Illinois Insights: An update from Cozen O’Connor (1/8)

ILLINOIS

AROUND THE STATE

Lawmakers advance ‘Karina’s bill’ to remove guns from domestic violence situations 

“After more than a year of negotiations, the Illinois General Assembly passed “Karina’s Bill” on Tuesday with bipartisan support. It clarifies that local law enforcement must temporarily remove guns from a person who has an order of protection against them when the alleged victim successfully seeks firearm removal as a remedy in court,” by Capitol News Illinois.

Hemp bill dies in Springfield, a blow to JB Pritzker

“A bill to regulate hemp products aimed at curbing synthetic marijuana appears dead for now in the state Legislature, failing to get enough support to be called for a vote. It’s a rare political setback for Gov. JB Pritzker, who made the bill a priority and personally urged members of the House of Representatives to approve it during the lame-duck session this week before a new General Assembly is sworn in,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Legislature approves bill to prioritize family members in foster care

“A bill soon heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk would direct foster care officials in Illinois to prioritize placing children with relatives. The House voted unanimously on Monday to pass the Kindship in Demand Act, or KIND Act. House Bill 4781 puts an obligation on the Department of Children and Family Services to use a “kin-first approach” when placing children in foster care settings,” by Capitol News Illinois.

Pritzker hammers Johnson over poor ‘relationships in Springfield’ amid hemp fight 

“A day after lawmakers dropped a plan to regulate hemp sales, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker blasted Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson over a lack of communication in multiple instances during his administration. During a press conference Tuesday, Pritzker said Johnson “doesn’t have good relationships” in Springfield due to a lack of communication during his time in office, and that the mayor’s administration is falling far short in its outreach efforts,” by NBC 5 Chicago.

Illinois seeing rise in respiratory illnesses and hospitalizations 

“Illinois is seeing a surge in hospitalizations from the flu, amid a nationwide uptick in respiratory illnesses. The Illinois Department of Public Health said cases of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 are on the rise across the state,” by CBS Chicago.

CHICAGO

MORE FROM CITY HALL

Chicago ‘Should Explore’ Congestion Tax To Reduce Traffic, Mayor Says 

“Mayor Brandon Johnson is backing away from his earlier support to possibly launch a city-run grocery store, but is open to exploring the possibility of bringing New York-style congestion pricing to Downtown Chicago. During a brief interview with Block Club on Tuesday afternoon, Johnson also defended his handling of the protracted and often bitter 2025 budget process,” by Block Club Chicago.

Chicago Public Schools watchdog highlights problems with how the district compiles family income data 

“Chicago Public Schools watchdog agency is pressing for changes to how the district collects and uses family income information after finding “scores of employees” abused or mishandled the process — issues the agency has repeatedly called out in the past,” by Chalkbeat Chicago.

CPS watchdog’s annual report rings alarm on sports and school board election campaigns 

“In the wake of a tumultuous few months in Chicago Public Schools, the district’s Office of the Inspector General released its annual report Wednesday, detailing dozens of the more than 300 investigations involving fraud, mismanagement and adult-on-student sexual misconduct, closed by the CPS watchdog agency between July 2023 and June 2024,” by the Chicago Tribune.

CTA trains require a lot of power, but only 11% is currently from renewable sources 

“The CTA also advertises its ‘L’ trains as a green way to travel—helping the environment by keeping polluting cars off the roads. But running the trains takes a lot of power—with the CTA’s electric bill totaling $36.2 million last year. Primarily, the CTA’s power comes from nuclear power plants—a total of 67%. Another 22% comes from fossil fuels, while only 11% comes from renewable sources,” by CBS Chicago.

Chicago companies expect higher profits in 2025 but wary of local economy

“Business owners in Chicago are more optimistic about their prospects in 2025 than their national counterparts, even though they showed less confidence in their local economy, according to a new survey,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.

FEDERAL

Cozen Currents: Process Trumps Substance

With only a few weeks until the GOP assumes unified control of government, Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials are mired in a debate over the best legislative strategy to advance party-line reforms to tax policy, border security, energy policy, and defense spending come 2025.

While many industries will likely feel some relief from the change in antitrust enforcement regimes, President-elect Trump’s nominees to lead this regulatory effort may mean Big Tech is not as lucky.

The battle to be the GOP’s next leader is already swirling but President-elect Trump isn’t the type to step away quietly.

Read the Cozen Currents here.

Beltway Briefing: Remembering Steve Cozen

With the recent passing of Cozen O’Connor founder and chairman, Steve Cozen, our team reflects with gratitude on the privilege of knowing and working with Steve, a visionary leader who had a profound impact on our firm and the community. Featuring Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Kyle Anderson.

Listen to the Beltway Briefing here.

Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin