-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
Top Illinois Stories
It could be a few years before lawmakers revisit the concept. The next deadline for approving constitutional amendments is early May 2028, six months ahead of the presidential election.
"Lawmakers in Springfield are advancing House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 28, which would rewrite the priority order used to draw legislative districts. The proposal keeps equal population as the top requirement but elevates race-based considerations, including directing mapmakers to create 'racial coalition or influence districts,' before turning to compactness and contiguity."
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch proposed the amendment in response to fears that the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down the provision of the federal Voting Rights Act that bans splitting large minority groups into many districts to dilute their voting power. “It is undeniable that the U.S Supreme Court is poised to dismantle these protections, and when it does, some states will quickly undertake new gerrymandering schemes aimed at stripping away Black and Latino and other minority representation,” he said.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform said in its report, "Illinois’s laws have not kept up with the times and subject businesses to excessive liability. The costs of this environment are borne by Illinois residents. ... A liability system that is perceived as unpredictable and unfair drives businesses away from investing in the state and weakens Illinois’s economic competitiveness."
More Highlighted Illinois Stories
Her status as an investor in Semafor is not disclosed in the program, which is available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
Illinois Department of Human Serviuces Secretary Dulce Quintero told the Illinois House Appropriations - Health and Human Services Committee the department would need $40 million to hire 450 new caseworkers. And state Rep. Dagmara Avelar's House Bill 4720, creating one-time emergency assistance payments of $600, is estimated to cost the state $125 million.
"It’s hard to justify asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment like this when so many core details are left undefined. ... But the biggest sticking point is that such a tax hike must be paired with a plan for the state to reduce its waste and overall spending, not just soak its citizens for what could be an additional $3 billion in taxpayers’ money for Springfield Democrats to spend at will."
Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said residents move to Homer Glen because they desire a quiet lifestyle and enjoy its open spaces, equestrian fields and low density housing. “The whole reason we incorporated was to control our destiny,” she said. “We have a vision of how we want our community to look. Taking away a community’s right to preserve its vision is ridiculous.”
The order comes as state lawmakers have sought to gain more oversight and regulative power over the betting platforms, along with imposing new taxes, in recent weeks. Early this month, the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission brought a legal complaint against Pritzker – and other state officials – in federal court, alleging they overstepped the CFTC’s exclusive authority to oversee and regulate the betting platforms.
“We talk a lot about energy, and people express concerns about, ‘Are we utilizing energy? Are we going to have enough resources there?’ We have a plan,” said state Rep. Ann Williams. “I think that same process needs to happen with water and how much of it already exists versus what we need to put in place with the influx of users.”
The team said in a statement after the vote they “welcome the progress,” but will need more changes. “Additional amendments are necessary to make the Arlington Heights site feasible for our stadium project,” the statement said.
House Bill 1581 would boost state money to the state’s public universities by $135 million a year over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, in about the same time frame the number of high school graduates in Illinois is forecast to fall 32 percent. Illinois charges the region’s highest and the nation’s ninth-highest in-state tuition and fees, at $14,921 per year.
The amended plan still would require the Bears and other megaproject developers to negotiate with local governments over payments in lieu of higher property taxes based on updated assessments, but would now direct a share of those payments toward property tax relief for homeowners, both in the immediate area and across the state.
"Raising taxes without providing better services and demonstrating a good return on investment is bad policy. Tax policy should be proportional rather than punitive — punishing high earners contradicts principles of personal productivity. Public policy that leads to nonpersonal productivity is harmful to the state and detrimental to the well-being of the person."
"Economic policy is destiny."
Plaintiffs include ISU students, the Normal Township supervisor, and the local union president who is an ISU building service worker. More than 300 ISU building services, grounds, and dining services employees have been on strike for two weeks while asking for better pay.
When state Rep. Kyle Moore asked why the resolution language did not specify how revenue from the tax would be distributed, State Rep. La Shawn Ford admitted there were no plans for allocation but the General Assembly would have that responsibility after voters approve the amendment.
Also, the substantially fewer number of those moving into Illinois earn much less than those who leave. The average adjusted gross income those moving in was $78,784 in 2023, according to the IRS, while the average AGI of those who left was $104,432 — almost 33 percent higher, further exacerbating the state’s economic losses from outmigration.
The loans to 95 licensees “may be up to 100 percent forgivable upon providing documentation for eligible business expenses.”
Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of 22 states secured a federal court order blocking an attempt by the Trump administration to threaten health care providers who treat youth with gender dysphoria.
According to the filing, the priorities in order are for all districts to have near-equal populations; to provide equal opportunity for all citizens, regardless of race; the creation of districts with racial minority influence; and for district borders to be unbroken and compact. Asked about the use of vague language, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch said the legislature would address specifics when clarity is needed.
The measure would allow the Bears and other “megaproject” developers to negotiate payments in lieu of taxes with local taxing bodies. One amendment would ensure half of those PILOT dollars would go toward property tax relief. There’s also a new provision that explicitly prohibits use of the PILOT tool for data centers, which have been identified as a driver of rising energy costs and demand.
