(The Center Square) – State lawmakers sought input Wednesday from multiple panels of experts to learn about the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats as cyber threats and crime have surged across the country.

Legislators on the House Cybersecurity, Data Analytics and I.T. Committee aimed to use the hearing to better inform state-level protections for the infrastructure of Illinois, along with addressing manufacturing and other economic risks.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said that the state saw about 33,000 cyber crimes in 2025.

“According to the FBI there were almost 33,000 cyber complaints in Illinois last year with a reported loss of $535 million. And that's up $56 million from the year before. Illinois ranks fifth in the nation and reported cybercrime,” Kelly said.

The director also said the largest long-term cyber threat to Illinois and the nation is foreign adversaries looking to attack the U.S. through digital means.

“China, Russia, Iran, North Korea. These actors are continuing in conducting espionage, establishing persistent access to networks and they continue to position themselves for potential future disruptive attacks,” Kelly said.

One way foreign actors have impacted U.S. residents has been through cyber attacks such as a recent attack on 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota, which the FBI said it was investigating.

That attack, and others across the country, have been attributed by some preliminary investigations as having been conducted by Iran.

Chief Information Security Officer for the nation’s largest water and wastewater utility American Water, Bill Bowers, told the committee the infrastructure attacks, which often bring taxpayer costs, show that basic security has become less reliable as AI improves.

“These were not sophisticated attacks. These were generally attackers found control systems, right? OT systems, ICS systems connected directly to the internet with either weak or their default passwords which could have been prevented,” Bowers said. “So, the use of AI, it used to be a skilled attacker had to come looking for a system in order to find it and then try to exploit it. It's no longer the case.”

The group discussed potential new regulations that would require municipal water system employees to regularly test and report on their systems based on a national baseline, ensure there are strong security measures in place, and put in place reporting standards for cyber security breaches before incidents happen in Illinois.

Additionally, the panel discussed ways to prepare for a cyber attack, including being able to bypass computer systems and operating the system manually.

“One of the processes we have at all of our plant plants is ensuring we could operate the plant manually,” Bowers said. “That is a test that we perform quite often as a loss of scale, a test where we are ensuring that our plant operators can walk into the plant and manually turn the knobs and understand what they are looking at. with the loss of their computer systems.”

The lawmakers said the hearing would be informative for a number of bills in the works, which may come up for votes in the General Assembly’s fall veto session, which runs Nov. 17-19, and Dec. 1-3.

(The Center Square) – DuPage County Board Chair Deb Conroy says her administration has not raised taxes, but Republican candidate Gary Grasso says that’s not true.

Grasso spoke in Chicago on Wednesday and said the county budget increased about 22% from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2027.

“In the three years that my opponent has been in office, the budget has gone up $127 million, from about $584 million to the proposed $711 million,” Grasso said.

Conroy said Grasso, who currently serves as mayor of Burr Ridge, can’t run on his own record.

“Instead, he shows that he has no idea how to run a county. I'm focused on what matters to DuPage County residents. I'm proud that we haven't raised taxes yet continue to provide top-quality services to our residents while maintaining healthy reserves and AAA bond ratings,” Conroy said in a statement to The Center Square.

Conroy said her record shows she’s not afraid to demand taxpayer accountability and transparency in all of the county’s offices and departments.

“The truth is that DuPage County continues to grow because in DuPage County we are fiscally responsible while taking care of people,” Conroy said in her statement.

Grasso said Conroy is spinning the story.

“So she says, ‘Oh, well I kept a percentage flat.’ However, you raised assessed value. The taxes have increased,” Grasso told The Center Square.

Grasso said he would freeze DuPage County’s gas tax, which is scheduled to rise automatically in the new budget. He also pledged to roll back the chair’s salary, which the board raised in April from $131,559 to $185,000 for what Grasso said is a part-time job.

The Burr Ridge Republican called out Conroy and DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek over an ongoing dispute between the two Democrats.

Kaczmarek wrote in August that Conroy knowingly chose to ignore her office’s itemized list of elections expenses.

The board then approved an additional $665,000 for costs related to mail-in ballots.

On Sept. 24, the first day of early voting in Illinois, Kaczmarek’s office issued a statement saying voting was paused due to a technical issue, although voters were able to return and cast ballots at early voting sites the next day.

Grasso said Kaczmarek did not do her job from day one.

“She didn't do it for four years, and the current chair supported her for re-election, so it's on her also,” Grasso said.

Grasso said Conroy should have talked with Kaczmarek to resolve the dispute.

“You pick up the phone and talk. You don't go hire lawyers right away, which is what this chair has done, and spend over $280,000 on private attorneys to have a public fight with her clerk,” Grasso said.

Democrat Paula Deacon Garcia and Republican Patricia Kladis-Schiappa are on the ballot to replace Kaczmarek.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

(The Center Square) – A state lawmaker is calling for an audit of state tax dollars being sent to Chicago Public Schools for athletics after officials, coaches and some staff went without pay for multiple weeks last month.

About 70 school sports officials went 3-4 weeks without pay due to what was initially described as a “software glitch” from a third-party vendor, Arbiter, the company that the district switched its payment system to recently.

But local officials, including state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, blamed the payment issues, which led to a work stoppage and the cancellation of some student games, on the district’s Sports Executive Director Devon Morales.

Buckner introduced a resolution in the House calling on the Illinois Auditor General’s office to conduct an audit of state funds that go to the district for athletics.

“We found out that not just the referees weren't getting paid, there were coaches that weren't getting paid, there were athletic directors not getting their stipend,” Buckner said. “I wanted to take a step back. I wanted to look at the program and the system to see what they were doing with the dollars because there seems to be some real questions about where spending is happening where it's not happening.”

He said it was important that the problem be identified, as some students missed out on crucial games and the public employees not being paid could’ve been a violation of state law.

