The Illinois General Assembly has a lot of work ahead of and is under increasing pressure to complete important legislative items with just one week of scheduled session reaming of the spring session. In the upcoming days, lawmakers are anticipated to file a number of significant omnibus bills, such as:

• The FY 2026 Budget Bill
• The FY 2026 Budget Implementation Bill (BIMP)
• Medicaid Omnibus
• Energy Omnibus
• Revenue Omnibus
• Open Meetings Act (OMA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Omnibus
• Transit funding and reform packages
• Elections Omnibus

Given the limited fiscal flexibility this year, these omnibus packages are expected to be more modest than in previous sessions. On top of that, the Governor’s Office has signaled that lawmakers may need to return later this summer to revisit the budget and other measures tied to federal funding. With so much uncertainty surrounding federal budget negotiations in Washington, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to craft a state budget that won’t require adjustments once Congress acts. The ripple effects could significantly impact Illinois’ revenue assumptions and spending priorities.

Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide

May 31 – Adjournment

In the News

Greg Hinz: It’s time to hit reset on the CTA’s $1B-per-mile Red Line extension – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 22, 2025.

As the Illinois General Assembly races toward adjournment of its spring session, few issues are bigger than how to refund and reform a Chicago-area public transit system in desperate need of both.

Illinois lawmakers OK bill eliminating mandatory road testing for drivers under 87 – Chicago Tribune, May 23, 2025.

Illinois lawmakers advanced a measure that would eliminate mandatory road testing for drivers under 87 and allow people to report close relatives they believe are no longer capable of driving safely.

WATCH: Bill to address human trafficking in Illinois ready for governor’s desk – The Center Square, May 22, 2025.

Illinois ranks among the highest in the number of human trafficking cases in the entire country and now lawmakers are taking action.

Activists rally for climate legislation in Springfield during annual Climate Action Lobby Day – Daily Northwestern, May 22, 2025.

When activist Jeremy Cuebas was working for the community development-focused Northwest Center, some of his students were diagnosed with asthma out of the blue.

Illinois lawmakers should take action on the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act | Opinion – The State Journal-Register, May 23, 2025.

Illinois is home to more than 200 credit unions that provide essential financial services for small businesses, families and individuals across the state. While varying in asset size and membership base, credit unions all serve the same mission of “people helping people.”

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul takes leading role in fighting Trump. ‘We are winning’ – Chicago Sun Times, May 23, 2025.

To Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, the legal war against President Donald Trump is personal.

Illinois payroll hits highest level since Great Recession – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 22, 2025.

The state of Illinois payroll is at its highest level in more than a decade, just as it grapples with a gloomy budget picture.

House Republicans pass President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and program cuts after all-night session – Chicago Tribune, May 22, 2025.

House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package, with Speaker Mike Johnson defying the skeptics and unifying his ranks to muscle President Donald Trump’s priority bill to approval Thursday.

WATCH: Senator: IL wage bill may shift projects to other states, awaits gov’s desk – The Center Square, May 21, 2025.

The General Assembly has approved legislation that could make federal construction projects more expensive for taxpayers in Illinois.

Raja Krishnamoorthi gains backing from suburban, downstate mayors in Senate bid – FOX 32, May 21, 2025.

A coalition of suburban and downstate mayors has come together to endorse Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) in the race to replace Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate.

Prisoner Review Board reform, Mahomet Aquifer protections headed to governor’s desk – The Daily Line, May 21, 2025.

Measures to reform the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and protect the Mahomet Aquifer are headed to the governor’s desk after passing the Illinois House Tuesday.

Illinois State Police website maintenance puts ammo sales on hold – Chicago Tribune, May 20, 2025.

Illinois gun dealers were unable to sell ammunition Tuesday after a portion of the Illinois State Police website used for verifying firearm owner ID cards was shut down for maintenance. The state police said the website will remain inactive until 4 p.m. Wednesday.

‘The worst emergency I’ve seen’: Crespo reflects on ouster by House speaker over budget plan – Daily Herald, May 20, 2025.

