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Archive for the ‘The Center Square’ Category

Presidential poll numbers show Pritzker at 2%

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Fat Bastard, Look For The Union Label, Pension Funding, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, The Center Square on June 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Photo: BlueRoomStream / Screenshot

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

A new public opinion poll says Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker remains low on the list of voters’ preferred choices in the 2028 Democratic Party primary election for president.

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, a nonpartisan public opinion polling firm, from June 1-4, 2026 and surveyed registered voters nationally.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris finished first with 27% of the vote among 1,013 Democrats who responded. 17% said they were not sure.

Next was California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 14%, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 11% and New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 8%.

Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear both came in at 2%.

Report continues here.

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Illinois lawmakers give raises to diversity commissioners they criticized

Posted in 220, 300, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on June 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Alexandria Wilson, executive director of the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion, was grilled by lawmakers during a budget hearing, April 15, 2026. | Photo: Jared Strong / The Center Square

By Jared Strong | The Center Square

State lawmakers failed to reform the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion this legislative session despite bipartisan criticism of its performance and calls to disband it.

Moreover, the seven highly paid commissioners who lead it are getting raises along with numerous other executive branch appointees, and their requested $5.6 million budget was approved.

The budget allocation and pay increases were included in the early Monday morning votes to ratify a new, $55.9 billion state budget.

And they belie the considerable critiques that lawmakers aired during public budget hearings in recent months. House lawmakers initially said they intended to summon the commission’s staff for a third hearing to continue their questions, but that didn’t happen.

Lawmakers have seized on The Center Square’s investigation of the commission to question their salaries of about $150,000, given that they are allowed to work side jobs for extra pay and have overseen a sizable decline in the number of businesses owned by racial minorities, women and people with disabilities that are certified by the state.

Certified businesses are preferred for state contracts. The primary goal of the commission — which was created in 2022 — is to increase the amount of state contract money that is awarded to the businesses.

State Rep. Brad Halbrook, a Shelbyville Republican, said it was wrong to approve more money for the commissioners without further review. He is among those who want to eliminate the commission.

“Lawmakers were asked to fund an agency without receiving the additional scrutiny and answers that many members believed were necessary,” he told The Center Square. “In a state facing significant fiscal challenges, that is not how responsible budgeting should work.”

No Republicans voted to approve the new budget.

Report continues here.

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(Please) WATCH: Experts say increased spending doesn’t mean better students

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Education, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, The Center Square, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

By Esther Wickham | The Center Square

Spending more taxpayer dollars doesn’t make kids smarter, according to experts.

As K-12 test scores and student proficiency rates continue to decline nationwide, education experts question whether increased education funding is improving student outcomes or merely contributing to inefficiencies within the public school system.

National Assessment of Educational Progress data released in 2024 show that the average reading score for 12th-grade students fell three points since 2019 and is 10 points lower than the first assessment in 1992. Average math scores for 12th graders have also declined by three points since 2019.

Critics argue the issue is not a lack of funding, but how education dollars are being spent

“We don’t have an education funding problem. We have an education spending problem,” Ryan Walters, CEO of Teacher Freedom Alliance, told The Center Square.

Walters said increased funding has often gone toward administrative bloat rather than students and teachers. He said schools should be raising academic standards, improving accountability and implementing school choice programs to give parents more control over their children’s education.

“School choice is a huge factor in this. We need that universally across the country so that if schools are low performing and they don’t want to shape up, parents should be able to take their kids somewhere else,” Walters said.

Please read more and watch a video here.

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Consumer advocates say Nicor’s rate hike is unreasonable, profit-driven

Posted in BOHICA, Cost of Living, Deception, Politics, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on May 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A natural gas stove burner produces a blue flame while in use. Photo: KWON JUNHO / Unsplash

By Sean Reed | The Center Square

Consumer advocates have signaled heavy opposition to a proposed $221 million rate hike by Nicor Gas, arguing that the request is excessive, charging Illinoisans over five times what’s needed.