“We have a prompt payments act with the state government that if there are public dollars involved, and somebody is doing work and not getting paid, that's a violation of the law,” Buckner said. “These students were not just missing out on education, on their athletic experience, but many of them who are juniors and seniors are in the running for scholarships. This is affecting their recruiting process.”

The employees who didn’t initially receive paychecks mostly had backpay settled after CPS released expedited funds to resolve the issue.

The payment of sports officials isn’t the only funding concern on the mind of lawmakers and top CPS officials, as the district’s recently passed budget for the current school year counts on $150 million that hasn't been allocated by the General Assembly.

Some Chicago-area lawmakers hope to approve the additional funding for the district during the coming fall veto session in November and December.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has multiple times been skeptical about the state approving the additional funds, including in the WTTW gubernatorial candidate forum Tuesday night.

“We raised funding for schools across the state in this last budget, the one that we're in now, $300 million. Now, that's important to remember because we're doing that every year because we need to catch up in school funding,” Pritzker said. “But we can't just magically come up with $150 million when one school district or another asks for it.”

(The Center Square) – By one vote, the Chicago City Council failed to override Mayor Brandon Johnson’s veto of an ordinance that would have required a three-fifths vote instead of a simple majority to approve new city borrowing.

The council voted 33-17 on Wednesday in favor of Alderman Marty Quinn’s proposal, but one more vote was needed to overcome the veto.

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski told The Center Square that the city’s $830 million bond authorization earlier this year would cost taxpayers nearly $2 billion.

Sean Reed contributed to this story

State health plan rates to rise by an average of 14%

The Illinois Department of Insurance has released 2027 Plan Year rates for the Get Covered Illinois Marketplace, with five health insurance issuers to choose from.

The statewide weighted average rate increase for individual plans is 14.1%, down from an average increase of 28.8% last year.

According to Get Covered Illinois, 466,371 Illinoisans enrolled in marketplace plans during plan year 2026 and about 85% percent received premium tax credits.

McKendree alum admits to threatening students

Sentencing is scheduled on December 10, 2026 for a former McKendree University student who admitted sending threats to injure and kill students at the Lebanon, Illinois school.

Court documents show Rustin A. Berkshire, 40, of Vincennes, Indiana stated that he wanted to hurt students in a mass shooting.

Berkshire pleaded guilty to interstate communication with a threat to injure and also to a cyberstalking charge related to harassing and threatening correspondence with a victim from September 2018 to September 2025.

CWB: Anti-violence worker detained for alleged carjacking

Prosecutors say a man accused of attacking a Lyft driver and trying to carjack her was captured on surveillance video flashing gang signs before entering a Chicago CRED anti-violence center on the morning of the alleged crime.

CWB Chicago reports that Angalwon Gilmore, 28, was detained on charges of attempted vehicular hijacking, robbery, and aggravated battery in connection with the incident on July 20.

CWB said a police arrest report listed Gilmore’s employer as Chicago CRED, an organization, which works with people at elevated risk of involvement in gun violence.

Pritzker tied for 8th in Democratic presidential poll

According to The Center Square’s latest poll, former Vice President Kamala Harris remains the top choice for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination among 29% of Democratic and left-leaning independent voters surveyed.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom finished second in the poll at 14%, followed by “not sure” at 12%.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, at 3%, tied for eighth place with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker.

The poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from Oct. 5-7 and surveyed registered voters nationally via opt-in online panel and text-to-web cell phone messages. The margin of error was +/- 1.95%.

Morgan Sweeney contributed to this story.

(The Center Square) – The architect of megaprojects legislation in the Illinois House says the Chicago Bears can pick what they want in new stadium legislation, but taxpayer protection has to be at the center of the conversation.

State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, joined Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other legislative leaders in a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last month.

Buckner said after an Illinois House Executive Committee hearing in Chicago on Tuesday that it’s not really important who would own a new stadium, but the Bears need control over things like naming rights and concessions.

“It's up to them. They can pick what they want, but we want to make sure we give them the options here in this state,” Buckner said.

A reporter from The Center Square asked Buckner if it would be possible to give the Bears control and still protect taxpayers.

“Yeah, I think that's a conversation that, number one, has to be at the center of this. I don't know what that part looks like. You’ve got to work through the details, obviously,” Buckner said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a WTTW News gubernatorial forum on Tuesday night that a billionaire family owning a team valued at $9 billion does not need the state to buy or build a stadium, but he would be willing to spend taxpayer dollars on infrastructure.

“I believe that in November, we’re going to be able to get something done to keep the Bears in the state of Illinois, but I’m not going to do it at the expense of the taxpayers,” Pritzker said.

Bailey said Indiana Gov. Mike Braun assured him that the team is going to the Hoosier state.

“I’m just glad I’m not going to be known as the governor that lost the Bears. You want to know why he’s going to wait until November? Because the Bears are going to Indiana,” Bailey said.

Bears officials said in August they would move forward with stadium plans in Hammond, Indiana, but they have yet to announce the selection of a specific site.

Buckner said he doesn’t think lawmakers are that far off from being able to reconcile separate bills that passed the Illinois House and Senate last spring but failed to gain approval from both chambers.

The Chicago Democrat said a payment in lieu of taxes bill or legislation providing for a stadium finance authority remained part of the conversation.

(The Center Square) – Two former Evanston/Skokie School District 65 vendors pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges on Tuesday. Antonio Ross, 49, and Alfonzo Lewis, 49, of Chicago admitted their roles in a kickback scheme orchestrated by the district’s former superintendent, Devon Horton, 49, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to wire fraud, embezzlement and tax charges.

Horton’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 5. Sentencing for Lewis is set for Jan. 25 and for Ross on March 10.

Report: St. Clair board member late on property taxes

A St. Clair County Board member is behind three years on property taxes for his Belleville home, and he hasn’t paid taxes on time for at least six years.

The Belleville News-Democrat reported that attorney C.J. Baricevic Jr., who represents District 16, didn’t pay his $4,974 tax bill for 2023, his $4,686 tax bill for 2024 or his $4,884 tax bill for 2025.

