EDUCATION
Safety Tips for students heading back to school. The American Red Cross has published a checklist on back-to-school safety for all parents, especially parents of students who are younger or are going to school for the first time. Things that all students should know include:
- Contact numbers for their parents, parent, or another trusted adult
- Never talk to strangers or accept rides from strangers
- Safe walking to and from a school bus
- Safe walking or biking to a school building for students who do not ride on a bus
- Safe use of cellphones, including trusted weather apps
The Red Cross also reiterates the warnings given to all drivers to stop, look, and listen whenever in the vicinity of a school bus or a school building. Motorists are required to stop in the vicinity of any stopped school bus, especially when the bus is flashing a yellow warning signal or red child-presence light.
JOBS
July unemployment rate remains at 4.6%. The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Thursday that total nonfarm payrolls were nearly unchanged over-the-month in July, down -2,500 (0.0%) to 6,165,600. The June monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +9,400 to +2,300.
The industry sectors with the largest over-the-month jobs increases included: Construction (+2,900), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+1,700), and Private Education and Health Services (+1,100). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-3,500), Government (-2,900), and Leisure and Hospitality (-1,200).
State Rep. Mike Coffey says Illinois’ workforce needs more trade workers and he filed House Bill 1729 to create more jobs that would boost the economy. Taxpayers who make contributions to scholarships that help students excel in technical schools would be eligible for income tax credits. This bill would help fill the gaps between the state-mandated labor requirements and workforce availability.
“The purpose of HB1729 is to entice individuals to learn a skilled trade so they can have a good paying job in Illinois and help contribute to growing our economy,” said Rep. Coffey.
The unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in July, unchanged from the previous month, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised June unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.6 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.2% in July 2025 from 4.1% in June. Illinois continues to struggle with persistently higher unemployment than the rest of the nation.
AbbVie makes major Illinois jobs announcement. The pharmaceutical maker announced plans this week to build a new $195 million production facility adjacent to its headquarters in North Chicago. The Lake County-based firm specializes in high-margin pharmaceuticals. Branded drugs under AbbVie’s production control include Humira (rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease) and Botox.
Drug industry analysts pointed to President Donald Trump’s “Buy American” pharmaceutical strategy, which will encourage greater production of pharmaceuticals – including drugs financed by purchases aided by the Medicare and Medicaid programs – within the U.S. In compliance with this program, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Eli Lilly have made commitments to invest billions of dollars in increased U.S. domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and production.
TAXES
House GOP Stands Firm in Opposing Tax Hikes. Illinois families are being asked to dig deeper into their pockets and House Republicans say enough is enough!
This spring, Democrats in Springfield passed a $55.2 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2026, the largest in Illinois history. To pay for it, they leaned on over $1 billion in new taxes and fund sweeps and paused statutory transfers.
“In a time when Illinois families are in dire need of tax relief, the Democrats failed to pass a reasonable budget to serve the best interests of the people of Illinois,” said Coffey. “Serious issues impact our state’s economy and growth, but Democrat politicians double down on raising taxes to fund their own pay raises and special pork projects in their districts.”
Among the most controversial ideas floated during budget negotiations was a service tax, a plan to tax over eighty everyday services like parking, haircuts, dry cleaning, and even oil changes. While that specific proposal didn’t make it into the final budget this spring, House Republicans are warning that it’s not off the table for long.
Instead of cutting spending or providing tax relief, Democrats passed a patchwork of targeted tax increases and budget maneuvers. The new law hikes taxes on tobacco and nicotine products, raises fees on sports betting, and adjusts business tax rules to bring in tens of millions more. Meanwhile, a one-time tax amnesty program was approved to collect back taxes, projected to raise hundreds of millions.
More tax hikes could be on the horizon. Democratic lawmakers are still calling for additional revenue, proposing taxes on home deliveries, digital advertising, capital gains, and even wealth-based assessments. Republicans say they’re bracing for an aggressive push this fall, one that could reshape Illinois’ tax structure and hit middle-class families hardest.
As the State heads toward the fall veto session, House Republicans have made their position clear: they’ll fight any renewed push for a service tax or new burdens on families, seniors, and small businesses. They’re encouraging constituents to stay informed and stay vocal.
GERRYMANDERING & REDISTRICTING
Opinion: Pritzker’s Gerrymandering Hypocrisy is a Masterclass in Political Theater. Last week, Texas Democrats fled their state to block a redistricting vote and Governor JB Pritzker rolled out the red carpet. On national television, he joked that if the Texans wanted to stop gerrymandering, they should come to Illinois.
If there were a masterclass in how to rig a map, Illinois would be the lab and Pritzker the tenured professor. Under his watch, Democrats drew one of the most shamelessly gerrymandered maps in America dividing communities and silencing voters.
When campaigning for Governor, Pritzker pledged to support an independent redistricting commission. He vowed to only sign maps drawn by a fair and drawn by an independent body. That promise, like many others, was tossed aside the moment it became politically inconvenient.
Instead, he signed partisan maps crafted behind closed doors by Democrat insiders, graded an “F” from Princeton University’s Gerrymandering Project. That’s not reform. That’s raw political power.
It’s also insulting. In 2016, President Obama stood before the Illinois General Assembly and called for an end to gerrymandering from both parties. He warned it was one of the greatest threats to public trust.
So, when Pritzker welcomes fleeing lawmakers and plays national politics, it’s not just hypocritical, it’s offensive. Illinoisans continue to lose faith in a system where competitive districts have vanished, communities are carved for party gain, and voters are stripped of real choices.
Let’s be clear: Republicans don’t oppose redistricting; we oppose rigging the system. Illinoisans deserve a fair, transparent process where voters choose their politicians not the other way around.
House Republicans have championed independent redistricting through HJRCA 5 and fought illegal maps in Illinois’ courts. Sign our petition to end gerrymandering now!
If Governor Pritzker truly believes in defending democracy, he should prove it. Start with an independent redistricting commission. Until then, any lecture he gives on “reform” is just political theater, well-scripted, but still fiction.