Illinois Insights: An Update from Cozen O’Connor (3/9)

March 9, 2026

ILLINOIS

AROUND THE STATE

Illinois mayors call on Pritzker to rethink flat local government funding

“Local government leaders in Illinois are once again calling on state lawmakers to increase funding for their communities after Gov. JB Pritzker called for reducing the share of income taxes disbursed to municipalities,” by Capitol News Illinois.  

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Should Chicago school board members be paid? Legislators weigh compensation ahead of historic election 

“State law currently bars Illinois school boards from paying members. The bill would lift that restriction, allowing a more diverse slate of parents, educators and community members to lead Chicago Public Schools, according to state Rep. Marcus Evans, who is sponsoring the proposal,” by the Chicago Tribune. 

Illinois joins states suing Trump over new tariffs

“A coalition of two dozen states that includes Illinois is suing the Trump administration over its latest round of tariffs,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.  

Meta set to spend $750K backing Illinois statehouse candidates as AI and social media legislation looms 

“Social media giant Meta is pouring money into Illinois’ Democratic statehouse primary races as the company behind Facebook and Instagram faces a wave of state-level proposals that could likely affect its bottom line,” by the Chicago Tribune. 

 

CHICAGO

MORE FROM CITY HALL

Still Sore Over Budget Battle, Mayor Warns Chicago Could Face Financial Crisis 

“Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his administration’s budget priorities at a town hall in Lakeview, arguing the City Council weakened the plan by rejecting new taxes on large corporations and replacing them with revenue measures that could shift costs onto residents,” by Block Club Chicago. 

Some Cook County Board commissioners skip more than 20% of their meetings

“Three incumbent Cook County commissioners who are seeking another term — including two county board members facing Democratic primary challenges on March 17 — each missed more than 20% of the meetings they were supposed to be at since the beginning of the current term, a WBEZ analysis of county records has found,” by the Chicago Sun-Times. 

City Council to honor Jesse Jackson with proposed poll-protection ordinance

“Chicago’s City Council will hold a special meeting this week to honor the life of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson and consider an ordinance in his name that ‘provides security measures for the protection of poll workers, the electorate and election-related activities,’” by Crain’s Chicago Business. 

CPD Failed to Document 267K Traffic Stops in 2025, 27% More Than Previous Year: Data 

“Chicago Police Department officers made 267,240 undocumented traffic stops in 2025, an increase of nearly 27% as compared with the number of traffic stops officers made in 2024 but did not properly document for state officials, according to records obtained by WTTW News,” by WTTW News. 

 

FEDERAL

Cozen Currents: It’s All (Including Iran) About China

As President Trump prepares to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month, the desire to outcompete Beijing is shaping a broad array of policy decisions in Washington (and perhaps even creating a timeline for cessation of hostilities in the Middle East). 

The US and China are presenting diametrically opposed visions of the future of energy, with the former all-in on oil and gas and the latter doubling down on renewables. 

AI is a major front in the US-China tech war as the Trump administration seeks to expand use of the US AI tech stack abroad. Read the Cozen Currents here.

Beltway Briefing: Priced Out: Inside America’s Housing Crisis

America is facing an affordable housing reckoning. With home prices and rents still elevated nationwide, states and cities like New York and Philadelphia are pursuing new construction, preservation, and policy reforms to close widening affordability gaps. But “affordable” means different things to different communities — from those experiencing homelessness to middle-income families struggling to stay put. Featuring Public Strategies’ Mark Alderman (DC), Katrell Lewis (NY), and Brianna Westbrooks (PA). Listen to the Beltway Briefing 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.

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