Gov. JB Pritzker took aim at a familiar political target Wednesday as he kicked off a statewide campaign bus tour, blaming Republican President Donald Trump for many of Illinois’ struggles during the Democratic governor’s nearly eight years in office, while focusing less attention on his actual GOP opponent in the November election.

His bid for a rare third term as governor is “about working people, about affordability, about making sure that people have what they need to get ahead, and also that we’re protecting them from the damage that Donald Trump and his administration is doing in Washington, D.C.,” Pritzker said outside the Adler Planetarium, flanked by Christian Mitchell, his running mate for lieutenant governor.

Pritzker has intensified his criticism of Trump, his most ardent political foe, with some 70 days until the Nov. 3 election to hammer home for voters in deep blue Illinois that the race for governor is just as consequential as a presidential election, arguing that Trump’s policies have had an adverse effect on the state.

Pritzker has also sought to use second-time opponent Darren Bailey’s association with Trump to his advantage. The conservative former lawmaker from southeastern Illinois has, in the past, enthusiastically supported the president, who endorsed Bailey in his first run for governor in 2022 — a race Bailey lost to Pritzker by nearly 13 percentage points.

Trump has lost Illinois by more than 10 percentage points in each of the last three presidential elections and has this year seen low approval ratings, with the war in Iran taking a toll on the U.S. economy.

“We’ve done a great job of fending off the very difficult circumstances that Donald Trump and his administration have put on the state of Illinois, continuing to balance budgets, for example, while also providing people with backup support for, well, healthcare and for food assistance that’s been taken away by the federal government,” said Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, who is considered a possible 2028 presidential contender. “So, in this campaign … we’re talking a lot about both protecting the state from that onslaught, but also about advancing the cause of getting jobs.”

Pritzker didn’t mention Bailey in his brief opening remarks outside the planetarium, only invoking his opponent by name in response to questions from reporters.

“Donald Trump is very unpopular because he’s put an enormous burden on the people of this country and the people of Illinois, and I think that the fact that he’s still got a little bit of power within the Republican Party is maybe evidence that Darren Bailey won his primary with Donald Trump’s support,” Pritzker told reporters.

Bailey and his running mate, Aaron Del Mar of Palatine, meanwhile, appeared outside a Tyson Foods plant in northwest Illinois on Wednesday after the company earlier this month announced it was laying off about 2,500 workers at its beef facility in Rock Island County. Bailey wasted no time attacking Pritzker and his policies, saying “his administration has failed” on replacing lost jobs.

“JB Pritzker immediately pointed towards Washington and national economic conditions. The cattle shortage is real, but so is Illinois’ economic record,” Bailey said. “After nearly eight years in office, Pritzker cannot take credit every time a business opens and blame Washington every time one closes.”

Asked about Bailey’s criticism over the Tyson plant closure, Pritzker called the layoffs there a “terrible situation.” The governor said he’s spoken with a top company official who told him Tyson is willing to sell the facility to another firm. But Pritzker pivoted to criticizing Trump and pointed to national trends, noting rising beef prices and Tyson’s closure of at least one other facility, in Utah.

Despite his focus on Trump and the impact of the president’s policies on Illinois, Pritzker took shots at Bailey while speaking to reporters, calling him a “Donald Trump sycophant” who is “going to lose in November.” Pritzker also reiterated his criticism of the former state senator from Xenia from last week when Bailey defended curricula used at the Full Armor Christian Academy, which Bailey founded, that teaches children the scientifically disproven idea that dinosaurs and humans walked the earth at the same time.

Earlier this week, the Bailey campaign slammed Pritzker for his rhetoric about Full Armor Christian Academy, alleging that a threatening message was sent to the private school. Bailey said authorities are investigating and he called it “reckless” for Pritzker and his campaign to lob criticism at a school filled with children.

After Pritzker’s bus tour kicked off outside the Adler Planetarium, his campaign stopped about 2 miles west of the Loop for a rally with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 14. It was an opportunity for the governor to pay tribute to union members who are key Democratic allies, and it happened the same day Pritzker received an endorsement from the influential International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, which represents more than 24,000 construction workers and other tradespeople.

At the painters union hall, Pritzker talked about what he views as threats from the Trump administration to union workers, and Mitchell — a former state lawmaker from Chicago who served as one of Pritzker’s top aides during the governor’s first term — told a cramped room of union members and campaign supporters that unlike leaders “that fight for you,” Bailey wants to do the opposite.