Jim Dey: "Still, the SAFE-T Act has big problems, to the point that Gov. JB Pritzker — one of its biggest cheerleaders — has stated he might support 'tweaks' in the law. What tweaks he might support, the governor did not say. If he’s looking for ideas, Pritzker should speak to two state’s attorneys: Robert Berlin of DuPage County and Randi Freese of McHenry County."
Former Cook County Judge James R. Brown's brief noted that current Illinois appeals court justice Ramon Ocasio III continues to publish a regular column in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Those columns, they note, have included controversial topics, including "'the abolition of policing' through the lens of the Native American 'indigenous resistance' who view police officers as 'foot soldiers of U.S. occupation, racism, and misogyny;' the 'pervasive influence of white supremacy' evidenced in our 'legal frameworks, societal norms, and economic systems'; the teaching of critical race theory in public schools; and referencing Defendant Chief Justice Neville Jr. to advocate for
“While the Trump Administration continues to be riddled with stories of appointees looking to make a profit, Illinois is stepping up to ensure those who are serving the public not their own personal financial gain,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.
While people of all income levels left Illinois in 2023, the heaviest loss was among those making more than $100,000 a year. They made up 60 percent of the state’s net migration losses. The economic impact of those departures is even greater: Filers making more than $100,000 took more than $5.5 billion with them — 90 percent of the state’s income loss.
Joshua Meyer, director of the tax and fiscal policy task force at the ALEC, said Illinois has not seen much improvement across the report’s 15 competitiveness variables: “Unfortunately for people in Illinois, over 19 years, it's a state that's been stuck in the bottom 10 with little sign of moving anywhere out of that bottom ten." He said the state could drop further if it implements a graduated income tax or millionaire’s tax.
Even with the revenue growth, Deputy Gov. Andy Manar said he doesn’t see the governor rescinding his proposed revenue changes, including a $200 million tax on social media companies, because there’s still a lot of uncertainty over the economy and federal funding.
This comparative slowdown points to weaker economic momentum in Illinois, consistent with reduced business investment and job creation compared with the national average. While growth in Illinois appears to have accelerated under Gov. JB Pritzker, that improvement largely reflects a strong national post-pandemic rebound and high inflation.
Research has shown that an increase in the top marginal tax rate is associated with a decrease in entrepreneurs’ hiring activity and lower wages for their employees. Illinois already has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and among the slowest wage growth.
Top Chicago Stories
In 2025, new affordable units in Chicago will cost *at least* $679K a pop to build.
"What we have seen is Chicago has now become a destination location for illegal street takeovers like this where hundreds of youth are encouraged to descend on a location, and whether it's to do mob action, regardless of if (Mayor Johnson) likes the term or not, illegal street takeovers with our vehicles or other activities that are criminal, people know to come here," Ald. Ray Lopez said.
"Ours is a problem of red tape and protectionism; fixing it will require significant changes in the way business gets done here. Developers face a gauntlet of zoning rules, permitting delays, high construction costs, expensive property taxes and local political hurdles, all of which slow or shrink projects before they ever get built."
More Highlighted Chicago Area Stories
The teachers union in a letter to its members Thursday said it has 800 students and staff registered to attend a May Day training at the Operation Push headquarters, and expects thousands more students and educators participating in this year’s May Day events compared to last year. “We are building momentum for a pro-Democracy movement that can win the transformation we need,” the letter reads.
For teachers and students not participating in May Day rallies, CTU and Mayor Brandon Johnson are calling for civic engagement activities in school. CPS CEO Macquline King said no students will be required to participate in civic engagement activities.
Between 2023, when Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling took office, and 2025, the number of times police officers used force against a member of the public increased approximately 35.8 percent, according to CPD data.
At the same time, CPS has steadily decreased the number of lunchroom workers. CPS has 20 percent fewer lunchroom attendants, cooks and porters currently on staff compared to five years ago.
"A bombastic socialist, (Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos) Ramirez-Rosa assumed office last April, and almost immediately emphasized the need to address homelessness. An odd issue to mention upon becoming CEO of the city's Park District, Ramirez-Rosa's silence on HB 1492 is telling. ... Although there are few known changes, a playground has been named after an armed man shot dead in 2014."
"And so, in 2025, the city reached a historic global settlement resolving 176 reversed-conviction cases involving former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts. That alone allowed us to close out 64 percent of the overall Law Department reversed-conviction caseload, and it reduced the city’s financial exposure by approximately $500 million and cut outside counsel expenditures."
Chief Operating Officer Paul Goodrich allegedly used his position in the Lightfoot administration to secretly get his son a paid internship with a city contractor, and then tried to get that contractor nearly $10 million more in payments from taxpayers that the company may not have been entitled to. EKI-Digital has remained a city contractor under Johnson, and is run by Chicago businessman Robert Blackwell Jr., who’s been a friend and campaign contributor to former President Barack Obama.
