Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The leading Democratic candidates in the U.S. Senate primary debated on WCPT today. During the debate, Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign sent out a “fact check” responding to a comment from Juliana Stratton…

On the WCPT debate stage just now, Juliana Stratton flat-out lied about her previous calls to transfer ICE capabilities to Customs and Border Patrol.

STRATTON’S LIE: “The Congressman is lying about that. I’ve never said transfer duties [of ICE to Border Patrol].”

CHECK THE FACTS:

Chicago Tribune: “Stratton, however, pointed to Border Patrol in response to a post-debate question about who would take on immigration enforcement responsibilities if ICE were eliminated. ‘There is Border Patrol…’” [Jan 26, 2026]

Rick Pearson of the Chicago Tribune:

Our story from tonight’s debate. Tho later she tells reporters CBP could handle ICE immigration duties. CBP agents were involved in the fatal shootings in Minneapolis. https://t.co/I0wcXUD4Js

— Rick Pearson (@rap30) January 27, 2026

Click here to watch the full debate.

* Click here for some background. Reps. Lisa Hernandez and Bob Rita…

State Representatives Lisa Hernandez and Bob Rita today filed House Bill 5469 to provide parity in the Illinois horse racing industry and support horsemen and their families, following the closure of several Chicagoland area racetracks in the past few years.

House Bill 5469 was filed today by Reps. Hernandez and Rita to provide parity in the horse racing industry as south suburban Hawthorne Race Course has been left to shoulder the vast majority of costs to continue operating the sport in Illinois, provide jobs to horsemen and the industry, and support horsemen and their families living in the backstretch.

Since 1891, Hawthorne Race Course has operated in Stickney as the oldest sporting venue in Illinois for the oldest sport in America. Following the closures of Maywood Park and Balmoral Park in 2016, Hawthorne took the reins to resume harness racing at significant cost and saved hundreds of horsemen businesses and thousands of horsemen jobs in the process.

In 2022, when Churchill Downs shocked the Illinois racing industry by announcing the unprecedented closure of Arlington Park, Hawthorne undertook the sole responsibility of underwriting the industry in northern Illinois. To this day, the industry requires the continued operation of Hawthorne, which is one of the only starting gates left in Illinois and the only track in the country that offers both thoroughbred and harness racing.

HB 5469 would put in place several key changes, including:

- Reduce the initial per position cost for a Cook County racetrack casino to be equal to the per-position cost of Illinois’ only other operating racetrack, Fairmount Park.
Provide parity by extending the time period for racetracks to pay full gaming licensing fees.
- Require the state to fund horsemen purses, as already required by law, as well as fund a one-time, three-year purse payment to retroactively compensate Hawthorne for purse payments already made.
- Extend the time period that racetracks can continue to receive certain benefits in Illinois law after a casino begins operation, and importantly, require tracks to improve backstretch conditions through capital improvements during this time.
- Equalize contribution requirements for racetracks to fund medical, dental and social services programs for horsemen employees working and living in racetrack backstretches.

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | Walmart, Amazon and CPS top list of employers where Illinois workers still need SNAP benefits: An analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times identified the top ten employers statewide with workers who receive SNAP food assistance. Chicago Public Schools, which employs about 60,000 workers, stands out as the lone public body among the list of large, profitable and mostly publicly traded corporations like Walmart, Amazon, McDonald’s and FedEx whose chief executive officers get paid as much as tens of millions of dollars each year. The school district is among the state’s largest single employers.

*** Statehouse News ***

* 25News Now | Upstate Illinoisan for GOP gubernatorial slot remains off ballot after appellate court decision: An appellate court denied a stay of a circuit court’s decision, which means Joseph Severino and Rantch Isquith, candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor, will not be printed on the ballot, according to an email from McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael. Severino appealed the decision of the Illinois State Board of Elections to not certify his candidacy over a lack of valid petition signatures, according to documents previously obtained by 25News.

* Capitol News Illinois | Ted Dabrowski gets off sidelines with run for governor: Dabrowski also told Capitol News Illinois that he would seek to lower the state’s individual income tax rate from 4.95% to 3% — the rate from 1990 to 2010. It dropped to 3.75% from 2015 to 2017 when a temporary hike expired during the two-year budget impasse. In the two-year period the rate was reduced, the state drastically cut social services as its backlog of unpaid bills ballooned to over $16 billion. Lawmakers raised the rate back to 4.95% in 2017, and as of Friday, that number dropped to just over $2 billion, fitting into a standard 30-day billing cycle. He did not say specifically what cuts would offset lost tax revenue, instead suggesting that it reflects the need for “a cultural shift” in state government.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Top Cop: COPA Should Probe Chicago Police Conduct During Immigration Raids Because No One Would ‘Trust’ Internal Affairs: Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said he backed an effort to give the agency charged with probing police misconduct the authority to investigate whether CPD officers and leaders have violated city law by helping federal immigration agents because no one would “trust” probes conducted by internal affairs. That measure would give the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA, the authority to investigate whether CPD officers helped federal agents carry out deportations. A final vote by the Chicago City Council is set for Feb. 18.

* Tribune | Judge agrees to lift protective order, allow release of evidence in Marimar Martinez shooting: Saying the federal government has shown “zero concern” about ruining the reputation of a Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent, a federal judge on Friday agreed to lift a protective order and allow the release of body-camera footage and text messages from the agent who shot her. In her ruling, which stems from one of the highest profile incidents from Operation Midway Blitz, U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis said Marimar Martinez has the right to counterbalance the label of “domestic terrorist” put upon her by the Department of Homeland security — a narrative that the government has refused to retract even after assault charges against Martinez were dropped.

