Tom DeVore, ex-GOP Illinois AG nominee, temporarily loses law license

by Hannah Meisel
Capitol News Illinois

Illinois Supreme Court suspends Tom DeVore’s law license for 60 days over ethics violations tied to his romantic and professional relationship with a client.

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Supreme Court has ordered former Illinois attorney general Republican nominee Tom DeVore’s law license suspended for 60 days, following a yearslong public feud involving his client-turned-girlfriend and the state’s attorney discipline board.

The court’s order affirms a recommendation this spring by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, which found “clear and convincing evidence” that DeVore’s actions related to Riley Craig had broken several Illinois Supreme Court ethics rules.

Illinois attorney Tom Devore at state fair — Former Republican Illinois attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore is pictured at the Illinois State Fair in 2022.

Craig, a Springfield salon owner, was one of the hundreds of clients DeVore represented in dozens of lawsuits after gaining notoriety for representing then-state Rep. Darren Bailey in an April 2020 lawsuit challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Two years later, DeVore joined Bailey on an unsuccessful statewide GOP ticket to unseat Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

DeVore, a lawyer from rural Greenville in the Metro East, began a romantic relationship with Craig after filing a pandemic-related lawsuit on her behalf in May 2020, according to ARDC documents. Though Craig’s litigation against the Pritzker administration was unsuccessful, their relationship continued for nearly three years.

In mounting a defense to the ARDC’s case, DeVore claimed that his work as Riley’s attorney in her effort to get her salon reopened had ended by the time their romantic involvement began in late May or June 2020. The ARDC disputed DeVore’s timeline, pointing to continued attorney behavior in that case.

But beyond that, DeVore went on to represent Riley in three other legal matters — including her divorce — that summer. That “demonstrated an unbroken continuation of his attorney-client relationship” with Craig, the ARDC ruled.

... consensual sexual activity between an attorney and a client constitutes an impermissible conflict of interest...

The disciplinary panel began looking into DeVore’s behavior in 2021, and during that initial investigation, Craig said she was not a client when their sexual relationship began. She repeated that claim on social media while DeVore was running for attorney general in 2022.

But in May 2023, a few months after Craig and DeVore broke up, Craig “threatened to change her story” to the disciplinary panel so that DeVore would “lose his law license,” according to the ARDC report.

The disciplinary panel also pointed out that “even consensual sexual activity between an attorney and a client constitutes an impermissible conflict of interest because the attorney’s emotional involvement with the client creates a significant risk that the attorney’s independent professional judgment will be impaired.”

DeVore also got involved in Craig’s business venture to launch a hair product business, for which the pair took out $600,000 in loans in 2021. But in doing so, the ARDC found DeVore failed to provide “required safeguards” for Craig.

... email also called Craig a “petulant child” ..."

The business was failing in the spring of 2023 when Craig made her threat to expose DeVore, according to ARDC documents. Following that May 2023 meeting, Craig filed her own complaint with the ARDC and filed for personal bankruptcy to avoid responsibility for the company’s debt.

But the day after Craig filed for bankruptcy, DeVore sent an email to both Craig and a vendor that the company owed $30,000, which alerted the vendor to Craig’s filing — and the fact the vendor could still come after the company for its debt. The email also called Craig a “petulant child” and apologized for her “nasty character,” according to the ARDC report.

The disciplinary panel also found the email violated state ethics rules for attorneys.

DeVore declined to comment on the court’s order to Capitol News Illinois. His law license will be suspended for 60 days beginning Oct. 10.

But the attorney has been staying busy. Earlier this year, he formed a political action committee dubbed “Tom DeVore’s RINO Removal,” referring to the acronym for “Republicans in Name Only.” DeVore has been recruiting candidates to face GOP state legislators in primary races, including House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savana.

He’s also filed several lawsuits against fellow Republicans in the last year, including one accusing McCombie of censoring him by deleting his comments and barring him from posting on her Facebook page. On Monday, a federal judge granted McCombie’s motion to dismiss the suit.

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.

Sending children through adult criminal system does improve anything

Illinois and national policies sending minors to adult court do not improve safety, according to a new report.

Photo: Emma Ou/Unsplash

by Judith Ruiz-Branch
Public News Service

CHICAGO - A new report highlighted how trying juveniles in adult court, in Illinois and across the country, does not make the public any safer and can even lead to more repeat offenses.

The report is part of a series by the Juvenile Justice Initiative of Illinois, which pointed to profound racial bias in prosecuting children in adult court.

Elizabeth Clarke, director of the initiative, said laws permitting the automatic transfer of kids to adult court, and others allowing kids over age 15 to be interrogated without legal counsel, all contribute to what she calls a "failed policy" of trying juveniles in adult court. Clarke noted most kids waive their Miranda Rights during custodial interrogation.

