104th ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly remains on summer break. Both chambers return for a two-week Veto Session on October 14-16 and October 28-30.
A shooter fired a shot into Senator Meg Loughran Cappel’s home in the early morning hours of Tuesday. The Senator and her family are safe and were not injured in the incident. Police have taken a suspect into custody and confirmed the incident does not appear to be politically motivated. Another neighboring house was also hit by gunfire. Read more here.
The House Gun Violence Prevention Committee will hold a hearing on September 22 at 11:00 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss gun violence prevention and community violence intervention.
The House Ethics and Elections Committee will hold a virtual hearing on September 24 at 11:00 am to discuss voter engagement, the process of aligning local elections, and HB 2718.
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Executive Order: Governor JB Pritzker issued Executive Order 2025-04, launching a statewide initiative to ensure access to vaccines during the fall respiratory virus season. The order establishes the Statewide Vaccine Access Initiative, led by the Illinois Department of Public Health in collaboration with various state agencies. The goal is to ensure that residents of Illinois can receive the vaccines they need and can rely on science-based guidance.
The order also directs IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra to issue a Standing Order that allows eligible providers in pharmacies and other appropriate clinical settings to administer vaccines recommended by IDPH, following consultation with its expert Immunization Advisory Committee. Read more here.
Governor Heading to London: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will travel to London next week for the Global Progress Action Summit hosted by the Center for American Progress and other British progressive organizations.
New Pathway for International Physician Licensing: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation introduced a new licensure process for internationally trained physicians. They can now apply for an International Medical Graduate Limited License, enabling them to practice under a supervising physician for two years, during which they work towards full licensure. After the two-year supervised practice, IMGs can obtain an International Medical Graduate Restricted License that allows for more independent practice in certain shortage areas. Following this, they may then apply for a full medical license in Illinois. Learn more here.
Illinois Gaming Board: The Illinois Gaming Board held its September monthly meeting. A recap of the meeting is here.
Electric Vehicle Charging Station Grants Awarded: A total of $18.4 million in grants was awarded for the construction of 25 electric vehicle charging stations along interstate corridors in Illinois. This funding is provided through the second round of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which supports community investment and economic development. The initiative also advances the objective of registering one million electric vehicles in Illinois by 2030. Read more here and here.
First West Nile Death Reported for 2025: The Cook County Department of Public Health confirmed the first death related to the West Nile virus in suburban Cook County and the state of Illinois this year. Read more here.
Stewardship Grants Awarded: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources awarded nearly $1 million in grants to support 15 stewardship programs run by land trusts on land protected by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC). These grants are part of the Illinois Natural Areas Stewardship Grant program, which aims to enhance essential land and water stewardship activities in natural areas that are permanently protected within the INPC system. This grant program funds projects that enable land trusts to expand their staff and purchase necessary equipment for these activities. Read more, including a list of awardees, here.
Soil Health Assessment: The Illinois Department of Agriculture officially designated the STAR Tool as the required soil health assessment for all state-funded conservation practices, in accordance with the Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act. According to the Department, this decision marks a significant milestone in the commitment to sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship in Illinois.
The STAR Tool is essential for supporting conservation programs in Illinois, including the Partners-for-Conservation Cost-Share program and the Illinois Healthy Soils Initiative. It assesses field-level management practices like tillage and cover cropping, assigning STAR Ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 indicating best practices for soil health and water quality. In Crop Year 2024, 498 producers received ratings for 1,197 fields totaling 65,698 acres, with an average rating of 3.45. Notably, 87% of the producers and 67% of the fields were part of the PFC program. Read more here.
OTHER NEWS:
2026 Election Update: Candidates continue to announce their intentions for the 2026 election cycle. Highlights include:
17th Congressional District: Rockford native Montez Soliz is challenging Democratic Congressman Eric Sorensen in the March primary. He is running on a platform of economic justice, health care, rights, and building strong communities.
34th House District: Representative Nick Smith announced he will not run for reelection in 2026. He was first appointed in 2018.
55th House District: Joseph Johnson, a small business owner and first-time candidate, announced that he is running for State Representative on the Republican ticket. Johnson will face Representative Marty Moylan in the November election.
118th House District: Conservative business owner Joe DeBose is running to replace Representative Paul Jacobs, who is running for the Illinois Senate. DeBose previously served as the spokesperson for failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. DeBose will face Scott Doody in the Republican primary.
42nd Senate District: Democrat Justin Breaux has filed campaign finance documents to run for the 42nd Senate District. A science writer and digital communications specialist at Argonne National Laboratory, Breaux has no previous political office experience. Breaux will face Senator Linda Holmes in the March Primary Election.
Former Governor Jim Edgar: Former two-term Republican Governor Jim Edgar died Sunday of complications from cancer treatment, according to his family. Edgar served as Governor from 1991 through 1999. Prior to that, he served as Secretary of State. Edgar was 79. Read more here.
AG Raoul Files Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster: Attorney General Kwame Raoul, alongside the FTC and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, for allegedly unlawfully coordinating with ticket brokers to inflate ticket prices in resale markets. The lawsuit claims Ticketmaster deceives customers by displaying lower ticket prices online, only to charge higher amounts at checkout due to hidden fees. Raoul highlighted that despite Ticketmaster’s assertion of limiting bulk purchases by brokers, the company benefits when brokers bypass these limits, leading to increased resale prices. The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, accuses Ticketmaster and Live Nation of enabling brokers to exploit ticket limits, ultimately harming consumers who face unexpected fees of up to 30%.%. Read more here.
OPmobility Opening in Rivian Supplier Park: OPmobility is set to open its first facility in Normal, Illinois, where it will assemble bumpers for Rivian’s upcoming R2 model, scheduled for consumer availability in 2026. As the first company to establish operations in Rivian’s new supplier park—announced in May 2025—OPmobility plans to make a significant capital investment. This investment will be supported by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) program, which aims to help the company establish its operations in the state and create 81 new full-time jobs. Read more here.