* Tribune | Jabs at Jesse Jackson Jr., Donna Miller as South Side Congress race heats up: As candidates met with the Tribune editorial board Thursday, Jackson was the elephant in the room, while Miller, who attended a later session, was the one outside it. “The American people are sick of seeing people in Washington because they’re famous, like Jesse Jackson Jr.,” state Sen. Willie Preston said. “Or because a bunch of wealthy people gave a candidate some money and bought them, like Donna Miller is being currently purchased.” Preston’s remark, consistent with his confrontational style on the trail, points to the foundations of the race.

* Crain’s | River North hotel owner hit with $57 million foreclosure lawsuit: In other recent hotel transactions near the Godfrey, local investors bought the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, the Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites Mag Mile and the former Tremont Chicago hotel for fractions of what they were worth before the pandemic. Quadrum likely had higher hopes for the Godfrey’s recovery when it helped orchestrate the refinancing in 2023. That $63 million loan replaced a $47.5 million senior loan that the firm and Oxford had taken out on the property in 2017.

* Block Club | Take A Virtual Tour Of Concourse D, O’Hare Airport’s Upcoming Addition: The Chicago Department of Aviation released an animated video depicting what O’Hare’s new Concourse D will look like when finished. The $1.3 billion project is slated to be completed in late 2028.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Sky’s new practice facility will be ‘operational’ by ‘late spring,’ CEO Adam Fox says: For the Sky, the biggest timeline question belongs to the men in hard hats: When will their new practice facility in Bedford Park finally open? At an “enclosure ceremony” this fall, co-owner and operating chairman Nadia Rawlinson said she was confident the building would be ready before the 2026 season.

* Sun-Times | Roundabouts are increasingly popping up in Chicago’s suburbs, seen as an answer to traffic problems: “Typical Chicago street widths are not conducive to roundabout designs,” a City Hall official says. It’s a different story, though, in the suburbs. The Illinois Department of Transportation’s district covering state routes in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties now includes eight roundabouts on those roads. Eleven more are planned in the next three to five years, and another dozen are being discussed, officials say.

*** Downstate ***

* Telegraph | Illinois opens WARN Act probe into Alton Steel closure: “The Illinois Department of Labor has opened an investigation into Alton Steel after learning on January 27 that workers at the Alton plant would begin losing their jobs on January 31,” it stated. “Under the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), employers with 75 or more full-time employees are required to give workers and state and local government officials 60 days advance notice of a plant closing or mass layoff. The Department sent the company a subpoena as part of a broader effort to determine whether Alton Steel violated the WARN Act.”

* WGLT | New Pantagraph owner takes over: The new owner of the parent company of the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper said the chain’s flagship paper is “a little too far left.” According to media reports, billionaire hedge fund owner David Hoffman made the remark about the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Hoffman now owns 53% of Lee stock. He took over as chair of Lee Enterprises this week after investing $50 million in the cash-strapped company. Lee also was hobbled a year ago by a cyberattack that disrupted delivery and online service. Lee had to defer interest payments to investor Berkshire Hathaway to recover from the attack.

* WGLT | Bloomington implements water restrictions as drought persists: City Manager Jeff Jurgens has signed a proclamation that mandates restrictions intended to reduce water use by 10% across all sectors, including residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, institutional, wholesale and for electric power generation. Parts of Bloomington-Normal are under a severe drought, while much of western and northern McLean County is under a moderate drought. Southeastern McLean County is experiencing extreme drought.

* WCIA | Decatur receives $1.4 million for lead abatement efforts: City officials said on Facebook that, for the first time, the city received a Lead Hazard Reduction Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant is $1 million with an additional $400,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. “This funding is intended to assist Decatur families with children under the age of 6 that are experiencing issues with lead in their homes,” city officials said. “We will use the funding to abate lead sources in the home by using Illinois Lead-licensed contractors.”

* Tri States Public Radio | Macomb buys downtown building where Lincoln stayed: The city council this week agreed to pay $150,000 to acquire the south half of the structure built in 1857 as the Randolph House Hotel. The city purchased the north half of the building late last year for $65,000. Mayor Mike Inman said the city would like to get the building into a developer’s hands so that the second and third floors can be redeveloped into an attraction for visitors and a place where they could stay.

*** National ***

* The Minnesota Star Tribune | Swapped, covered and removed: The license plate tactics ICE is using in Minnesota: Another 11% of the plates reviewed by the Star Tribune had some kind of irregularity, including expired tabs from different vehicles or plates registered to a nonexistent business. A quarter of the vehicles were rentals.

* HuffPost | This Little-Known iPhone Feature Safeguarded A Reporter’s Data From Feds — And It Could Save Yours, Too: This iOS feature, which is available in iOS 16 software or later, is known as Lockdown Mode and has been around since 2022, but this recent case highlights just how strong these cybersecurity protections are. As reported by tech outlet 404 media, a new court filing on Natanson’s case details how Lockdown Mode blocked the FBI’s go-to forensics analyst team called Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) from accessing her iPhone.

* AP | Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicks off with a four-site, two-cauldron opening ceremony: This is the most spread-out Winter Olympics in history, with competition venues dotting an area of about 8,500 square miles (more than 22,000 square kilometers), roughly the size of the entire state of New Jersey. The main hub Friday is in Milan at San Siro soccer stadium. There also will be three other places where athletes can march, some carrying their country’s flag: Cortina d’Ampezzo in the heart of the Dolomite mountains; Livigno in the Alps; Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.