Every state in the U.S. and almost every nation has a separate court for children because not only are children's brains not fully developed but children are more capable of change

"Then unfortunately, based upon a statement, where they've never consulted with a lawyer, they can be charged in the adult court," Clarke explained. "They simply can't understand the ramifications of what they are signing."

Clark emphasized juvenile courts are more effective at reducing repeat offenses, addressing individual needs and holding children accountable. She argued the juvenile justice system has become incredibly complex, with multiple pathways for trying minors in adult court. Her organization advocates for simplifying the system.

Illinois established the first juvenile court more than 100 years ago but Clarke said in the 1990s, the state began implementing tougher policies to bypass juvenile court and automatically transfer certain minors to adult court. Clarke noted Illinois has been gradually dismantling these transfer provisions. The report mentioned a reform in 2015 which examined about 200 children’s cases in adult court and determined 90% should be in juvenile court.

"Every state in the U.S. and almost every nation has a separate court for children because not only are children's brains not fully developed but children are more capable of change," Clarke stressed.

The report recommended ending automatic transfer entirely, and requiring an attorney be present throughout interrogations in cases when a child could be transferred to adult court or receive an adult sentence. It also pinpointed the need for better data collection to understand where the practices are most common and where alternative resources might be more effective.

A bill which would have required legal representation for all Illinois children during interrogations failed in the Legislature last year.

Illinois gun ban challenge heads to appeals court with DOJ involved

DOJ to argue in Illinois gun ban appeal as Seventh Circuit hears Barnett v. Raoul. Case could reach U.S. Supreme Court.

concelled weapon on a man — The Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that concealed-carry licenseholders may keep their firearms when traveling on public transportation as long as it is unloaded and secured while onboard.

By Greg Bishop
The Center Square

CHICAGO - A gun rights advocate says that the U.S. Department of Justice coming to argue in front of an appeals court against Illinois’ gun ban is significant.

Oral arguments are scheduled for Sept. 22 in the case Barnett v. Raoul, challenging the state’s gun and magazine ban. A federal district court found the law unconstitutional last year after a four-day bench trial.

In the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Department of Justice motioned to be allowed time to argue.

“This appeal concerns whether Illinois’s Protect Illinois Communities Act, which prohibits so-called ‘assault weapons,’ can withstand scrutiny under the Second Amendment, which protects Americans’ right to ‘keep and bear Arms,’” the motion said. “Because of the federal government’s interest in ‘protect[ing] the Second Amendment rights of all Americans,’ Executive Order No. 14,206, Protecting Second Amendment Rights, … the United States filed a brief as amicus curiae supporting Plaintiffs-Appellees. The United States believes that its participation in oral arguments will be helpful to the Court.”

A concealed-carry licenseholder can keep his firearm with him as long as it is unloaded and secured during his time on public transit...

The motion was granted.

Gun rights advocate Todd Vandermyde said it’s monumental.

“We have the United States Department of Justice not only filing an amici brief on behalf of the challenges to the Illinois gun ban, they have asked for time to come in and argue the government’s position,” Vandermyde told The Center Square.

The case is expected to go to the U.S. Supreme Court regardless of whether the appeals court sides with plaintiffs or with the state of Illinois.

How law enforcement interprets a recent appeals court ruling in a separate case challenging the prohibition of carrying concealed firearms on Illinois mass transit is still unclear.

The Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled earlier this month in the case Schoenthal v. Raoul, reversing a lower court and upholding the law.

“A concealed-carry licenseholder can keep his firearm with him as long as it is unloaded and secured during his time on public transit,” the court said. “Under Illinois’s regulation, a citizen can step off the transit system, reassemble their firearm, and go about their day with no further infringement on their rights.”

Vandermyde said this leaves open significant questions.

“What's this going to look like when you have five, six, a dozen people waiting for the bus? And as the bus pulls up, they all reach under their coat or whatever, pull out a handgun, unload it, clear it, and then place it in a briefcase or purse or satchel or something like that, and then board the bus?” he asked.

...the decision “does not change how Illinois law enforcement enforces conceal carry laws in the state.”

The Cook County Sheriff's Office said it would be “premature to comment on how any part of the decision would be enforced.”

“We understand the appellate court has not issued the appellate mandate for this decision and the decision remains pending,” the office said. “We intend to have discussions with the Attorney General’s and the State’s Attorney’s Offices regarding the procedural posture of this decision and when it will take effect, and what the practical effect of the decision will be on public safety and enforcement of the concealed carry laws of Illinois.”

Illinois State Police said the decision “does not change how Illinois law enforcement enforces conceal carry laws in the state.”

Vandermyde said he still doesn’t know.

“They didn't give us any definitive, you know, ‘we're going to arrest you if you do this.’ Well, if they come out and say that and they've effectively negated your ability to carry, you know, if you were forced to use public transit.”

