103rd ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly stands adjourned until the two-week November Veto Session.
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Quantum Tax Credits: EeroQ’s, a quantum computing company who moved its headquarters to Chicago, will receive backing from the state in the form of both an Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) for Startups tax credit and an investment from a U.S. equity capital program administered by the Illinois Innovation Venture Fund, or INVENT. As part of the deal, EeroQ has pledged to invest $1.1 million and five new full-time jobs while keeping its current eight full-time positions. The funds will enable the company to develop the team and tools needed to build a quantum computer and revolutionize various fields in relation to quantum. Read more here.
Quantum Board Announced: The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, LLC announced its Board of Managers this week. The Board of Managers is made up of 14 individuals representing various partners of the project and will be responsible for overseeing operations at the historic campus where leading quantum computing company PsiQuantum aims to build the first utility-scale, error-corrected quantum computer in the United States.
The Board of Managers is made up of:
- John Atkinson – chair, Intersect Illinois
- Rashid Bashir – dean, Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Stacia Edwards – deputy provost, City Colleges of Chicago
- Sonja Feist-Price – provost, Chicago State University
- Brad Henderson – chief executive officer, P33
- Paul Kearns – director, Argonne National Laboratory
- Becky Locker – chief of staff, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Susan Martinis – vice chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Principal Officer of the Board of Managers
- Nadya Mason – dean, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago
- Lia Merminga – director, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- Wilbur C. Milhouse III – chairman/CEO, Milhouse Engineering & Construction and Chair of the Board of Managers
- Eric Perreault – vice president for research, Northwestern University
- Casimir Peters – chief of business attraction and development, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- A designee from the private sector (to be appointed during a future meeting)
Energy Efficiency Grant Expansion: The Illinois EPA is expanding two energy efficiency grants: The Energy Efficiency Assessment Program and The Energy Efficiency Trust Fund. Both grant programs provide funding for energy efficiency assessments and upgrade projects for properties serving residents receiving housing assistance. With the expansion, grant programs will now accept applications statewide for single-family and multifamily properties with up to 20 dwelling units.
Eligible applicants include public housing authorities, units of local governments, or nonprofit organizations throughout Illinois that serve residents using housing assistance programs. Both programs will make awards on a first-come, first-served basis and will remain open until funds are depleted. Applications are available here and here.
Infant Mortality Study: The Illinois Department of Public Health released a new report on infant mortality that shows the statewide rate decreased to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021. The Illinois infant mortality rate is slightly above the national rate of 5.4. The state has signed on to the national Healthy People 2030 framework established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which establishes a goal for all states to reach a rate of 5.0 or lower by the year 2030. Read more here.
Aging Roundtable Discussions: Leaders from the state Department on Aging and regional Area Agencies on Aging will convene a dozen roundtable discussions statewide to help shape the future of policymaking, service delivery, and investment priorities to meet the needs of a growing older adult population. The discussion will help inform the development of Illinois’ 2026-2028 State Plan on Aging, a strategic framework to improve and promote quality of life for older adults, their families, and caregivers. The most recent state plan was completed in July 2021 and extends through federal fiscal year 2025.
As IDoA begins developing its next state plan, expected to be published in draft form in early 2025, aging officials are seeking public input on the types of support and resources needed to address older adults’ concerns and priorities. Roundtable participation is open to service providers, older adults, family caregivers, and the public. Read more here.
Gubernatorial Appointments: Governor Pritzker appointed the following:
· Katherine Drummond will serve as a Member of the Illinois Forensic Science Commission.
· Debra Savage will continue to serve as a Member of the Health Facilities and Services Review Board.
· Michelle Hoy Watkins will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois State Police Merit Board.
OTHER NEWS:
Illinois Supreme Court Rules in FOID Case: The Illinois Supreme Court ruled late last week that the state has the authority to revoke a person’s Firearm Owners Identification card when the individual has been charged with (and not yet convicted of) a felony. The case stemmed from the 2016 arrest of a father and son who fired shots into the air on July 4, 2016. The Illinois State Police revoked their FOID cards shortly after charges were filed. The pair ultimately argued that they were denied their constitutional right to keep and bear arms for self-defense during the time their FOID cards were revoked and sought a declaration that the FOID Card Act is unconstitutional as it applies to individuals charged, but not convicted of, a felony. Read the decision here.
Illinois Supreme Court Rules in Hospital Room Privacy Case: Last week the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ruled that patients admitted to a hospital should not have a universal expectation of privacy that would prevent law enforcement from entering a hospital room to question them or search their belongings. The case arose from a 2016 shooting where police entered the trauma room in which a gunshot victim was being treated. During questioning, the victim agreed to the officers’ request to seize his blood-stained clothing. The victim was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder. Lawyers argued the seized evidence should have been suppressed because officers did not obtain a warrant prior to entering the trauma room. The High Court ultimately ruled that Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures “offer protection to people, not places…but the extent to which they protect people depends upon where the people are.” Read the decision here.