Illinois Insights: An Update from Cozen O’Connor (11/12)

ILLINOIS

AROUND THE STATE

Moody’s mulls upgrade to Illinois transit bonds after funding fix 

“Moody’s Ratings said it may upgrade the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority’s debt after the state legislature moved to eliminate the public-transit system’s budget shortfalls,” by Crain’s Chicago Business. 

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Supreme Court weighing Mississippi mail-in ballot case that could have major impact on Illinois voting laws 

“The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in a Mississippi case that could have a major effect on Illinois’ efforts to promote voting by mail, as the high court is expected to decide whether such ballots, cast and postmarked on or before Election Day in a general election, can be counted afterward,” by the Chicago Tribune. 

Durbin defends shutdown deal; Illinois Democrats push back over lost leverage and higher health costs 

“As Congress moves toward ending the nation’s longest government shutdown, new cracks are showing within the Democratic Party between those eager to reopen the government now and those who say doing so without a health care fix would amount to surrender,” by WQAD. 

Republican Darren Bailey to stay in Illinois governor race after family helicopter tragedy 

“Darren Bailey is staying in the Illinois Republican primary race for governor following the deaths of his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in a helicopter crash, the former downstate legislator announced Monday,” by the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Illinois rebuts Dr. Oz’s immigrant Medicaid spending hunt 

“Illinois is pushing back against federal claims that it improperly spent $30 million in Medicaid funds on immigrants in the country illegally, calling the accusation by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services head Dr. Mehmet Oz ‘misinformation,’” by Crain’s Chicago Business. 

CHICAGO

MORE FROM CITY HALL

Johnson adjusts head tax, lease tax to pass budget 

“Mayor Brandon Johnson is tweaking his proposed corporate head tax and further increasing the city’s lease tax in a bid to secure City Council approval of his 2026 budget as soon as next week,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.  

CTA OKs Budget With No Cuts or Fare Hikes; Major Service Boosts Planned When New Public Funding Arrives 

“The Chicago Transit Authority board on Wednesday approved a 2026 budget with no service cuts, fare increases or layoffs, averting a feared doomsday scenario after the Illinois General Assembly came through with badly needed money to fill a transit budget gap,” by WTTW. 

Aldermen press Ernst & Young on budget cuts — and get few answers 

“The City Council got its chance to probe Ernst & Young’s report on the city’s budget today, but some grew frustrated by the firm’s consultant declining to weigh in on which spending cuts should have been included in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion 2026 budget,” by Crain’s Chicago Business. 

Alderman yells at Gov. JB Pritzker over opposition to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s head tax plan

“A progressive alderman allied with Mayor Brandon Johnson shouted questions at Gov. JB Pritzker in Little Village Tuesday over the governor’s opposition to Johnson’s proposed corporate head tax,” by the Chicago Tribune. 

Mayor Johnson sues to stop Trump from withholding $6M community policing grant over DEI policies

“Mayor Brandon Johnson is again turning to federal court to prevent President Donald Trump from withholding millions of dollars in grants to force Chicago to abandon diversity programs he derisively labels as ‘wokeness,’” by the Chicago Sun Times. 

‘Excessive and even exorbitant’: CPS watchdog urges district to reform travel spending policies 

“Chicago Public Schools Office of the Inspector General is urging district officials to reform travel policies amid ‘questionable, excessive and even exorbitant’ spending on overnight trips, according to a report released Wednesday,” by the Chicago Tribune. 

FEDERAL

Cozen Currents: The Political Cost of Affordability

Despite the Democrats’ convincing performance in last week’s elections, the clear takeaway for next year’s midterms is that the victor will likely be whoever sells a more convincing narrative on addressing widespread discontent, particularly around affordability.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth discussed a new effort to reform the Pentagon’s procurement process in a speech on Friday.

Even as congressional leadership’s attention has been consumed by negotiations over the government shutdown, efforts to advance a series of key legislative priorities unrelated to government funding are continuing apace among rank-and-file lawmakers. Read the Cozen Currents here.

Beltway Briefing: Off-Year Election Readout

From Virginia and New Jersey to New York City and beyond, the 2025 off-year elections offered a glimpse into the political landscape heading toward 2026. What voter dynamics stood out most, and what trends could define the next midterms? Featuring Public Strategies’ Mark Alderman, Michael Acevedo, Julia Hammond, and Katie Schwab. Listen here. 

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