The request trailed just weeks behind the Illinois Commerce Commission’s approval of a $167.8 million hike last year. It would also be the sixth jump in delivery costs in the past decade.

Experts on the matter from the Citizens Utility Board, Illinois PIRG, and the Environmental Defense Fund came together early Monday to outline their opposition to the rate hike.

The same experts have also shared testimony to the ICC, which must approve or deny requested utility rate hikes before they can take effect.

Nicor’s spending has significantly increased since 2015 – mostly attributed to a state law that required the replacement of old delivery pipes. Despite the law’s sunset and all replacements having been completed by 2018, critics say the company’s spending has only continued to trend upward.

According to Jim Chilsen of the Citizen’s Utility Board, the proposed increase would add to the financial burden for all Nicor customers, 200,000 of whom are behind on their bills by $74 million total, as of last month.

“When the supply side of bills is so volatile, it just adds to the pain when you have a company like Nicor Gas going on a spending spree over the last decade and going before the commission to ask for six separate rate hikes. That’s been a hardship,” Chilsen said.

Report continues here.

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Convicted former Illinois Speaker gives Pritzker advice (from prison)

Posted in Economy, Education, Fat Bastard, Politics, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Rich Hein, Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file

Quick Hits | The Center Square

Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan – from federal prison over corruption charges – penned an op-ed this week calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to accept the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program.

The program, which Pritzker has been reluctant to opt the state into, would allow people to deduct up to $1,700 from their federal taxes if they donate to a qualifying K-12 scholarship granting program.

Republicans in Springfield also called on Pritzker to opt in this week.

Both Madigan and the Republicans argued the governor is putting politics over the needs of citizens.

Find more news here.

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Illinois ranks 46th (And that’s by cheating!) out of 50 states for financial transparency

Posted in Fools and their money, Springfield, The Center Square, Transparency on May 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“Illinois received zero points for balance sheet transparency”

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

A new report ranks Illinois 46 out of 50 states for financial transparency, partly due to the state’s slow fiscal reporting.

Truth in Accounting’s Financial Transparency Score 2026 report evaluates how effectively each state discloses its true financial condition through audited reports.

Truth in Accounting founder & CEO Sheila Weinberg said Illinois taxpayers are not given information on a timely basis.

“The voters and the elected officials are making budget decisions and other financial decisions without the most recent data,” Weinberg told The Center Square.

Illinois’ 2026 financial transparency score of 51 ranked 46th in the country on a report that evaluates audit quality, timeliness, pension reporting and accounting practices.

Weinberg said Illinois improved from a disclaimer opinion to a qualified opinion.

“They still can’t get their act together on their unemployment trust funds, so that’s why they received a qualified opinion,” Weinberg said.

Read on here.

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Illinois Senate passes bill to regulate auto insurance rates

Posted in The Center Square on May 14, 2026| 1 Comment »

Damaged vehicle after a car crash with airbag deployment, May 5, 2025. | Photo: Carleen Johnson / The Center Square

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

The Illinois Senate has approved legislation to regulate auto insurance rates, but a former Illinois Department of Insurance director says the proposal will result in higher premiums.

After adding a second amendment to Senate Bill 714 on Wednesday, state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said his legislation prohibits auto insurance rates from being excessive or discriminatory.

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office expressed support for the bill at a Senate Insurance Committee hearing on Tuesday.

Amy Williams, senior legal advisor at the secretary’s office, said more than 630,000 Illinoisans per year are driving without auto insurance required by law.

“Drivers in Illinois are facing hardships due to increasing automobile insurance rates, and they want oversight to ensure that their rates are not excessive or unfairly discriminatory,” Williams said.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias launched a campaign last summer to prevent insurers from setting rates based on age, credit score or zip code and to allow more state oversight.

“We’re going to treat this like a political campaign,” Giannoulias said at the time.

Article continues here.

