CRIME
Governor JB Pritzker appeared on national television once again this past weekend, joining Face the Nation and Meet the Press for a round of interviews that brought about more questions than answers. While the Governor attempted to project confidence and control, his remarks revealed a troubling pattern: downplaying violent crime, contradicting his own immigration policies, and defending one of the most gerrymandered congressional maps in the country.
“Chicago Is Fine”?
When asked about public safety, Governor Pritzker stated that “Chicago is fine.” Those words came just hours after a bloody Labor Day weekend that left over 50 people shot across the city, 8 of whom did not survive.
Anyone who reads news headlines knows that this is far from a one-off incident. It is part of a broader trend of unchecked violence that continues to tear apart communities across Chicago.
State Representative Mike Coffey says Illinois families deserve to live and work in safe communities:
“The safety of Illinois residents must be a priority for all leaders and laws need to be enforced to keep communities safe across the state,” said Coffey. “Chicago needs help, and law enforcement needs support as they grapple with continued crime that is making residents not feel safe in their communities.”
Pritzker At Odds With His Own Law
The Governor expressed that federal agencies such as ICE should “coordinate with local law enforcement,” but his record tells a much different story.
In 2021, Pritzker signed the Illinois Way Forward Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE. The law prevents coordination, information sharing, and transfers of individuals into federal custody. The law is undoubtedly one of the most restrictive immigration enforcement laws in the United States.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Illinois Laws Providing In-State Tuition and Scholarships for Illegal Aliens
The United States is challenging Illinois laws providing in-state tuition and scholarships for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates or scholarships, in direct conflict with federal law. On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Southern District of Illinois against the State of Illinois, Governor Pritzker, the State Attorney General, and the boards of trustees of state universities in Illinois seeking to enjoin the State from enforcing the Illinois laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Illinois laws that requires colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain Illinois residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. The Illinois laws blatantly conflict with federal law and are thus in conflict with the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
“Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice has already filed multiple lawsuits to prevent U.S. students from being treated like second-class citizens — Illinois now joins the list of states where we are relentlessly fighting to vindicate federal law.”
“Illinois has an apparent desire to win a ‘race to the bottom’ as the country’s leading sanctuary state. Its misguided approach mandating in-state tuition, scholarships, and financial aid to illegal aliens plainly violates federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “This policy treats illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states and incentivizes even more illegal immigration, all on the taxpayer’s dime. Illinois citizens deserve better.”
This lawsuit follows two executive orders signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. The first, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” orders all agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The second, “Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens,” directs relevant officials to “take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens.”
JOBS
House Republican licensing reforms aim to get Illinois working. The State of Illinois has been notorious in recent years for delays in processing applications and renewals for several professionals who require state professional licensing. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) oversees licenses for over 100 professions.
IDFPR is responsible for licensing and regulating more than 1.2 million professionals. These professionals represent a wide breadth of occupations, including medical practitioners, barbers and hair stylists, pharmacists, engineers, architects, geologists, roofing contractors, accountants, and many more.
In 2024, several Republican legislators introduced a plan and legislative package aimed at improving the licensing process and ultimately keeping healthcare providers practicing here in Illinois. The proposed measures would require IDFPR to accept online payments, lower costs, allow for reciprocity, and expedite licenses for critical shortage occupations, especially in healthcare.
In legislative hearings, House Republicans zeroed in on the continued practice of remote employees working at the department, pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic was long over, and in-person employees are often far more productive than remote employees.
House Republicans also focused on collaborating with Department leadership to implement new technology systems, specifically to expand the online application and renewal process and address delays.
State Rep. Mike Coffey is assisting his constituents with the professorial licensure application process. His office has provided a form to submit for anyone who needs help getting answers about their application.
To learn more about how to apply for or renew your professional license through the state of Illinois’ Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, visit idfpr.illinois.gov.
BUDGET
Accounting of State spending for 2023 released after two years. The Illinois “Annual Comprehensive Financial Report” for Fiscal Year 2023 covers audited State spending for the 12-month period that ended on June 30, 2023. The document was presented to the Illinois General Assembly in August 2025 more than two years after the conclusion of FY23. The audited account of State spending is an essential way for the House and Senate appropriations committees to determine essential elements of future taxpayer-funded cash outflows. However, the delayed nature of this report robs State lawmakers and spending watchdogs of important oversight over the State’s spending and finances.
The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) states that the two-year release date delay from Springfield was a record delay for an audited financial report released by one of the 50 states. The Government Finance Officers Association strongly encourages the financial managers who follow their guidelines to develop, audit, and release reports no more than 180 days after the conclusion of the financial period being reported on and audited. The 750-day delay of the Illinois FY23 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report falls well outside these guidelines.
State spending for FY24, the twelve-month period that ended June 30, 2024, has not been audited. The Illinois Comptroller has released an un-audited “Interim Report” that covers FY24.
CGFA reports on August 2025 revenue
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) works with the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) and other State agencies to monitor the revenues that are coming into the State coffers. CGFA publishes a monthly report on these cash flows. The monthly report also works with overall U.S. economic numbers to issue a monthly projection on the fiscal prospects of the State. These projections are useful in comparing tax and fee collections from prior years as well as gauging potential future State revenue performance.
The CGFA Labor Day report contains sobering news about Illinois’ near-term economic prospects. Global and national U.S. numbers appear to be pointing towards stalled employment growth and a reawakening of inflationary pressures.
In August 2025, the tax-and-fee cash flow numbers showed the State of Illinois experienced slow growth. The key personal income tax cash flow number ticked up 3.7% from a year earlier, rising from $1.804 billion in August 2024 to $1.87 billion in August 2025. This increase helped to overcome flat or negative trends in other cash flow lines, such as corporate income tax payments and the Illinois cigarette tax.
CGFA’s August 2025 report tracks Illinois cigarette tax rates and revenues over a 10-year period and describes the pressure on this cash flow exerted by long-term declines in conventional cigarette smoking. To some extent this has been counterbalanced by Illinoisans who consume other taxed nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. However, in the recently concluded FY25 (ended June 30, 2025), State tax revenues from cigarettes continued to be almost three times as high as the tax revenues garnered from all other tobacco-related products ($191 million vs. $65 million). In May 2025, majority Democrats in the General Assembly enacted a major tax increase on non-cigarette tobacco products. Signed by Gov. Pritzker as P.A. 104-6, this tax increase may partly close this gap but will also serve as another “hidden” tax increase on Illinoisans.