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State GOP at cross-purposes with itself

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi last week…

Early voting will be well underway and I encourage every Republican to start preparing a clear plan to vote now.

Early voting gives you flexibility, convenience, and certainty that your voice will be heard in this critical election. […]

I encourage you to take the pledge to vote early or vote by mail — and then ask your friends, family, and fellow Republicans to do the same. When we commit early, we build momentum, strengthen our grassroots efforts, and ensure Republicans turn out strong across Illinois.

* The party is pushing vote by mail even though the president is totally against voting by mail as a concept. This has hampered the party here for years…

* Rick Pearson wrote about that earlier Salvi newsletter, the above Trump post and also this today…

But even as Salvi pushes early voting and vote-by-mail, she also has been encouraging “election integrity” efforts that involve supporters of Trump’s unfounded belief that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.

In a previous newsletter on Jan. 9, Salvi urged supporters to follow the actions of the Illinois Conservative Union and its chair, Carol Davis, a self-professed “election integrity” expert. Davis has contended “there is fraud in every election in this country,” questioned the integrity of election machinery and has said vote-by-mail ballots are susceptible to fraud and are part of a Democratic plot to do away with in-person voting.

Davis promotes her organization’s connection to Cleta Mitchell, one of Trump’s post-2020 election attorneys who unsuccessfully tried to overturn election results in several states.

Salvi also has promoted that poll watchers and others participate in “training” offered by the far-right Moline-based Illinois Freedom Alliance. The group wants bans on early voting, voting by mail and a ban on all electronic election equipment. It also promotes events by saying, “Our elections are corrupt and broken.”

Discuss.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - More stuff (Updated x2)

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Catching up with the federal candidates

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Raja Krishnamoorthi is out with a new spot, “The Downstate Candidate”…

Rating?

* Raja is attacking Stratton’s pledge to not accept any corporate PAC money. Press release…

Despite repeatedly emphasizing her “no corporate PAC pledge” on the campaign trail, the latest round of FEC reports makes clear that Juliana Stratton’s hypocrisy on the issue has reached heights not previously disclosed.

Not only has Stratton accepted more than $200,000 in corporate contributions into her state campaign account and illegally funneled them into her Senate campaign account, but she also raised unlimited corporate money and then funneled it into a super PAC airing television ads on behalf of her Senate bid.

Follow the money:

FIRST: Stratton set up “Level Up Super PAC” so she could raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in corporate and unrestricted money, $49,000 alone of which was from corporations and corporate PACs.

- LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS LATER: Stratton transferred $150,000 from “Level Up Super PAC” to Illinois Future PAC, a super PAC boosting her Senate bid.

“Juliana Stratton’s shameless hypocrisy is exactly why people hate politics: She condemns corporate PAC money but has accepted nearly a quarter of a million dollars in corporate contributions and illegally funneled them into her Senate campaign. She again collected tens of thousands of dollars in corporate money, which was funneled into a super PAC that ran illegal ads on her behalf,” said Raja for Illinois spokesperson Hannah Goss. “Illinoisans deserve better than cheap pledges that do nothing to help everyday families. Voters see through Stratton’s empty rhetoric, which is why she’s down 25 points in the polls.”

* The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association attempted to dress up some old polling in favor of Stratton. Inside Elections reporter Jacob Rubashkin…

The DLGA put out a PPP memo claiming Julianna Stratton is “surging” in IL-Sen, and now trails Raja, 34-23.

It compares the result to a Raja internal from January to make that case.

One problem: DLGA/PPP polled in December and had Raja ahead just 32-20 even then. So, what surge? pic.twitter.com/XXrg1TQTpN

— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) February 6, 2026

* St. Louis Public Radio…

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton believes that the status quo of her party has not served the American people well — and that she’s the Senate candidate to bring the fight needed to Washington, D.C.

“I’m not going to sit on the sidelines,” Stratton said on the latest episode of Politically Speaking. “I don’t shy away from a fight, and everything is at stake right now.” […]

Immigration and Customs Enforcement should also be abolished, Stratton said. What exactly would replace ICE is unclear, but Stratton said it’s important to remember that its work existed before the federal agency was created in 2003.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t want secure borders,” she said. “Of course I do, but that’s not what this is.”

* Spectrum News…

[I]n an interview with Spectrum News on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly insisted she’ll have the resources she’ll need to compete down the stretch of the primary.

Kelly’s first TV ads in the campaign dropped last week. Her congressional district extends from Chicago’s eastern suburbs and hugs the eastern part of the state south into rural Illinois, but she said her message is one that plays statewide.[…]

“We will have the resources that we need, you know, to stay on the air. But I am a big one for campaign finance reform, because just because you have the most money doesn’t mean you’re the best candidate,” she said. “And just because you have the most money does not mean that you’ve done the most. I know I’m the most qualified person running.”

* The AP profiled 2nd Congressional District candidate Jesse Jackson Jr…

Ten Democrats are in, including Donna Miller, a county commissioner who leads fundraising. She brought in about $1 million in the last quarter and has that much on hand. Meanwhile, Jackson raised about $100,000 and has roughly equal to spend.

Jackson said fundraising in the district has always been tough. He sees a path to victory in part by registering new voters; he said his campaign has signed up roughly 2,000. He’s also reaching disenfranchised voters, including Black men who “abandoned” the party.

Jackson says he relates more to voters now.

He often starts events by asking who has been imprisoned or knows someone in jail. The show of hands is usually strong. He’s opened up about managing mental health, crediting his physician, tight social circle and martial arts.

* New York Times…

The country’s most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group threw its financial might against a moderate Democratic House candidate in New Jersey who is a longtime supporter of the Jewish state but has said that U.S. military aid should not be unconditional.

