Ordinance Breaks Down County ARPA Spending

Wabash County Commissioners recently passed an ordinance that spells out how and where the county’s share of American Rescue Plan Act monies was spent. Commissioners had until the end of the year to pass an ordinance that shows  more than $1.8 million was spent on 65 projects. The bulk of the money was spent on construction of the new county highway building. Over $1,052,398 was spent on the new structure on Poor Farm Road. Other expenditures included purchasing vehicles and body cameras for the sheriff’s department; a new roof, windows, and HVAC on the courthouse; and  new voting machines. County Commissioner Tim Hocking said the county still had some ARPA funds that hadn’t been spent…

Plus, the county transferred $55,000 in accrued interest from the money into the general fund.

While deficit looms in next year’s budget, current-year revenues remain on track

$3.2 billion gap projected for upcoming budget discussions

By BEN SZALINSKI
Capitol News Illinois
bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD —Revenue returns remain on track halfway through Illinois’ budget year, though it’s next year that is causing concern in the Capitol. 

The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget projects a $3.2 billion deficit for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and the number one task facing Gov. JB Pritzker and the new General Assembly that was seated last week will be to eliminate it. 

Pritzker is slated to give his budget address on Feb. 19, facing the largest projected deficit entering a spring session since 2021, when the pandemic hurt state income – though federal stimulus funds and a strong economic recovery helped erase the gap that year. 

Since then, the state has enjoyed more robust revenue with little need for new revenue-generating policies – until the current-year budget that passed in May with about $1 billion in new revenues through a tax hike on sportsbooks and businesses among other changes. 

But with one-time federal funding in the rearview mirror and the economy slowing, lawmakers face flat revenue projections for the coming year with spending on the rise.

As for the current year, revenues are keeping pace with what lawmakers projected when they approved the $53.1 billion spending plan last May. 

According to the December monthly report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the state brought in $52.6 billion last year, and through December, this year’s revenue is $35 million, or 0.1%, ahead of the six-month mark of fiscal year 2024. 

December was a strong month for the state, with revenue up $327 million compared to December in FY24, driven by income tax receipts. Income tax receipts are up 9.2% so far this year, even as corporate income taxes have declined by 11%. Sales tax receipts rose in December for the third consecutive month thanks to holiday shopping and are now up 1.2% for the year.

Though revenue remains on track, it’s also showing little sign of growth — something GOMB warned in the fall would be a challenge for lawmakers as they craft a new state budget this spring. 

As a new General Assembly begins, it remains unclear how lawmakers and the governor plan to plug the projected deficit. Republicans’ main concern is Democrats will resort to tax increases to boost revenue and avoid spending cuts.

“I know they’re going to be talking about needing additional revenue, but there’s no reason to do that. We’re spending almost $20 billion more than we were eight years ago,” Rep. CD Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, who is a co-chair of COGFA, told Capitol News Illinois. 

Pritzker told reporters on Wednesday that tax increases aren’t his preferred method, but he didn’t elaborate on how he will propose closing the deficit. 

“That’s certainly not the first thing on my list is thinking about tax increases,” Pritzker said. “I’m looking at how we can balance the budget within our means.” 

Dissatisfaction with the budget has also grown among Democrats. Several voted against the FY25 budget last May. The revenue plan passed in the Illinois House with the bare minimum 60 votes despite Democrats holding 78 seats in the chamber. Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, who voted for the state spending plan but against the revenue bill last year, told Capitol News Illinois Democrats need to revamp their budgeting approach. 

“There has to be discipline,” Crespo said. “I’ve recommended in the past when we work on our budget that we establish our revenue number. So we know based on GOMB, based on COGFA, they can project how much we’re going to bring in next fiscal year. We should use that as a standard and say, ‘hey, there’s a revenue number we have to hit; we can’t exceed that.’ We don’t do that.”

Crespo said he feared the FY25 revenue enhancements that were enacted to close a roughly $900 million deficit would limit lawmakers’ options to increase revenue this year. He’s also been harping on his Democratic colleagues for passing bills “subject to appropriation,” which means the bill creates a new program that will only be funded if the state agency it is housed in asks the General Assembly to fund the program. Without funding, the program can’t move forward.

