News

Following the ICC’s approval of a $73 million rate increase for Ameren, the company’s residential customers can expect to see an average $3.65 increase on their monthly bills starting in January.

Illinois state officials have given national rental car companies official notice that immigration enforcement agents using their vehicles are not allowed to swap the rental’s assigned license plates for other plates to disguise the vehicles, and if they do, the rental car companies could be held liable.

The federal government ended funding for an organization that gave election officials free help managing physical and cyber threats against election workers and operations.

Governor JB Pritzker joined state officials, bill sponsors, and public health experts to sign HB 767. The legislation expands and codifies Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order 2025-04, which empowers the Illinois Department of Public Health to offer transparent, science-based vaccine guidelines through its expert Immunization Advisory Committee (IAC), while also expanding vaccine access.

Illinois has enacted new legislation creating a formal state-level vaccine guideline process and expanding pharmacy access to childhood COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. The law reflects growing divergence from federal vaccine policy and strengthens the state’s authority to issue its own recommendations when federal actions fall short, according to Gov. JB Pritzker. Click on the title to read the article.

Illinois closed November with a surprisingly strong revenue report, driven by sharp rebounds in income taxes, robust estate tax collections, and solid year-to-date growth across multiple revenue streams. While sales tax receipts dipped, analysts say the decline likely stems from calendar quirks rather than weakening consumer activity. With revenues now running well ahead of projections, the state enters the remainder of the fiscal year on firmer financial footing. Click on the title to read the article.

Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) announces the sixth year of the popular Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program. Users will again be able to enter their information into the application and validate it during a pre-enrollment period starting at 8 a.m. CST on December 3, 2025. Applications can be submitted once the program opens at 8 a.m. on December 15, 2025. Prior to submission, applications can be saved and edited at any time.

President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to slash federal protections for the nation’s wetlands and streams, potentially leaving millions of acres of habitat in Illinois and the Midwest vulnerable to being dug up, filled in or paved over. At the heart of the proposal announced earlier this week is a new, stricter definition to the long-debated legal term, “Waters of the United States,” the federal guidance that determines which bodies of water are protected under the 1972 Clean Water Act.

Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment, with four times the average number occurring. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an estimated 1,446 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments on Thanksgiving Day in 2023, reflecting a 388 percent increase over the daily average. On annual average between 2019 and 2023, cooking accounted for the majority of U.S. home fires on Thanksgiving Day (80 percent) and 40 percent of the civilian injuries. Overall, cooking causes over half (52%) of all reported home fires and nearly two of every five (36%) home fire injuries, and it is a leading cause of home fire deaths (17%). Ranges and cook-tops account for almost three out of every five home fires reported involving cooking, with ovens accounting for 13% of those fires.

Report finds 91% of pregnancy-related deaths were potentially preventable Black women were more than twice as likely to die from any pregnancy-related condition and three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than white women Report reinforces the importance of Gov. Pritzker’s Birth Equity Blueprint

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is sharing the following upcoming events and noteworthy items for December.

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is launching new coverage for home visiting services for pregnant and parenting Medicaid customers, effective Nov. 21. The newly-covered services and supports aim to meet the needs of pregnant and parenting individuals at a critical time in their healthcare journey, in order to create better health outcomes for both parents and their children. “My administration is committed to investing in children and families across Illinois, and this new coverage will provide valuable support for pregnant and parenting individuals at an important juncture in their lives,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Access to home visiting services is just one way Illinois is working to promote birth equity, improve maternal health outcomes, and make quality health care more accessible for those who need it most.”

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Acting Director James Jennings announced the issuance of a health advisory for the PFAS 6:2 Fluorotelomer Sulfonic Acid (6:2 FTS), in accordance with Illinois groundwater regulations. Health advisories are issued when there is detection of a chemical substance(s) harmful to human health for which no numeric groundwater standard(s) exists, and resampling confirms the presence in a community water supply well.