The delinquent bills were sold to a private investor in exchange for liens on the property.

Study ranks Illinois sixth-most expensive state to keep small business

Illinois is #6 on a list of the most expensive states to keep a small business open.

Bridge Point Business Brokers compared office rent, minimum wage, commercial electricity prices, top individual income tax rates, effective property tax rates, workers’ compensation costs, internet costs and combined sales tax rates across 48 states.

Illinois was the only Midwest state in the top ten and tied New Jersey for the highest property tax rate.

Missouri was #14, Wisconsin #31, Indiana #43, Iowa #45 and Kentucky #46. Wyoming was the least expensive state to keep a small business open at #48.

Fed survey shows firms expect inflation to continue

According to an August survey, companies in the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ region reported a 3% increase in prices they charged to customers over the past year, and they expected the same increase in the next 12 months.

Firms reported ongoing cost measures, especially from suppliers who change prices more often or add temporary fees. Despite rising costs, many businesses reported maintaining strong sales, mainly because of stable demand and higher sales volumes.

Headquartered in St. Louis, the Eighth Federal Reserve District covers all of Arkansas, most of Missouri, and parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey sat beside each other Tuesday night for a wide-ranging forum on policy proposals, including some that would impact taxpayers.

The candidate forum, which aired on Chicagoland PBS station WTTW, was advertised to differ from typical televised debates, but both Pritzker and Bailey often spoke over one another.

The candidates were asked about a number of different fiscal policies, including addressing the size of the $56 billion state budget.

Bailey opened the budgetary discussion by saying the state budget hasn’t truly been balanced in at least half a century.

“Over $200 billion dollars in pension liability. We look at a state across the border – at Indiana. They're setting on a $5 billion dollar surplus. They have a $1.5 billion dollar pension deficit. And we're setting on almost $200 billion,” Bailey said. “I don't know if people realize that or not, but in order to call the budget balanced, just push off the pension deficit and you put the retirement of our state workers at risk when you do that.”

Pritzker acknowledged the state’s debt and pension obligations, but said credit rating agencies, which have upgraded the state’s rating 13 times under his leadership, were the ones determining if the budget was balanced.

Asked about proposals to increase state revenue, Pritzker and Bailey again strongly disagreed on approaches.

Bailey said the state government needs to cut wasteful spending, rather than implementing new taxes on the most wealthy Illinoisans.

“You want to tax people of means? Go ahead. You know what's going to happen? They're going to move out of state,” Bailey said. “If we continue to tax the rich, that's a socialist mentality and we can't afford to do that.”

Pritzker defended a proposed millionaires tax that failed to gain momentum in Springfield for a statewide ballot question this November.

“When I propose that we lower taxes for working families and ask the wealthy and the big corporations to pay their fair share, Darren Bailey voted against that. I think we should be fighting for working families. We should be fighting for the middle class,” Pritzker said.

As for energy, the state isn’t on track to meet the 2050 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act deadline to phase out fossil fuels, as Illinois’ power grid is expected to see shortfalls in coming years.

Both candidates said the other’s policies would worsen conditions for Illinois ratepayers.

On public safety, Bailey listed a number of different criminals who have committed crimes while on pretrial release through the SAFE-T Act, including a man that broke into Pritzker’s back yard.

“I think judges and prosecutors ought to decide whether or not someone should be let out into the community or not. And in fact, the community, if there is danger to the community or danger to anyone in the community, they ought to be kept in jail,” Pritzker said.

But Bailey contended the SAFE-T Act has allowed for more than Pritzker characterized it.

‘I don't think a lot of people even know they get two free roam days. Every week they get to take their ankle monitor off and roam home around freely due to the safety act. So yeah, something has to change. And I think the biggest problem with the SAFE-T Act – I think we need to repeal it,” Bailey said.

One looming question remained for each candidate at the end, Pritzker’s potential presidential run in 2028 and Bailey’s previous support for and from President Donald Trump – whose favorability with voters is at or near all-time lows with voters according to multiple pollsters.

Pritzker restated a defense he’s used since launching his midterm political action committee this summer.

“The reason that I have traveled the country is because it's good for Illinois if we can elect a Democratic congress in Washington. So, they have taken away SNAP benefits and Medicaid, and we've seen huge losses for states all across the country as a result of what Donald Trump is doing,” Pritzker said.

Bailey similarly reused his argument towing the line on support from Trump, saying he’ll work with whoever is president, Trump or otherwise.

Both candidates will appear on the ballot Nov. 3, alongside independent candidate Collin Corbett, who didn’t meet the criteria to appear at the forum Tuesday.

(The Center Square) – A proposal being weighed in the Illinois House would allow Chicago to create its own city charter, which the lawmaker behind it said could simplify many of the complexities that have led to fiscal and other governmental issues in the city.

State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, described his legislation, the Municipal Home Rule Charter Act, as a bill that allows the city to create a constitution-style document for the city – which is one of the only major U.S. cities to not have one.

He said it provides a structure that would streamline the city’s government and give voters a say in its creation.

“It does not decide how power should be divided between the mayor and the city council. It does not decide what our budget process should look like. It does not dictate ethics rules, public safety policy, labor policy, education policy, or tax policy,” Buckner said. “The people of Chicago can have a serious conversation about how their city government should be organized and ultimately [the bill] allows them to decide for themselves.”

The city’s governmental structure is currently guided primarily by state laws passed in Springfield and ordinances passed by aldermen in the city, along with unwritten tradition.

Buckner’s bill was brought back up for the first time publicly since April during an out-of-session hearing by the House Executive Committee on Tuesday.

Joe Ferguson, president of the non-partisan Civic Federation, said that the retrospectively unpopular fiscal decisions could have been avoided by the government, and the charter could create more responsibility among the government.

“What does it mean for Chicago to have no charter? It means that there is no coherent, enforceable structure to the way government works here. Inadequate transparency, fractionalist politics and almost constant fiscal crises are just some of the issues that haunt Chicago,” Ferguson said.

