Illinois
As Pritzker signs Illinois budget, here’s what’s in and what was left out
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a series of budget bills on Monday, allowing tax changes and several other policies to take effect on July 1.
The six bills were signed during a press availability on Monday, with the governor touting his administration’s seventh consecutive balanced budget.
Here’s a breakdown of what will take effect and what will change as part of the new budget.
What Pritzker signed on Monday
Rather than being contained in one omnibus bill, Pritzker signed six different pieces of legislation to put the Fiscal Year 2026 budget into effect.
The budget itself was contained in SB 2510, while its implementation was codified in HB 1075. New bonds were authorized in HB 3374, while revenue estimates and collection policies were included in HB 2755.
Two additional spending bills, SB 2437 and HB 2771, were also signed by the governor.
Spending notes on the budget
Pritzker used reduced appropriations in one of the budget bills as a corrective measure, saying that the amounts had been duplicated. That move reduced the amount of spending in the final budget agreement by just over $161 million.
The series of bills also called for a deposit of $161 million in the state’s “rainy day” fund, which Pritzker says will contain nearly $2.5 billion by the end of the next fiscal year.
The budget bill includes another increase in funding for the state’s Department of Children and Family Services, raising its budget to $2.5 billion, according to the governor’s office.
Another $748 million was earmarked for funding for early childhood programs in the state, along with $200 million for childcare providers in the state.
In all, the state forecasted approximately $55.3 billion in revenues and expenditures of $55.08 billion, with a forecasted surplus of $217 million.
Illinois lawmakers met their May 31 deadline by approving a record $55 billion budget. Political reporter Mary Ann Ahern has more on what you’ll pay for.
New tax rates included in the budget deal:
Several new tax rates were set for a variety of items as Illinois aims to increase revenue to go along with increases in appropriations in the new budget bill.
-Beginning July 1, Illinois officials will aim to raise approximately $36 million in revenues by placing a per-wager tax on sports betting in the state.
The state will impose a $0.25-per-wager rate for the first 20 million wagers placed with licensed sports books in the state, and the tax rate will increase to $0.50 per wager after that.
In response, major sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel have implemented surcharges on bets placed within the state of Illinois, according to iGamingBusiness.
-Individuals who use services like AirBNB and Vrbo for vacation rentals will now have to pay the state’s Hotel Operators’ Occupation Tax.
According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, the state taxes hotel rooms at a rate of 6% of 94% of gross receipts. In the city of Chicago, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which helps to operate Rate Field, and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which operates McCormick Place, also collect taxes on hotels. The city itself also assesses a 1% tax on hotel rooms.
-Tobacco products will now be taxed at a rate of 45% of their wholesale price, increasing from 36%, according to officials.
Chicago public transit agencies are getting closer to the fiscal cliff, and there doesn’t appear to be an off ramp in sight.
Items left out:
-The Chicago Bears’ quest for funding for a new stadium was once again left out of budget talks despite the team wanting to get shovels into the ground in suburban Arlington Heights in the near future.
The team has said it will kick in construction costs for the stadium, aided by a grant from the NFL, but has requested state funding for new debt and upgrades to infrastructure around the new stadium, focusing on building up roads and upgrading a nearby Metra station to help get fans in and out of the suburban community, according to Forbes.
-A bill aiming to address a looming fiscal cliff for public transit agencies in the Chicago area passed one chamber of the General Assembly, but it ended up failing to pass the House, meaning that lawmakers would have to address it in a veto session later this year.
The bill would have raised funding for transit agencies via a series of tax changes, but would have also consolidated the leadership of CTA, Metra and Pace, a starting point in negotiations for many lawmakers in Springfield.
Now, if the bill is going to pass, it will require a three-fifths vote rather than a simple majority, and some officials have warned that layoff notices and service cuts could be looming soon as agencies finalize their budgets for Fiscal Year 2026.
Illinois
Andretti family’s popular go karting and gaming facility opening first Illinois location. See inside
A popular indoor go karting and gaming company is opening up its first Illinois location in a Chicago suburb this week.
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games announced it will open its doors on a brand new Schaumburg location at 4 p.m. on March 10, with a grand opening event slated for March 14.
The facility will feature numerous attractions, including “high-speed electric Superkarts on a multi-level track” and an arcade with professional racing simulators and two-story laser tag arena, in a 98,000-square-foot facility. There’s also bowling, a movie theater and more, the company said.