Monday morning, state Rep. Fred Crespo woke up with his wife in his Hoffman Estates bedroom, not Springfield, “which is nice.” “I texted my daughters, they were fine. I saw the sun rising from the east, hopefully I’ll see it set in the west, so it’s a good day,” he told the Daily Herald. That said, the Democrat who’s been in office since 2007 is experiencing a dramatic fallout with powerful Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. The speaker stripped Crespo of chairmanship of the House Appropriations General Services Committee May 14 and cast him out of the caucus, saying he wasn’t communicating with party leaders.

Alexi Giannoulias: Illinoisans shouldn’t pay more for car insurance based on their ZIP code and credit score – Chicago Tribune, May 21, 2025.

Here’s an appalling fact: The cost of your car insurance in Illinois isn’t based on your driving record — it’s based on things such as the neighborhood where you live and your credit score.

This is shameful. Especially when you consider that a motorist with driving under the influence on their record but solid credit pays far less than a driver with a spotless driving record and a low credit rating. Yes, you read that correctly.

Illinois House unanimously passes toxic baby food awareness bill – Wand News, May 20, 2025.

The Illinois House unanimously passed a plan Tuesday to properly notify parents about the toxic metals in baby food. This legislation could require baby food manufacturers to test their products for toxic heavy metals. Companies would then have to clearly label how much of each toxic metal is found in their baby food.

State Rep. Evans Advocates for improved public transit in Illinois – America’s Workforce Union Podcast, May 20, 2025.

Marcus C. Evans Jr., State Representative for Illinois’ 33rd district and Chairman of the Labor Committee, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss public transit funding in Illinois, the need for enhanced safety measures and the power of collective action in demanding better public services.

Illinois lawmakers push to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighter gear due to cancer risk – Capitol News Illinois, May 20, 2025.

A bill to ban the sale of firefighter protective gear containing “forever chemicals” is gaining momentum in the Illinois General Assembly, as lawmakers, union leaders and firefighters themselves warn that the very equipment designed to save lives may be silently endangering them.

Exclusive 1-on-1 interview: Gov. JB Pritzker to make decision on 3rd term as governor by July – ABC 7 Chicago, May 19, 2025.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is apparently getting closer to a decision on his political future and whether he will run for a third term or seek higher office instead.

Rep. Lauren Underwood says she won’t seek Dick Durbin Senate seat – Chicago Sun Times, May 19, 2025.

Capping weeks of speculation, Rep. Lauren Underwood on Monday said she won’t seek Sen. Dick Durbin’s Senate seat.

Illinois Lawmakers Discuss Budget Priorities as Legislative Deadline Looms – WTTW, May 19, 2025.

It’s crunch time in Springfield, with the deadline to pass the state budget for next fiscal year less than two weeks away.

Bill with stricter enforcements for hiring police officers heads to Gov. Pritzker’s desk – The State Journal-Register, May 20, 2025.

Last summer, at a press conference with civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the family of Sonya Massey, 48th District State Sen. Doris Turner talked about knowing multiple generations of the Massey family.

Venezuelans in Illinois could be deported after Supreme Court allows Trump to strip protected status – Chicago Sun Times, May 19, 2025.

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation.

State environmental officials stand in the way of cleaner air – Chicago Sun Times, May 16, 2025.

Illinois is one of the only blue states not to adopt the Advanced Clean Car and Advanced Clean Truck rules initiated by California. (Seventeen other states have already adopted complete or partial components of these rules.)

New budget resolutions meant to generate ideas for state revenue, sponsors say – News Channel 20, May 19, 2025.

It’s budget season at the statehouse, which means lawmakers are continuing to debate both the state budget and ways to potentially boost revenue.

Lawmakers seek to reverse Illinois law penalizing companies that boycott Israel – Capitol News Illinois, May 16, 2025.

A growing number of state lawmakers are moving to repeal a 2015 Illinois law penalizing companies that boycott Israel to protest its policies toward Palestinians.

