Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, left, speaks during a House Insurance Committee hearing in Chicago on Monday. [Blue Room Stream] 

What’s the best way to provide drivers with fair insurance rates? According to some lawmakers, removing non-driving factors from rate calculations is necessary to reduce disparities on how much people across races and genders pay in car insurance.  

Regan Deering of Decatur, left, and Chuck Erickson of Bloomington, right, are competing in the 88th House District Republican primary. [Deering campaign/McLean County Board]   

The 88th House District will have a new Republican state representative in 2025 with the retirement of Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur). Two candidates, Regan Deering of Decatur and Chuck Erickson of Bloomington, are now fighting for an opportunity to elevate their political careers.  

Gov. JB Pritzker shakes hands with House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) before the State of the State address on Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing the most drastic pension reform in over a decade, including a change to a 30-year-old law that is the basis for how Illinois funds pensions today.  

Pritzker’s proposal comes months into work by the House Personnel and Pensions Committee to propose reforms to the Tier 2 pension bracket before that group of mostly future retirees starts collecting their benefits.  

Gov. JB Pritzker delivers the 2024 State of the State address to House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) on Wednesday. [Blue Room Stream] 

Gov. JB Pritzker plans to continue spending priorities he has championed over the last five years, but this time, they will be supported by $800 million in tax increases plus more rearranging of funds to provide more revenue. 

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) leads a news conference in Springfield on Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

Gov. JB Pritzker’s focus on migrants and his proposed variety of spending increases with scattered tax cuts being supported by tax hikes in other areas is not sitting well with Republican lawmakers.  

Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf walks through the Illinois Capitol on Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf took a trip to Springfield on Tuesday to pitch lawmakers on a reported plan to devote $1 billion to help the team build a new ballpark in The 78 just south of the Loop in Chicago.  

The Illinois Capitol   

State lawmakers on the Legislative Audit Commission reviewed a report on Tuesday of a COVID-19 recovery grant program for businesses that raised numerous red flags with state auditors, including a possible conflict of interest for a key decision maker and a state department giving out grants outside the boundaries of the law. 

Former President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Mike Bost in the 12th Congressional District Republican primary, dealing a major blow to Darren Bailey. And Comptroller Susana Mendoza released a new portal to track migrant spending.  

The Illinois Capitol 

Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver his sixth budget proposal on Wednesday under the most challenging budget circumstances in several years. Lawmakers in both parties expect the budget to reflect fiscal responsibility. 

Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson hold a joint news conference in 2023 after Johnson was elected mayor. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

The state and Cook County are combining to pony up $252 million for the remainder of 2024 to cover expected costs for caring for and sheltering asylum seekers. That commitment doesn’t cover the full projected cost, and the city of Chicago was not part of the agreement.