Illinois Quick Hits: State rep files Bears/megaprojects bill

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, has filed the latest piece of legislation aimed at keeping the Chicago Bears in Illinois.

House Bill 5802 allows certain megaprojects to be eligible for a freeze on property tax assessments.

Ugaste told The Center Square last month that the bill language will prevent a stadium development’s equalized assessed value from leading to higher property taxes for residents.

PRITZKER, STATE ELECTIONS BOARD IVES V. PRITZKER

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Elections have filed motions to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former state Rep. Jeanne Ives over the state’s congressional maps.

The federal complaint was filed in the Central District of Illinois following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found Louisiana’s district map to be unconstitutional because it mandates the creation of racial districts.

In May, Ives told The Center Square Daily that state Democrats have brazenly moved to draw maps based on racial lines.

Greg Bishop and Sean Reed contributed to this story

TREASURER ANNOUNCES NONPROFIT GRANTS

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs has announced $195,000 in Charitable Trust grants for smaller nonprofits that are funded by fees paid to the state by larger nonprofits.

Frerichs made the announcement on Monday at Care for Friends on Chicago’s North Side.

The treasurer said the grants are aimed to help with things like food insecurity, housing and workforce development.

Frerichs said more than $5.2 million in grants have been given to more than 200 organizations since he took office in 2015.

YARD POWER TOOLS RECALLED DUE TO FIRE RISK

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says Greenworks Tools has recalled Kobalt 24-volt and 48-volt trimmers, blowers, mowers, chain saws and pruning saws with USB-C batteries due to fire risk.

The products were sold nationwide by Lowe’s from January 2026 through May 2026.

The CPSC said charging the lithium-ion batteries through the USB-C port while the batteries are inserted in the tools can cause the batteries to short-circuit, posing a risk of serious injury from fire hazard.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

From Nebraska to Connecticut: more TdA ATM jackpotting arrests, sentencings

From Nebraska to Connecticut: more TdA ATM jackpotting arrests, sentencings

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square From Nebraska to Connecticut, more Venezuelan nationals tied to the foreign terrorist organization, Tren de Aragua, are being arrested, prosecuted and sentenced. In Connecticut, four...
Advocates worry new law will raise drug prices, harm self-insured businesses

Advocates worry new law will raise drug prices, harm self-insured businesses

By Scott Holland | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A national pharmaceutical manufacturer advocacy group is suing Illinois over its 2025 Prescription Drug Affordability Act. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association filed...
Republican voter ID bill bogs down crucial Pentagon funding

Republican voter ID bill bogs down crucial Pentagon funding

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square House Republicans’ voter ID bill has once again derailed progress of critical legislation in Congress, this time stalling a $1.1 trillion Pentagon funding bill. The...
Texas Republican leaders blast Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship

Texas Republican leaders blast Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Texas Republicans are blasting the U.S. Supreme Court for ruling on Tuesday that the 14th Amendment citizenship clause applies to children born in the U.S....
Illinois Quick Hits: Toll burden 5th in U.S.

Illinois Quick Hits: Toll burden 5th in U.S.

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – As Illinoisans face the prospect of higher tolls proposed by the state tollway board, a new study...
Complaint: District used tax dollars for referendum campaign

Complaint: District used tax dollars for referendum campaign

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An ethics complaint filed on Monday is calling for an investigation into whether an Illinois school district...
America 250: Pastors in politics shaped American Revolution and policies today

America 250: Pastors in politics shaped American Revolution and policies today

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square As Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of independence, many also are celebrating the critical role pastors played in the American Revolution and are still playing...
Supreme Court to hear Chicago assault weapons ban challenge

Supreme Court to hear Chicago assault weapons ban challenge

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear a case on whether citizens are guaranteed the right to possess semiautomatic weapons, including the popular AR-15....
Study: Warner Bros.-Paramount merger could generate $20B in economic activity

Study: Warner Bros.-Paramount merger could generate $20B in economic activity

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square A proposed merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance could generate nearly $20 billion in annual economic activity and support over 90,000 jobs across...
Op-Ed: Solving the data center conundrum – America's next boomtowns may be nuclear towns

Op-Ed: Solving the data center conundrum – America’s next boomtowns may be nuclear towns

By Brian GittThe Center Square We were in a grassy field in southern Ohio next to one of the largest nuclear fuel facilities in the US. Severe storms had rolled...
U.S. Supreme Court upholds bans on transgender athletes in female sports

U.S. Supreme Court upholds bans on transgender athletes in female sports

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state bans on biological men competing in women’s and girls’ sports. The court upheld bans in Idaho and...
Illinois Quick Hits: Chicago TV crew attacked near lakefront

Illinois Quick Hits: Chicago TV crew attacked near lakefront

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Police say charges are pending after a television news reporter and photographer were attacked near Adler Planetarium...
Illinois second in local fines and forfeitures

Illinois second in local fines and forfeitures

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A new report has found Illinois ranks second among all U.S. states in per-capita fines and forfeitures...
Pritzker signs 62 new laws, many not in effect until 2027

Pritzker signs 62 new laws, many not in effect until 2027

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a series of bills into law on Friday and over the weekend,...
Illinois Quick Hits: Ruling supports Illinois mail-in ballot laws

Illinois Quick Hits: Ruling supports Illinois mail-in ballot laws

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says the U.S. Supreme Court has confirmed that mail-in ballot laws in...