Illinois Insights: An Update from Cozen O’Connor (1/7)

January 7, 2026

ILLINOIS

AROUND THE STATE

Welch says Bears stadium bid collides with Springfield’s affordability agenda 

“Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch says the door at the Capitol is still open when it comes to the Chicago Bears, but it’s hard to square the team’s request for help when voters are struggling to make ends meet,” by Crain’s Chicago Business. 

Subscribe

Federal government withholding $1 billion from Illinois meant for child care, family assistance

“The federal government is withholding more than $10 billion in family and child care assistance money from Illinois and four other states amid concerns about fraud and misuse of the funds, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday evening,” by the Chicago Tribune.  

Billion-dollar federal freeze for needy families in Illinois condemned as political bullying 

“Gov. JB Pritzker blasted yesterday’s move by the Health & Human Services Department to freeze about $1 billion for Illinois from child care and needy family assistance as cruel and wrong,” by Crain’s Chicago Business. 

Illinois Department of Human Services reports yearslong data breach 

“The Illinois Department of Human Services disclosed recently that it mistakenly uploaded private health-related information about hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans to a publicly accessible website and left it there for more than three years before it discovered the mistake,” by Capitol News Illinois.

Peoples Gas files $202 million rate increase request with Illinois regulatory body 

“The increase, which the company estimates will add $10-11 to monthly gas bills for typical residential customers in Chicago if approved by the ICC, comes three years after Peoples Gas received a $303 million rate hike in 2023, the largest in state history,” by Capitol News Illinois. 

 

CHICAGO

MORE FROM CITY HALL

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s CFO, Jill Jaworski, leaves city for Navy Pier

“The top financial official in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration, Jill Jaworski, is leaving the mayor’s administration. Jaworski, the city’s chief financial officer, plans to take a job with the nonprofit corporation that runs Navy Pier,” by the Chicago Tribune.  

After problem-free ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,’ Mayor Johnson says he opposes revised curfew measure

“Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday that Chicago’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve celebration hosted by Chance the Rapper, which came off without a hitch, proves there is no need for a revised curfew crackdown,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.  

Mayor Brandon Johnson raises possibility of midyear layoffs 

“Mayor Brandon Johnson raised the possibility Wednesday of city worker layoffs after a bruising budget fight that he again claimed led to an unbalanced spending plan for this year,” by the Chicago Tribune. 

Key City Panel Advances Plan to Expand CPD’s Curfew Power in Effort to Stop Teen Gatherings 

“A key City Council panel advanced a proposal on Wednesday that is designed to expand the Chicago Police Department’s power to impose a curfew with at least 12 hours’ notice in an effort to stop large gatherings of teens,” by WTTW. 

Quigley confirms he’s eyeing a run for mayor

“U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley edged closer to making an anticipated bid for Chicago mayor in 2027, saying he plans to run but will wait until after the March primary to make a formal announcement,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.   

 

FEDERAL

‘Twas the Night Before 2026

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.

Cozen Currents: AI-merica First

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.

Authors

About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

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.

About Cozen O’Connor

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.

Explore Articles and News

See All News