“Anytime we pass a bill that is subject to appropriations, what it means is the bill as it passes, you create a line item on the budget, you’re putting pressure on the budget,” Crespo said.

Donald Trump entering the presidency this month is also a factor that could affect the state’s bottom line. Exactly how his administration’s decisions will impact the state remains to be seen, but Pritzker expressed concern on Wednesday about declining federal funds or changes to federal health care programs. 

Changes to Medicaid reimbursement rates, for example, could drastically alter the type of care Illinois can provide for those enrolled in the program or increase the state’s costs. 

Trump is “so unpredictable that we need to consider that as we’re putting a budget together and debating it,” Pritzker said. 

Davidsmeyer said he believes Illinois could see financial impacts soon, particularly because Trump’s “border czar’s” stated goal to go after sanctuary states by blocking grant funding in hopes of spurring compliance with federal immigration authorities. 

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Gov. JB Pritzker takes questions from reporters on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at the Illinois Capitol. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)

Illinois bill could raise age for mandatory license renewal driving test for seniors

No other state requires an age-based driving test for license renewal

By ASHLEY SORIANO
For Capitol News Illinois

and Medill Illinois News Bureau

AshleySoriano2025@u.northwestern.edu

CHICAGO – Older drivers in Illinois could face fewer barriers to renew their driver’s licenses next year as part of a bill that would raise the age for the state-mandated annual driver’s test from 79 to 87.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced support for House Bill 1226 this week, joined by lawmakers from both parties. The measure, dubbed the Road Safety and Fairness Act, would impact roughly 350,000 Illinoisans, according to Giannoulias. 

Illinois is the only state that requires a driving test for seniors based on age. Currently, people 79 and above are required to take a road test to renew their license. The proposed bill comes after years of efforts by some lawmakers and advocates to raise the “behind-the-wheel” driving test age and to establish procedures to report unsafe drivers.

“Age alone does not necessarily determine if someone should or should not have a driver’s license,” said Giannoulias, whose office oversees driver’s license issuance and vehicle registration, at a news conference Tuesday. “A birthday is not an accurate gauge of one’s ability to get behind the wheel safely.”

Older drivers tend to have lower crash rates, according to state data. In 2023, the crash rate for drivers aged 75 and above was 24.61 per 1,000 drivers, which was lower than any other age group, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The low crash rate has been consistent since at least 2018, according to the Secretary of State’s Office’s 2023 Study on Age-Related Driving Abilities.

The crash rate is more than double for many of the other age groups.

“I think about my mom. I don’t think my mom would admit she’s a senior, but she is someone that is very much a safe driver,” said state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago. “I can’t think of someone that I know that’s a safer driver. … This legislation is removing this archaic requirement and doing so in a very balanced way.”

Villivalam, chair of the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee, said the road test is the No. 1 issue seniors reach out to his office about in his district, which includes Chicago.

“They do not appreciate being discriminated against in this way. They do want this barrier removed,” he said.

Before the pandemic, the road test for senior drivers applied to people over the age of 75 but a temporary measure raised the age to 79. This became permanent last year after a study from the secretary of state’s office found the number of crashes did not increase significantly in each age range.

Co-sponsor State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, referred to the legislation as “the art of the possible,” despite some pushback from some other legislators.

The Road Safety and Fairness Act would also allow relatives to report unsafe drivers.

Illinois is one of only five states that do not allow immediate family members to report concerns about a relative’s driving ability, but the new legislation, in partnership with AARP Illinois, would change that.

“Illinois AARP members have asked our team for years, ‘Why is Illinois the only state in the nation to use age as a factor to require people to retake their driving test?’” Philippe Largent, AARP Illinois state director, said. “It’s time for Illinois to join the 49 other states and take a step forward in increasing the age in which older drivers in the state are required to take a driving test.”

The proposed legislation would eliminate the driving test for some, but it would still require renewals at a DMV location every one to four years, depending on age.