Amid concerns about Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, lawmakers in Springfield supporting human rights for Palestinians have increasingly signed on to legislation opposing the decade-old anti-boycott law. But so far, these bills have stalled.

IL bill requiring thorough background checks of police hires headed to governor – Advantage News, May 18, 2025.

In the wake of the highly-publicized shooting of a Springfield woman by a police officer, a measure requiring more stringent background checks for police hires has passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

Republicans say Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act is broken, needs fixed – Advantage News, May 18, 2025.

Illinois Republicans are calling for changes to the state’s Pretrial Fairness Act after a man accused of concealing a dead body in a trashcan for nearly two months was released from jail pending trial.

Illinois ending swipe fees on tips and taxes this summer. Here’s what you need to know – The State Journal-Register, May 19, 2025.

Extra fees with every swipe on taxes and tips will be washed away this summer under new regulations across Illinois. Illinois will be the first state to restrict debit and credit card interchange fees on taxes and tips under the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. After a year of the revenue bill being signed, retailers and consumers both are going to see change this July.

Opinion: Illinois’ motor fuel tax is working as intended: Fixing roads and keeping up with costs – The Daily Herald, May 17, 2025.

Every July 1 since 2019, Illinois’ motor fuel tax ticks upward with the rate of inflation.

And every year, the same talking heads emerge attacking it as some evidence of broken government.

Chicago’s progressive mayor on antisemitism – Politico, May 23, 2025.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “unequivocally” condemned the killing of two people who worked at the Israeli Embassy in Washington by a gunman who echoed the “free, free Palestine” chant of progressives.

Teen ‘snap curfew’ ordinance stalls in City Council; Mayor Brandon Johnson’s position unclear – Chicago Tribune, May 21, 2025.

The effort to give Chicago’s police superintendent the power to declare “snap curfews” to curb large teen gatherings stalled Wednesday in the City Council.

Mayor calls Trump a ‘monster’ – Politico, May 22, 2025.

Mayor Brandon Johnson lashed out at President Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling him “a monster” who is “threatened” by the diverse administration in Chicago’s City Hall.

Johnson slams lack of diversity in Trump cabinet – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 20, 2025.

A day after the Trump administration launched a probe into the city’s hiring process, Mayor Brandon Johnson stuck by his comments, saying his staff reflects the country’s diversity while Trump’s “reflects the country club.”

O’Hare seeks up to $4.3 billion of muni debt – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 20, 2025.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will seek approval from aldermen to sell as much as $4.3 billion of debt for O’Hare International Airport, according to a filing posted on the city clerk’s website.

Trump’s tariffs raising prices in Chicago’s immigrant-owned grocery stores – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 21, 2025.

In Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods, corner grocery stores that once stocked imported products worldwide have started feeling the pain from President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs.

Council to consider measures to allow ‘snap’ curfews, qualify some for city jobs without degrees, enact new short-term rental regulations – The Daily Line, May 21, 2025.

The City Council on Wednesday could give final approval to a new curfew ordinance aimed at responding to large teen gatherings downtown after it squeaked out of committee Tuesday.

The council will also consider final confirmation of the mayor’s picks to steer the city’s emergency management and aviation departments and could give final approval to new hiring guidelines for city workers and new regulations for short-term rental units. The council meets at 10 a.m.

Teen ‘snap curfew’ plan advances as sponsor gives more power to police – Chicago Tribune, May 20, 2025.

Chicago aldermen advanced a measure Tuesday designed to curb so-called teen takeovers with curfews after the ordinance’s lead sponsor made a pivotal tweak to the measure.

Firearm arrest No. 10 made at Naperville Topgolf parking lot – Chicago Tribune, May 20, 2025.

Naperville police have yet again made a firearm-related arrest in the Naperville Topgolf parking lot. There have now been 10 such arrests in or near the business’ lot this year.

Ethics board cites 7 aldermen for being late filing their annual financial interest forms – Chicago Tribune, May 20, 2025.

