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Archive for the ‘The Center Square’ Category

Trump administration demands Illinois change school mental health screening policies

Posted in Politics, School Districts, The Center Square on November 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor

Illinois is facing a federal deadline to change its school mental health screening policies after the Trump administration raised concerns about parental consent and student privacy, prompting a Lake County Moms for Liberty leader to urge parents to opt their children out of the screenings.

Marsha McClary, chair of the Lake County chapter of Moms for Liberty, said Illinois’ opt-out approach does not adequately protect parents’ rights, arguing schools should obtain explicit written permission before asking students personal questions about their mental health.

“Opt-outs can be missed and on multiple levels, whether the parent doesn’t see the ability to opt out or their communication isn’t clear,” McClary told The Center Square.

The U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice are challenging Illinois State Board of Education guidance that allows parents to decline student mental health screenings rather than requiring written parental consent before participation.

In an Oct. 30 announcement, the Department of Education gave ISBE until Nov. 13 to revise its guidance, warning that failure to comply could lead to enforcement action, including the potential loss of federal funding.

Federal officials argue the state’s approach could violate the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which requires prior written parental consent before minors participate in certain surveys or evaluations involving sensitive subjects, including mental or psychological problems.

The department also raised concerns about Illinois guidance making it optional for schools to include screening results in students’ official education records, arguing that could prevent parents from accessing information about their children’s well-being.

Report continues here.

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A sound reason for Barrington Hills residents to vote for McLaughlin and Hills

Posted in BACOG, Capitol News Illinois, Commodius Maximus, Daily Herald, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Land Disconnection, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Plan Commission, Politics, Press Release, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Privacy, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions, Village Code, Village of Barrington, Zoning Board on October 23, 2026| 1 Comment »

Rep. McLaughlin Hosts Press Conference with Northwest Suburban Mayors – February 26, 2026 | Screenshot via Facebook

On February 18th of this year, one headline read, “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control.” The report stated his BUILD Act would (and still does):

“…drastically limit local governments’ authority to restrict the types of structures that can be built on property zoned residential.”

“Accessory dwelling units — attached or detached secondary residences such as granny flats, backyard cottages and above-garage apartments — would be legalized on all properties zoned for residential use.”

“…would establish statewide timelines for inspections and reviews and allow third-party inspectors ($$$) if municipalities miss deadlines.”

Objections to Pritzker’s plan was very quickly spearheaded by Rep. Marty McLaughlin who gathered many community leaders in a room for a press conference February 26th. The headline following that press conference read:

“‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential zoning.”

In recent months, Pritzker rarely speaks of the BUILD Act since he doesn’t want it to be a fatal plank in local campaigns, but it by no means has gone away! It’s just been muted until after the November 3rd elections…

Last Friday, The Center Square reported:

“Leaders in Illinois are suggesting a package of legislation aimed at increasing housing affordability and supply in the state may be kicked further down the road, after proposals stalled in May after disagreements between stakeholders.

The Building Up Illinois Developments housing plan, or BUILD, was recommended to the legislature by Gov. J.B. Pritzker early this year, but largely sat on the back burner during the last session of the assembly.

The plan is an extensive proposal that would make sweeping changes to zoning and regulations statewide, aimed at increasing supply, reducing overhead costs, and speeding up development timelines.

At an unrelated news conference Thursday, Pritzker said he thinks the housing legislation may be put aside again during the six-day fall veto session in November and December, in favor of waiting until the 105th General Assembly begins to reintroduce the initiative.

‘It’s a short session, as you know, the veto session. So, I do believe that you’re going to see that in the coming full session starting in January,’ Pritzker said.”

The same article continues:

“Multiple bills in the BUILD proposal would have to be re-introduced and go through the legislative process again in January if not passed sooner.

Pritzker said he remains committed to his end goal with the legislation.”

Pritzker views McLaughlin as a vocal stumbling block. The same is true of Hills, so the Democrats are spending literally millions in the current campaign to silence them.

If you value your property rights as a homeowner in Barrington Hills as we do, then we urge you to vote for Martin McLaughlin and Darby Hills.

For information on where, when and how to vote, click here.

Related: “McLaughlin’s press conference video recording regarding Pritzker’s proposed municipal zoning powers grab posted,” “‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential zoning,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “South Barrington Mayor Paula McCombie provides an update of Pritzker’s proposed BUILD Act,” “Village of Barrington President shares perspectives on Pritzker’s BUILD plans,” “(Ignoring public opinion) Pritzker says of BUILD Plan for homes would not cost taxpayers”

 

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Poll: Majority of voters concerned about socialists running for office

Posted in Blame Canada, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Village Code on October 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch | The Center Square

A majority of American voters are concerned with socialist candidates running and possibly winning political office, according to a new poll.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice poll found that 55% of American voters are concerned about Democratic Socialist candidates running for and winning elected office in the U.S., while 37% aren’t concerned.

A slew of candidates running as democratic socialists appears to be raising alarms with a majority of American voters.

Of the 55% who are concerned, 35% are very concerned, while 20% say they are “somewhat concerned.”