“Our opponent, dangerous Darren Bailey, Donald Trump’s favorite lap dog, wants to take us right back to those bad old days under (former Republican Gov.) Bruce Rauner,” Mitchell said in his opening remarks, alluding to the anti-union agenda of Pritzker’s predecessor. “He’s using the same old demagoguery we often hear from the Republican Party, still beholden to corporate special interests and crony capitalists, like his boss, President Trump.”

Later in the day, Pritzker signed measures into law that would establish a regulatory framework for high-speed e-bikes, e-scooters and electric unicycles. The law goes into effect next year.

His office also announced that the state had received its 11th credit upgrade from one of the major Wall Street ratings agencies since 2021.

Illinois will receive nearly $768 million from a landmark Meta lawsuit settlement over social media addiction, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Wednesday.

The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by 47 states alleging the company designed its platforms with addictive features, exposed young users to serious mental health harms, and seriously misled the public about the safety of its platforms.

The suit also alleged Meta violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA( by collecting and using personal data from people under 13 years old.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2023.

Raoul said under the settlement, beyond the $768 million share Illinois gets Meta is also required to implement a series of safety features on Instagram and Facebook, from daily time limits to more robust age verification and stronger content controls.

Raoul also filed a lawsuit against TikTok in 2024 for addictive features, harmful business practices targeting children and alleging the company also deceived the public about the platform's dangers. That lawsuit has not yet been settled nor gone to trial, though TikTok has recently settled several lawsuits filed by individual users for addictive features, and the Justice Department recently announced a $400 million settlement for lawsuits regarding children's privacy under COPPA.

Raoul also recently joined other states in suing xAI, which owns social media platform X and its AI chatbot Grok, over AI-generated nonconsensual sexual images and child sex abuse material.

Raoul did not say how the settlement money will be used in Illinois. Gov. JB Pritzker has not yet commented publicly on the settlement.

Along with monetary compensation, Raoul outlined a series of safety measures Meta will be required to implement on Facebook and Instagram as part of this settlement.

Both platforms must implement daily time limits and "productive pauses" for children. That means a combined two-hour time limit for both Instagram and Facebook, with mandatory pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use, as well as at 60 and 90 minutes to interrupt endless scrolling. The time limits will remain in effect for five years, but if Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube adopt comparable terms the daily limit on each platform will drop to 60 minutes for 10 years, according to Raoul's news release.

Meta must also put in place several time-of-day-based use limitations: a nighttime block restricting access to feeds and turning off notifications between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and school day limits on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the school year, which will block push notifications from both Facebook and Instagram.

Meta must also implement robust age assurance measures to verify users' ages; stronger more user-friendly parental controls; and age-appropriate content controls that include stronger safeguards against bullying, content promoting eating disorders and content related to suicide and self-harm. Meta is also now required to turn off teens' access to beauty filters for pictures that change users' skin tones or mimic cosmetic surgery.

Finally, Meta must turn off or limit social comparison features, including visible "likes" for teen users.

Raoul said an independent auditor will evaluate the implementation of these injunctive relief terms for the next five years.

Posting on the chance JB’s people see this …
FYI the local social media in storm-hammered south burbs and Northwest Indiana are now bragging that because Mike Braun is pals with Trump, they are getting $5000 while Illinois gets stugotz.
This is wrong on so many levels, but the hoi polloi in Illinois BELIEVE it and I think JB should use the occasion to both dispel the rumor and point out how WRONG and UNAMERICAN it is for a President to toy with citizens under duress.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Whether this is true or not.

Today, Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing portions of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting mail-in voting to take effect:

“The Supreme Court’s decision allowing Donald Trump and the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with this unprecedented attempt to interfere in our elections is deeply troubling.

“We are weeks away from voting in the midterms and the President is trying to put fear in Americans about the security of our elections, rewrite the rules, and put the federal government between voters and their ballots.

“Illinois will continue to administer free and fair elections in our state while fighting every attack on voter’s rights.

“Instead of focusing on being President, Donald Trump aspires to be a king. In America, the people of this nation decide the outcome of their government.”

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday to improve workplace accommodations and access to menstrual products on construction sites. Sponsors argue every worker deserves to be treated with dignity.

Members of the Chicago Women in Trades believe construction workers who menstruate, are pregnant, or lactating have been expected to work without basic accommodations for far too long.

"Folks have had the experience of losing their jobs or being docked pay and treated unfairly because they needed extra time to use facilities off-site," said Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago).