He noted the city’s sale of its parking meters for $1.15 billion in 2008 could’ve been more thoroughly scrutinized or rejected if the city had a charter creating a stronger system of independent fiscal analysis for the council.

Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, asked what the point of the process is when there are already guiding laws and ordinances in the books.

Ferguson explained a charter would be easier to enforce.

“State law, municipal ordinance, customary practice absolutely is the case. But there is one broad distinction, and then I’ll go into the particulars, they’re unenforceable,” Ferguson said. “The mayor is the equivalent of the president and the speaker of the house. But customary practice and actual rules and the law have the mayor presiding over the council.”

He explained that many of the roles providing oversight to committees of the council are selected directly by the mayor.

A charter, under the proposal, would be written by 10 charter commissioners who would be chosen by Chicago voters in a nonpartisan election. The 10 members would select another member to come in and serve as the chair – a total of 11 members.

Buckner said the group wouldn’t have final say over the charter, as it would again be left up to voters.

“Any proposed charter would go before Chicago voters at the November 2030 general election and would take effect only if a majority of voters approve it,” Buckner said.

(The Center Square) – Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen Burke says a permanent legislative solution is needed to close gaps in the county’s electronic monitoring system.

Burke and Pennie McCoach, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, issued a joint statement on Tuesday, following the fatal stabbing of Chicago Transit Authority worker Julian Mobley at a Green Line train station last Thursday.

Burke and McCoach said the murder suspect was on electronic monitoring, but his repeated violations were ignored because the system lacks oversight.

Vehicle hijacking, theft prevention results announced

Illinois State Police say they recovered 424 stolen or hijacked vehicles from July 2026 through September 2026 using grant funding from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council. ISP also reported 21 stolen vehicle arrests, one hijacked vehicle arrest and seven firearms seized as a result of vehicle recovery missions during the three-month period.

ISP was awarded a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year of the program, another $677,000 in June 2024, and $637,500 in July 2025.

Congresswoman introduces bill to dismantle DHS

Illinois U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, has introduced legislation to dismantle the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, abolish Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and create a new Cabinet-level Department of Community Safety.

Ramirez filed the Reimagining Safety Act on Tuesday. When she first announced the bill last month, she said $150 billion from DHS programs would be reinvested into communities around the country.

$15M in city financing backs new Chicago housing development

Chicago officials have broken ground on a mixed-income housing development supported by $9.5 million in city financing through multi-family loan funds and $5.5 million in tax increment financing funds. The LeClaire Courts North Apartments project is slated to bring 138 new homes to the city’s Southwest Side. According to a news release from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office, the development plans also include retail space and parking.

(The Center Square) – Improper food subsidy payments may cost Illinois taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, but a risk solutions analyst says the state’s high Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program error rate can be fixed.

Illinois’ error rate for improper SNAP payments rose from 11.56% in 2024 to 14.67% last year, fifth highest in the nation.

Under provisions of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states with high error rates began paying more on October 1 of this year to administer SNAP.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker responded by saying the federal government’s goal was “basically” pushing people off the subsidies.

Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions government business, said Pritzker should blame thieves instead of blaming the Trump administration.

“These transnational criminals are going into the system and they're stealing. They're stealing from those in need, and they're stealing from hardworking taxpayers that are funding these programs,” Talcove told The Center Square.

Talcove said Illinois has antiquated processes and technology, and the state’s error rate has been high for years.

“It's been a Trump phenomenon, and it's been a Biden phenomenon. And even before that, it was a little bit on the high side under Obama,” Talcove said.

Talcove said states should implement front-end identity verification and stop self-reported information.

“Imagine applying for a mortgage and telling the bank that you make a million dollars a year and they just check the box and say, yep, that's what you make. Government does not validate the information on the forms, and as a result, the criminals know that,” Talcove said.

Talcove said Illinois should hire a third-party auditor.

“Children should not be allowed to grade their homework. The state shouldn't tell you what their error rate is,” Talcove said, adding that every beneficiary in the SNAP system should be reevaluated.

Talcove said taxpayers will cough up $700 million if Illinois does not improve its error rate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the nation’s states and territories made a collective $10 billion in improper Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments during fiscal year 2025.

(The Center Square) – Illinois voters will decide Nov. 3 on dozens of local referendums seeking higher taxes or additional borrowing authority, raising questions from a government watchdog about how municipalities are managing their finances as residents face some of the highest tax burdens in the country.

There are 85 local government referendums on the November ballot, according to an analysis by Fight for Illinois. Across the measures, the organization estimates more than $6 billion in long-term costs when borrowing and interest are included.

Ted Dabrowski, founder of Fight for Illinois, said municipalities should first look for ways to reduce spending and improve efficiency before asking residents for more money.

“This is Illinois, and we have a tax mentality, not a reform spending mentality,” Dabrowski said.

Dabrowski, former Republican candidate for Illinois governor, said local governments face financial pressures including public employee salaries, pensions and health care costs, as well as state mandates and the loss of residents and businesses.

Municipalities also face state-mandated police and fire pension obligations, which can make local budgets particularly difficult to manage, he said.

“I think in a lot of places townships are redundant,” Dabrowski said, adding that there can be opportunities for consolidation and reduced administrative costs.

The ballot measures vary by local government and purpose, with some seeking additional tax revenue and others asking voters to approve borrowing for capital projects.

Dabrowski said voters should examine whether a proposed project is necessary and whether the government seeking additional revenue has explored alternatives.

“Have any of these places looked for efficiencies instead of asking for more money?” he said.

The impact of individual measures can vary widely. Dabrowski pointed to proposed sales tax increases in some communities as examples of how relatively small increases can add to the overall tax burden on residents.

He said taxpayers should also consider the cumulative effect of multiple taxing bodies seeking additional revenue.

“People get hit,” Dabrowski said. “But then, you know, the big ones are these school districts.”

