Forty Democratic members of the Illinois House and Senate have been meeting weekly to come up with a plan to find some government efficiencies and create new revenue streams to help the state meet its obligations.

I just do not see how Democratic legislators are gonna agree to take away any cash buffers while the state budget is under constant federal siege, with more likely on the way.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has so far raised and spent the most money. And while he has a substantial lead in the polls, it’s unclear yet if his wide support is paper-thin, meaning he could be taken out with some strong attacks.

Politically, it’s imperative that the state not be seen as giving the billionaire Bears ownership a taxpayer-funded stadium. If they can give themselves enough cover, then maybe (maybe) they might possibly find enough votes for this.

The Illinois Constitution does allow the General Assembly to set up a replacement procedure, so it could act if it wanted to.

Gov. JB Pritzker set off a chain reaction last November when he told reporters he’d be open to changes in the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail and replaced it with a new pre-trial release/retention system, among other things.

"First and foremost, Illinois must restore a sense of fiscal responsibility," state Sen. Craig Wilcox of McHenry writes of his wish list for 2026.

A recent study published by three state agencies warns that electricity shortages are coming to Illinois.

The two most intense state legislative pressure campaigns I’ve witnessed both ended in failure.