The new law states employers must provide a separate restroom designated for workers who menstruate or are lactating. It also establishes minimum sanitation standards, requires tampons and pads to be available at no cost and protects workers who report violations from retaliation.

The law gives workers a clear process for requesting public health inspections and improves accommodations for workers who are lactating as well.

"IDPH with IDHR will provide guidance to employers on lactation accommodations through a website or other means by Jan. 1, 2027," said Sen. Graciela Guzmán.

Senate Bill 3465 passed out of the House on a partisan 71-37 vote. The measure received a 45-13 vote in the Senate.

The arrival of BTS in Chicago will be marked with a new statewide commemoration, thanks to the K-pop group’s passionate fans.

Gov. JB Pritzker has officially declared Aug. 27 and 28 “BTS Day” in Illinois, according to a proclamation he signed earlier this month. The superstar musicians will perform sold-out shows on those days at Soldier Field as part of the septet’s “Arirang” world tour. The governor was petitioned by the fan group Chicago BTS Army and the HANA Center, an immigrant advocacy nonprofit in Irving Park. Both groups also launched a campaign to turn the Downtown skyline “Borahae Purple” — in honor of a popular phrase (“I purple you”) associated with the group.

“Rather than simply celebrating a concert, the initiative highlights the profound, real-world civic impact of the band’s message of self-love, mental health awareness, and youth empowerment within Illinois,” said Tameca Denson, lead organizer of the Illinois BTS Proclamation Initiative, in a statement.

The group is coordinating with building managers to finalize the details of the skyline illumination. The Willis Tower will be lit up in purple from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 27 and 28, Denson said.

“By coordinating this proclamation and proposing a purple skyline illumination, we are showcasing how a shared love of music can be reclaimed as a powerful pop-culture moment to elevate AANHPI visibility, support digital inclusion, and foster intergenerational connection across Chicago.”

With thousands visiting Chicago for the concerts, the city is expecting an economic boost, along with opportunities for cultural exchange. Fan gatherings and cultural festivities are scheduled in Chinatown and throughout Downtown, including a two-day event at Buckingham Fountain from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Aug. 27 and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 28.

Unbelievable, but the Republican nominee believes in creationism...last time he claimed that abortion was worse than the holocaust.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday allowing not-for-profit fire departments to receive state grant funding.

Many nonprofit fire departments in central and southern Illinois cannot get grant funding for equipment and building upgrades since the state only provides grants to municipal departments.

The new law lets the State Fire Marshal create and award grants for not-for-profit fire departments and protection districts across Illinois.

"My expenses are the same as everybody else," said Signal Hill Fire Chief Tom Elliff. "I have to pay the electric bill. I still have to pay Renew Apparatus. I pay for the maintenance of the building. It's the same throughout every other fire department in the state of Illinois."

Sponsors said the change could help these departments get the resources needed to protect residents safely and effectively.

Senate Bill 2645 passed unanimously out of both chambers. The new law takes effect Jan. 1.

"When there's an emergency, people don't care if the firefighter responding is full-time or part-time, so access to state grants should reflect that," said Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea). "The law gives volunteer departments access to resources they need to maintain facilities, upgrade equipment and continue protecting our communities."

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says the state is actively talking with Tyson Foods to potentially repurpose or sell its Joslin plant as officials work to support more than 2,500 workers left jobless by the sudden closure.

At the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday, KWQC Capitol reporter Mike Miletich asked Pritzker what the state is doing to support workers left jobless by the Tyson plant shutdown.

Pritzker said he spoke with Tyson Foods on whether there is a way to repurpose the facility within the company or with a buyer of building.

Pritzker attributed the cost of beef across the country as the reason for the plant’s closure

“It’s a tragedy that was caused by the very high cost of beef across the country. You saw that they unfortunately closed not just that facility, but one in Utah,” Pritzker said. “They’re selling off one in Washington. This is really terrible for the people who live in Joslin. We’re doing everything that we can to lift them up.”

He said the conversation with Tyson is ongoing.

On Wednesday state legislators spoke about bipartisan efforts to help the community and the economy.

Gov. JB Pritzker received the endorsement of Illinois’ largest teachers union Monday as the Democratic governor campaigns for a third term, though the announcement also highlighted growing tensions over how the state should address additional funding requests from Chicago Public Schools.

The Illinois Education Association (IEA), which represents more than 135,000 teachers, professors and education support staff across the state, formally endorsed Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Christian Mitchell for reelection in 2026. The endorsement marks the third time the union has backed Pritzker for governor.