Plaintiffs in the Schoenthal case said they are reviewing the decision on what their next steps will be.

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Group urges passage of child care bill to help Illinois families

Illinois advocates urge Congress to pass the Child Care for Working Families Act to lower child care costs.

by Mark Richardson
Public News Service

CHICAGO - Advocates for working families are asking Congress to pass a bill to lower the cost of child care in Illinois and across the U.S.

The Child Care for Working Families Act is stalled in the Republican-controlled Congress. The measure would increase federal funding so child care would cost no more than 7% of a family's annual income. The median family income in Illinois is about $80,000 a year.

Amber Knight, board president of the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children, said currently, most families are priced out of the child care market.

"This act is going to help working families," Knight asserted. "It's going to provide security and being able to have children attend early-childhood education settings without having the burden be solely placed on families."

Early childhood education is so beneficial to the children and families

The bill would fund grants to open new child care centers and guarantee higher wages for providers, in order to stabilize and grow the workforce. The two biggest programs in the bill, Child Care and Development Fund and Head Start, would receive about $12 billion each. Most House and Senate Democrats are backing the bill, while Republicans oppose it because of its cost.

Knight noted many Illinois families, especially those in rural areas, live in so-called "child care deserts," where the supply is insufficient to meet the need. She stressed it forces working families to make hard social and financial decisions.

"People are able to go to work if their child is being taken care of and also be able to take care of their family by not putting their whole paycheck to child care," Knight explained.

She pointed out studies show children who get an early start on education perform better during their entire time is school and are more successful later in life.

"Early childhood education is so beneficial to the children and families and being able to give them the access in any way we can," Knight added. "Helping the families or helping the centers will really benefit our future."

Tags: Illinois child care costs, Child Care for Working Families Act 2025, early childhood education funding, child care deserts in Illinois, Head Start and Child Care Development Fund expansion

Pritzker signs ‘squatter bill’ into law, real estate and property owner organizations support the bill

The goal of the bill is to make it easier for police to enforce criminal trespassing. State law does not explicitly give police the power to remove a person squatting in another person’s home without an eviction.

Squatter's home

Photo: Juan Giraudo/Unsplash

Until new law that takes effect in January, removing squatters from a home meant homeowners would have to go through the eviction process in Cook County court, which can take months. New law makes it easier to kick squatters off an owner's property.

by Ben Szalinski
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - A new law signed by Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday will make it easier for police to remove squatters who are illegally staying at a residence.

Squatters are people who enter and occupy a place for a long period of time with the intention of staying there, rather than a trespasser who enters without intentions to stay.

Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1563, which clarifies that a court-ordered eviction is not required for police to remove squatters from a person’s home. The bill stipulates that police can enforce criminal trespassing charges against a squatter.

“Squatters are a problem, and no one should have to get an eviction notice to remove squatters from their home,” bill sponsor Sen. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, said in a statement. “Law enforcement need to be able to do their job and return homes to their rightful owners.”

The bill passed through the General Assembly nearly unanimously, with only Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, voting against it. Law enforcement, real estate and property owner organizations supported the bill.

Collins, who represents much of the West Side of Chicago, said the bill came from concerns her constituents expressed and said the goal was to make it easier for police to enforce criminal trespassing. State law does not explicitly give police the power to remove a person squatting in another person’s home without an eviction.

A lawmaker’s encounter

Pritzker signed the bill after Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, had a first-hand encounter with squatters this summer. ABC7 Chicago reported last week squatters moved in next door to Evans’ Avalon Park home on Chicago’s South Side. The owners of the house had put the home up for sale, but last week found strangers living inside without buying or renting the home.

According to ABC7, Chicago Police told homeowners they couldn’t remove the squatters from the home and the homeowners would have to go through the eviction process in Cook County court, which can take months. Evans told ABC7 he would call Pritzker directly to ask him to sign the bill, which was sponsored in the House by Rep. Jawaharial Williams, D-Chicago.

“My community is full of hardworking, mortgage- and rent-paying citizens who believe in working, not stealing and scheming,” Evans said in a Facebook post Monday. “We don’t support crooks who prey on hardworking people.”

The law takes effect Jan. 1.

Amid uncertainty in Washington, Illinois lawmakers pass slimmed-down Medicaid package

Lawmakers in Springfield passed a slimmed-down Medicaid omnibus bill this year as state budget constraints and federal funding uncertainties loomed large.

by Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Nearly every year, Illinois lawmakers pass a package of measures dealing with the state’s Medicaid program, the joint federal and state health care program that covers low-income individuals.

Known as the Medicaid omnibus bill, it sometimes includes bold components, like a 2021 initiative that made millions of dollars available to local communities to help them plan and design their own health care delivery systems. Other packages have focused on smaller changes like guaranteeing coverage for specific conditions and medications or adjusting reimbursement rates for different categories of health care providers.

