Eighteen former U.S. Department of Justice attorneys filed a brief in federal court opposing the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking access to sensitive personal information about every registered voter in Illinois, arguing the DOJ has no legal authority to demand the information and is concealing its true purpose.
Peter Hancock
Posted inHealth
Illinois Medicaid program faces looming funding crisis due to federal changes
Illinois is facing a multibillion-dollar budget crisis due to changes in federal Medicaid policy that will reduce the state’s ability to levy provider taxes, resulting in a $4-6 billion a year hit to the state’s Medicaid program.
Posted inPolitics
Labor, voting rights groups intervene in Illinois voter data lawsuit
The Trump administration is seeking access to the complete, unredacted voter registration database of 23 states and Washington, D.C., including sensitive personal information about individual voters, which voting rights groups and labor organizations are attempting to block in a federal lawsuit.
Posted inPolitics
Justice Department sues for access to Illinois voter rolls
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois seeking access to its complete voter registration database, citing federal requirements to keep the database updated and accurate.
Posted inNews
Illinois ag director says trade policies are ‘crushing’ farmers
The Trump administration has announced a $12 billion aid package to help U.S. farmers affected by trade disputes, but Jerry Costello II, director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, says the package is insufficient and will not cover all the losses farmers have suffered.
Posted inEducation
Requests for new K-12 funding likely to outstrip available resources
Illinois State Board of Education officials have received requests for public school funding totaling $748M, which is considerably smaller than last year’s requests, but still more than what is likely to be available given the current fiscal uncertainty.
Posted inNews
Illinois Prison Mail Scanning Program Faces Backlash From Families and Advocates
The Illinois Department of Corrections has launched a program to scan incoming mail to prisoners in an effort to reduce drugs and contraband from entering prisons, but critics argue it violates prisoners’ civil rights and there is little evidence to suggest it will be effective.
Posted inEducation
New teachers’ union leaders in Illinois call for tax shift to fund K-12, higher education
Stacy Davis Gates, the new president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, has called for increased taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations to increase state spending on education and other public services.
Posted inHealth
State-based health insurance marketplace opens amid federal budget stalemate
Illinois residents will see premium hikes and many are expected to drop coverage due to the ending of enhanced tax credits, which is part of a federal budget change included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” of 2021.
Posted inEducation
Report offers mixed review of educational progress in Illinois
Despite billions of dollars in additional spending on K-12 education, proficiency rates in reading, writing and math have stagnated in Illinois, while overall educational attainment has improved.
