ILLINOIS
AROUND THE STATE
Pritzker must address multi-billion-dollar deficit amid federal funding uncertainty
“Gov. JB Pritzker will present his seventh budget proposal Wednesday as the state faces a projected $3.2 billion revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1. Federal pandemic aid has all been allocated and the economy has slowed, leaving tax revenue projections relatively flat for the coming years,” by Capitol News Illinois.
An Illinois DOGE? Republican State Lawmaker’s Proposal Would Create New Department
“As Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team muscle through Washington, D.C., on a mission to cut spending — shredding the federal workforce, putting “for sale” signs on federal real estate and deleting agencies wholesale — a Republican state legislator said Illinois could take a cue,” by WTTW.
New state transportation chief hopes for ‘a good kind of disruption’
“Gia Biagi made her name building parks. Now, she’s leading the department that oversees more than 145,000 miles of roads, 7,000 miles of railways, 1,000 miles of waterways and 26,000 bridges,” by Capitol News Illinois.
State mental health, substance abuse divisions would merge under governor’s executive order
“The Illinois Department of Human Services departments tasked with mental health and substance use would be combined under an executive order from Gov. JB Pritzker, his office announced Friday,” by the Chicago Tribune.
Trump's tariffs raise alarms for Illinois farm industry
“The Illinois Farm Bureau is concerned about harm to the state’s farmers from potential tariffs on the United States’ top three agricultural trading partners: Mexico, Canada and China. The three countries, as well as others, have warned they will impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. in response to Trump’s orders,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.
CHICAGO
MORE FROM CITY HALL
Watchdog Urges City Council to Tighten Rules to Stop Mayor’s Office From Obstructing Probes
“Chicago’s ethics ordinance should be tightened to stop the city’s top lawyer from intervening in ongoing probes that risk “embarrassment or political consequences” for city leaders, Chicago’s watchdog urged the Chicago City Council,” by WTTW.
Three days after warning of City Hall housecleaning, Mayor Brandon Johnson gets out the broom
“In rapid-fire succession, the mayor’s office announced that Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee and Civilian Office of Police Accountability chief Andrea Kersten, both holdovers from previous administrations, were “retiring.” Also leaving is another holdover, Jose Tirado, director of the Office of Emergency Management & Communications, who has a job lined up,” by WBEZ Chicago.
Chicago Housing Authority is owed millions in rent and failing to enforce leases, report finds
“CHA’s Office of the Inspector General report from the last quarter of 2024 found that as of March 1, 2024, CHA was owed more than $10.4 million dollars in rent by these 1,394 residents and was failing to enforce its lease agreements with them,” by the Chicago Tribune.
Cook County State’s Attorney Will No Longer Divert Nonviolent Gun Cases to Restorative Justice Courts
“Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has instructed her office to stop diverting people with gun possession charges to the county’s Restorative Justice Community Courts (RJCC), which reroute people with nonviolent charges from criminal courts to an alternative program,” by WTTW.
CTU's Stacy Davis Gates challenged by 'Real Caucus' in May election
“Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates is facing a challenge from within her own ranks as a group of CTU members known as the "Real Caucus" has lined up a slate of candidates to replace her and her leadership team in the upcoming union elections on May 16,” by Fox 32 Chicago.
FEDERAL
Cozen Currents - The Sausage-making Process of the GOP’s Big, Beautiful Bill
Republicans’ legislative agenda is plodding along, as they seek to reach intra-party agreement on the fiscal contours of their reconciliation package.
President Trump, new agency leadership, and congressional Republicans are laying the groundwork to provide the regulatory clarity the crypto industry has long sought.
Once esoteric issues of corporate law have even fallen into the ever-expanding circle of partisanship, leading some notable firms to reincorporate in Texas from Delaware.
Read the Cozen Currents here.
Beltway Briefing - DOGE: A New Age of Intentional Disruption
As the Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency work to streamline the federal government by reducing its size and workforce, their actions are increasingly colliding with a mountain of lawsuits. Featuring Public Strategies’ Mark Alderman, Towner French, and Kyle Anderson.
Listen to the Beltway Briefing here.