Every four years, 79- and 80-year-olds will still need to renew their licenses in person, while drivers between 81 and 86 years of age will need to renew every two years in person. Those 87 and above will renew annually in person, and a vision test is required for all age groups.

The bill moves Illinois closer to being consistent with other states’ driving requirements, although it remains one of the strictest states when it comes to license renewal for older drivers. 

Wisconsin requires drivers of all ages to renew their licenses every eight years without a driving test. Indiana once mandated a road test for seniors but repealed it in 2005. New Hampshire was the last state besides Illinois to do away with their age-based road test in 2011.

“I would look at this as where we’re able to get the ball right now,” Keicher said. “It doesn’t mean the battle ends, but it does mean this is where we’re able to get from the feedback that we had during the spring session (last year).”

The Road Safety and Fairness Act will be considered in the upcoming spring General Assembly session. If passed and signed by the governor, the changes would take effect July 1, 2026.

Ashley Soriano is a graduate student in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and a Fellow in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is joined by Republicans, Democrats and advocates for aging Illinoisans at a news conference announcing a bill to increase the age for the state-mandated annual driver’s test from 79 to 87. (Photo by Ashley Soriano, for Medill Illinois News Bureau)

State Board of Education seeks $11.4 billion for PreK-12 spending

Requested 4.6% increase comes in face of projected revenue shortfall

By PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education voted Wednesday to approve a budget request for the upcoming fiscal year of nearly $11.4 billion, a 4.6% increase over this year’s budget, despite projections that the state will face a substantial revenue shortfall next year.

The request includes a $350 million increase in “Evidence-Based Funding,” the minimum annual increase called for under the 2017 law that focuses new education spending on the neediest districts. 

It also includes a $142 million increase in what’s called “mandatory categorical” aid for expenses such as transportation and special education, and $75 million in new funding for early childhood education.

“This year's budget recommendation recognizes the tight fiscal projections faced by the state of Illinois, while continuing to invest in things that we know that are critical for school districts and that have a direct impact on student learning,” State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders told the board.

Funding for PreK-12 education is one of the largest categories of spending in the entire state budget, accounting for about one-fifth of all General Revenue Fund spending. That money is used to help fund the budgets of more than 850 school districts, which serve an estimated 1.9 million students.

State funding, however, makes up only part of the total amount spent on public education. In 2021, the most recent year for which complete numbers are available, state funding made up only about 26% of total school spending while about 65% came from local sources such as property taxes and the rest came from federal sources.

Over the years, the state’s heavy reliance on local property taxes to fund public schools produced vast inequities among districts. The Evidence-Based Funding formula was intended to address that over time by establishing a “hold-harmless” mechanism by which no district would ever see its funding reduced, then directing new funding to the districts most in need.

The law created a formula for estimating the cost of providing an adequate education in each district based on certain factors such as total student enrollment, the number of students from low-income families and the number of students from non-English speaking backgrounds. The goal of the law is to bring all districts up to at least 90% of their adequacy target.

Since the law went into effect, according to ISBE, nearly $2.2 billion has been distributed to districts through the Evidence-Based Funding system and overall funding for the neediest districts – known as Tier 1 districts – has grown from 59.2% of their adequacy target to 73.4%. 

Still, however, seven out of 10 students in Illinois attend a school in a district that is funded at less than 90% of its adequacy target. According to ISBE, bringing all districts up to 90% of adequacy would cost an additional $2.6 billion.

In November, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget reported that the annual increases in education funding called for under the Evidence-Based Funding law, combined with other rising costs and overall flat growth in revenue, would lead to a projected $3.2 billion budget shortfall in the fiscal year ahead.

Gov. JB Pritzker will outline his plan for plugging that hole when he delivers his budget address to the General Assembly Feb. 19.

Sanders, however, said he remains confident Pritzker and lawmakers will find a way to balance the budget and still fund the agency’s budget request.

“While most of state government’s going to be looking at potential freezes, we are really pleased to see a governor and legislature that is committed to public education funding, even in tight fiscal times,” he said.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. 