While the Fight for Illinois analysis includes school districts and other local government entities, Dabrowski said municipalities generally have smaller requests than some other taxing bodies.

He argued that voters should scrutinize local proposals before approving additional taxes or debt, particularly in a state already dealing with high property taxes and population losses.

“My big concern is that we keep chasing people out,” Dabrowski said.

Dabrowski said Illinois' financial challenges can make additional local taxes especially concerning because residents and businesses can compare the state's tax burden with those of other states.

“When people leave, guess what? Companies don't come and invest in Illinois because they know that the better place to invest is South Carolina or Tennessee,” he said.

Another concern, Dabrowski said, is whether taxpayers have enough transparency into how money approved through referendums ultimately is spent.

He said local governments should provide greater detail about proposed projects, contracts and spending and should give voters enough information to evaluate the proposals before Election Day.

“You got to know what's on your ballot,” Dabrowski said. “If you wait until you go vote, it's too late.”

Dabrowski said Fight for Illinois has compiled information on the November referendums through its newly launched app, which he said is intended to help residents review local ballot measures.

For municipalities considering additional revenue, Dabrowski said consolidation and spending reductions should be part of the conversation before tax increases are pursued.

“We need much more scrutiny and transparency,” he said.

(The Center Square) – The Illinois General Assembly has a new legislative watchdog after months of lawmaker ethics issues have been brought to light and the former Springfield investigator resigned.

One former complainant told The Center Square he’s not convinced a change in who runs the office won’t be in name only.

In September, former Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey was announced to have resigned following criticism of his investigative practices, including by one lobbyist complainant who was sexually harassed by former state Rep. Harry Benton, alongside other previous complainants who have spoken to The Center Square.

In an introductory video on the state investigator’s website, Acting LIG David Risley explained how he wants to differ from his predecessors.

“Since I don't know how long I'll be serving in this capacity, I intend to move quickly to do as much as I can while I can to accomplish three objectives. First of all, my top priority will be to make the office of the Legislative Inspector General a safe place for victims of sexual harassment, including keeping confidential information confidential,” Risley said.

Risley, a former federal prosecutor, previously worked within McCuskey’s office.

After issues of McCuskey’s performance in the role, which included complaints he didn’t record interviews with victims of sexual harassment and misrepresented said interviews in his final reports, Risley said he wants more resources put toward the office.

“We expect to be held accountable by the legislative ethics commission and those we serve for meeting those high standards of professionalism,” Risley said. “To be an effective investigative office, we need more investigators, both in the Chicago area and downstate.”

While Risley presents changes to the office, they’d mean an expansion of the office by at least a few full-time investigative staff.

Michael Martin, a former Speaker’s office staffer and was a Legislative Coordinator for multiple lawmakers, filed a complaint listing multiple lawmakers for varying degrees of mistreatment and over the termination of his employment in 2025.

Martin, who subsequently met with Risley and an investigator from the LIG’s office after meeting with McCuskey to review his complaint – which he characterized as unprofessional – said he plans to re-file his complaint now that McCuskey is gone.

“McCuskey proudly showed me cherished items around his office at the beginning of our meeting, including a mounted photograph of him coaching none other than a spry Jay Hoffman in college baseball,” Martin said. “So these longstanding relationships with legislators and leadership are a feature, not a bug.”

Martin also made recommendations for the office that ultimately denied him a full investigation into interactions with lawmakers, staff, and management – some of which he described as “abusive.”

McCluskey did not respond to The Center Square's request for comment.

“Since the speaker and Senate made it clear they will not allow their staff to unionize, staff should have a voting seat or two at the table when it comes to hiring these quote-unquote independent watchdogs,” Martin said. “Legislative staffers need legal advocates appointed to them when they file complaints that will accompany them and guide them throughout the process. After watching the current LIG's introductory YouTube video that basically says, to paraphrase, ‘Trust us, we'll do it right this time.’ To that I say, I don't.”

(The Center Square) – Thirteen members of Congress led by Republicans from Arizona and Texas have called on the Department of Justice to investigate alleged visa abuse in Chicago.

They’ve also called on Attorney General Todd Blanche to investigate what they argue is a faulty ruling a DOJ administrative law judge issued when dismissing a lawsuit, U.S. Tech Workers vs Boston Consulting Group.

The lawsuit alleges that the Boston Consulting Group participated in a Chicago program created to recruit and hire foreign workers through the H-1B visa program instead of Americans, P33-Chicago H-1B Connect.

The Trump administration has issued a series of directives and policy changes to crack down on what President Donald Trump categorizes as visa abuse, including H-1B visas, The Center Square reported.

The lawsuit alleges the program discouraged Americans from applying for jobs and violated citizenship status protections specifically outlined in section 274B of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The DOJ’s Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer presides over hearings mandated by the INA and the Immigration Act of 1990. The administrative judge dismissed the lawsuit based on a faulty understanding of the INA and wrongly concluded that U.S. Tech Workers didn’t present sufficient evidence to substantiate their discrimination claims, the delegation argues.

“In particular, the decision suggests that section 274B does not provide a cause of action for discriminatory advertising and that the advertising designed to prioritize non-immigrants on the basis of national origin or citizenship does not discriminate against American workers,” U.S. Reps. Paul Gosar, R-AZ, and Chip Roy, R-TX, wrote Blanche. They led the congressional delegation calling on Blanche to investigate.

The administrative judge’s interpretation of the INA “warrants careful review,” they said. “Congress enacted the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 to protect U.S. workers from discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin. If employers can expressly target foreign workers while discouraging Americans from applying, those protections are substantially weakened.”

They also pointed to actions the Trump DOJ has taken to protect American workers, including a recent $3.2 million settlement the DOJ secured with OpenAI, a California-based artificial intelligence company, and its subsidiary, Statsig Inc., a Washington-based software development company. This lawsuit alleged the companies violated the INA by discriminating against American workers by recruiting and hiring foreign workers through a Permanent Labor Certification program.

