• Following yesterday’s signing of the EDGE Tax Credit legislation, Gov. Bruce Rauner today signed a measure into law aimed at reforming civil asset forfeiture, sponsored by Sen. Dan Harmon (D-Oak Park). The move counters a federal-level rollback of reform efforts in July by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The move means probable cause is no longer sufficient reason to seize a suspect's possessions in Illinois, small sums of cash are exempt from seizure, and property owners no longer have to pay to have their possessions returned.   


• Participants in the State Universities Retirement System are now allowed to rollover pension distributions into a simple IRA, after a recent decision by the SURS board. Details on the ruling can be found in the most recent Flinn Report.


• The state’s criminal DNA testing backlog totals 11,855 and is still increasing, according to the 2017 DNA Testing Accountability report. The cause for the backlog provided in the report: “forensic scientists are well-qualified and highly-trained, but… it takes more than two years from when a (forensic scientist) vacancy occurs until it is filled by a fully-trained new scientist.” Despite the backlog, the continued testing landed 1,513 hits for potential criminal matches, compared to 1,300 in FY2016.


• The Illinois Liquor Commission will meet today at 1:00 p.m. in room 2-025 of the Thompson Center in Chicago. Updated agenda.