Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, the bipartisan government relations and communications affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today announced the addition of Bentley Graves as principal in its Minneapolis office.
“In an election-year General Assembly session where what won’t pass will likely be as telling as what might, Illinois lawmakers return to the Capitol facing a familiar but narrowing path: avoid politically radioactive fights, plug a more than $2 billion budget hole and sell voters on a single unifying theme Democrats are leaning on from Washington to Springfield — affordability,” by the Chicago Tribune.
“Amid warnings of impending energy shortages, Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed a wide-ranging energy reform package into law aimed at bolstering the state’s power grids after years of negotiations,” by Capitol News Illinois.
“A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in federal funding for child care assistance, low income and social service funds in Illinois and four other Democrat-led states,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Capitol News Illinois reviewed Pritzker’s schedule for the last seven years through public records requests and limited data shared by his campaign. Reporters found the 60-year-old governor did roughly 100 one-on-one media interviews in 2025, his most of any year in his tenure as governor,” by Capitol News Illinois.
“In the filing, lawyers for Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that although the Supreme Court’s ruling made no final determinations, it ‘effectively resolves as a matter of law’ that the federalization and deployment orders by Trump were illegal,” by the Chicago Tribune.
“He failed on his campaign promises to tax the rich. Then city council members passed a budget without his blessing. Now his opponents are building a war chest that could be used to unseat him next year,” by Bloomberg.
“The proposal introduced last month by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) — who has tried unsuccessfully to change the city’s curfew law twice — would allow Chicago police to impose a curfew of up to four hours anywhere in the city, with at least 12 hours’ notice,” by Block Club Chicago.
“Fifty-eight businesses or community organizations will share $33 million in development grants from the city of Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the grants at the Chicago Cultural Center on Monday,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Chicagoans have for months criticized how Chicago police have interacted with federal agents, leading to Thursday’s contentious special hearing with the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability,” by Block Club Chicago.
“Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has launched an ‘ICE Accountability Project,’ an independent initiative she said would collect and document federal immigration agents’ alleged criminal or abusive conduct during Operation Midway Blitz,” by the Chicago Tribune.
In this holiday special, our hosts look back on the 2025 federal landscape the only way that feels appropriate, through seasonal song parodies paired with real-world anecdotes spanning the White House and Capitol Hill. From unpacking the first year of Trump 2.0 to navigating the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, our politicos blend humor, harmony, and political and policy truths as we look ahead to 2026. Featuring Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Towner French, and Patrick Martin. Listen to the Beltway Briefing here.
President Trump issued an executive order that seeks to block state AI laws, but his own party is divided over the issue.
The Trump administration’s decision to approve the sale of Nvidia’s H200 semiconductors to China represents a significant departure from the previous consensus in Washington on sales of advanced chips to China.
The Trump administration is pursuing efforts to decrease its reliance on Chinese critical mineral supply chains not only through a whole-of-government approach domestically but also the uncharacteristically multilateral support of allies and partners abroad. Read the Cozen Currents here.
Legislative Analyst
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.
February 10, 2026
February 9, 2026
February 9, 2026