(Click on image to enlarge)

Of those not concerned, only 17% say they are not too concerned, while 20% say they are not at all concerned.

The poll comes as several Democratic Socialist candidates have risen in popularity across the country. The Democratic Socialists of America are touting 67 wins across the country, with 93 running. However, the group includes 62 DSA candidates who have lost.

Report continues here.

 

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Juliana Stratton is hiding from Illinois voters. That tells you everything.

Posted in Cost of Living, Deception, Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Flock Cameras, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Taxes, The Center Square, The Chicago Way, Transparency, Unions, WTTW News on September 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Juliana Stratton (left)

By Mark Glennon | Wirepoints

The balance in the United States Senate after November’s elections is likely to be razor thin, making each Senator’s competence critical in what is among the most dangerous periods America has faced, both internationally and nationally.

Juliana Stratton wants a promotion to the Senate from lieutenant governor — a mostly ceremonial post in Illinois. She’s asking for that promotion from behind a curtain, denying voters any opportunity to see whether she has even a meager understanding of the issues she will face.

Multiple debates and forums would be the best means to learn about Stratton — as well as about Don Tracy, her Republican opponent, whose Senate credentials are also little known to Illinois voters. Tracy accepted offers to no fewer than seven such events from CBS2 Chicago, FOX 32 Chicago, the League of Women Voters of Peoria, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, the Technology and Manufacturing Association and the Illinois Municipal League.

Stratton, however, refused all but one , and it will be very late, set for October 20. Early voting starts September 24 in Illinois, nearly a month before that. And with Chicago’s PBS affiliate, WTTW, being the moderator, we should expect no tough questions for Stratton.

How about a long interview by a fair reporter versed on national issues?

Forget it. You will find none. For that matter, you won’t find one on any matter for the entire duration of her political career in Illinois. When asked for an interview in July by one source that can be reasonably expected to ask hard questions, The Center Square, Stratton declined. Tracy, in contrast, has given multiple interviews to sources both left- and right-leaning.

In fairness, Stratton did participate in multiple debates and forums when running in the Democratic primary. However, that was against fellow progressive Democrats who largely agreed with her and she was never challenged on the major issues that divide the country and would be important to undecided and swing voters.

What do we know about Stratton, aside from her record of complete allegiance to Gov. JB Pritzker on Illinois issues?

On her web pages and elsewhere you can find the standard list of the far left’s policy positions. They include abolishing ICE, which she says is unfixable; a national $25 per hour minimum wage, even in rural areas; Medicare for all, with no cost analysis provided; and ending the 51-year old Senate filibuster rule.

Her top priority, however, is fighting back against President Trump, she has emphasized. We might therefore expect some substance in her views about Trump, right?

Her most notable words about Trump were in an ad that did get her national and international attention, but it was ridiculed for its vacuous crudeness, even by left-leaning sources like Britain’s The Guardian. It was a 30-second ad in her primary race with a string of “F— Trump.”

Article continues here.

Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.

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AI restrictions spread as K-12 school year begins

Posted in 220, 300, AI, Illinois Federation of Teachers, School Districts, Springfield, The Center Square on September 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Photo: Immo Wegmann / Unsplash

By Esther Wickham | The Center Square

States and school districts across the country are tightening rules on artificial intelligence as the 2026-27 K-12 school year begins, with education leaders citing concerns over student learning, screen time and the risks of rapidly advancing technology.

As concerns about AI’s impact on K-12 education have grown, dozens of states have introduced or passed legislation aimed at regulating its use in schools.

Illinois

The Illinois State Board of Education launched an AI guidance package in June 2026, providing school districts with guidance on evaluating and using artificial intelligence products.

The roughly 400-page AI Blueprint emphasizes that AI should support teachers and student-teacher relationships.

“The guidance is not organized around artificial intelligence as a technology to be adopted for its own sake. It is organized around the enduring educational premise that the teacher-student interaction is the centerpiece of teaching and learning,” the document states.

“AI may assist with planning, access, feedback, communication, operations, and resource development, but it must remain a means to inform teaching and learning rather than a substitute for educator judgment, student relationships, or the developmental and civic purposes of public schooling,” the document said.

The Center Square reached out to ISBE for further information but did not receive a response.

Report continues here.

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Report: Illinois tops nation in debt ratio

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, IDOT, Illinois Tollway, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Springfield, The Center Square, Unions on August 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

According to a new report on financial red flags, Illinois has a higher debt ratio than any other state and Chicago is the most financially tenuous place in America.

Reason Foundation used audited financial reports from state governments and the nation’s 100 largest cities, counties and school districts to evaluate them in eight measures of financial health.

Reason Foundation Research Director Geoff Lawrence said Illinois is way upside down, with a debt ratio of 276%.

“It has way more debt than assets, $80 billion in total assets versus $220 billion in debt, so if you were to try to liquidate all of the state’s assets to pay off all its debts, it would be impossible,” Lawrence told The Center Square.

The report also flagged Illinois for liabilities per capita and unrestricted net position.

Lawrence said Chicago residents are facing heavy city and county debt on top of federal and state debt.