At the time of the killing, Ayden Reynolds was serving probation for a prior aggravated assault charge, at which time officers recovered a handgun equipped with a switch that allowed it to fire automatically, like a machine gun, and an extended magazine. None of his seven other arrests resulted in jail time.
Said Ald. Gilbert Villegas: “What’s really causing the affordability issue is supply and demand, and what we need to do is make sure that we’re getting projects done quicker. … My goal is to really focus on cutting the red tape, getting projects completed quicker, allow for predictability and more transparency.”
The investigation found former district employee Lauren Coleman worked simultaneously for the district and a CPS vendor, logging overlapping hours — including while traveling — triggering improper pay enabled by weak supervisory oversight. Her ability to attain new employment at a government agency despite being designated as ineligible for rehire at another raises questions about how potential hires are screened and how the city and sister agencies communicate about potential hires.
Carr, who also serves as the Lyons Township Republican committeeman, succeeds Aaron Del Mar. Carr appointed Northfield Township Republican Committeeman TJ Brown as deputy chairman.
Ald. Stephanie Coleman denounced the “sudden termination” of contracts with Monterrey Security and its two Black subcontractors as a “betrayal of the city’s commitment to equity” because it put more than 70 African American security workers out of work with less than a week’s notice.
A new report from the Office of Inspector General alleged that the financial reports COFA provided between 2015 and 2023 were "untimely and inconsistent." In some cases, the OIG said, COFA did not provide an analysis of a proposed budget until after members of the City Council had already voted on it.
"As a pastor who has buried too many young men on Chicago’s South Side, I say this plainly: we cannot keep tolerating or excusing the culture of lawlessness and then act shocked when it claims more victims, whether they are teens in Englewood or a young father in Avondale."
Video shows people ransacking and setting off an explosive inside a car in the Gresham neighborhood over the weekend. CPD said once officers arrived around 3:30 a.m., the group dispersed. The Arson Unit is investigating.
"Chicago’s subsidy of May Day protests uses public funds in the struggling school system to foster radical political agendas. It removes any doubt for parents about the priority of Johnson, the CTU, and many of these teachers. Some of the sentiments expressed in Chicago could have been ripped from Mao’s Little Red Book and speeches."
"They did this without the consent or the input of the parents. This is not only wrong, it is irresponsible or perhaps illegal," CPS parent Judy Velez said. "We are here to demand an end to the political indoctrination of our children at the hands of CTU and CPS."
"The unfortunate fact, however, is that the ridership levels in the CTA transit system are still lagging behind where they were before COVID hit, and that's because I think a lot of people in Chicagoland recognize that the 'L', the buses, they're not really safe, they're not really clean," Deputy Transportation Secretary Steven Bradbury said.
Friday, the CTA laid off 159 members employed by Monterrey Security. The new security plan includes a 75 percent increase in policing hours and more patrolling from both the Chicago Police Department and Cook County Sheriff's Office.
When a member of the Georgia elections board asked how she could hold office in Dolton and Thornton Township while living in Georgia, she responded: “I was a lame duck. I couldn’t do anything.” An examination of public records suggest Henyard made roughly $20,000 from Illinois taxpayers after she says she stopped performing her duties.
Dozens of shots from an automatic weapon rained down on Rickey Harris' white car as he drove down Throop from 95th Street (with video).
"If Chicago’s going to have a serious conversation about reparations, then it should not stop with the distant past. It should include the damage done right here, right now, to the children and families who have been trapped for years inside a failing public school system shaped and dominated by the Chicago Teachers Union."
The ages of the victims range from 17 to 46.
"You just watched the entire city council, in transparency, try to take wages away from the very people who are part of an industry that has its ties to slavery is hiding from that," Mayor Brandon Johnson said in response to a question from a person who claimed that Johnson's Reparations Task Force was not in compliance with Illinois state law, which mandates that all public bodies hold public meetings. "I am boldly declaring that we need reparations in this city, and that's why I'm funding it."
Finance director Thomas Hood calls the hundreds of thousands of dollars in unexpected spending on police overtime, legal fees and ambulance transfers a “huge deal.”
For the first time in the city’s history, Chicagoans this November will elect all 21 members of the school board, which has long been handpicked by the mayor. In 2024, when residents chose 10 members and Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed the rest, the races drew more than $13 million in campaign cash.
Wirepoints Research and Commentary
Summary and audio linked here.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER
FOLLOW US
WE’RE A NONPROFIT AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE DEDUCTIBLE.
MORE WIREPOINTS ORIGINAL STORIES
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do. 
The state's existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis. 
Illinois lost another 54,000 tax filers and dependents, net, according to the IRS. Since 2000, fleeing taxpayers have taken $94 billion of annual adjusted gross income with them. 
Borrowing for current and past operating expenses, blanks for use of funds and more make Chicago's bond sale planned for next week smell mighty bad. Mark Glennon's interview is in the first ten minutes starting here.
Recent Comments