WEEK IN ILLINOIS

In the News

Insurers defend rates

Insurance industry officials testifying before a state Senate committee defended recent homeowners insurance rate spikes this week, blaming such factors as inflation and climate change while warning that attempts to regulate their ability to set rates would be bad for consumers.

NONPROFITS: Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed a bill that would have allowed state Treasurer Michael Frerichs' office to create an investment pool for Illinois nonprofits, saying the program could be exploited by extremist groups.

DISTRICT MAPS: A group of former Obama administration officials and election lawyers announced Tuesday they are attempting to reform the way the state draws district maps for the state legislature with a ballot initiative for a constitutional amendment.

CONGRESS RUN: Carroll County Board Chair Julie Bickelhaupt launched her campaign for the 2026 Republican nomination in Illinois' 17th Congressional District, held by Rep. Eric Sorensen, touting her roots as a farmer and perspective as a mother.

BILLS SIGNED: The governor signed 266 laws, including measures to make public defenders more independent, tighten safety regulations at warehouses and increase the age for required annual driver tests.

BALLY'S: Bally's Chicago announced it has completed its $250 million initial public offering, adding 1,800 individual investors to the project, but falling short of its fundraising goals.

In the News

State sues feds for victim aid

Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a multistate lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from withholding federal funding to support crime victims in Illinois due to the state's policy on immigration.

NORTHWESTERN: Northwestern has reached a settlement with former football coach Pat Fitzgerald nearly two years after he sued the university for $130 million following his firing amid a team hazing scandal.

ELECTION DATA: The U.S. Department of Justice is insisting Illinois election officials hand over the state's entire computerized voter registration database, including sensitive information such as driver's license and partial Social Security numbers.

HARMON: Senate President Harmon has appealed a $10 million fine levied by Illinois State Board of Elections for improper campaign contributions.

RENTAL AID: Illinois' court-based rental assistance program reopened July 31 with $50 million of state money available after federal funding ended.

NASCAR: While NASCAR is bypassing the Chicago Street Race next summer, it is filling the void on the schedule with a Cup Series race during July Fourth weekend at the long-dormant Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.

CANCER CARE: UChicago Medicine hopes to expand its cancer care across the country, starting with its first affiliation, with AdventHealth Cancer Institute Shawnee Mission in the Kansas City area.

They said ...

Good fashion feels like the textures that send tingling sensations through your fingers."

— Beautiful Lives Project co-founder Bryce Weiler, who has been blind since birth I've talked to people in Iowa and I've talked to people in California. They love the idea that politicians are not drawing their maps. And if you look at their maps, they're compact and contiguous. And people like that."

— Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood No matter how many times I fall … I always get up."

— Angel Santiago, on the return of his stolen emotional support dog Odds and ends

PROUD BOYS: After widespread community opposition, the Proud Boys recruitment billboard that was put up near a high school in Clinton County was removed Tuesday.

RETURNED DOG: Bam Bam, a 14-year-old emotional support dachshund reported stolen in June, was returned Tuesday to his legally blind owner in Chicago's Logan Square.

JACK IN THE BOX: Jack in the Box, which exited the Chicago market four decades ago, returned last month to open the first of eight company-owned restaurants, a converted Arby's in Plainfield that continues to draw long lines.

The water cooler

IMMIGRANT PRIESTS: Two Catholic priests from Togo and Mexico who have been serving the poor at an Evanston parish may have to leave the U.S. because ICE is behind processing updates for their visas.

BLACKHAWKS: A former PR manager for the Chicago Blackhawks filed a discrimination lawsuit against the team this week, alleging he was wrongfully fired after sharing his experiences as a gay man in Outsports.

AMEREN: Citizens will be able to comment on Ameren Illinois' proposed $134 million gas rate increase at events Aug. 27 in Springfield and Aug. 28 in East St. Louis.