Illinois Insights: An update from Cozen O’Connor (4/23)

April 23, 2025

ILLINOIS

AROUND THE STATE

Longtime Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin won’t seek reelection 

“Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will not seek a sixth term next year, confirming to WBEZ in an Illinois exclusive that he will leave office in 2027 in a long-awaited move certain to set off a massive, intraparty succession fight,” by WBEZ Chicago.

Pritzker goes to Jacksonville to announce money for downtown revitalization projects 

“The state will be issuing $30 million in grants to downtown revitalization projects across the state. The projects are focused on either improving infrastructure or building out housing options,” by WCIA.

IL tourism chief out amid ethics probe 

“A high-ranking member of Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration has been fired over alleged ethics breaches detailed in a new report. Daniel Thomas, head of the Illinois Office of Tourism, a bureau within the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, was accused of a massive conflict of interest by doing state business with Time Zone One, a company he owned,” by Capitol City Now.

Counties sue Illinois over delinquent tax sales that Supreme Court calls unconstitutional 

“Officials in seven counties are suing the state of Illinois, claiming its property tax code requires them to run sales of delinquent property taxes in a way that the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed unconstitutional,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Illinois House committee debates consequences of Trump’s SAVE Act for married women, disabled voters 

“The Illinois House Ethics & Elections Committee held a heated discussion Tuesday night about potential consequences of President Donald Trump’s SAVE Act,” by WAND.

 

CHICAGO

MORE FROM CITY HALL

Mayor Brandon Johnson will head to Springfield again, to demand Chicago ‘receives its just due’ 

“Mayor Brandon Johnson will return to Springfield next week to ratchet up the pressure on his funding requests for Chicago, but under a local and national political landscape that has shifted starkly since his last excursion to the statehouse — and with Gov. JB Pritzker preemptively throwing cold water on his visit,” by the Chicago Tribune.

Mayor Johnson takes aim at Rahm Emanuel, ex-mayor’s ‘neoliberal agenda’

“Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday he was watching an interview with Rahm Emanuel recently and was “incredibly bothered” by the former mayor’s “temerity.” “The playbook that Donald Trump is running is a playbook that Emanuel executed in this city,” Johnson added,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Alderman: Chicago mayor lacks plan for shortfall that could top $1.5 billion 

“Although Mayor Brandon Johnson says he is starting Chicago’s budget process earlier than ever, one alderman says the city’s deficit could be much greater than the mayor’s projections,” by The Center Square.

Chicago alderpeople expected to continue microplastics resolution talks Wednesday 

“The Chicago city council’s joint committee on environmental protection and energy, as well as health and human relations, will hold a hearing to set up a future hearing on single-use plastics,” by The Daily Line.

Chicago’s downtown office market see strongest Q1 leasing in 3 years  

“After a strong fourth quarter, leasing volume continued to pick up for Chicago’s office market in the first quarter of 2025, especially when compared with the last couple of years,” by the Chicago Business Journal.

 

FEDERAL

Cozen Currents – The Art of the Tariffs

President Trump quickly paused his reciprocal tariffs at 10 percent in the face of market reaction, but he may be less willing to blink on his sector-specific tariffs.

One of the largest remaining hurdles to passing Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” is the need to find a compromise between fiscal hawks’ desire to include $1.5 trillion in mandatory spending cuts and moderates’ preference for a much lower number.

President Trump’s vision of US energy dominance by boosting fossil fuel production is running headfirst into his own policies.

Read the Cozen Currents here.

Beltway Briefing – The State of Play on Tariffs and Taxes

President Trump is leveraging bold strategies to pursue his economic and fiscal agenda. With Republican control of the executive and legislative branches, the party is pursuing symbiotic priorities: tariffs and tax cuts. Featuring Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Towner French, and Kyle Anderson.

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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