Illinois Insights: An update from Cozen O’Connor (4/28)

ILLINOIS

AROUND THE STATE

From cellphone bans to teacher evaluations: Illinois lawmakers are considering several education issues this session 

“With just over a month left in the spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers are advancing a number of education-related bills, including ones that would restrict the use of cellphones in classrooms, no longer require student test scores to be a part of teacher evaluations, and protect federal rights for students with disabilities in the mediation process with districts,” by Chalkbeat.

Calls grow for reforms to Illinois’ mass transit systems before awarding funding 

“With a massive funding shortfall on the horizon, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is calling on state lawmakers to enact reforms for the state’s mass transit systems before considering funding. The chamber released a report that contains business principles for mass transit reform,” by The Center Square.

House Republican argues lawmakers should renew effort to regulate intoxicating hemp

“Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) told his colleagues Thursday that hemp farmers in his district have asked why Illinois hasn’t put regulations in place. Last year’s proposal would have imposed the same taxing and testing requirements the state has in place for recreational marijuana,” by WAND.

Tuition, fees rising at Illinois universities as state funding lags inflation pace 

“The cost to attend state universities has been rising, and some institutions have said they’ll have to continue pushing the brunt of state budget shortfalls onto students and families if there isn’t a change,” by Capitol News Illinois.

Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in federal bribery case of Sen. Emil Jones III 

“A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial in the case of state Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether Jones agreed to take bribes from red-light camera entrepreneur-turned-government cooperator Omar Maani in 2019, then lied to the FBI about it,” by Capitol News Illinois.

CHICAGO

MORE FROM CITY HALL

Chicago City Council members are negotiating on a plan to respond to ‘teen takeovers’ 

“The conversation comes amid another debate about whether stricter curfew laws can help prevent these gatherings from spiraling out of control. And more than 30 City Council members — enough to pass an ordinance — have indicated they think a stricter curfew is the right move,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Long-Stalled Push for Reparations in Chicago Moving Forward, Johnson Says 

“A task force formed by Mayor Brandon Johnson nearly a year ago to determine whether and how the city should pay reparations to Chicagoans who are the descendants of enslaved African Americans will start meeting this summer to craft a plan to tackle the thorny issue,” by WTTW.

Chicago Public Schools floats 100s of layoffs to help close budget gap 

“Between 1,600 and 1,700 positions based inside schools could be cut, according to a presentation used to brief board members obtained by Chalkbeat. However, it’s not clear if the number represents a net reduction in the overall number of CPS employees. The district currently employs more than 41,000 people,” by Chalkbeat.

Oversight chief hits traffic stop rules: ‘Why would we have officers pulling people over for a light bulb?’

“The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability said officers should be banned from making stops for certain violations, such as missing only a front license plate, a nonfunctioning headlight or loud music,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Cook County Circuit Court clerk reports progress on transparency promises 

“New Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos released a progress report Monday claiming her team is already digging out from a backlog of reports, unfiled civil court documents and ‘serious financial management issues,’” by the Chicago Tribune.

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.

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