The move appeared to backfire. […]

[AIPAC] has sent fund-raising appeals for a handful of candidates in the last several months, including Laura Fine, an Illinois state senator running for the U.S. House in a suburban Chicago district that includes heavily Jewish areas such as Skokie and West Rogers Park.

Ms. Fine, who is Jewish and opposes any conditions on aid for Israel, said the Gaza war remained a “wedge issue” for many local voters. […]

One of her opponents, Daniel Biss, the Democratic mayor of Evanston, Ill., spent most of his childhood summers in Israel, where his grandparents settled after fleeing Europe shortly after the Holocaust.

Mr. Biss, who is also Jewish, said that his “commitment to Israel is deeply part of who I am” but that he wanted Congress to stop giving “a blank check to causing human suffering.”

* The American Prospect…

A look at [9th CD candidate Laura Fine, 2nd CD candidate Donna Miller, and 8th CD candidate Melissa Bean] filings betrays an impressively coordinated operation at work. Sixty-five donors who previously gave to AIPAC or its affiliated super PAC United Democracy Project (UDP) have given to both Miller and Fine. These donors delivered $88,066.66 to the Fine campaign. They also contributed $119,746.33 to Miller. A whopping 237 former AIPAC/UDP donors have given to both Miller and Bean, contributing $396,288.01 to Bean and $429,083.00 to Miller. Forty-four of these donors have given to all three candidates, sending a total of $208,753.33 to them.

Several of the donations were given to the candidates on the same day, by the same donors, for the same amounts.

“This coordinated effort by Trump and AIPAC donors to buy multiple congressional seats in Illinois should be alarming to anyone who cares about the integrity of our democracy,” said Matthew Fisch, campaign manager for Robert Peters, who is running against Miller in IL-02.

* 2nd CD candidate Willie Preston…

As her AIPAC-funded commercials blanket Chicagoland airwaves, maverick Illinois Senator Willie Preston accused Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller of lying to voters to get elected after she did just that when asked directly about receiving key financial backing from groups like the right-wing, pro-Israel super PAC at a packed Southland forum for Second Congressional District Democrats on Thursday evening.

“Donna Miller just lied to you. The American Israeli (sic) Political Action Committee raised her over a million dollars. They did not do it to build dulas for us poor Black people,” said Preston, chair of the Illinois Senate Black Legislative Caucus. He was referring to Miller’s original response when asked by a forum moderator whether she ever received support from ANY political action committees - and in a week in which AIPAC launched the major air campaign on her behalf.

“If you vote for Donna Miller, you’re voting for a forever war….She has been purchased,” Preston said to an unnerved hall at Southland College Prep for a forum sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

“The truth of the matter is, people are tired of politicians like you,” Preston told Miller.

Watch Preston’s full comments on Miller’s AIPAC ties here. […]

Watch her full (non) response here.

* Negatives are coming soon in the 9th CD. Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…

Could they split the progressive vote and boost moderates?

Or find someone to rally behind?

Or just vote their conscious since the spread of candidates in #IL09 is simply so vast?

we shall see

— Matthew Eadie (@mattheweadie22) February 6, 2026

* A super PAC mailer for Sen. Laura Fine includes photos of her with Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, who has endorsed Rep. Hoan Huynh, and a group shot with opponent Daniel Biss…

* Some endorsements via Politico…

— In IL-08: Cook County Board member Kevin Morrison has been endorsed by the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the West Suburban Teachers Union Local 571 in his bid for Congress in IL-08.

— In IL-07: Richard Boykin has been endorsed by Chicago Ald. Silvana Tabares in his bid for Congress.

— In IL-07: Anabel Mendoza has been endorsed by the progressive Catch Fire Movement in her bid for the 7th District seat.

— In IL-08: Neil Khot has been endorsed by state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit in his bid for Congress.

* More…

Press release | Father Michael Pfleger Endorses Robin Kelly for U.S. Senate,
Citing Unrivaled Leadership:

* Sun-Times | What to know about Illinois’ 8th Congressional District Democratic primary: Junaid Ahmed, Yasmeen Bankole, Melissa Bean, Sanjyot Dunung, Neil Khot, Kevin Morrison, Dan Tully and Ryan Vetticad are running for the Democratic nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in the 8th Congressional District, which is anchored in the northwest suburbs.

* Press release | Congressman Brad Schneider Endorses Laura Fine: “I’m grateful to Congressman Schneider for his support and his continued leadership in Congress as together we stand up for our communities against Trump’s lawlessness and corruption,” Laura Fine said. “I’ve taken on the biggest fights against the special interests in Springfield—which is why I’ve been named one of the most effective lawmakers in Illinois—and will continue that fight in Congress.”

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It’s just a bill (Updated)

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

State Sens. John Curran (R-Downers Grove), Steve McClure (R-Springfield), and Darby Hills (R-Barrington Hills) are pushing four different bills addressing rising domestic violence in Illinois. At a press conference Thursday, Dakota Sebring, a survivor of repeated domestic abuse, joined the lawmakers to share her struggles in getting legal help to deal with an abuser. […]

McClure’s bill would raise the classification of a violated court order from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Hills introduced legislation that would increase the sentence for a violated court order from 24 hours to 48. A subsequent violation would mean a a 96-hour sentence. Another bill Hills proposed echoes McClure’s, increasing the violation of a protection order to a felony if the perpetrator has any history of violating protection orders.

Curran’s bill would require the abuser to prove that they pose no threat to society in order to obtain pre-trial release. Currently, the victim is responsible for proving that an alleged abuser is a threat to them or others before that individual can be kept in pre-trial custody.

