ELECTION UPDATE:
As election results continue to come in, House Democrats have gained six seats, increasing their total from 78 to 84, while Senate Democrats have gained five, raising their total from 40 to 45.
In the 114th House District, George McClellan (D) declared victory over Republican Representative Kevin Schmidt. Representative Brandun Schweizer (R) conceded to Democrat Mary Catherine Roberson in the 104th House District. And Democrat Ricky Rivard declared victory over Representative Dan Ugaste (R) in the 65th House District.
In the Senate, Senator Craig Wilcox (R) conceded to Democratic challenger Karen Battaglia in the 32nd Senate District. Democrat Marsia Geldert-Murphey defeated Senator Erica Harriss (R) in the 56th Senate District.
Representative Jeff Keicher (R) leads Democrat Veronica Garcia-Martinez by 706 votes in the 70th House District. And Senator Dave Syverson (R) leads Democrat Sarah Mertens by 1,452 votes in the 35th Senate District. These races will likely not be called until all early voting and vote by mail ballots are tabulated.
GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Governor Announces “Fighting for Illinois: Day One Agenda”: Governor JB Pritzker, joined by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and community leaders, unveiled “Fighting for Illinois: The Day One Agenda,” a package of policy proposals urging the newly elected U.S. Congress to deliver immediate relief to Illinois residents. Pritzker also renewed calls for Congress to end the war in Iran, raise the federal minimum wage, provide universal healthcare and childcare, pass comprehensive immigration reform, establish AI guardrails, and codify abortion rights. Read more here.
Mike Lazzeri Appointed Director of IDOL: Governor Pritzker named Mike Lazzeri to lead the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), effective November 1, succeeding Jane Flanagan. Lazzeri brings more than 20 years of government experience and expertise in regulatory compliance, data innovation, and enforcement of labor and employment laws. Read more here.
Enrollment Open for Illinois’ State-Based Marketplace: Get Covered Illinois began its 2027 annual open enrollment period on November 1, helping Illinoisans compare plans, apply for financial assistance, and enroll in coverage. Open enrollment continues through January 15, 2027, allowing residents to enroll in, renew, or change their health insurance. Now in its second year as a state-based marketplace, Get Covered Illinois advances its “Here to Help” mission by putting residents first and connecting them with coverage for care ranging from routine checkups to ongoing treatment. Read more here.
Targeted Advertising Services Tax Act: The Illinois Department of Revenue has released draft proposed rules for the Targeted Advertising Services Tax Act, which imposes a tax on providers’ gross receipts from targeted advertising services in Illinois, effective January 1, 2027. IDOR encourages stakeholders to review and provide feedback on the draft rules before formal rulemaking begins, particularly regarding any unaddressed issues and examples that clarify the Act’s application. The draft rules can be reviewed and commented on via IDOR’s website until 5:00 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Opportunity Zones: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has received approval for 240 census tracts from the U.S. Department of the Treasury under Opportunity Zones 2.0. This marks the completion of the state’s evaluation process for new federally-designated Opportunity Zones. Nearly 90% of the approved tracts are considered underserved, with 32.5% classified as Rural Opportunity Zones, offering enhanced benefits. DCEO reviewed over 500 nominations from various stakeholders across Illinois. A map of the approved tracts is available here.
Supportive Housing Institute: The Illinois Housing Development Authority and the Corporation for Supportive Housing have opened applications for the 2027 Supportive Housing Institute, a program aimed at training teams to develop and finance supportive housing. This housing model combines affordable homes with supportive services to aid residents facing complex challenges. The Institute will begin in March 2027 and include 10 sessions, with in-person and virtual meetings, over four months. Teams are encouraged to include a developer, property manager, and supportive services partner, and should ideally include a person with lived experience to strengthen tenant support and stability. Read more here.
