News

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) encourages farmers and agrichemical facilities to take part in a free agrichemical container recycling program. Beginning in the middle of July and continuing into August, sites throughout the state will collect containers that are recycled to make shipping pallets.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $56 million in funding is available for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for Public Infrastructure ($25 million), Housing Rehabilitation ($15 million), Community Revitalization ($13 million), and Emergency Assistance ($3 million). Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced lower fees and technology improvements for employers and savers of the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program, which will take effect in June 2026.

The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has recovered significant unpaid wages and assessed penalties against three employers found in violation of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (PWA), reinforcing the agency’s commitment to protecting workers and ensuring a level playing field for law-abiding contractors. In separate enforcement actions, IDOL recovered a combined total of more than $398,000 in back wages for 29 workers.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) will distribute more than $796,000 over the next three years to expand access to fresh, locally grown produce and boost the competitiveness of the state’s specialty crop industry. This funding is made possible through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. An application for grant funding will be available this week on the Illinois Department of Agriculture website and must be returned to the Department by noon on June 5, 2026. The program will run from September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2029.

On May 6, 2026, ISACo issued a news release urging Governor JB Pritzker and the General Assembly to refrain from reducing the amount of revenue shared with counties and municipalities through the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). Click on the title to read the news release.

The Illinois State Museum (ISM) invites the public to get their kicks at a new "Miles of Memories: Stories of Route 66" exhibit opening Saturday, May 23. The exhibition brings to life the experience of living, working and traveling along U.S. Route 66 during its heyday.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is asking local community members, residents, and leaders to participate in the development of the 2027 Illinois Housing Blueprint (Blueprint) through two opportunities: (1) take the resident survey and/or (2) attend a Community Listening Session. The Blueprint is a forward-thinking, grassroots planning initiative designed by IHDA to provide a deeper analysis of the trends and priorities around housing at a regional level that will shape the future of housing policy and investment in Illinois in the years to come.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting applications for the State Furbearer Fund Special Funds Grant Program through May 15.

Stay informed on the latest legislative developments from Springfield. This report highlights ISACo-tracked bills that were advanced by the Senate during the week of April 27-May 1, 2026. Click on the link to read the report.

Stay informed on the latest legislative developments from Springfield. This report highlights ISACo-tracked bills that advanced in the House for the week of April 20-24, 2026. Click on the link to read the report.

Illinois lawmakers continued their review of data center impacts, focusing on water usage, aquifer stress, and transparency gaps. Testimony highlighted tradeoffs between energy and water consumption, uneven groundwater oversight, and the need for clearer statewide standards as hyperscale facilities expand. Click on the title to read the story.

Reservations for campsites and shelters at Illinois state parks and historic sites will transition to an updated platform beginning May 1, offering park users a more user-friendly system for making reservations and securing permits. Users will continue to use exploremoreil.com – the customer service platform of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources – to make campsite and shelter reservations, but they will notice an improved interface.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was 5.0 percent in February, up +0.1 percentage point from January, and up +0.3 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised January unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.

Stay informed on the latest legislative developments from Springfield. This report highlights ISACo-tracked bills that were approved by the House or Senate from April 13-17, 2026. Click on the link to read the report.

State lawmakers, utilities, and industry stakeholders convened to examine the rapid growth of data centers and their implications for Illinois’ electric grid, consumer costs, and long-term energy policy.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced more than $4.85 million in grant funding has been awarded to 66 grantees through three grant programs – the Tourism Attractions Grant Program ($2 million), Tourism Marketing Partnership Grant Program ($2.25 million), and Tourism Private Sector Grant Program ($598,900) – as part of the State’s efforts to build upon the record-breaking tourism industry and welcome more visitors to Illinois.

A poll conducted from March 16-19 shows overwhelming bipartisan support among Illinois voters for stronger oversight of data centers, including protections against rising utility costs and increased water usage, highlighting growing public demand for legislative action. Click on the title to read the story.

Stay informed on the latest legislative developments from Springfield. This report highlights ISACo-tracked bills that were approved by the House from April 6-10, 2026. Click on the link to read the report.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced that the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in January, up +0.2 percentage point from December, and up +0.2 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised December unemployment rate was 4.7 percent.

On Thursday, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved its annual five-year Crossing Safety Improvement Program (FY 2027-2031) to implement life-saving safety upgrades at highway-rail crossings. The plan authorizes $376 million in funding for grade crossing safety improvements and highway-rail grade separations at approximately 387 crossing locations.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is relaunching the Infield Conservation for Operationalizing Vital Ecosystem Resilience (I-COVER) Program to promote the early establishment of cover crops using new techniques and/or technology. IDOA secured a $7 million USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant to launch the program, which offers cost-share/financial incentives to producers and landowners who are new adopters of cover crops or who utilize new techniques for earlier establishment of cover crops. I-COVER is a three-year program for cover crops planted in 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs is calling on young Illinois photographers to submit their agriculture-related photos for the 2026 Cream of the Crop Photography Contest. Winners in three different age categories will be awarded Bright Start college savings account scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,000.

Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Illinois film industry leaders announced that film production expenditures in Illinois reached a record-breaking high of $703 million in 2025, supporting an estimated 18,000 in industry hires. This represents a 25 percent increase in film expenditures since before the pandemic in 2019.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved a disaster declaration for the severe storms and flooding that impacted six counties in northeastern Illinois from Aug. 16–18, 2025. This declaration will allow homeowners, renters, businesses, and certain non-profit organizations to apply for low-interest loans to help cover damages not covered by insurance.