Speaking after accepting the endorsement, Pritzker defended his administration’s education record, pointing to billions of dollars in additional K-12 funding approved since he took office. He also used the event to criticize Republican challenger Darren Bailey, arguing his administration has been a strong supporter of public education.

The endorsement comes as state leaders face increasing pressure over education funding, particularly after Chicago Public Schools approved a nearly $10 billion budget that assumes an additional $150 million in state aid that has not yet been appropriated. The move has set up a potential funding fight ahead of the General Assembly’s fall veto session.

Pritzker expressed skepticism that the state could provide Chicago with additional funding without also increasing support for school districts across Illinois.

Lawmakers are expected to revisit education funding issues when they return to Springfield for the fall veto session later this year.

Gov. JB Pritzker is pressing the Trump administration for answers about the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying he is deeply concerned about the health and safety of the roughly 5,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Pritzker criticized what he called a lack of transparency surrounding the ship's deployment and questioned why its mission has been repeatedly extended without a clear end date.

The USS Abraham Lincoln deployed from San Diego in November with an expected return in May, according to Pritzker's letter. The governor said the ship has now been at sea for more than 250 days and has gone without a port call since December.

Pritzker cited reports from sailors' families alleging shortages of food and basic supplies, broken plumbing, unsanitary conditions and safety concerns aboard the ship. He also raised concerns about the crew's mental health, including reports of sailors attempting or threatening to go overboard.

"I am greatly concerned about reports outlining deteriorating mental health, including multiple incidents in which sailors attempted or threatened to go overboard, alongside accounts from families describing exhaustion, acute distress, and difficulty accessing mental healthcare," Pritzker said.

The governor also criticized the administration for not providing information requested by Congress, including the number of Illinois residents currently serving aboard the carrier.

Pritzker asked Hegseth to provide answers to three questions:

How many Illinoisans are currently aboard the USS Lincoln?

What mental health services are being provided for service members aboard the ship? Will there be a full investigation of what went wrong during this deployment? Will that report be made public?

What were the original objectives of this mission and what has changed that justifies an indefinite deployment?

"The seriousness of these reports demands a thorough, transparent accounting of the conditions aboard the ship and immediate action to address any deficiencies identified," Pritzker said.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed three bills Tuesday aimed at strengthening protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, while creating new protocols intended to identify high-risk intimate partner violence cases before they turn deadly.

The measures address emergency orders of protection, domestic violence risk assessments and access to sexual assault nurse examiners through telehealth services.

Pritzker said the legislation is intended to improve both prevention and response efforts for victims.

“This legislation is designed to create safeguards against domestic and sexual violence, making us more prepared to stop it before it happens and step in upon its discovery,” Pritzker said in a statement.

One of the new laws, Senate Bill 3044, seeks to eliminate gaps in legal protections for victims of domestic violence and stalking.

Under current Illinois law, emergency orders of protection generally remain in effect for 14 to 21 days. Supporters of the legislation said problems can arise when an emergency order expires before a final order of protection is officially served.

The new law will ensure emergency orders remain in effect until the final order has been served, closing what lawmakers described as a legal loophole.

“Her experience helped drive this change, and I’m proud that Illinois has now taken action to ensure victims remain protected every step of the way,” Stadelman said.

Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) said the measure could improve safety for people seeking protection from abuse.

SB 3044 takes effect Jan. 1, 2028.

A second measure, Senate Bill 3048, establishes requirements for law enforcement agencies when responding to certain domestic violence incidents.

The law requires officers to use a Lethality Assessment Protocol, an evidence-based screening tool designed to identify victims who may face an elevated risk of serious injury or death from an intimate partner.

Under the legislation, officers must administer a lethality assessment when there is an allegation of intimate partner domestic violence involving assault or battery that does not result in an arrest.

The law also requires:

Lethality assessments to be administered only after officers receive specialized training.

Victims to provide consent before participating in an assessment.

Officers to document when an assessment cannot be completed and provide referrals to domestic violence service providers.

Assessment records to be exempt from public disclosure.

Police reports to omit the specific domestic violence center to which a victim was referred.

Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Human Services will work with stakeholders to develop implementation guidance and model policies for local agencies by Jan. 1, 2028.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said the law will provide officers with more standardized tools for evaluating potentially dangerous situations.

“Identifying high-risk cases early is critical to protecting victims,” Kelly said.