* Rep. Fred Crespo has introduced a bill to change how Illinois Supreme Court vacancies are filled. You might remember Rich wrote last month about how justices tend to retire mid-term and basically pick their own replacements. The synopsis…

Amends the Judicial Districts Act of 2021 and the Judicial Vacancies Act. Provides that if a vacancy occurs in the Supreme Court, an appointment must be made as provided in the Act to fill that vacancy for the remainder of that justice’s term of office. Creates a judicial nomination commission to be comprised of the following members: (1) one nonlawyer appointed by the Governor who will serve as chair of the commission; (2) one nonlawyer appointed by the President of the Senate; (3) one nonlawyer appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; (4) one nonlawyer appointed by the Speaker of the House; (5) one nonlawyer appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; (6) one nonlawyer appointed by the Attorney General; and (7) 5 lawyers to elected by secret ballot by the members of the Chicago Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Kane County Bar Association, Lake County Bar Association, and Will County Bar Association. Provides that the judicial nomination commission is to review, investigate, and nominate to the Governor a list of 3 applicants to fill each vacancy, and the Governor will then appoint one of the 3 applicants to fill that vacancy for the remainder of the vacating justice’s term. Requires that any vacancy must be filled by a member of the same political party as the vacating justice’s political party.

* US Senate candidate Don Tracy…

Illinois State Representative Regan Deering has introduced legislation that would bring Illinois in line with the federal “No Tax on Tips” provision, allowing workers who earn tips to keep more of the money they work so hard for at a time when the cost-of-living continues to skyrocket.

U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy expressed his support for the bill, saying:

“Illinois working families are doing everything right: showing up, working hard, and serving their communities, yet Illinois Democrats continue to take more and more out of their paychecks. Rep. Deering’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ bill is common sense legislation that would help workers pay their bills, feed their families, and get ahead. Illinois should not be punishing work.”

Under the proposal, Illinois would adopt the federal provision already in effect across most of the country. Currently, Illinois remains an outlier, one of only eight states continuing to tax tip income, while families struggle with record-high utility bills, rising housing costs, and expensive groceries. Tracy’s opponents opposed the bill providing this and other tax breaks helping make life more affordable for working families.

* Daily Herald…

Imagine the worst, most painful and most humiliating episode of your life gone viral, captured on video and spread across the internet to provoke laughter and derision from more than a million viewers. […]

According to [Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick Kreis], the content creators scan an online police blotter for potentially salacious reports. They often deploy AI bots programmed to search for phrases like “intoxicated female” or descriptions of young women in revealing attire. […]

Among the measures before lawmakers is House Bill 3515, which would allow police to deny video requests from internet sites and social media channels “that post law enforcement videos in exchange for compensation based on the number of views.”

The measure carves out an exception for news media, and Kreis said police would not be able to withhold video from “flagged events.” Those include encounters leading to a citizen complaint, a shooting or other use of force, a nontraffic arrest or an incident involving death or serious injury. […]

[Aisha Davis, senior policy counsel for the ACLU of Illinois,] said the group also has concerns about how the legislation could limit access to newsworthy bodycam footage for non-traditional media outlets, such as blogs.

* Sen. Karina Villa…

To protect Illinois’ essential services from looming cuts in federal funding, State Senator Karina Villa introduced legislation that would establish a billionaire wealth tax in Illinois.

“Budgets are moral documents – they show us who is prioritized and who is left behind,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “In this moment, families across Illinois are wondering where their next meal will come from. We cannot continue to balance our budget on the backs of working people while the ultra-wealthy receive tax breaks from federal government and exploit loopholes in our state tax code.”

Currently, the income tax system largely focuses on wages rather than overall change in financial resources, allowing the wealthiest individuals to avoid paying taxes on massive increases in wealth. Senate Bill 3376 would address this inequality by applying Illinois’ personal income tax to the appreciation of billionaires’ assets. […]

Senate Bill 3376 awaits to be assigned to a committee.

* WTVO…

An Illinois lawmaker is seeking to reverse a statewide protection on rooftop solar projects, introducing a measure that would allow cities and villages to restrict or even ban rooftop solar installations.

Senate Bill 3450, introduced Thursday by Sen. David Koehler (D-46th), would remove language in the Illinois Municipal Code that currently forbids municipalities from adopting rules that “prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting” solar energy systems.

Instead, the bill would give local governments the authority to regulate or block solar panels as part of their zoning ordinances.

Under the proposal, cities could apply those rules for up to 1.5 miles outside their zoning areas.

* Meanwhile, in Indiana…

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston is throwing his weight behind the state Legislature’s efforts to bring the Chicago Bears to the Hoosier State.

The Fishers Republican will be the House sponsor of Senate 27 — which creates a framework for a state-owned stadium in which the Bears would play — showing his strong support of Indiana’s push for a second NFL franchise.

On Thursday, Huston told reporters he will spend the weekend in northwest Indiana to talk with local officials about the legislation and ways to make finances work.

“I am now the sponsor on that bill, if that tells you my interest in getting it done,” Huston said. “We’ll do everything we can. I think it’s an incredible economic opportunity for northwest Indiana and for the state of Indiana and hopefully we’ll be moving something forward soon.”

More from WGN…

Some say both sides could complete a deal done before February ends. But the best deal for the Bears remains in Illinois, says State Representative Kam Buckner, who is resolute in his belief that the team will stay in their home state. […]

Said Buckner: “I understand what Indiana has kicked out. I’ll also say that legislation only creates the ability to build a sports facility authority. We had that 40 years ago, and so I think Indiana is playing catch-up in many ways, and we just need to have more conversations.” […]

In a letter to fans in December, Bears CEO Kevin Warren said the Indiana deal is not just leverage or a negotiating tactic. Buckner added that he talks with Warren regularly and remains confident the Bears will stay in Illinois.