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WATCH: Ex-rep sues Pritzker, Illinois over race-based congressional map

Posted in Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, SNAFU, Springfield, The Center Square, The Chicago Way, Transparency, Unions on May 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The entrance of the federal court in the Southern District of Illinois is shown in East St. Louis. Photo: Greg Bishop / The Center Squar

By Sean Reed | The Center Square

Illinois’ congressional district map is being challenged over what some argue are unconstitutional racial requirements for districts. A former Republican state representative sued Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the State Board of Elections late last week.

Jeanne Ives, a former representative of the state’s 42nd district, brought the case backed by J. Christian Adams, president and general counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation.

Filed in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of Illinois, the official complaint claims congressional maps drawn after the 2020 U.S. Census are unconstitutional because the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 mandates the creation of “racial districts.”

Ives told The Center Square Daily that state Democrats have brazenly moved to draw maps based on racial lines.

“It’s very obvious to anybody looking at Illinois maps, and Illinois law, that these districts are in fact – they use race to design the districts and the SCOTUS decision makes it abundantly clear that you just can’t do that anymore,” Ives said.

Ives said a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which determined Louisiana’s district map as unconstitutional because of an over-reliance on race, is what has explicitly made it clear that Illinois’ congressional map as unconstitutional.

Report continues here.

Related: “U.S. Supreme Court decision puts brakes on Illinois redistricting amendment”

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Illinoisans may soon need registration, title, license to use e-bikes, scooters (?)

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), E-bikes, FUBAR, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square on May 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A man stands with his electric bike on a trail cutting through a grassy field. | Photo: Nick van der Vegt / Unsplash

By Sean Reed | The Center Square

Illinoisans may soon be required to register their e-bikes, motorized scooters and other various modes of transport with the DMV if a popular piece of legislation in Springfield passes.

Having bipartisan support, the Illinois Secretary of State said there would also be new regulations, age requirements, and fees associated with using the devices.

Senate Bill 3336, an initiative backed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, would require a person to be at least 16 years old, licensed to drive, and to register certain electric micromobility devices with the state before they can legally be operated.

According to Giannoulias and lawmakers in favor of the bill, they are seeking regulation in response to a rise in accidents involving the various vehicles.

“The rise in serious crashes, injuries, and confusion about the law makes it clear that doing nothing is not an option. That’s why our bill is so critical. Nationwide, injuries and fatalities have soared an alarming 300% in just three years from 2019 to 2022,” Giannoulias said.

Vehicles that fall under the purview of the new law include e-bikes with a power rating between 750 and 8,000 watts, e-scooters, and any other electric-powered device primarily used for transportation and that moves under 28 mph.

Existing regulations for low-powered motorized vehicles will not be changed, according to the secretary.

The bill excludes toy vehicles (But WHY?) and mobility assistance devices.

Article continues here.

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Pritzker pushes housing plan described as ‘all stick,’ no carrot

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Fat Bastard, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, The Center Square, Unions, Zoning Board on April 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Pritzker’s ideal community…

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is pushing to prevent local communities from restricting housing development, but local leaders say state preemption of local control may not address high housing costs.

The governor discussed his Building Up Illinois Developments plan during an AARP Illinois tele-town hall on Monday and said the high cost of housing burdens one in three older households.

Pritzker said said the state’s home listings have dropped 64%.

“Our failure to build is in part due to restrictive statutes and regulations in towns, cities and counties,” the governor said.

Several of Pritzker’s proposals would restrict local authority.

The Illinois Senate Executive Committee discussed House Bills 4060, 4061, 4062, 4063 and 4064 during a subject matter hearing that lasted more than five hours on Friday.

The five bills are all part of the governor’s BUILD initiative.

More here.

Related: “Pritzker’s affordable housing plan gets Senate hearing as municipalities remain opposed,” “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,” “Gov. JB Pritzker’s ambitious housing plan for Illinois: More four-flats, looser rules,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “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 It’s just zoning”

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