison: 'Madigan wielded the speaker's gavel in Springfield for 36 years. Now he's bracing to learn his fate June 13, when he's due to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Blakey. The hearing comes four months after a jury convicted Madigan in an historic verdict,' by the Sun-Times' Jon Seidel. — A Madigan elegy: Mac Hoffmann, who was a staff attorney under former Speaker Madigan from 2015 to 2016, is now a singer-songwriter based in Minneapolis. He's out with an acoustic piece about Madigan titled, 'The Fall of the Velvet Hammer.' In a note to Playbook, Hofmann says, 'It's not a takedown. It's a reckoning—a meditation on what it meant to serve a system that no longer made sense. The timing aligns with Madigan's sentencing, but the story behind it has been unfolding for nearly a decade.' Sample lyric: 'The cleanest guy in the Capitol is the janitor mopping the floor.' Listen here. — Springfield's historic Myers Building officially sold, by the State Journal-Register's Claire Grant — Fake IDs now as good as the real thing — and essential to Chicago's college social scene, by the Sun-Times' Mary Norkol TAKING NAMES — HATS OFF: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller's annual Hats Off to South Suburban Women Luncheon drew a crowd of 300 Sunday at Ravisloe Country Club. Spotted: Congresswoman Robin Kelly, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Ald. Stephanie Coleman, Sauk Village Mayor Marva Campbell-Pruitt, Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold, Homewood Village Trustee Vivian Harris-Jones, Homewood Village Clerk Nakina Flores, East Hazel Crest Trustee Maureen Moe Forté, Appellate Judge Sharon Johnson, Rich Township Clerk Sugar Al-Amin, Matteson Trustee Carolyn Palmer, Calumet City Ald. Monet Forte Wilson, District Police Commander Karla Johnson and school Superintendent Blondean Davis. — Dulana Reese-Campbell has been elected board president of the Young Democrats of Chicago. Reese-Campbell is chief of staff to state Rep. Kam Buckner. Other officers: Jackie Duarte, Lindy Girman, Tyler Harding, Taylor Coward, Evelyn Wilder, Arthur Dennis, George Haines and Brian Frederick. Reader Digest We asked about impactful protest movements. Michael Churchill: 'Vietnam War protests.' Michael Burton: 'The eight-hour day movement, centered in Chicago in the 1880s, gave us the weekend by reducing the typical workweek from six days and 70+ hours to our current 40-hour work week.' Ted Cox: 'Occupy Wall Street, #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. They may not have the momentum right now, but they're not done by any means.' Sean Duffy: 'The 1917 February Revolution in Russia forced Czar Nicholas II to abdicate his throne and ended 300 years of rule by the Romanov dynasty.' Robert Fioretti: ' April 15, 1970, when an anti-war moratorium demonstration on tax day was held at Daley Plaza. More than 40,000 attended, and many there are still protesting today.' Daniel Goldwin: 'Free Soviet Jewry protest movement.' Charles Keller: 'On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther sent a letter with the 95 Theses to the Archbishop of Mainz, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.' Jim Lyons: 'The anti-war movement at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.' James Scalzitti: 'ACT-UP.' Emily Spangler: 'The Stonewall Movement. Stonewall is one of many reasons we LGBT people are recognized and protected in society.' NEXT QUESTION: What's a national holiday you'd like to see created? KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — China happy with restrictions on its students, Krishnamoorthi says: 'They want these people back,' said U.S. Senate candidate and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on 'Face the Nation.' 'They want the scientists and the entrepreneurs and the engineers who can come and help their economy. And so we are probably helping them, as well as other countries, more than helping ourselves with this policy.' THE NATIONAL TAKE — The 'Medicaid moderates' are the senators to watch on the megabill, by POLITICO's Jordain Carney — Liz Magill, the first casualty in the war against elite universities, by POLITICO's Evan Mandery — DHS removes list of 'sanctuary' cities after sheriffs push back on non-compliant label, by Reuters' Ted Hesson — Chris Christie says Trump is giving free rein to white-collar criminals, by POLITICO's David Cohen — 'Completely unworkable': Sculpture experts say Trump's $34M statue garden has major problems, by POLITICO's Michael Schaffer TRANSITIONS — Jim Webb has started J Webb Strategies, a communications and crisis management business. He was director of operations at Serafin & Associates before it merged last year with Mercury Public Affairs. Webb also previously had a long career as a journalist for The Associated Press and was political editor at the Chicago Tribune. — Channyn Lynne Parker becomes interim CEO of Equality Illinois starting July 1. An Equality Illinois board member, Parker will serve in the post part-time while continuing in her full-time position as CEO of Brave Space Alliance, which serves LGBTQ+ individuals. Earlier this year, Brian Johnson announced he's stepping down as Equality Illinois CEO on June 30, via Windy City Times' Jake Wittich. — Alison Pure-Slovin has been named director of social action and partnerships for Simon Wiesenthal Center's Midwest office. She has been head of the organization's Midwest office since 2012. IN MEMORIAM — Richard Garwin, Chicago physicist who created the hydrogen bomb and worked to see it wasn't used, dead at 97, by the Sun-Times' Mitch Dudek EVENTS — Tuesday: State Rep. Kam Buckner is holding his Buckner Blues Bash. Details here — Saturday and Sunday: The Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, an annual tradition in Randolph County, takes place at the Fort de Chartres State Historic Site. Details here TRIVIA FRIDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Ron Silver for correctly answering that Chicago's Monadnock Building is the tallest load-bearing brick building ever constructed. TODAY's QUESTION: Which boxing champion lost to Muhammad Ali and later ran for Chicago alderman? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, business consultant Sonya Jackson, attorney Pejman Yousefzadeh, Kieloch Consulting Congressional Services Director Hannah Botelho, labor insider and lobbyist Alison Howlett, Tribune columnist Clarence Page, comms adviser Lauren Pulte and Dave Neal, legal chief for the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, who turns 70 -30-
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Illinois Lawmakers Pass Budget With Federal Funding Uncertain
