Gov. JB Pritzker signs a birth equity bill into law at an event in Chicago in July. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Thirteen Illinois healthcare organizations will receive $200 million in capital investment grants from the State of Illinois.  

Gov. JB Pritzker announced the funding will be used for projects addressing health-related needs and reducing disparities in historically underserved communities.  

“As my administration continues on our mission to expand healthcare access throughout Illinois, we’re focused on investing in historically underserved areas,” Pritzker said in a statement. “This Capital Improvement Grant Program will improve hospitals and care centers with much needed improvements, making it easier for healthcare professionals to serve their communities.” 

The grants are an extension of Healthcare Transformative Collaboratives, a 2021 initiative by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to improve health equity. The program addresses four areas of health: community needs, health and wellness, specialized approach and sustainable investments.  

Kimberly Hobson is the CEO of the South Side Healthy Community Organization, one of the collaboratives selected in 2021. TCA Health, inc, one of their partner organizations, will receive $7.7 million to open a nutrition and wellness center in Chicago’s Far South Side. 

The state capitol building.  

The Illinois State Board of Education’s legislative agenda includes student discipline and teacher licensure.  

The board approved a list of proposed legislative priorities this week, after some debate about proposals regarding school discipline.  

One of the proposals would ban expulsions for students in kindergarten through second grade. The proposal would also require that suspensions pre-k through second grade students can only be issued by the superintendent.  

The second proposal would prevent schools from ticketing or referring students to local police departments for disciplinary actions. Students could still be ticketed or otherwise referred to the police if they break the law.  

Board member Roger Eddy said he wanted to see more clarification about those measures.  

State agencies will have to scrutinize spending as the state faces an expected budget deficit in Fiscal Year 2026.  

The Commission of Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) has predicted that a combination of COVID-era funds ending and increased spending will create a “significant” budgetary deficit for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins in July 2025.  

 

From left to right: Peter Marchese and Duncan Ward of North Side Housing and Supportive Services, which operates homeless shelters in Chicago's North Side, testify Tuesday.  

Around 62 percent of people experiencing homelessness in Chicago are men, but only 23 percent of beds in homeless shelters are for men.  

That’s according to Peter Marchese, board president of North Side Housing and Supportive Services.  

The organization opened a new “dorm-style” men’s shelter in Rogers Park earlier this month. Marchese testified to the Illinois Senate Human Rights Committee about the need for more shelter space and affordable housing options in Chicago. He spoke to the struggles men face when they become homeless. 

“Homeless men are often just ignored on the streets in the park or in some cases are treated with disrespect because of the incorrect belief that they might have done something to deserve their homelessness due to some form of drug use, violence or crime committed,” he said. “From our experience, we believe that all homeless people, both men and women, deserve the same support and assistance to permanently end their homelessness.”  

Meghann Burke, attorney for the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association, Chicago Stars forward Ally Schlegel and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher testify at the House Revenue and Finance Committee Monday.

Illinois’ women's sports teams are asking the state to make them a forethought when considering public investments in sports.

The House Revenue and Finance Committee heard from players and leaders from the Chicago Red Stars, Chicago Sky, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on House Bill 5841 Monday. 

Ally Schlegel, forward for the Chicago Red Stars, shared some of the difficulties the team faces with their stadium. They currently play at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, which they share with Chicago Fire FC II and Chicago Hounds Major League Rugby.

“Our reality is having our schedule constantly at the beck and call of other entities who are not supporting our success,” she said. “Our reality is sharing two hotel rooms for 25 women to change before practice while we’re looking out of the window and can see our facility, but we have no access to it."

Alexi Giannoulias speaks at a press conference explaining the electoral vote process Monday.

Illinois electors will meet at the Illinois State Capitol today to officially cast their votes in the 2024 presidential election.

Illinois has 19 electoral votes and operates on a “winner takes all” system, meaning all 19 votes are cast for the candidate which won the state’s popular vote. That winner this year was Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said during a Monday press conference federal law mandates electoral voters from all states must meet on the same day.

Amy Williams, senior legal advisor for the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, testifies before the Illinois General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) during their meeting Dec. 9, 2024 in Chicago. [BlueRoomStream Livestream]

In light of recent safety and security threats to Illinois lawmakers and their staff, Secretary of State officials detailed to committee members Tuesday why they filed a rare emergency rule that will tighten security at the state Capitol.

Amy Williams, senior legal counsel assistant for the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, said during the Tuesday Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) meeting that the Nov. 18 emergency rule filing came after several recent safety threats made to state officials. As of Dec. 9, she said, there have been 17 safety threats to the state capitol building so far in 2024, which is higher than years’ past.

"In fact, it is one shy of doubling” the number of threats the office’s police responded to any other year since the office started keeping track in 2018, Williams said. “Unfortunately, the world is not getting safer."

From left to right: Naperville psychiatrist Dr. Abid Nazeer, Illinois Psychiatric Society representative Dr. Chris Holden, and licensed therapists Jessica Punzo of Oak Park and Mickensy Ellis-White of Danville, testify during a Dec. 10, 2024 Illinois House Mental Health and Addiction Committee meeting in Chicago.

While Illinois lawmakers and mental health professionals pushed for support of related legislation, some also expressed concern on Tuesday about allowing those struggling with severe psychological issues easier access to psychedelic treatments.

Before witness testimony began, Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago), who chairs the House Mental Health and Addiction Committee, said the educational hearing about the legitimate therapeutic use of psilocybin – also known as psychedelic mushrooms – comes in the “midst of a behavioral health crisis” in the U.S. She added the meeting would include accounts from states which have already allowed for the use of the psychedelic mental health treatment, patients of the therapy, and Illinois psychiatrists and therapists who have seen results 

“In sum, we have a lot to learn,” LaPointe said. “This hearing is just one touch point in all of that, learning to explore what exactly is the potential of psychedelics for behavioral health treatment.”

Pictured: Hemp plants. [Stephen Ward, Oregon State University / CC BY-SA 2.0]

After Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) leaders previously clarified the department’s proposed changes to Illinois hemp testing and licensing rules are not meant to regulate the sale of hemp-derived products, legislators briefly revisited the issue during their Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) meeting Tuesday in Chicago.  

Deputy Republican Leader Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria), who co-chairs JCAR, requested on Tuesday that state agriculture officials return to the committee within six months to reorganize the rules to make it easier for stakeholders within the industrial hemp space to understand. 

“Because it’s been difficult for stakeholders to make sense of that,” Spain said.

Pictured: A Cook County Sheriff squad car. [Arvell Dorsey Jr. / CC BY 2.0]

Illinois lawmakers recently passed a bill further clarifying how fees should be handled for plaintiffs filing civil lawsuits in Cook County.  

Senate Bill 688 would allow civil suit plaintiffs to no longer have to go to court if they want to request any licensed process server to serve court papers to defendants instead of the county sheriff.