The program allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent resident status if they first recruit in the U.S. and certify that they couldn’t find qualified U.S. workers. The program prohibits companies from discriminating against Americans.

The OpenAI settlement was the 13th settlement since the DOJ re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative in 2025. The initiative enforces the INA’s prohibition on discrimination against Americans.

The congressional delegation said the same legal standard applies in the Chicago case. “We believe those efforts should be applied consistently,” they wrote. “Companies should not be permitted to avoid federal anti-discrimination protections simply by structuring recruitment through third-party platforms or advertising positions in a manner that excludes or discourages American workers.”

Founded in 2018, U.S. Tech Workers has been advocating for displaced American tech workers, combating the impacts of outsourcing American jobs and calling for visa reforms to protect American workers, it says.

Housed within the Institute for Sound Public Policy, it argues, “protecting U.S. technology workers and their jobs leads to a more productive, prosperous and secure America.”

The institute called on Blanche to investigate. “There are those who believe there is no such thing as advertising discrimination. Fortunately for us, these 13 members of Congress see things differently,” it said.

Four of those signing the letter are Republicans from Texas: U.S. Reps. Roy, Brian Babin, Keith Self and Randy Weber. They’ve also called for a federal investigation into H1-B visa fraud in Texas, The Center Square reported.

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller is the only member of Illinois’ congressional delegation who signed the letter. Other Republicans who signed it are from Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia.

Roy said he hopes Blanche investigating will help “end widespread H-1B abuse once and for all.”

(The Center Square) – AAA says Illinois fuel prices dropped slightly on Tuesday. The average Illinois price for a gallon of regular unleaded was $4.67, down from $4.70 on Monday.

The average price one week ago was $4.65, and the average price one year ago was $3.21.

The state average for diesel on Tuesday was $6.57 per gallon, down a penny from the day before. The average Illinois price for diesel one year ago was $3.70.

Seinfield answers anti-Israel hecklers in Chicago

After a heckler interrupted his show in Chicago last Friday and shouted that Palestinians have been killed, comedian Jerry Seinfeld joked that he would find out how much the heckler’s ticket cost and send the money to Israel.

In a video that circulated on social media, the Jewish comedian then said, “No, I won’t. I’m keeping it.”

Another heckler was removed after screaming that thousands of Palestinians were killed with U.S. taxpayer money.

Poll: 88% express concern over federal deficit

According to The Center Square’s latest Voters’ Voice Poll, 88% of U.S. voters say addressing the federal deficit is important.

Noble Predictive Insights surveyed 2,527 registered voters from Oct. 5 to Oct. 7. The weighted sample was comprised of 1,171 Democrats, 1,136 Republicans and 220 independents. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 1.95%.

The national debt is currently $40.28 trillion.

Thérèse Boudreaux contributed to this story

Fall trout season opens Saturday

The 2026 fall trout fishing season is scheduled to open on Saturday at 60 ponds, lakes and streams throughout Illinois. Early catch-and-release trout season opened at select sites last Saturday, but anglers may not begin keeping trout until 5 a.m. on Saturday.

The Illinois Catchable Trout Program is funded through the sale of inland trout stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year at waters where trout fishing is permitted during the fall season.

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has had a hand in widely backing Democrat candidates in largely red states where he and the national party feel there’s a chance they could pick up more seats.

Pritzker’s political action committee, the Ready for the Fight PAC, is targeting districts that either lean Republican or are competitive to expand the Democratic Party’s map – especially in the House of Representatives.

Pritzker, who also serves as chair of the PAC, seeded the committee with at least $20 million for the 2026 midterm election.

The billionaire governor, who is running for a third term, denied questions of him launching the PAC to raise his national profile ahead of a long-rumored 2028 presidential run.

“This is perhaps the most important year ever for us to elect Democrats to Congress, and that's what I want to help do because what's good for the state of Illinois is if we have a Democratic Congress. The Congress currently following Donald Trump has been awful for the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said.

But Pritzker has taken to states across the country for a variety of fundraising events and conferences – especially in recent weeks – to give remarks about key issues for voters like affordability.

Last week, Pritzker went to South Carolina, the first state scheduled for the Democratic primary election in 2028, to speak at an NAACP event.

The governor has also shared remarks highly critical of President Donald Trump and his administration, spoke at pro-abortion PAC events and more.

At an annual luncheon for Personal PAC, which supports pro-choice candidates, Pritzker quickly remarked about Trump and abortion policies.

“I'm not going to spend much time at all talking about Donald Trump because it can ruin a perfectly good meal for all of us. But I do need to get something off of my chest. There are too many women in this country who are living under the yoke of tyranny with a state government that is too close to being like Gilead in A Handmaid's Tale. Even people who claim to be pro-choice are afraid to say that abortion is health care,” Pritzker said.

The Ready for the Fight PAC has backed candidates in states like Texas, Ohio and Florida.

In a recent campaign email, Pritzker referred back to a group of Democrat state lawmakers from Texas who fled to Illinois to avoid a vote on redistricting the state, which ultimately passed.

Pritzker said that state lawmakers James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa – respectively running for the U.S. Senate and governor in Texas – need “a groundswell of support from across the country,” before asking Democrat supporters in and outside of Texas to assist both candidates by either door knocking or phone banking.

Pritzker’s PAC has also backed the candidate opposing U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, who has been under pressure from Republicans and Democrats to resign after his ex-father-in-law, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, of Ohio, accused him of abusing Moreno's daughter.

Pritzker has also spent at least $1.6 million in television ads in Nashville and Memphis for congressional races.

The PAC’s Youtube page also includes attack ads against GOP candidates in New Mexico’s, Alabama’s, and Arkansas’ second districts.

(The Center Square) – One year after former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan began serving a 7.5 year sentence at a federal prison camp in Morgantown, West Virginia, the Bureau of Prisons said Madigan’s scheduled release date is Oct. 5, 2031.