Illinois state news

And most years, the packages receive bipartisan support because they are negotiated, largely behind closed doors, by an unofficial, bipartisan Medicaid Working Group.

This year, however, lawmakers passed one of the narrowest packages in recent memory, due mainly to the Trump administration’s vows to make sweeping cuts in federal funding for the program while state lawmakers faced their own set of budget constraints.

“There were many, many, very worthy program expansions, rate increases that we considered during this process that we were unable to include because of the uncertainty in Washington,” Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, the current chair of the Medicaid Working Group, said on the House floor Saturday.

The Illinois Medicaid program currently costs about $33.7 billion a year, according to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Of that, $20.9 billion, or about 62%, comes from the federal government while much of the state’s share comes from taxes levied on hospitals, nursing homes and managed care organizations – money the state uses to draw down federal matching funds.

The program covers nearly 3.5 million people in Illinois, or about a quarter of the state’s population. According to the nonpartisan health policy think tank KFF, the program pays for 40% of all child births in Illinois while covering 69% of all nursing home residents.

This year’s Medicaid omnibus bill, a 231-page amendment inserted into Senate Bill 2437, contains items that could be hugely beneficial to many Medicaid enrollees, but which don’t carry large price tags. In fact, the entire package is estimated to cost just under $1 million.

One of this year’s additions would make it easier for family members of medically fragile children who qualify for in-home nursing care to receive training to become certified family health aides, a designation that would enable them to administer medications, help with feeding and perform many of the same tasks as a certified nursing assistant.

Another provision would require all hospitals with licensed obstetric beds and birthing centers to adopt written policies that permit patients to have an Illinois Medicaid certified doula of their choosing to accompany them and provide support before, during and after labor and delivery.

Although those provisions enjoyed bipartisan support, another provision that extends coverage to certain categories of noncitizens drew Republican opposition Saturday, resulting in a partisan roll call vote.

The program covers noncitizens who meet the income requirements for Medicaid and have pending applications for asylum in the United States or for special visas as victims of trafficking, torture or other serious crimes. Those individuals can receive coverage for up to 24 months, provided they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Moeller said the language was not a new extension of health care benefits to noncitizens, but instead a “technical and administrative fix” to an existing program that had been requested by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

But for Republicans, the programs sounded too similar to the more controversial programs, Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors and Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults, that extend health care to a large category of people who are not U.S. citizens, including some who are in the country illegally.

“For us on this side of the aisle, that is the poison pill,” said Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, the deputy House minority leader. “So in spite of the fact that we have article after article in here, that is very worthy of a yes vote, I would urge a no vote.”

At Gov. JB Pritzker’s request, the budget bill lawmakers passed Saturday night cancels the program for immigrant adults, which had covered about 31,000 noncitizens age 42-64. But it provides $110 million over the next year, all in state funds, for the immigrant seniors program, which covers about 8,900 noncitizens age 65 and over.

The Medicaid bill passed the House late Saturday night, 76-39. It then passed the Senate shortly after midnight, 36-19.

It next goes to Pritzker’s desk for his consideration.

Challenges to Illinois gun laws could go before the Supreme Court

Arguing the U.S. Supreme Court should have taken the Maryland case, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote AR-15s are arms protected by the Second Amendment.

Woman holding an AR-15 rifle — Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas wrote: "Our Constitution allows the American people – not the government – to decide which weapons are useful for self-defense." SCOTUS refused to take a look at the issue of states regulating which guns people can or can't own legally.

By Greg Bishop .::. Associate Editor
The Center Square

Challenges to local and state gun bans in Illinois could be the next case in front of the U.S. Supreme court on the “AR-15 issue.”

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a challenge to Maryland’s ban, The Center Square reported. In the order, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said whether a state can ban an AR-15 is a question he expects the court to take up, but not right now.

“Although the Court today denies certiorari, a denial of certiorari does not mean that the Court agrees with a lower-court decision or that the issue is not worthy of review,” Kavanaugh wrote.

Arguing the U.S. Supreme Court should have taken the Maryland case, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote AR-15s are arms protected by the Second Amendment.

“Tens of millions of Americans own AR–15s, and the ‘overwhelming majority’ of them ‘do so for lawful purposes, including self-defense and target shooting,’” Thomas wrote. “Our Constitution allows the American people – not the government – to decide which weapons are useful for self-defense.”

Second Amendment Foundation’s Alan Gottlieb said the justices had a full docket this term but is confident the issue will be addressed.

“I really like what the Supreme Court justices [had] written,” Gottlieb told The Center Square Tuesday. “That's why I have really good faith that they're going to take another case … The question is when. They really overloaded this session and it's a real problem.”

Kavanaugh noted several other cases pending in the federal appeals courts, including a case challenging Cook County and Illinois’ ban. Gottlieb is a plaintiff in Viramontes v. Cook County.