“In addition to what you owe to the federal government in terms of outstanding debt per citizen, you owe substantial amounts as well to every level of local government,” Lawrence said, adding that the city continues to dig the hole.

“They outspent revenues by about $580 million in the last year for which we have data,” Lawrence said.

Read on here.

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Group says secret gender policies violate parents’ rights

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Look For The Union Label, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, The Center Square, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A sign for an inclusive restroom with gender and accessibility symbols is displayed on a dark wall. | Photo: Danielle-Claude Bélanger / Unsplash

By Jim Talamonti |The Center Square

The Liberty Justice Center has sent letters to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and attorneys general in three other states, warning that school districts’ decisions to withhold information from parents regarding students’ purported gender transitions violate the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

The LJC said parents have a right under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to direct the education of their children. The group said the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act guarantees parents the right to access their children’s education records at schools that receive federal funds.

In addition to Illinois, the LJC sent letters to attorneys general in New York, New Jersey and Washington.

Source

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Pritzker signs bell-to-bell school phone ban

Posted in 220, 300, AI, Barrington Education Association, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, The Center Square on July 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Sean Reed | The Center Square

As Illinois students return to school this fall, school boards and families will begin discussing and implementing a bell-to-bell cell phone ban, stemming from a new law that provides few exceptions for phone use during a school day.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the phone ban legislation Tuesday morning at Elgin High School, which has already implemented a phone ban within its district in the previous year.

Many specifics of how bans will be enforced are left up to local school boards, which have a full school year until they must adopt a policy that fits within the law’s minimum requirements.

“Students are distracted. Teachers sometimes have trouble getting students’ attention. Principals are experiencing disruption that smartphones create throughout the school day,” Pritzker said. “Parents have been concerned and have seen cyber bullying and of course the mental health impact that social media and phone usage are having on our kids.”

Suzanne Johnson, U-46 school district superintendent, said the implementation of their ban had a slightly turbulent start, but is now widely popular among students, teachers and parents.

“During our student summit in the spring, where we welcome over 200 high school students to provide feedback and guidance on U-46 efforts and focus areas, students were asked to identify one thing we should not change. And they identified the new cell phone personal device guidelines they needed to stay in place,” Johnson said.

The bill didn’t specifically provide school districts with funding to implement the ban, which has been common in other states for products like magnetic locking bags to secure phones throughout the day.

Article continues here.

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Sales tax hike to hit Cook, collar counties on Aug. 1

Posted in BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on July 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

Consumers in six Illinois counties will be soon be paying higher sales taxes.

Transit funding legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last December provided for the 0.25% increase to take effect on Aug. 1 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.

The tax hike is projected to generate $478 million a year as part of the $1.5 billion in annual transit funding provided in Senate Bill 2111.

State Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, said suburban taxpayers are bailing out the Chicago Transit Authority.

“We’re giving them a lifeline of money that we’re not getting anything in return for,” Reick said.

The Center Square asked Reick if higher taxes might drive people out of the area.

“Here in McHenry County, we’re obviously on the border with Wisconsin. I think people are going to make economic choices to drive up to Walworth, in my case, to buy gas and things like that,” Reick said.

SB 2111 also gave the Illinois Tollway Board the power to raise tolls.

Before the bill passed, state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said he appreciated the desire for a state-of-the-art mass transit system.

“I don’t know how, though, we justify spending more money than we need after $2 billion of tax increases in the last few years,” Ugaste said.

Report continues here.

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Illinois may bring early warning of toll costs ahead of proposed rate hike

Posted in Fat Bastard, Illinois Tollway, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, The Chicago Way on July 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A roadside sign reads “Welcome to Illinois, The Land of Lincoln,” next to highway signs for Chicago and Indianapolis. | Photo: Sarah Roderick-Fitch / The Center Square

By Sean Reed | The Center Square

While Illinois contemplates raising prices on tollways across the state, one state lawmaker wants increased transparency for drivers.

State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, announced he plans to introduce the “Truth in Toll Transparency Act,” which he said will give drivers on Illinois tollways a more advanced warning of the cost to enter a toll.

He told The Center Square he wanted to bring the measure forward because drivers often aren’t made aware of the actual cost of a toll until it’s too late to turn around.

“You will see a sign that says ‘toll ahead’ or ‘paid toll,’ but it does not define what the cost of that toll is going to be on the majority of tollways,” McLaughlin said. “If you’re going to continue to charge us for the tolls, the least you should expect would be to get an exact exact dollar amount before you enter a toll point, and that’s not happening today.”

McLaughlin said the proposed law may come at a small cost to update and place new signage near tollways, but he said that cost would come alongside the tollway already needing to update signs if it approves a rate hike.

McLaughlin noted he doesn’t feel proposed toll increases, which are set to be voted on by Illinois Tollway officials in the coming months, are necessary right now. The increase would be 45 cents per toll for IPASS users and a 30% rate hike for commercial IPASS users.

“To me this is just another opportunity to demand transparency from those in Illinois that have a spending addiction, but have a transparency problem and if you’re going to hit up me and my neighbors for these numbers, let us know in advance before we enter into the toll,” McLaughlin said.

Report continues here.

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