Illinois Launches Clean Trucks Program: The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency launched its Clean Trucks Program to help Illinois fleets adopt zero-emission vehicles, lower fuel costs, and build a cleaner, more resilient freight system. Part of the broader Driving a Cleaner Illinois initiative, the program begins with two investments: $3 million for a new Clean Fleet and Freight Concierge Service and $935,000 in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding to help fleet operators replace older diesel vehicles with zero-emission alternatives. These investments launch Illinois EPA’s focused effort to combine hands-on, fleet-specific guidance with financial incentives that help offset the upfront costs of electrification. Read more here.
Career and Technical Education Update: The Illinois Community College Board reported that enrollment in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Illinois community colleges rose 5.9 percent this fall, reaching a nine-year high as more students pursue career-focused training. Read more here.
IDOT Hosting DBE Workshops: The Illinois Department of Transportation is hosting free virtual workshops in November as part of its continuing Building Blocks of Success series for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms interested in strengthening their skills, growing their business, and bidding on state projects. New and existing DBEs, as well as firms interested in becoming certified in the program, are invited. Read more here.
104th ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly remains adjourned until the call of the presiding officers. The Veto Session is scheduled for November 17 – 19 and December 1 – 3.
With no vetoes to review this year, the General Assembly is expected to use the Veto Session to address other urgent or high-profile issues. The agenda is expected to develop in the coming weeks and may include legislation to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois, additional data center regulation, and possibly a supplemental appropriation, among other measures.
Note: lawmakers have just two weeks to act this fall, and bills with an immediate effective date require a supermajority vote in both chambers. The fall supermajority requirements and Democrats’ expanded majority in the upcoming 105th General Assembly could influence which issues legislators address during the Veto Session or a January lame-duck session. The 105th General Assembly is sworn into office on January 13, 2027.
Speaker Welch announced that he will not be seeking another term as Speaker of the House. The announcement follows a letter signed by 26 House Democrats urging Welch not to seek another term as Speaker in the 105th General Assembly, which begins in January. The letter cites no specific reason for wanting a change in leadership; instead, it says, “Over the course of the last few months, we have grown increasingly convinced that the House Democratic Caucus needs new leadership. We represent a broad spectrum of our caucus, and each have come to this decision for our own reasons. We look forward to a robust race for a new Speaker of the House.” The letter was released Wednesday, the day after the midterm election.
Although the letter does not mention it specifically, some suggest the frustration goes beyond the recent Harry Benton sexual harassment scandal and also includes the handling of the spring legislative session and budget, the 60-vote rule, and the refusal to participate in the Democratic Party’s statewide campaign, among others.
Electing the Speaker requires a 60-vote majority. Even with the pickup of additional seats on Tuesday, 26 members were enough to deny Welch another term as Speaker. Signers include members of Welch’s leadership team, sitting representatives, and three newly elected members. The following signed the letter: Representatives Diane Blair-Sherlock, Mary Beth Canty, Kelly Cassidy, Sharon Chung, Justin Cochran, Fred Crespo, Margaret DeLaRosa, Eva-Dina Delgado, Daniel Didech, Jessica Dixon Heitman, Mary Gill, Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, Barbara Hernandez, Lisa Hernandez, Gregg Johnson, Tracy Katz Muhl, Paul Kendrick, Natalie Manley, Joyce Mason, Bob Morgan, Michelle Mussman, Maria Peterson, Anne Stava, Katie Stuart, and Larry Walsh, Jr.
The letter’s timing is calculated. Welch was elected in January 2021, two days after Speaker Madigan announced he would not seek reelection as House Speaker. The letter’s signers reportedly want to give the caucus more time to thoroughly vet a potential successor rather than waiting until right before the new General Assembly takes office. Read more here.
The House has scheduled subject matter hearings:
· The House Mental Health and Addiction Committee and the House Restorative Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold a joint subject-matter hearing on November 10 at 10:00 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss the Joliet Treatment Center and Access to mental health treatment for incarcerated persons.
· The House Restorative Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing on November 10 at 12:30 pm in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss the creation of an IDOC ombudsman and HB 1643.