Madigan, 84, was convicted in February 2025 on 10 counts of public corruption. The former Democratic Party of Illinois chairman asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case, after the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in April 2026 to affirm his conviction.

Madigan served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021 and was speaker for all but two years from 1983 to 2021. He chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois from 1998 to 2021.

Obama Center workers organize with AFSCME

Obama Foundation and Obama Presidential Center and Museum workers say they are organizing with AFSCME Local 31.

A statement on the union’s website said 68 workers made the announcement in an open letter to their co-workers. AFSCME Local 31 said the new union will represent more than 250 people who work in Obama Foundation operations in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and throughout the country.

The workers said in the letter that they spend their days fulfilling the vision and values of the Obama Foundation, but they also cited heavy workloads, inadequate benefits, insufficient support from management and high employee turnover.

AFSCME Local 31 said employees are signing union authorization cards for the purpose of seeking voluntary recognition from foundation management.

IDNR announces repeat conservation officer of the year

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has named Conservation Police Officer Austin Priest its Officer of the Year for the second year in a row.

IDNR said Priest’s exceptional enforcement work included 49 field reports, 100 citations and multiple felony drug, driving under the influence, operating under the influence and warrant arrests.

The agency said Priest twice responded to life-saving incidents while off duty.

Fed reports increase in U.S. commercial paper outstanding

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis says U.S. commercial paper outstanding grew to $1.49 trillion in the week ending October 7. Commercial paper comprises short-term, promissory notes issued mostly by corporations

(The Center Square) – Holders of cryptocurrency and other digital assets have a reprieve before a new Illinois tax is scheduled to take effect.

Last week, a Sangamon County judge signed an agreed preliminary injunction between the state and The Digital Chamber, postponing the 0.2% tax on digital assets held or transacted by Illinois residents from Jan. 1 to July 1.

“This allows all the parties to litigate the matter and have a court reach a resolution, hopefully in advance of that, so that digital asset service providers and people using digital assets in the state of Illinois don't have to worry about compliance with the tax while it's still being challenged in court,” Jonathan Schmalfeld, Director of Policy at The Digital Chamber, told The Center Square.

The Digital Chamber filed a complaint on July 21, claiming the tax violates both the Illinois and U.S. constitutions.

Schmalfeld said the parties can move forward with briefings from early November to January or February.

“The goal would be to have this case resolved on the legal merits by early spring of next year, and then it would move on to any kind of appellate process or otherwise,” Schmalfeld said.

The Illinois Department of Revenue did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment on the agreed injunction.

The tax is part of the revenue package signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last June after it cleared the General Assembly during the final hours of the spring legislative session.

State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, said, before implementing a tax, lawmakers should face the people who will pay for it.

“Hold a hearing. Let them testify. Explain what you’re doing before it’s a done deal instead of passing it in the middle of a night without a hearing,” Cabello said.

As of Monday, Cabello’s House Bill 5798 to repeal the digital assets tax had 22 Republican cosponsors.

Cabello said the tax was meant to generate $60 million or more in new revenue for the state.

(The Center Square) – Voters in 12 Illinois counties could join 33 others in declaring they want to break the state into two.

Thirty-three counties in Illinois have already approved such nonbinding resolutions to draw a new boundary outside of Cook County, with an average approval rate of 74%, according to Loret Newlin, director of the group Illinois Separation.

Newlin, who alongside others organizing the ballot questions across the state, said she hears the enthusiasm from people in counties that have approved the nonbinding questions in years past.

“Well, a lot of them were like, ‘can it be done already?’ A lot of enthusiasm,” Newlin told The Center Square this week. “And there's, you know, there's people that want it, but they don't see that it's ever going to happen.”

She said she also hears from people who have moved out of the state saying they will move back to Illinois if it ever does separate from Cook County.

For the Nov. 3 general midterm election, the referendum on the ballot in 10 counties reads “Shall the board of [specific] County correspond with the boards of the other Counties of Illinois outside of Cook County, about the possibility of separating from Cook County to form a new state, and to seek admission to the Union as such, subject to the approval of the people?”

Newlin said they’ve got the question on the ballots for Coles, Gallatin, Hamilton, Henderson, Macoupin, McDonough, Monroe, Piatt, Saline, Warren and Washington counties.

The question is also on the Adams County ballot for specific townships. In Hamilton and Piatt counties, they have a similar nonbinding question with slightly different wording from what is on the 10 other counties' ballots.

Newlin said it’s important voters understand what the question isn’t. She said it doesn’t join counties with the state of Indiana, it doesn’t separate Illinois from America, nor does it create a new state. She reiterated it is a nonbinding question and doesn’t force the county to do anything.

There are other efforts out there with similar themes. The group New Illinois is organizing people from across the state to advance a separate effort and to create a new constitution.

“They are a completely separate organization,” Newlin said. “And currently they're working on a constitution. Our plan is to write a constitution with delegates from the counties where the referendum passes. It's not about what politicians or experts think. The question at this time is, do voters want the possibility of a new state explored?”

The ballot question isn’t an opinion poll, she said.

“It gives every voter equal opportunity, equal access to answer the question,” Newlin said.

Newlin also said it is important for voters to realize this is not the effort that Indiana launched last year by creating a commission to investigate absorbing some Illinois counties into Indiana. That commission features members appointed by the governor of Indiana, which have been made, and the governor of Illinois, which have not been made.

Last year, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Indiana measure was a stunt. In August 2025, he said he hoped Illinoisans who were disgruntled would stick around and try to bring about positive change.

“I'm sorry that people want to make a spectacle of themselves by claiming that they're going to leave the state,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Aug. 28, 2025. “Look, if you want to leave the state, I would like you to stay. I'd like you to get involved and make it a better place, by working together with us. But if you want to leave, then get up and move.”

Newlin reacted to that sentiment this week.

