Illinois Insights: An Update from Cozen O’Connor (7/3)

July 3, 2024

Editor’s note: There will be no Illinois Insights update on Friday, July 5th due to the holiday. Updates will resume on Monday, July 8th. 

ILLINOIS

Pritzker takes bill action

On Monday, Gov. JB Pritzker signed 49 bills passed this spring by the General Assembly related to elections, criminal justice reform, healthcare and medical debt relief, education, and more.

A complete list of signed bills can be found here.

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| AROUND THE STATE

Battle over Illinois’ assault weapon ban will continue after Supreme Court declines to get involved

“Groups challenging the law made their bid to the U.S. Supreme Court after last fall’s ruling from the federal appeals court in Chicago, which found that weapons covered by Illinois’ assault-weapons ban don’t have Second Amendment protection,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Command performance — Pritzker, other Democratic governors to meet with Biden after dismal debate showing

“The meeting was requested by multiple governors during a Monday evening conference call arranged by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who serves as chair of the Democratic Governors Association,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Pritzker signs medical debt forgiveness bill into law

“Calling medical debt a ‘uniquely American issue,’ Pritzker is using $10 million in state funding in the new fiscal year to purchase the medical debt of up to 300,000 Illinoisans,” by The Center Square Illinois.

Pritzker signs election bill to increase party power in primary elections

“A measure loosening restrictions on political parties’ spending during primary campaigns sparked pushback from some House Republicans during debate of the bill,” by Capitol News Illinois.

Former Board of Review employee files whistleblower lawsuit against Steele, chief of staff

“A former Cook County Board of Review employee has filed a whistleblower lawsuit that claims he was retaliated against for refusing to obey “unethical and unlawful” directives from Comm. Samantha Steele, a Democrat representing District 2 on the board,” by The Daily Line.

After 9 months, state data begins to detail new pretrial detention system

“Nine months after cash bail ended in Illinois, the state is taking its first steps in publishing the data that crafters of the bail reform law saw as essential to judging its effectiveness,” by Capitol News Illinois.

Public hearings coming soon on plan to consolidate CTA, Metra and Pace

“State Sen. Ram Villivalam and state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado proposed merging the agencies in April. The next step is to engage the public, said Villivalam, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. Four hearings are scheduled in the region and another in Springfield,” by the Daily Herald.

CHICAGO

| MORE FROM CITY HALL

Chicago pension debt rises to $37 billion as city hunts for cash

“The net pension liability across the city’s four retirement funds rose about 5% to $37.2 billion as of Dec. 31, up from $35.4 billion a year earlier, according to Chicago’s latest annual financial report,” by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Chicago office market availability reaches nearly 30% at 2024 midpoint

“Availability in downtown Chicago’s office market rose to nearly 30% by the midpoint in 2024, reaching another record-high heading to the second half of 2024,” by the Chicago Business Journal.

With climate change coming, Chicago’s current migrant influx ‘only going to be the beginning’

“Aldermen on Tuesday weighed the prospect of future climate change-related disasters pushing people to the city during a City Council Immigration Committee hearing. Providing both warnings and recommendations, migration experts argued the arrival of future migrant influxes is only a question of when,” by the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago closes Daley College migrant shelter as city’s asylum seeker population continues to drop

“The shelter at Daley College opened in June 2023, and housed as many as 415 migrants by July 2023. As of last week, 56 migrants were living there,” by CBS News Chicago.

More than half of Chicago school board candidates face ballot challenges

“A total of 42 challenges were filed against the 27 candidates, meaning some of the school board hopefuls face more than one. Challenges could focus on improperly filed paperwork or the number of signatures, including whether there were duplicate names or wrong addresses,” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

FEDERAL

Beltway Briefing: Presidential Debate or Debacle?

As Americans watched the first televised presidential debate, it became clear that American politics had hit a new low in its political discourse. Between President Biden’s inability to set a narrative and pace, and former President Trump’s rapid-fire barrage of false statements, it resembled more of a debacle than anything remotely presidential.

Featuring Public Strategies’ Mark Alderman, Towner French, and Kyle Anderson.

Listen to the Beltway Briefing here.

If you have any questions regarding this update or if you’re interested in ways to engage on these issues, please contact one of our team members here.

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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