“It's a great possibility that can be one that gets to the Supreme Court or another case out of Illinois, because there are so many of them,” he said. “They're already even ahead of schedule on that one. It's very likely an Illinois case is what the Supreme Court will hear.”

Monday, the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s ruling in favor of the state and the county, queuing the Viramontes case for a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Southern District case where a judge found the state’s gun ban unconstitutional is pending in the appeals courts with plaintiffs scheduled to file their reply brief Friday.

Illinois lawmakers pass bill to raise age of senior driving tests

New bill would allow a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of any Illinois driver to submit medical information about the driver to the secretary of state if they think the person’s medical condition interferes with their driving abilities.

Older driver on the road during a light rain — Drivers 87 and older will have to take an annual driver’s test says new bill waiting for the Illinois governor's signature.

by Jade Aubrey
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - A bill unanimously passed by the Senate on Thursday and on its way to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will increase the age that senior drivers in Illinois are required to take an annual driver’s test.

Currently, if a driver renews their driver’s license between the ages of 79 and 80, they are required to take a driving test. Drivers between 81 and 86 are required to take a driving test every two years, and drivers 87 and older have to take the test annually.

If Pritzker signs House Bill 1226, sponsored by Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, only drivers 87 and older will have to take an annual driver’s test. Illinois drivers between 79 and 86 won’t be required to take a driver’s test to renew their license; instead, they’ll only have to take a vision test, and if they have a driving violation, a written test.

The bill would also allow a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of any Illinois driver to submit medical information about the driver to the secretary of state if they think the person’s medical condition interferes with their driving abilities. Currently, only medical officials, police officers and state’s attorneys can submit such information.

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HB 1226, also called the Road Safety and Fairness Act, has garnered bipartisan support. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced his support for the bill in January alongside lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. The bill was conceived by a constituent of Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, last year.

The bill has 86 cosponsors in the House and 35 in the Senate.

Illinois is the only state that requires seniors to pass a driving test solely due to their age. But state data indicates that older drivers tend to have lower crash rates.

In 2023, the crash rate for drivers aged 75 and older 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.

Bill banning carbon sequestration near Mahomet Aquifer clears General Assembly

The Mahomet Aquifer supplies water to hundreds of thousands of people in central Illinois. Estimates for the number of Illinois residents served daily by the aquifer range from 500,000 to 1 million people. The bill to keep water supply safe comes after recent leaks at a carbon injection site in Decatur.

by Jade Aubrey
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - A bill that bans carbon sequestration over, under or through portions of the Mahomet Aquifer passed out of the Illinois General Assembly on Tuesday.

The bill has been a point of contention in the Statehouse during this year’s legislative session, after it was found that a leak occurred during carbon injections carried out by ADM, a Decatur-based agriculture giant.

Carbon sequestration is a relatively new technological process that pumps liquified carbon dioxide deep underground for long-term storage. Proponents say it could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions for high-emissions industries like ethanol production.

Roughly 8,000 metric tons of liquid carbon dioxide and other ground fluid escaped the area it was permitted to be in.

The ADM injection site, which opened in 2011, received the first federal permit for “geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide” in 2017. Since then, the project has stored more than 4.5 million tons of carbon dioxide more than a mile underground.

Photo: Capitol News Illinois/Jerry Nowicki

State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, watches as her bill to ban carbon sequestration under, above or through the Mahomet Aquifer, is voted on.

Although the leak did not take place in the Mahomet Aquifer area, roughly 8,000 metric tons of liquid carbon dioxide and other ground fluid escaped the area it was permitted to be in. ADM temporarily paused carbon injections in October after another issue with a well was identified.

In 2015, portions of the aquifer in 14 Illinois counties were designated as a sole source aquifer by the EPA, since contamination of the aquifer could cause significant public health risk. That EPA designation also indicates that there are no “reasonably available alternative drinking water sources” that could be used if the water in the aquifer were contaminated.

Senate Bill 1723 passed on Tuesday with bipartisan support. The bill was spearheaded by Sen. Paul Faraci, D-Champaign, and Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. It comes after Illinois lawmakers passed a law last year allowing carbon sequestration anywhere in Illinois.

“Proposals under consideration by the U.S. EPA today would store 50 times the amount of carbon that has been stored at the ADM facility under the Mahomet Aquifer,” Andrew Rehn, the climate policy director of Prairie Rivers Network, said during a Senate committee hearing on the bill in March. “Last year's bill leaves a critical gap. It says you have to replace drinking water if you damage it through your carbon sequestration activity, and the sole source designation means that there is no alternative.”

Charles Harvey, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke on the dangers of carbon sequestration in the wake of the recent ADM leak during the committee hearing. He called the ADM injection facility an “experiment,” as the injection of carbon at such a depth had never been done before.