“In 2024, he was saying things like, ‘we are one Illinois,’ and I'm thinking, you have obviously not been outside of Cook County a whole lot because we are not one Illinois,” she said. “So it seems as though he's kind of acknowledging that maybe, you know, maybe there is some distinctions between parts of Illinois. But I did think it was kind of funny. And, like we need permission.”

Newlin recognized the obstacles in the way of creating a new state, and that such efforts could take a long time to achieve. Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution requires state legislature and Congressional approval for separate statehood. She said getting the Illinois Separation questions approved at the county level is the first step.

(The Center Square) – State and local officials have announced the start of interchange reconstruction work at Interstate 74 and John Deere Road in Moline.

The $129 million project will add a lane in each direction on I-74 and convert the interchange from a cloverleaf design to a diverging diamond. Delays can be expected in the area over the next two years.

The project is part of more than $1 billion of work planned in the Quad Cities over the next several years, including Illinois 84 reconstruction from the Rock River to just north of U.S. 6, the Centennial Bridge replacement over the Mississippi River, I-80 over the Mississippi River bridge reconstruction and more.

$15 MILLION IN STATE FUNDS ANNOUNCED FOR CORN-TO-ETHANOL RESEARCH

On Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced $17 million in funding to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to expand the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center.

The funding includes $15 million from state taxpayers and $2 million from the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

CHICAGO REPORTS DROP IN HOMELESSNESS

The city of Chicago 2026 Point-in-Time Count & Survey Report of People Experiencing Homelessness showed a 12.4% decrease from 2025.

City officials said the survey conducted on January 22, 2026 found a combined total of 6,527 Chicagoans experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness that night, down from 7,452 individuals counted during the 2025 count.

MAN INDICTED FOR AIMING LASER POINTER AT POLICE COPTER

A man has been indicted in federal court for allegedly aiming a laser pointer at a Chicago Police Department helicopter.

Ignacin Ramos, 36, pleaded not guilty to knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at the CPD helicopter on Aug. 11.

A status hearing was scheduled for Dec. 3.

VETERANS FAIRS SET FOR TUESDAY, THURSDAY

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs has a veterans resource fair scheduled on Tuesday in Joliet.

The agency says on-site resources include an IDVA veteran service officer, assisted living representatives, employment recruiters and mental health providers. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at American Legion Post 1080.

A military community job fair is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday at Soldier Field in Chicago.

(The Center Square) – Some of the highest-paid state executives across the country in 2025 were unelected education officials, according to a new report.

Ballotpedia curated a report detailing the salaries of top-ranking state officials across the country in 2025. The list found that nine of the top 10 highest paid officials were appointed to their positions.

The highest paid state official in 2025 was New York Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa, whose salary was $489,000. The next closest was Maryland Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright, with a salary of $361,000.

Georgia Treasurer Steve McCoy earned $329,000 in 2025, the highest salary of any elected official included in the report. He was the only elected official in the top 10 for highest-paid state executives.

Jackie Beran, a staff writer at Ballotpedia, told The Center Square that voters deserve to know how much state officials are getting paid. She highlighted the difference in pay between elected and appointed officials.

“Should we be putting these people in the office that are increasing pays by vast sums when the pay scales for other offices that aren't government-related, they're not getting these huge raises,” Beran said.

Colorado Commissioner of Education Susanna Cordova ranked fourth with a salary of $334,099. Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders ranked eighth on the list with a salary of $323,420.

“It makes sense because a lot of these states have huge education systems, but I didn’t think they would be the highest salary in the state that we would look at,” Beran told The Center Square.

In fact, officials on the 15-member Utah State Board of Education were the second lowest paid in the country with a salary of $10,529. The lowest paid state executive official is Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick with a salary of $7,113.

Eight of the 10 lowest paid officials across the country were elected to their positions. Members of the Delaware Public Service Commission, who make $35,000 per year and members of the Tennessee Public Utility Commission, who make $37,600 per year are the only appointed positions at the bottom of the list.

Beran said it was occasionally difficult to track down pay for state officials. She said Ballotpedia compiled financial information from states through financial reports, statutes, salary databases and external website calculations.

“A lot of the state statutes will list elected office holders salary, but they don't really get into what an appointed office holder gets paid,” Beran said.

The highest paid governor in the country was New York Gov. Kathy Hochul with a salary of $250,000. The lowest paid governor in the country was Maine Gov. Janet Mills at $70,000.

However, Maine passed legislation in 2024 that will increase the governor’s pay to $125,000 starting in January 2027. After the legislation is implemented, Arizona’s governor will have the lowest salary at $95,000.

Ballotpedia marked Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont with zero dollar salaries because both men chose to forgo their salaries in public office.

“They're not even listed in the payroll database through the state,” Beran told The Center Square.

In 2025, the Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s office saw the largest pay increase in the country. Her pay increased by 53.43% from 2024 for a salary of $169,862.

However, Kansas Lt. Gov. David Toland had a salary of $244,957, significantly higher than his counterpart. Across the board, governors in 16 states saw an increase in their salaries during 2025.

On the other hand, seven governors across the country saw a decrease in their salaries. Beran said salary determinations in different states vary dramatically from case to case.

“A lot of the states, of course, it's by the constitution or statute or some states have these like independent commissions where they meet every couple years and they decide what the salary is going to be and it's based on a different criteria,” Beran said.

Kansas accounted for three of the highest increases in state officials salaries in 2025. The Kansas Secretary of State took a 81% salary increase and the attorney general’s pay increased by 67%. Beran said the pay increases were due to legislation to increase resources throughout the state that went into effect for 2025.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill took the largest pay cut, at 17.7%. She earned a salary of $127,000 in 2025.

With the midterm elections looming, Ballotpedia’s resource is for taxpayers to determine how money is being used to support executive officials across the country.

“It is an important thing for someone to like when they go to the voter box,” Beran said. “If I was a constituent in one of these states, I would feel like if I saw that someone was getting paid a high amount, I would want it to be justified. You want to know this person is doing their job.”