The Schaumburg location, at 1441 Thoreau Dr., will mark Andretti’s 13th facility in the U.S.
“We’re thrilled to open our thirteenth location in the thriving village of Schaumburg,” said Eddie Hamman, managing member. “Andretti is the perfect addition to all the amazing experiences across Chicagoland, and we look forward to meeting the communities that make this market a top destination.”
The company said it plans to host a “sneak preview” event beginning at 11 a.m. on March 10, where several guests will “be treated to free racing, attractions, and arcade play with food and beverage options available for purchase.” The Andretti family will also be on-hand for autograph sessions that afternoon.
A limited number of spots will be made available to RSVP to the preview.
Then on March 14, the first 100 guests to visit the facility to be given one hour of free arcade play and entered to win a raffle for a free birthday party. Ten guests could also win free arcade play for a year.
Illinois
New building owner addresses backlash over mural in downtown Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – A long-standing mural honoring Robert E. Smith on the side of a building at Campbell and Walnut has been covered up, prompting community backlash against the building’s new owner.
David Pere, owner of FMTM LLC, purchased the building in downtown Springfield and said he intended it to reflect his business, which focuses on helping veterans with financial strategies and goals. Covering the mural was part of that plan.
Pere said he was out of town in Tennessee when painting began and learned about the community reaction through messages on his phone.
“I’m like, I was in Tennessee running an event. I didn’t even know he’d started painting until I got a bunch of really nasty messages on my phone,” Pere said. “And I go, oh, look, that’s our building getting painted. I guess he started.”
Pere said he did not anticipate the response. “You know, we didn’t. I didn’t know how much of an impact this was going to make,” he said.
Jesse Tyler, co-owner of SGFCO, said he wanted the mural to stay and expressed concern about the lack of safeguards for publicly recognized works of art.
“To paint over that is to say, like, could be interpreted as saying that his work is no longer relevant or that his story is no longer relevant. I don’t think that’s true,” Tyler said. “Robert’s artwork needs to be part of downtown for as long as we can maintain that memory and maintain that legacy.”
Tyler said the community had hoped protections would be in place for the mural. “Maybe we didn’t have those protections that we hope there would be, that maybe the sort of legacy and awareness of Robert’s work that we hope there would be wasn’t there,” he said.
The City of Springfield posted online, acknowledging the artwork held deep meaning for many residents. Because the building is privately owned, however, Pere is within his rights to make changes to its exterior.
Pere said he hopes to help relocate the mural to a more permanent location. “We want to help migrate that mural to a wall where it could be more permanent,” he said. “I’d love to help them find a space for it. I’d love to help. I’d love to see the city get involved to the point where that space could be a permanent space where it’s actually maintained because it is obvious now that it is very important to the city of Springfield.”
Pere is already working with an artist on a new mural for the side of the building, intended to represent veterans. That mural is expected to begin going up at the end of the month.
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Illinois
Missed the lunar eclipse? See when the next one will be over Illinois
“Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse to be visible in parts of US
A total lunar eclipse will be visible early Tuesday morning, showcasing a striking “blood-red” moon, the last such event until late 2028.
unbranded – Newsworthy
Millions across the United States who woke up early Tuesday were treated to a “blood moon,” the only total lunar eclipse occurring in North America in 2026, according to NASA.
Illinois residents who missed it will be waiting some time for the next total lunar eclipse to shine above the U.S. — several years, in fact. But a partial lunar eclipse is coming sooner.
When is the next total lunar eclipse in Illinois?
After March 3, Illinois’ next visible total lunar eclipse won’t happen again until June 2029, writes Time and Date. There is a partial lunar eclipse coming sooner, however.
Others are reading: Free Full Moon Queso at Qdoba. How to get in Illinois
When is the next lunar eclipse?
A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Illinois on Aug. 27-28, shining over the Americas, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia, according to NASA.
Provided you’re willing to stay up late to see it, the partial lunar eclipse will be at its maximum around 11:12 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27, in Illinois.
Until then, here’s what people in parts of the U.S. were seeing Tuesday morning.
See photos of the March 3 total lunar eclipse
Calendar of upcoming eclipses
When is the next solar eclipse?
The next solar eclipse will be visible to roughly 980 million people on Aug. 12, 2026, writes Time and Date.
A total solar eclipse will occur over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small area of Portugal, while a partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, NASA reports.
Need help finding stars, planets and constellations? Try these free astronomy apps
The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations.
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