He said the pressure and depth of the injections led to fissures in both the injection pipes and the levels of rock the carbon was being pumped into and stored under. Since carbon dioxide is a gas, he said it began to seep through the cracks and the fissures and rise back to the surface, which began the leak.

“To do this, it had to move at an alarming velocity of at least three meters a day to have reached it in the four months that after injections for when the seismic inference was made,” Harvey said. “Now, the original report predicted that with 90% confidence this would not happen.”

Opponents of the bill argued that since the Mahomet Aquifer sits at roughly 200 feet under the surface, it isn’t at risk to leaks, as carbon injections pump the gas thousands of feet underground.

Due to the aquifer’s sole source designation, bill proponents also argued that central Illinois residents can’t afford the water to be at risk.

“Eighty-five percent of the geographic land mass in the state of Illinois can be used for carbon sequestration. The aquifer is a very small piece of that, it's just kind of the width of Central Illinois,” Rose said. “You can sequester north or south of this without putting anybody's water in jeopardy.”

Opponents of the bill argued that since the Mahomet Aquifer sits at roughly 200 feet under the surface, it isn’t at risk to leaks, as carbon injections pump the gas thousands of feet underground.

“The geology under and around the Mahomet Aquifer is the best geology to ensure that thousands of feet below the aquifer — we’re not talking immediately under the aquifer, we’re talking thousands of feet, up to a mile below — is the best geology to ensure that the carbon capturing is taking place,” Donovan Griffith, the vice president of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said during the committee. “It's the best in the state.”

The bill passed out of the Senate in April 55-0. It now awaits approval from the governor after passing out of the House on Tuesday with a vote of 91-19.

IMA released a statement on X following the passage of SB1723 urging Gov. JB Pritzker to veto the bill. “Carbon capture and sequestration is a safe and proven technology that is key to maintaining economic growth and advancing our state’s decarbonization goals. We urge Gov. JB Pritzker to veto this legislation, which discourages investment in clean energy projects including sustainable aviation fuel,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association.

Illinois pushes to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighter gear due to cancer risk

Numerous scientific studies from the American Cancer Society, National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate the correlation between exposure to PFAS found in turnout or bunker gear and the increased number of firefighters developing various forms of cancer.

Firemen move a barrel during a firetraining exercisse

by Reilly Cook & Grace Friedman
Medill Illinois News Bureau

SPRINGFIELD - A bill to ban the sale of firefighter protective gear containing “forever chemicals” is gaining momentum in the Illinois General Assembly, as lawmakers, union leaders and firefighters themselves warn that the very equipment designed to save lives may be silently endangering them.

House Bill 2409, co-sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly, D-Chicago, and Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, seeks to expand on the state’s existing PFAS Reduction Act by targeting a lesser-addressed but critical source of firefighter exposure to these harmful substances: their turnout gear.

Turnout gear, also known as bunker gear, is the specialized protective clothing worn by firefighters to protect them when they respond to fires or other hazardous situations.

“We know the damage that PFAs can do to our bodies,” Kelly said in an interview. “While this is supposed to protect us, it’s doing us serious harm.”

PFAS have long been used to make products -resistant to water, heat and staining, but research has increasingly linked them to serious health issues, including multiple forms of cancer. According to the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization trying to protect environmental health through better industry standards, PFAS were first added to firefighters’ personal protective equipment in 1976.

The bill is backed by the Associated Firefighters of Illinois, a statewide union representing more than 17,000 firefighters and paramedics in 237 communities. Advocates argue that the legislation is crucial in addressing the leading cause of death among firefighters today—chronic illnesses such as cancer.

“Little did we know that the bunker gear, the very gear that is supposed to protect us, to keep us safe, is actually killing us,” AFFI President and retired firefighter Chuck Sullivan said. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they can stay in the human body a long time.

Numerous scientific studies from the American Cancer Society, National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate the correlation between exposure to PFAS and the increased number of firefighters developing various forms of cancer. Kelly and Villavalam cited this research as the impetus driving the legislation.

Sullivan said the Illinois bill closely follows similar legislation passed in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Connecticut. Under HB 2409, manufacturers would be banned from selling gear containing PFAS in Illinois after Jan. 1, 2027. In the interim, labeling requirements would take effect beginning in 2026. Fire departments would be mandated to phase out affected equipment, such as self-contained breathing apparatuses or certain rescue harnesses, by 2030.

“When we put our gear on, it's not on the forefront of our mind that that is also dangerous and also giving us additional exposures,” Steve Shetsky, a member of AFFI’s executive board, said. “So this bill would absolutely limit those exposures, which would make this profession safer.”

Retired Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Jim Tracy knows the risk firsthand. Diagnosed with colon cancer six years ago, he endured chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to eradicate the cancer he blames on the uniform.