The Chicago Board of Ethics on Tuesday fined an alderman and published the names of six others who, according to the board, failed to file their financial interest statements in time.

Ald. Lamont Robinson, 4th, faces a $250 fine for not turning in the annual form, which is required of most city officials and employees, according to the ethics board. The other City Council members who were called out — but not fined — for blowing past the May 1 deadline were Aldermen Stephanie Coleman, Derrick Curtis, Jim Gardiner, William Hall, Julia Ramirez and Monique Scott.

Opinion: Jack Lavin and Will Johnson: Cook County residents want transit funded — but not with new taxes – Chicago Tribune, May 20, 2025.

As the General Assembly enters the final two weeks of the spring legislative session, pressure is mounting on policymakers to address the fiscal crisis facing Chicago’s regional public transit system. With a projected $771 million budget shortfall next year, the transit systems are warning of massive service cuts that could torpedo our regional economy if lawmakers fail to act.

European vacation travel looks weak, an ill sign for airlines and Chicago tourism – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 20, 2025.

Heading into summer vacation season, European travel demand is looking a little wobbly.

Johnson vowed last year to ‘cut the tape’ for developers. Here’s how it’s going. – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 19, 2025.

Mayor Brandon Johnson and city officials brought out the ceremonially oversized scissors today at an event celebrating the one-year anniversary of his Cut the Tape initiative, but much of the heavy lifting is still to come.

Justice Department investigating Mayor Brandon Johnson for alleged racially motivated hiring – Chicago Tribune, May 19, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Justice began an investigation into Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday over allegations of race-based discrimination, citing his recent remarks at a Woodlawn church in which he emphasized how many Black people he’s hired in his administration.

Rift between Johnson, City Council allies: Crain’s Daily Gist podcast – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 20, 2025.

Members of the progressive coalition that helped bring Mayor Brandon Johnson to the Fifth Floor worry their movement is stalled. Crain’s politics reporter Justin Laurence discusses with host Amy Guth.

Finance committee approves parking meter deal legal settlement, previously rejected wrongful conviction case settlement – The Daily Line, May 20, 2025.

The City Council Committee on Finance on Monday approved legal settlements related to the city’s parking meter deal, wrongful convictions and police misconduct.

News in brief: Aviation committee to vote on new commissioner; Public Safety committee to consider substitute curfew ordinance – The Daily Line, May 20, 2025.

Alderpeople on Tuesday are expected to vote on the mayor’s pick to lead the city’s aviation department and could vote on a revised legislative proposal to address large teen gatherings downtown.

Johnson’s budget group begins work to plug $1 billion shortfall – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 16, 2025.

A budget working group led by Loop Capital founder Jim Reynolds will begin work this weekend on the herculean task of finding the right mix of spending cuts and tax increases to garner the political will necessary for Chicago to tackle a projected $1 billion budget shortfall.

Chicago Bears shifting their stadium focus to Arlington Heights – Chicago Tribune, May 19, 2025.

The Chicago Bears are shifting their focus for a new stadium away from the city’s lakefront and back to Arlington Heights and a project that would depend on legislative action in Springfield allowing for negotiated financing of large-scale developments.

Mayor names members of new budget working group, including Council allies, labor, business and civic interests – The Daily Line, May 19, 2025.

The mayor’s office on Friday announced the members of the budget working group created by a mayoral executive order last month. The group, which has been tasked with proposing solutions to the city’s “chronic budget gaps,” includes representatives from the business community, labor groups, nonprofits and several of the mayor’s allies on the City Council.

Opinion: An urgent, united call to save — and strengthen — public transit – Crain’s Chicago Business, May 16, 2025.

Public transit is the backbone of our economy, connecting millions of commuters, tourists and visitors to work, our world-class museums and arts institutions, school, health care and more every single day. Yet, across the country, cities are facing multimillion-dollar transit budget shortfalls — or a “transit fiscal cliff.” Chicago is no different. We’re at a defining moment for the future of public transit, and the Chicago region can lead the way nationally by investing in itself and the transit riders who use our system every day.