Members of the Illinois State Board of Education are pictured at the board’s December meeting. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock)

Giannoulias Warns Illinoisans of Scammers Selling Used Vehicles

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is warning Illinoisans shopping for a used vehicle to exercise caution and employ best-practices amid a rise in fraudulent vehicle purchases across the state.
 
The Secretary of State’s office has uncovered a growing number of fraudulent sales from out-of-state businesses licensed as wholesale dealers that illegally falsify the mileage shown on a used vehicle’s title and odometer to defraud car buyers.
Giannoulias’ warning comes on the heels of an Illinois car buyer, who thought they purchased a used vehicle from a wholesale dealer with 80,000 miles, only to find out the seller rolled back the odometer from over 200,000 miles and deliberately failed to disclose major mechanical problems with the car.
 
“Nightmare stories like this one is one of the worst-case scenarios when purchasing a used car,” Giannoulias said. “In many cases, the purchaser is in a desperate financial situation or needs a car fast, which leads them to overlook red flags and fail to do their due diligence.”
 
The wholesale car dealer scam is a deceptive practice in which someone licensed in other states to sell vehicles exclusively to dealers, instead poses as a private vehicle owner. Vehicles are often sold in Illinois through online advertisements and social media channels at seemingly low prices. In many cases, these vehicles have serious mechanical issues or are missing the ownership documents required to title and register the vehicle. By the time the buyer discovers the problem, the wholesaler is long gone. 
 
Odometer fraud across the country is rising each year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 450,000 vehicles are sold annually with false odometer readings causing consumers to lose over $1 billion annually. In December, Carfax ranked Illinois the fifth highest state in the nation with 79,000 cars discovered with rolled-back odometers.
 
With older vehicles, odometers scammers roll back odometers manually; however, newer vehicles have digital odometers that can be altered by removing or manipulating a car's circuit board, deceiving buyers into believing a car has a lower mileage that would sell for a higher price.
 
“My office is continuing to work with law enforcement and to educate the public to identify these scammers before they take advantage of customers,” Giannoulias added. “It’s imperative that buyers do their homework and know the signs before it is too late.”
 
To best protect yourself against fraudsters, Giannoulias recommends the following when buying from an individual seller:

1. When buying from an individual, always get the properly signed title at the time of purchase.

2. Make sure the seller owns the vehicle. 

3. If there is a lien on the vehicle, make sure it is paid off before taking ownership.

4. Look for evidence of erasing or other tampering with the title documents.

5. Make sure the wear and tear on the vehicle appears to match its age and mileage.

6. Closely examine the vehicle history report on Carfax, AutoCheck or the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) and compare the report to the name on the title, title number, VIN number, issue date and odometer reading. Compare the VIN on the vehicle’s dashboard against the title and history report.

7. Have the vehicle inspected by an automotive professional.

8. Never buy a previously junked vehicle, meaning the vehicle is inoperable, wrecked or dismantled. You cannot register the vehicle in Illinois and it cannot be rebuilt, no matter what it looks like.

9. If you believe you are buying from an individual seller, but the last assigned owner looks like a dealer name, do not buy it. You may have trouble registering the vehicle and you may pay additional taxes.

For more information, visit ilsos.gov and scroll down to Publications & Forms where, under the Law Enforcement section, you can find informational forms on odometer fraud and buying or selling a vehicle. If you believe you are a victim of odometer fraud or other vehicle-related fraud, contact your local police department. 

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE COMBATS VEHICLE HIJACKING AND THEFT

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) continues to target vehicle theft, hijacking, and related violent crimes using grant funding from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council. ​ ISP was awarded a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year, and another $677,000 grant announced in June 2024.