“I was 22 years in the field when I got diagnosed,” Tracy said. “It is unfortunately one of those cancers you get from PFAS.”

Tracy, who spent 28 years working as a firefighter, said it was only recently that they received one set of gear that is “99% PFAS free.” The new equipment was delayed in production, he said, because manufacturers had to remove PFAS-laced materials from collars and cuffs and replace them with 100% cotton. Many firefighters, however, still wear older gear that is laden with forever chemicals.

“Personal protective equipment,” Tracy said. “It’s not very protective if it is giving us cancer.”

In addition to his own health battle, Tracy said he has many colleagues in the department who have gotten sick but do not report their illnesses out of fear of losing their jobs.

“They don’t want to get kicked off the job, so they go through it on their own and don’t tell the department,” he said.

‘Financial unknowns, replacements under testing’

HB 2409 passed the House 114-0 on April 10. It passed a Senate committee unanimously and is awaiting final action on the Senate floor before it can head to Gov. JB Pritzker for a signature.

Despite bipartisan support in both legislative chambers, the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association has been vocal in its opposition to the bill, citing concerns about the availability and cost of compliant gear.

Photo: Ken Steele II/Unsplash

Illinois Fire Chiefs Association opposes the bill, citing concerns about the availability and cost of safer equipment for firefighters.

John Buckley, executive director of the IFCA, testified before the Senate Labor Committee on May 6, urging lawmakers to amend the bill to delay the enforcement date.

“Our ask and our solution to the problem was to move the date from Jan. 1, 2027, to Jan. 1, 2029 — to give two years to determine if gear would be available and meet the needs of the firefighters in Illinois,” Buckley said.

While Buckley emphasized that the IFCA supports eradicating PFAS from firefighter gear, he warned that the current timeline does not allow enough time for departments to identify, test and purchase safe alternatives, which he said are not affordable or readily accessible.

“Currently, nothing’s been tested and vetted that meets that requirement,” he said. “The gear that’s out there that is PFAS-free is in very limited use, and some of it does not meet national standards,” Buckley said.

Buckley also pointed out that the proposed legislation lacks a funding mechanism to help departments cover the cost of new gear, which he said could “range from $4,000 to $5,000 per set.”

According to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, the state has 39,564 firefighters. Outfitting each with PFAS-free equipment could cost between $158 million and $198 million—a significant expense as Illinois faces a tightening budget picture for fiscal year 2026.

Still, sponsors said protecting firefighters from potentially deadly chemical exposure should take precedence over its price tag and logistical concerns.

“Our first responders deserve to work with equipment and clothing that does not pose a risk to their health,” Villivalam said. “This measure ensures they are able to continue to be protected while doing their work effectively.”

Even if HB 2409 becomes law, Buckley said he plans to continue pushing for a 2029 effective date when the 104th General Assembly reconvenes in January 2026.

Reilly Cook and Grace Friedman are graduate students in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and fellows in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.

Tagged: PFAS found in firefighter gear, Health risks for firefighters, Illinois firefighters exposed to deadly chemical exposure, Making firefighting safer, Manufacturers would be banned from selling gear containing PFAS in Illinois

Despite opportunities, students are transferring from community colleges to public universities at a low rate

Only 28% of low-income students transfer, compared to 44% of higher-income students. And while Black and Latino students make up 44% of community college enrollment in Illinois, they make up just 31% of those who transfer to public universities.

by Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD — As the cost of higher education continues to rise, many students have turned to local community colleges as a way of holding down the cost of pursuing a degree.

Sometimes referred to as the “2-plus-2” model, the idea is to complete the freshman- and sophomore-level general education requirements at a local community college – where tuition rates may be half to one-third that of a four-year institution – then transfer to a university to finish out a degree.

By many measures, Illinois has been a leader in making the transfer process accessible for community college students. A 2020 report from the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board noted that Illinois led the nation in bachelor’s degree completion rates among community college transfer students, with nearly 54% completing their degree within six years.

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But a new report by a higher education advocacy group says that statistic offers an incomplete picture. While the completion rate may be high for those who succeed in making the transfer to a university, many more community college students never make the transfer, even though that’s their plan when they first enroll.

The report by the Partnership for College Completion says that while 79% of community college students start with the intention of transferring to a university, only 35% of them do.

The success rate is even lower for low-income students and students of color, the report states. Only 28% of low-income students transfer, compared to 44% of higher-income students. And while Black and Latino students make up 44% of community college enrollment in Illinois, they make up just 31% of those who transfer to public universities.

The report also says Illinois graduates who transferred from a community college take out, on average, 38% more debt than those who start at four-year schools. Transfer students also attempt an average of nine more credits during their college career than those who don’t transfer.