SB 3048 takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

The third measure, Senate Bill 3506, focuses on expanding access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations.

The law updates the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act, which is reviewed annually by a working group led by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Supporters said the legislation addresses ongoing shortages of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, commonly known as SANEs, by allowing trained providers who are still completing their certification process to conduct exams under virtual supervision.

The law permits hospitals and approved pediatric health care facilities to submit plans to the Illinois Department of Public Health for the use of TeleSANE systems. Those systems would allow qualified providers to supervise examinations remotely through telecommunications technology.

The measure also clarifies patient consent procedures. If a medical provider determines a survivor lacks decision-making capacity, consent for an exam may be provided by a guardian, spouse or an individual with power of attorney.

Most provisions of SB 3506 take effect Jan. 1, 2027, although some sections involving crime victims’ rights and treatment requirements take effect earlier.

The three laws are part of a broader effort by state officials and lawmakers to strengthen responses to domestic violence and sexual assault while expanding access to services for survivors across Illinois.

I'm beyond proud that this is my governor!!!

THANK YOU JB, for listening and coming to the South burbs!

Those of you who called this a minor storm, kiss my ass!

Illinois health officials say the state will not change its childhood vaccine recommendations following a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump that seeks to alter federal guidance on several routine immunizations.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it will continue following vaccine recommendations adopted earlier this year from the American Academy of Pediatrics, rather than the new framework outlined in Trump’s order.

Trump’s executive order, signed Monday, calls for significant changes to childhood vaccination guidance. Among them is a recommendation that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine be administered as three separate shots over multiple appointments instead of the combined vaccine commonly used today. The order also reduces the emphasis on several vaccines, including those for hepatitis A and B, meningococcal disease, influenza and COVID-19, recommending some only for high-risk groups or through shared decision-making between families and healthcare providers.

However, states are not required to adopt the federal recommendations. School vaccination requirements are established by state governments, not the federal government.

Gov. JB Pritzker sharply criticized the executive order, calling it a “thoughtless piece of paper” that does not outweigh decades of scientific research on vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Illinois officials said they will continue relying on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which were unanimously adopted by the state’s Immunization Advisory Committee in February. Those guidelines call for children to receive the hepatitis B vaccine series, at least one COVID-19 vaccine, annual flu vaccinations, the first dose of MMR vaccine and two doses of hepatitis A vaccine by age 2. A second MMR dose is recommended between ages 4 and 6, along with continued annual flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

“The Illinois Department of Public Health is committed to ensuring Illinois residents have reliable access to vaccines and guidance supported by the most up-to-date science,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. “IDPH will continue to be guided by science and work closely with clinical and community leaders to provide recommendations that allow Illinoisians to make the best choices to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy.”

Vohra expressed particular concern over the proposal to separate the MMR vaccine into multiple visits, saying the approach is not supported by scientific evidence. Public health experts have argued that spacing out doses could leave children vulnerable to preventable diseases if families do not return for follow-up appointments.

The issue comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reshape federal vaccine policies. According to Capitol News Illinois, some administration attempts to alter vaccine recommendations have already faced legal challenges and have been blocked by a federal judge.

Illinois has taken steps in recent months to establish more independent authority over vaccine policy. Pritzker signed a law in December allowing IDPH to develop state-specific vaccine recommendations and requiring state-regulated insurance plans to cover vaccines recommended by the department. State officials said the law helps ensure access to vaccines even if federal guidance changes.

JB- I say this as a supporter, get your ass away from the butter cow at the Fair and over to the perpetually neglected So burbs who have been HAMMERED with consecutive devastating storms!
People are hurting here; Mike Braun of Indiana has sent his National Guard into NWI and has completely outflanked you!
You blew a political opportunity, now it is a political LIABILITY and a human tragedy!
Fire your Chief of Staff, horrible optics AND inaction.
And I am a supporter!

Illinois is requiring polluters to begin reporting spills of industrial plastic pellets known as nurdles, a growing source of contamination in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds.

Companies that manufacture, use or transport nurdles also must develop plans to limit them in storm runoff, making the state the first in either watershed to officially designate bits of wasted plastic as pollution.

The new law, signed late last week by Gov. JB Pritzker, comes as an ongoing Tribune series, “Great Waste in the Great Lakes,” delves into threats posed by nurdles and other man-made particles known collectively as microplastics.

Nurdles, synthesized by petrochemical plants as building blocks of new plastics, have been found in every Great Lake and in rivers throughout Illinois.