From October through December 2024, ISP missions resulted in the following:

 Vehicles recovered – stolen and/or hijacked: 245

Stolen vehicle arrests: 24

Hijacked vehicle arrests: 1

Firearms seized as a result of stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery: 8

Missions targeting stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery and related violent crime: 31

K9 used for stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery and related violence crime: 10

Air Operations targeting stolen/hijacked vehicle recovery and related violent crime: 31

Forensic laboratory assignments related to stolen/hijacked vehicle: 1,136

Highlights of ISP vehicle recovery efforts:

• October 4, 2024, ISP located a stolen Lexus and attempted a traffic stop on 94th and Rhodes in Chicago, but the Lexus fled. ​ The Lexus parked at 79th and Wabash and the driver ran from the vehicle. ​ ISP took the driver into custody. ​

• November 26, 2024, ISP located a stolen Dodge and attempted a traffic stop on Garfield at I-94 in Chicago, but the Dodge fled. ​ The Dodge slowed and the passenger exited and ran from the vehicle. ​ ISP took the passenger into custody and recovered two firearms.

• December 20, 2024, ISP located a stolen Jeep and attempted a traffic stop on I-94 at 79th in Chicago, but the Jeep fled. ​ The Jeep parked at a State Park near US 6 in LaSalle and two suspects ran from the vehicle. ​ ISP took both suspects into custody.

Princeton man arrested for strangulation

On January 14, 2025, at 8:31 p.m. Gibson County Central Dispatch received a request for a welfare check in the 2400 block of East State Road 64 of an individual.  Upon arriving on scene officers observed obvious signs that a physical altercation had just occurred.  At that point both parties were separated and an investigation was conducted.  At the conclusion of their investigation Deputy Wes Baumgart placed 47 year old T.W. Hunt Jr. of Princeton into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail.  Upon arriving at the jail Mr. Hunt was charged with Strangulation and Battery.
 
Assisting Deputy Baumgart in his investigation were Deputies Michael Owens, Bart Wagner, and Sgt. Loren Barchett.  Also assisting in the investigation were Princeton Officers David Jones, Matt Perry, and Jeremy Robb. 
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

COVID-era public health chief fined $150K for ethics violation

By BRIGETTE FOX
Capitol News Illinois
bfox@capitolnewsillinois.com

Former Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who led state health policy during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, will pay a $150,000 fine for violating a state anti-corruption law. 

Ezike violated the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act’s “revolving door” provision in 2022 by accepting a job as CEO of Sinai Chicago, a hospital based on Chicago’s West side.   

The state’s former top doctor admitted to state investigators she was guilty of the violation, according to a report released Friday outlining the almost three-year-long investigation by the state’s Executive Ethics Commission into her taking that job. Ezike could not be reached for comment. 

Under the Ethics Act, a high-level state employee, like Ezike was, can’t take a job with an organization that was subject to certain contracts, licensing or regulatory decisions from the state within one year of leaving their government position. 

Sinai Health System received $4.2 million in grants from IDPH in the year before Ezike left and was the subject of IDPH regulation. 

According to a statement from her legal team in the report, Ezike sought opinions from counsel and an ethics officer for the governor’s office before accepting the position. That counsel told Ezike not to consider the money Sinai Chicago received in grant funding from the IDPH to be “contracts.”

“She thought she was able to accept the job,” Ezike’s legal team wrote in its filing to investigators. “Dr. Ezike accepts responsibility and appreciates the Office of the Attorney General’s role in settling this matter. She also asks the Commission to recognize the challenges for employees navigating the revolving door prohibition.”

The Executive Ethics Commission accepted the $150,000 settlement agreement between Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office and Ezike.

However, the investigation from the Office of the Executive Inspector General found that “there was not ‘good faith’ or an honest intent to find out whether the revolving door provisions applied.” 

Ezike did not disclose that she’d talked to other government employees about wanting to be hired at Sinai, according to the OEIG.

Ezike contacted the OEIG to let them know she was planning to take the job with Sinai in April 2022 after she left the IDPH in March 2022. However, the OEIG report said she had been interviewing for the position since November of the previous year. 

The office reportedly told Ezike to continue consulting with legal counsel and the IDPH ethics officer during the year after her employment ended.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation

FILE

IMAGE: Dr. Ngozi Ezike, then the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, is pictured at a news conference in Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. (Capitol News Illinois file photo)