“We’re trying to put a bridge between different systems that were not designed to work with each other and aren't honestly designed to work primarily for students,” Mike Abrahamson, associate director of research and policy at PCC and a coauthor of the report, said in an interview. “We’re seeing breakdowns at every part of this pipeline.”

Abrahamson said the 2-plus-2 model works best for the small percentage of students who come into the system knowing what they want to major in and what university they want to transfer to. But for most others, he said, multiple barriers can stand in the way of a student making a seamless transition from community college to a four-year school.

Some universities have prerequisites for their upper-level courses that may not be aligned with the general education core curriculum that a student may have taken in community college.

One of the biggest obstacles, according to the report, is identifying the community college courses for which credits are eligible to be transferred between institutions, a process known as “articulation.”

Illinois has two programs intended to make it easier to transfer credits between schools. The Illinois Articulation Initiative, begun in 1993, sets out a “general education core curriculum” that more than 100 participating institutions have agreed to accept. And the Student Transfer Achievement Reform, or STAR Act, provides that students who graduate from a community college with an associate’s degree can, if they meet other qualifications, automatically be admitted to a public university and enroll as a junior.

But Abrahamson said the process is not as smooth and seamless as it would seem. For example, he said, some universities have prerequisites for their upper-level courses that may not be aligned with the general education core curriculum that a student may have taken in community college.

“We heard from students about, ‘Oh, I took this marketing class, and it didn't transfer for major credit, it transferred for elective credit. I had to take a marketing class, and it was the exact same course and I paid twice for it,’” Abrahamson said.

Another barrier, the report noted, is the direct cost of transferring from one school to another. That can include application fees as well as fees for obtaining copies of transcripts, costs that can multiply if the student applies to multiple four-year institutions.

“In our discussions with students, we found that those could be significant barriers for students,” Abrahamson said. “It's a $30 or $40 application fee, but you multiply that over a couple institutions, and it can be a real barrier for students to apply.”

Recommendations to lawmakers

The report offers several recommendations to make the transfer process easier, some of which are being considered in the General Assembly. Chief among those is to reform the way Illinois funds higher education.

Lawmakers are considering legislation this year to overhaul university funding, one that would distribute new funds using a needs-based formula similar to the Evidence-Based Funding model used in K-12 education. But the Partnership for College Completion report also calls for overhauling community college funding, “to reduce over-reliance on tuition and fee revenue.”

Another proposal under consideration this year is to implement a statewide direct admissions program in which graduating high school seniors and community college students who are eligible to transfer to a university would be automatically admitted to public universities where they are qualified.

The report calls for expanding that program further by coupling it with “guaranteed need-based financial aid.” “I think almost all of our universities want to serve more transfer students and want to serve their students as best they possibly can,” Abrahamson said. “A lot of this comes down to giving them the resources they need to do that.”

Gov. JB Pritzker has also pushed for a bill allowing community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs in certain high-demand employment fields. But that measure has stalled thus far, with Democratic leaders recently expressing disagreement on the plan at a committee hearing to discuss the funding bill.

It's no joke, high taxes is the number one concern for Illinois residents

Illinois residents have the highest combined state and local tax burden in the nation, accounting for nearly 17% of their paychecks, and the second-highest property taxes in the country, according to the financial website WalletHub.

by Judith Ruiz-Branch
Illinois News Connection

CHICAGO - High taxes and a weak economy are the top concerns of Illinois residents according to a new poll, with nearly half of those surveyed saying they would leave the state if given the opportunity.

The poll, conducted for the Illinois Policy Institute, showed more than half of those surveyed rank the state's high taxes as their number one concern, with the overall economy coming in second. Half of voters surveyed said they would move out of the state, regardless of whether they can afford it.

Dylan Sharkey, assistant editor for the Illinois Policy Institute, said the group started conducting surveys to shed light on tax issues.

"It's impossible for lawmakers to deny that these are the issues that people care about," Sharkey contended. "Because when you have a survey or a statewide poll, it's hard to deny those voices."

The bottom line should be that taxes should not be a first resort. The first resort should be to do more with money they already have.

Since 2020, it is estimated Illinois has lost close to 500,000 residents. Sharkey argued the poll helps to dispel the myth people are leaving the state due to the weather. He added states of similar size and climate, such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, are also losing residents but at a much slower rate.

"This might seem obvious to some people, but of course, high taxes are number one," Sharkey emphasized. "Part of the reason we do this polling is because there are lawmakers and groups out there who look at our state and think, 'Well, we just need more money to fix the problem.' And the reality is, if you take more money from people, they're just going to find a new home."

Sharkey added he hopes the poll will serve as guidance for Illinois lawmakers as they consider new legislation which could add to the tax burden residents already carry.

"Even if lawmakers aren't in consensus over new taxes, their constituents are," Sharkey asserted. "The bottom line should be that taxes should not be a first resort. The first resort should be to do more with money they already have."

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