…Adding… SB3385 from Sen. Mike Porfirio…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows the Secretary of State to issue special registration plates for International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 license plates. Provides that an applicant for the special plate shall be charged a $30 fee for original issuance. Creates the Sweeney Classic Fund. Makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act.

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Crypto becomes issue in Democratic comptroller race

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* “Girl, I Guess” on Democratic Illinois comptroller candidate Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim…

There’s a lot to like about Kim, whose goofy nerdlery (she has a NERD ALERT on her website) and intense earnestness would normally set her up as the frontrunner for my endorsement. Unfortunately, Kim’s penchant for cryptocurrency, including a shady-on-paper exchange with campaign donor and constituent Mark Tan where she received a crypto contribution at an address registered to a business that Tan controls, only to make a crypto investment the next day at that same address in a memecoin that she and Tan created together, had me firing up my FOIA fingers to investigate the extent of her crypto ties. The $8,300 investment in CHKN Token, by the way, is worth only $.21 at the time of this writing, representing a loss of 99.998%.

Kim and several people around her that I trust explained what happened, insisting to me that the exchange was above board, that the donor did not profit, and that there is no quid-pro-quo here. For what it’s worth, I do believe them. But. Not only am I forcefully anti-crypto in any and all cases, I don’t think that someone who would make an investment that size into an unstable currency, no matter what the reason why, has 100% sound financial judgement. What’s more, someone who would use campaign funds to enter into this transaction with someone who is both their donor and business partner is displaying a shocking lack of political judgement. That is, unfortunately for Kim, disqualifying in my book.

* Chicago Tribune this morning…

Months before Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim announced her bid for Illinois comptroller, she used about $8,300 in previously contributed campaign funds to invest in a cryptocurrency she founded called CHKN token — a digital asset inspired by her backyard flock of chickens.

By the end of 2025, the investment — totaling roughly 8.87 million tokens — had lost nearly all its value, dropping to just $34.59, according to filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Kim, a Democrat seeking to succeed Comptroller Susana Mendoza as the state’s chief fiscal officer, said the loss should not be viewed as a reflection of her ability to oversee Illinois’ finances. Instead, she described the investment as a learning experience that reflected her efforts to better understand emerging financial technologies.

“I’m someone who learns things by doing, and this is, you know, entirely why I would have converted crypto into a token, because, you know, it depends what’s popular,” Kim said in an interview late last month with the Tribune about the investment. “But voters can absolutely trust me because I’m trying to stay on top and learn about emerging industries.” […]

Kim’s campaign contribution loss has put a spotlight on cryptocurrencies in the battle for Illinois comptroller, one of the bigger statewide races in 2026 following Mendoza’s decision last year not to run for a fourth term. In addition to Kim’s issue with crypto, comptroller candidate Margaret Croke, a Democratic state representative from Chicago, introduced legislation years ago to benefit and regulate the crypto industry.

* The comptroller has no real control over Illinois investments. But any Democrats connected to crypto right now, including Kim and Croke, are gonna have to face the music…

Crypto Takes a Deep Slide Despite Trump’s Support

The price of Bitcoin is lower than it was the day before President Trump’s election. A leading cryptocurrency exchange is laying off a large chunk of its work force. And a push for industry-friendly legislation has stalled in Congress.

After months of declining prices and dispiriting setbacks, the crypto industry has found itself deep in one of its periodic slumps — a so-called crypto winter.

Bitcoin is trading at less than $64,000, a nearly 50 percent decline from its peak price, which it reached just last October. The prices of two other top coins, Ether and Solana, are both down more than 30 percent over the past week.

At the same time, the stock prices of major crypto firms have plummeted. Strategy, a company that buys enormous amounts of Bitcoin, is down 75 percent since November 2024, when Mr. Trump was newly elected and promised to make the United States “the crypto capital of the planet.” […]

The downturn is especially disappointing for the industry because it has come at a time when the White House is embracing crypto and promising to boost the industry in the United States. The plunging prices show how vulnerable Bitcoin remains to broader economic trends, like the pressures on the larger tech industry that have caused a marketwide sell-off in recent days.

Lots more in all of those stories.

Discuss.

42 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Pritzker puts a price tag on federal cuts looming over Illinois budget. Crain’s…

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This is not reform. It is a sell-off of community healthcare, driven by outsiders – not by the needs of patients, workers, or neighborhoods.

Save safety-net hospitals. Protect our care, our jobs, and our communities.

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*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | With Super Bowl approaching, Illinois warns illegal online casinos to shut down operations: The Better Business Bureau also recently reported that more illegal gaming sites are scamming consumers out of their money and exposing their data to hackers. Gamblers lodged more than 10,000 complaints to the BBB from 2022 to mid-2025. The bureau advises gamblers to beware promises of big payouts, tempting ads with no details, sweepstakes-style games, overseas business locations and payment through cryptocurrency.

* Sun-Times | ‘No good time for you’: The recordkeeping snafu keeping some Illinoisans in prison longer than they should be: A new study examining time credit laws allowing incarcerated people to earn time off prison sentences found that Illinois isn’t alone. Outdated technology and fragmented recordkeeping systems routinely keep incarcerated people across the country locked up longer than they should be.

