Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference in Springfield last week. [Blue Room Stream] 

A group of leading Democrats and representatives from the business, labor and agriculture communities are pushing to pass a plan that could move forward carbon capture and storage (CCS) and make Illinois more competitive for federal incentives to support the technology. 

Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing capital funds in his Fiscal Year 2025 budget to rebuild a pair of state prisons. And House Republicans are calling for more action to eliminate licensing delays by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). 

Department of Revenue Director David Harris speaks to the House Revenue and Finance Committee on Thursday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Department of Revenue Director David Harris said Thursday he expects Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed tax hikes on businesses to impact just a handful of businesses. 

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a news conference on health insurance reform at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

The House Human Services committee led by Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) has teed up a bill to advance Gov. JB Pritzker’s health insurance reform that would overhaul the prior authorization model in Illinois and place limits on tools for insurance companies to limit costs. 

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Westchester) speaks at a news conference in Springfield earlier this month. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

The Senate Executive Committee advanced a bill to create one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s major second term initiatives and establish the Department of Early Childhood.  

New letters and text messages to residents in the 20th Senate District from a pair of primary candidates are raising questions for some voters. And Gov. JB Pritzker remains skeptical of putting any state money toward a new stadium for the Chicago Bears as the team pledges $2 billion for a public-private partnership. 

The Illinois Capitol   

Consistent economic growth is leading the General Assembly’s independent budget commission to issue another positive revenue revision for Fiscal Year 2024, but a slowing economy could lead to tighter revenue projections in Fiscal Year 2025, according to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA). 

Members of various Illinois business associations speak at a news conference in Springfield on May 19, 2023. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]    

Much-demanded reform to the state’s biometric information privacy law is moving through the legislature after several years of business groups demanding reform to stave off massive legal settlement for businesses of all sizes.  

The Illinois Capitol

The Illinois Education Association (IEA) discussed the results of its sixth annual State of Education report on Tuesday – the only bipartisan poll in Illinois monitoring residents’ views on public schools.  

The virtual news conference was joined by IEA President Al Llorens and pollsters Jill Normington and Pat Brady. Brady is the former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. 

Illinois Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), left, and Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), far right, and Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dietrich), second from right, attend an announcement in Chicago in May 2022 establishing the Illinois Freedom Caucus. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

Three members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus, the Illinois House’s most conservative members, are fighting for their political careers — and their brand — in March 19 primaries that will ask Republicans in some of the state’s most conservative districts which brand of Republican politics they want representing them in Springfield.  

Two of the three members facing a primary are up against challengers heavily funded by teacher unions and are seeking more effective representative in contrast to the Freedom Caucus’ often hardline opposition to most policies passed by the General Assembly.