Illinois legislators late Saturday approved a $55 billion spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1, unsure how many federal dollars they can count on during President Donald Trump's second term. The Democrat-controlled Illinois House of Representatives and Senate voted on revenue and spending legislation Saturday for the fiscal 2026 budget, which cuts roughly $380 million from current spending. The passage comes amid growing uncertainty about funding coming from Washington. The federal government is struggling with its own surging debt and Trump wants to push more costs to states.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
The Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz for May 31
And that's a wrap on May! Where did the month go? While we try and figure that out, here's what happened this week: Lawmakers in Springfield have been busy as the spring legislative session comes to a close. In addition to trying to pass a spending plan without 'broad-based' taxes before Saturday's deadline, state senators are considering a huge transit bill that would address a $771 million shortfall in Chicago-area transit agencies' budgets. Two big measures have also advanced in the final days of the session. The Illinois House passed a bill that would legalize medical aid in dying for terminally ill people, and state legislators voted to ban police from ticketing and fining students for minor infractions at school, a common practice uncovered in the Tribune-ProPublica investigation 'The Price Kids Pay.' The former awaits approval by the Senate and the latter now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk to be signed into law. Chicago-born Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover got some good news this week. In a controversial decision, President Donald Trump commuted his federal life sentences. But Hoover will remain in prison, serving a 200-year sentence for his state court conviction for murder. Tariffs dominated the news again this week. The president announced Sunday that the U.S. will delay its 50% tariff on goods from the European Union until July 9 to allow time for negotiations. But on Wednesday, a federal trade court blocked the administration from imposing taxes on imports under an emergency-powers law, as tariffs must typically be approved by Congress. Still, that doesn't mean they're going away quite yet. A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the president can temporarily continue collecting tariffs while he appeals the trade court's decision. For more on that, here's where things stand. Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration. The announcement came shortly after the Tesla CEO criticized Trump's 'Big, Beautiful, Bill' during a CBS interview. As the billionaire returns to his business ventures, he faces some big challenges. In Chicago sports news, Caleb Williams addressed murmurings that he tried to avoid being drafted by the Bears in 2024, saying 'I wanted to come here.' In Thursday's win over the Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot broke the all-time franchise scoring record, a title previously held by her wife, Allie Quigley. And Sox fans can honor one of their own being elected pope at a celebration at Rate Field on June 14. Tickets went on sale Friday. Plus, Chonkosaurus is back! The famed snapping turtle was spotted basking in the Chicago River this week. If — like Chonk — you're looking to lounge outside in the beautiful weather this weekend, check out our patio guide for 25 spots around the city. Without further ado, here's the Tribune's Quotes of the Week quiz from May 25 to 31. Missed last week? You can find it here or check out our past editions of Quotes of the Week. Best of luck!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Illinois bill strengthening rules on gun storage heads to Pritzker's desk
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — An Illinois bill strengthening the rules on storing firearms is headed to the Governor's desk. The House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday evening requiring new rules for storing guns in homes where children and at-risk people are present. The proposal would also shorten the time firearm owners have to report a gun as lost or stolen. Illinois House passes bill to offer medical assist in dying to the terminally ill Also part of the bill is creating a registry for Illinois State Police to keep track of people who do not report lost or stolen firearms. The bill's sponsor said these changes will help guns from getting into the wrong hands. 'The number of guns stolen each year is rising, and this is a key factor in the cycle of gun violence,' Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-West Chicago) said on the House floor. 'Firearm theft compromises the effectiveness of our common sense gun laws. It often results in these weapons being acquired by people who are legally prohibited from possessing them.' Republicans criticized the bill, saying it targets legal gun owners instead of addressing criminal activity. 'Let's call this what it is: a reckless assault on the rights of honest citizens,' State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) said in a statement. 'Instead of addressing actual criminals, this legislation goes after hunters, sportsmen, and countless responsible firearm owners across our state.' Niemerg said he's confident that guns rights groups will challenge the constitutionality of the proposal in court if it's signed into law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois House passes bill to automatically seal criminal records of nonviolent offenders
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois House has passed the Clean Slate Act, which would automatically seal criminal records of those convicted of nonviolent felonies. The bill, which has been debated in the statehouse for years, would seal the records for offenders only if they served their punishment and were not convicted of another crime within the three years following their release. Currently, convicted criminals are barred from many careers and certifications due to their felony convictions. Assistant Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-92nd Dist), who authored the bill, said, 'After more than six years working on this legislation, I am thrilled to see the Clean Slate Act pass the House today. Too many Illinoisans who have served their time and paid their dues to society are still struggling to get access to the housing and employment opportunities that can set them on the pathway to success. By automatically sealing records for nonviolent offenders, we can help these individuals rebuild their lives, improve public safety, and address the workforce shortages facing businesses across our state.' The bill now heads to the Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