*** Statewide ***

* CBS Chicago | Illinois led the nation in tornadoes in 2025 as Tornado Alley shifted into Midwest: “We’ve had some of the most incredible tornado years in Illinois history happen just in the last few years,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Dr. Victor Gensini, a severe storm expert with two decades of experience studying where tornadoes happen. He said, over the last 40 years, the number of tornadoes has gone down in states like Texas and Oklahoma, in what’s known as the nation’s Tornado Alley, while in areas further east, like Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois, have seen an increase in tornadoes.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Politico | Harmon slows Pritzker’s pension push: Illinois Senate President Don Harmon tapped the brakes Thursday on Gov. JB Pritzker’s latest push to overhaul the state’s pension system, saying he supports the governor’s long-term goals but isn’t convinced the spring session is the moment to move on it. In a wide-ranging interview at The Hideout, followed by him playing guitar and singing Springsteen, Harmon said the governor’s proposal to move Illinois to a fully funded pension system by 2048 is sound policy — but potentially risky timing. With Washington looming large over state finances, Harmon suggested lawmakers may need to keep their powder dry.

* Sun-Times | What to know about state legislative races in Illinois’ March 17 primary: After two terms in the Illinois House, Hoan Huynh jumped into the race to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Congress, leaving a wide-open race in the 13th district on the North Side. Five candidates are vying to replace Huynh, including Adam Braun, Ridge Knapp, Sunjay Kumar, James O’Brien and Demi Palecek. In the 9th Senate district, Patrick Hanley and Rachel Ruttenberg are competing to succeed state Sen. Laura Fine, who also is running in a crowded field of candidates to replace Schakowsky. The district dips into the North Side but mostly represents North Shores suburbs.

* Sun-Times | Illinois endorses American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule despite changes to federal guidance: The recommended vaccines mirrors what the Illinois Department of Public Health was already recommending for immunization. The state’s endorsement means that the immunizations will continue to be covered by private insurance companies, Medicaid and a program known as Vaccines for Children, a federally-funded, state-administered program that provides free vaccinations for children, according to the state agency.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago Housing Authority backs off ban on contracts with commissioner’s daughter: The Chicago Housing Authority reversed course after moving to permanently block the daughter of longtime CHA Board Commissioner Debra Parker from continuing to do business with the agency, records show. Lovie Diggs faced what the CHA calls permanent debarment after she was arrested, charged and entered a guilty plea in Cook County Circuit Court, according to court records and CHA documents. But her lawyer appealed to CHA executives, and documents obtained through an open-records request show that the agency has cleared Diggs to get more public contracts from the country’s third-largest housing authority.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson heads to budget opponent’s ward to continue fight over 2026 package: The fiery meeting at the South Shore Cultural Center began with local Ald. Desmon Yancy, a progressive who voted with mayoral opponents, questioning why Johnson was still attacking the budget for allegedly being short $163 million. The mayor and his team then broke down their issues with the final spending package, a sign that last fall’s grueling fight shows no signs of simmering down over a month into 2026, even as both sides say the budget could still require midyear changes to make it work.

* Crain’s | City to award what it calls the biggest U.S. airport concessions deal ever: Chicago received more than 100 bids for concessions in the main domestic terminals at O’Hare International Airport, and it expects to begin awarding contracts by the end of March, Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray said yesterday. McMurray didn’t disclose a dollar value for the program to operate food, beverage and retail concessions at 110 locations in Terminals 1 and 3. But he said the package, which has been anxiously anticipated by the industry for years, adds up to the largest domestic concession opportunity ever put out for bid by a U.S. airport.

* Crain’s | United moves to buy 2 O’Hare gates from Spirit: The move follows American Airlines’ decision in December to acquire two gates in Terminal 3 from Spirit, which is restructuring under bankruptcy protection. It’s the latest twist in an escalating battle for market share between O’Hare’s two biggest carriers, which are aggressively adding flights this year.

* ABC Chicago | Education Secretary Linda McMahon visits Chicago private school to promote US history: “Not every student felt like this was the best program to participate in, or didn’t feel as comfortable being part of it. And that’s OK. I think it’s a great learning experience for our community,” Chicago Hope Academy Principal Ike Muzikowski said. The assembly stuck to talk about history, with politics put on pause. The assembly stuck to talk about history, with politics put on pause.

* WBEZ | David Byrne took me on a mind-bending tour of his ‘immersive’ new Chicago theater show: The show, which opens March 11, will allow 16 people at a time through a series of rooms led by a tour guide named David. This David will be clad in a wardrobe consisting of a seersucker shirt, shorts and sandals with socks. The outfit is identical to one worn by a 2-year-old Byrne in a photo on the wall of the installation. When I mention to Byrne that people may expect the “Davids” to wear one of his more iconic big, square suits, he laughs and says, “I don’t know if they’ll go for this one.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | South, West Side officials back Pat Hynes for Cook County assessor over Fritz Kaegi: Among those who joined Hynes at a news conference was a major defection: former Rep. Bobby Rush, who previously endorsed Kaegi over then-Cook County Democratic Party chair and incumbent Assessor Joe Berrios. Back in 2018, Rush said the assessment process under Berrios “unfairly penalizes Black and brown communities. Some homeowners in the 1st District are losing their homes because of a system that is designed to fail them.”

* CBS Chicago | Early voting begins for some Illinois counties; DuPage County delayed to next week: DuPage County was to open up the polls at five locations beginning at 8 a.m. However, “due to unresolved candidate objections currently pending before the Appellate Court,” the start of early voting and vote by mail has been delayed for “early next week.”

