103rd ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly was not in session this week. Both chambers reconvene February 18 – 20, with the Governor delivering a combined Budget Address and State of the State Address to a joint session of the legislature on Wednesday, February 19.
The bill filing deadline has now passed. In total, 6375 bills — 2,519 in the Senate and 3,856 in the House — were filed for consideration in the 2025 Spring Session. Thousands of those were filed just last week: 2455 total (1433 in the House; 1022 in the Senate).
Committee hearings will now begin in earnest. A list of upcoming House Committee hearings is here; Senate Committee hearings are here.
Speaker Welch and his caucus will continue to use the working group model to tackle complex issues facing the General Assembly. Topics being considered are Medicaid, mass transit, reproductive healthcare, firearm safety and teacher shortages. A full list of working groups and members is here.
2025 Spring Session Key Dates and Deadlines:
February 19: Governor’s Budget and State of the State Address
March 21: Deadline – Committee Deadline Both Chambers
April 11: Deadline – Third Reading Deadline Both Chambers
May 9: Deadline – Committee Deadline Bills in Opposite Chamber
May 23: Deadline – Third Reading Deadline Bills in Opposite Chamber
May 31: Adjournment
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 4144, Karina’s Law, to enhance protections for domestic violence victims. Local law enforcement can now quickly confiscate firearms from individuals whose FOID cards are revoked due to restraining orders. Read more here.
Other recent bill signings include HB 2840 , a trailer bill to resolve issues with park district child labor laws; HB 5164 addressing legal name changes; and HB 5373 , implementing CDC guidelines for opioid prescribing.
Freedman Seating Company: Governor JB Pritzker, along with Freedman Seating Company and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, announced a $4 million investment in Freedman’s Chicago facility. The funding will create 50 new full-time jobs and retain 676 full-time jobs. Supported by an EDGE agreement, the monies will facilitate site improvements and new manufacturing equipment at the nearly 100-year-old facility in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Freedman Seating Company received an EDGE tax credit as part of the State’s incentive package; see the full agreement here.
Electric Bus Grants: Some $58 million in grants for electric transit buses has been announced by Governor Pritzker, the Illinois EPA, Pace, and the RTA . This funding will replace older buses with 57 new, zero-emission buses (27 Pace, 30 CTA). The grants, from the VW Settlement, cover 75% of the costs, with Pace and the RTA contributing $9 million and $10 million respectively, totaling $77 million. Read more here.
Illinois Gaming Board January Meeting: At its monthly meeting last week, the Illinois Gaming Board reported that for 2024, State and local governments generated over $1.7 billion in tax revenue (excluding December sports wagering numbers). The cumulative amount came from Illinois’ 16 licensed casinos, approximately 8,700 video gaming terminals, and 14 operating sportsbooks. A complete list of Board action is here.
Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants: Applications are open until April 14 for Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grants through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The funding supports rural fire departments with organizing, training, and equipping efforts, enhancing their ability to prevent and suppress fires in at-risk rural communities. Learn more here.
Illinois Grown Program Launches: The Illinois Department of Agriculture launched the Illinois Grown program to support local farmers and businesses. Now it will be easier for consumers to identify and buy local products because of the Illinois Grown logo. The special mark will soon adorn products that are either grown in Illinois or contain at least one Illinois-sourced ingredient. Read more here.
DoA Suspends Poultry Exhibitions: Also from the Illinois Department of Agriculture comes news that due to the H5N1 avian flu threat, a 30-day suspension (beginning Feb. 11, 2025) will be enacted against poultry exhibitions and sales at swap meets, exhibitions, flea markets, and auction markets. The measure aims to prevent the spread of the disease in commercial and backyard flocks. The public is urged to avoid handling or capturing wild waterfowl or birds showing illness signs, and to keep pets away from bird carcasses potentially infected with avian flu. Read more here.
Climate Conference Moving to Chicago: An event that brings together the public and climate leaders to discuss current issues and innovative solutions will be held in Chicago rather than its three-year host location of Miami. The 2025 Aspen Ideas: Climate conference will feature experts from environmental and climate industries and engaged members of the Chicagoland area and beyond. The Aspen Institute is partnering with the Chicago Climate Corps (C3), which aims to unite local leaders aged 25-40 to accelerate regional climate action. Read more here.
OTHER NEWS:
Interchange Fee Prohibition Act: A federal judge declined to stop an Illinois law banning certain credit card fees for credit unions and extended the rule to out-of-state banks. Credit and debit card companies charge “swipe fees” to process transactions, often paid by retailers. The Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, passed last spring, prohibits charging fees on the tax and tip portions of transactions starting July 1, while still applying to the rest of the transaction. The next status hearing is on March 6. Read more here.
President Trump Pardons Former Governor Rod Blagojevich: Nearly five years after commuting former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s federal prison sentence, President Donald Trump on Monday granted a full pardon to the former governor who was convicted over 13 years ago on various corruption charges, including fundraising schemes and attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat for personal gain. Read more here.
Jury Reaches a Verdict in Madigan Trial: A federal jury in Chicago delivered a mixed verdict on Wednesday, finding former Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan guilty on 10 of 23 counts. Jurors acquitted him on seven charges and reached an impasse on six counts, leading U.S. District Judge John Blakey to declare a mistrial for those counts. Madigan held the distinction of being the longest-serving Speaker in the nation. A sentencing hearing has not been set. Read more here.
Attorneys General File Legal Challenge to NIH Funding Cuts: Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general to challenge the Trump administration’s action regarding the Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. Specifically in question is money that supports medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. The coalition’s lawsuit challenges the administration’s cutting of “indirect cost” reimbursements; reimbursements that cover costs incurred by laboratories, faculty, safety protocols, data processing, and utilities. This marks the fourth multi-state lawsuit Raoul has joined since President Trump took office. Read more here.