As people across Illinois make preparations for holiday meals, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding everyone to follow food safety and hygiene recommendations to prevent an outbreak of foodborne illness.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) joined businessowners, legislators, and community stakeholders at Soul Good Coffee to announce nearly $10 million in funding for 47 small businesses through the Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program. This funding will uplift businesses owned by historically underrepresented groups and very small businesses, helping them create and retain jobs, improve efficiency, and grow local economies.

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) cut $55.8 million from Ameren Illinois’ rate request for its natural gas delivery services. The decision reduces Ameren’s $128.8 million request by about 43 percent and approves a 9.60 percent return on equity (ROE), a reduction from the company’s requested 10.70 percent ROE.

Please be advised that effective November 19, 2025, the Illinois Office of the Secretary of State (ILSOS) will begin offering Mobile Identification Cards, “Mobile IDs,” which will allow Illinois driver’s license and state identification card holders to present their Illinois driver’s licenses and state identification cards digitally via the digital wallet incorporated into the Apple iPhone or Apple Watch.

Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment, with four times the average number occurring. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an estimated 1,446 home cooking fires were reported to U.S. fire departments on Thanksgiving Day in 2023, reflecting a 388 percent increase over the daily average. On annual average between 2019 and 2023, cooking accounted for the majority of U.S. home fires on Thanksgiving Day (80 percent) and 40 percent of the civilian injuries. Overall, cooking causes over half (52%) of all reported home fires and nearly two of every five (36%) home fire injuries, and it is a leading cause of home fire deaths (17%). Ranges and cook-tops account for almost three out of every five home fires reported involving cooking, with ovens accounting for 13% of those fires.

Beginning January 1, 2026, taxpayers must apply online with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) for approval if they wish to claim the Credit for Wages Paid to Returning Citizens on their tax return. Credits shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Starved Rock State Park, including the Starved Rock Lodge and other park amenities, will remain open to visitors during an $18 million trail improvement project that is expected to get underway this winter and continue through 2026.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is encouraging public awareness of appropriate use of antibiotics and antifungals during U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week. The annual observance is held November 18-24. As part of this year’s observance, IDPH is recognizing nearly 90 Illinois hospitals who have taken extra measures to prevent antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria and other germs can develop a resistance to the drugs that were designed to fight them.

Most state agencies were required to submit spending cut plans to Gov. JB Pritzker by Oct. 23, but the governor’s office has declined to release details about those plans.

The State of Illinois went live with a new, state-of-the-art seed-to-sale, track-and-trace data system in July 2025. The new system, Metrc, rolled out across the cannabis industry over several months and concluded in June. The sales tracking features in Metrc help retailers more accurately and reliably report actual sales, including all discounts and promotions at checkout. A thorough review of past data indicates prior months collected some pre-discount prices. The number of items sold remained consistent across months, resulting in the improved data showing cannabis consumers have been paying less at checkout and with pre-tax prices similar to prices in other states that have legalized adult use cannabis. Sales receipts, subject to tax and tax collections, reported directly to the Illinois Department of Revenue by retailers were accurate and not impacted by the non-discounted prices reported through the previous seed-to-sale system. Metrc is currently being updated to include categorization of adult use sales into instate and out-of-state consumers.

Dr. Sameer Vohra, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), received his annual flu and COVID-19 immunizations this fall respiratory season during a visit to the DuPage County Health Department this week. The Director also spoke on the importance of receiving these seasonal immunizations and the steps IDPH has taken to encourage Illinoisans to get their shots and to preserve access to them.

The National Association of Counties' Great Lakes Regional Forum convened in October to discuss growing competition for water resources in the Great Lakes Basin. The meeting featured insights from Helena Volzer of the Alliance for the Great Lakes on how data centers, agriculture, and mining are intensifying water demand and what local governments can do to ensure sustainability. The Forum also spotlighted the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s new "Fresh Coast Economic Transformation Action Plan," which charts a 10-year vision for sustainable economic growth and freshwater stewardship across the region. Click on the title to read the recap.