* Daily Herald | Geneva Chamber president: ‘I do not intend to cancel Swedish Days’: After the big buildup that Geneva’s iconic Swedish Days festival was in jeopardy without city funding, a meeting last week resulted in not much — publicly, anyway. Chamber Treasurer Susan Huang took the city council to task at its Jan. 20 meeting, asserting that its festivals were at risk without a financial commitment from the city. The Chamber gets a portion of the city’s hotel-motel tax for promotions and advertising of its festivals.

* WGN | Evergreen Park native aiming for gold at Milan Olympics: Olympian Abbey Murphey is no stranger to the spotlight. The Evergreen Park native is already a two-time world champion gold medalist and a 2022 Olympic silver medalist, but this year, she and the rest of the ladies on the U.S. Olympic hockey team are ready to win it all. But the road to her career as an Olympian began back at Crewstwood’s Southwest Ice Arena. After mastering the rollerblades, Murphey had her heart set on playing hockey, something her mother and father had never tried themselves.

* Aurora Beacon-News | East Aurora School District changing elementary dual language program to opt-in model: Currently, all families with incoming students in the district are automatically enrolled in the dual language program, and are placed in either English-dominant or Spanish-dominant classrooms based on a series of criteria, per the district’s website, unless parents opt-out of the program. The change will make it so parents, at the time of registration, are given the choice to opt-in for their children to participate in the program, rather than be automatically enrolled. At Monday’s meeting, East Aurora School District 131 Superintendent Bob Halverson said the district is “absolutely committed” to providing students the opportunity to become bilingual in English and Spanish, but is also committed to “honoring family choice.”

*** Downstate ***

* Illinosi Times | Valente versus Cahnman: Miguel Valente, a 25-year-old budget analyst in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget is running in the March 17 Democratic primary for the Sangamon County Board’s 18th District, pitching himself as a fiscally minded candidate focused on affordability, transparency and government efficiency. Despite Valente being on Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s staff, his opponent in the primary, incumbent Sam Cahnman, contends that Valente is really a Republican posing as a Democrat.

* WAND | Champaign County moves forward with moratorium on ‘big data centers’: There are already four data centers in Champaign County, including the National Petascale Computing Facility at the University of Illinois and Colocation Plus, a.k.a “The Fortress” in Rantoul. “None of them were more than 2000ft² in area. So we’re anticipating a new hyperscale data center could be easily, 50,000ft² of processing area,” said John Hall, planning and zoning director for Champaign County.

* WAND | Vermilion County moves closer to approving solar farm: The five megawatt facility will be east of Rankin and about 21 acres in size. The board said Vermilion County is expected to receive substantial tax revenue from the solar farm. “They intend to pay a very good sum of money to the landowners upon whose property these projects are built. And our benefit is that we are able to tax the solar farm operator,” said Vermilion County Board Chairman Steve Miller.

* WAND | Leland Grove police chief arrested on DUI, domestic battery charges: Leland Grove Mayor Mary Jo Bangert confirmed Chief Daniel Ryan’s arrest to WAND News. She said Ryan was immediately placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated. Illinois State Police told WAND News that it assisted the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office during a disturbance call just after midnight Thursday along the 1000 block of Elliot in Springfield.

* WSIL | Deaconess Illinois Becomes First in State to Partner With VA on External Provider Scheduling: Deaconess Illinois and the Marion VA Medical Center have announced a groundbreaking partnership that makes Deaconess Illinois the first hospital system in the state to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on external provider scheduling for Veterans. The new initiative modernizes how Veterans receiving care through the Veterans Health Administration’s community care network schedule appointments with non-VA providers. With support from U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the partnership is aimed at improving access to care while reducing delays and administrative burdens.

* WCIA | False armed person alert prompts EIU to take serious action: One Central Illinois university has revamped its emergency alert system. These upgrades have come after a false alarm at Eastern Illinois University in November, claiming there was an armed person on campus. University officials said that they got a lot of feedback from students that day and were quick to start making changes. “We realized things did not go exactly as we’d hoped that day, and so we immediately sprung into action to to make things better,” Vice President of Student Affairs, Anne Flaherty, said.

* WAND | Unused CWLP bridge over I-55 to be removed in February: IDOT said the CWLP bridge is over I-55 at milepost 94. The removal will start Monday, Feb. 16, and is expected to take two months. IDOT stated that during this time, there will be overnight lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday night through Friday morning. There will be complete closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday night to Friday morning, beginning in March.

*** National ***

* WIRED | ICE and CBP’s Face-Recognition App Can’t Actually Verify Who People Are: ICE has used Mobile Fortify to identify immigrants and citizens alike over 100,000 times, by one estimate. It wasn’t built to work like that—and only got approved after DHS abandoned its own privacy rules.

* NYT | Kennedy Makes Unfounded Claim That Keto Diet Can ‘Cure’ Schizophrenia: He went on, “There are studies right now that I saw two days ago where people lose their bipolar diagnosis by changing their diet.” Mr. Kennedy was apparently referring to Dr. Christopher Palmer, who in 2019 wrote about “two patients with longstanding schizophrenia who experienced complete remission of symptoms” with the keto diet. He said both patients “were able to stop antipsychotic medications and have remained in remission for years now.”

* AP | Meet the man behind the Super Bowl’s annual confetti blizzard: Artistry in Motion trucks 300 pounds (135 kilograms) of two-colored confetti for each of the teams to the Super Bowl. They bring confetti cannons onto the field with about 4 minutes remaining, and line them up around the stadium walls. Even if the teams stream onto the field before the clock runs out, the confetti waits until the timer shows the game is officially over. And the winners’ colors get the go-ahead.

9 Comments

Good morning!

Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sometimes I’m right and I can be wrong…