SPRINGFIELD, IL — The Illinois Senate passed a bill requiring nursing homes to provide residents with proper care plans during ownership changes.
According to Illinois State Senator Julie Morrison, Senate Bill 3115 requires nursing facility owners to submit transition plans detailing how resident care and appropriate staffing levels will be maintained throughout the ownership change.
“Quality of care for nursing home residents should not be disrupted because of an unclear transition process,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “By providing a clear transfer plan when nursing homes change ownership, we can increase protection for residents.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health says previous ownership changes resulted in unclear transition of ownership.
“In the past, medical staff have been at dangerously low levels during facility transitions,” said Morrison. “Nursing home management has a duty to provide comprehensive care.”
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Senate Bill 3115 passed the Illinois Senate on Friday, April 12, and is moving to the Illinois House for further consideration.
Did you get a strange text claiming to be from the Illinois DMV, demanding money? It’s a trick, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office says, with Alexi Giannoulias issuing an “urgent warning” about a new wave of threatening scam texts going out.
If you get a text claiming to be from the “DMV” or “Illinois Secretary of State” threatening suspension or enforcement – don’t click or reply. Our office never sends texts for payment or personal info. Stay vigilant and report scams by sending the message to scamalert@ilsos.gov. pic.twitter.com/wzXtLxpAze
— Secretary Alexi Giannoulias (@ILSecOfState) March 22, 2026
The unsolicited texts, which falsely claim to be from the Illinois Secretary of State or DMV, prompted the office to issue several messages about it this week, saying “scammers have recently escalated their tactics” with texts that look even more official with fake fines and regulations, deadlines or penalty dates.
“Many of the texts cite an upcoming enforcement date and list severe consequences to pressure recipients into acting quickly,” a press release from Giannoulias’ office said Tuesday. “These schemes are designed to create panic and trick individuals into surrendering money or personal information.”
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Suburban police departments and even Chicago officials have also warned of the scam.
In a March 20 message posted to Facebook, the Oswego Police Department shared a photo of what one scam text may look like, saying “it includes a photo of what appears to be an official notice for a traffic violation hearing.”
“The document may look legit at first glance, even listing Illinois statutes, but there are some clear red flags,” the department said.
Below is a photo the department shared of what some of the texts may look like or contain:
The Illinois Secretary of State’s office says it will never send a text message demanding payment or threatening to suspend a license. The only time the office will send a text, Giannoulias said, is to remind someone of a scheduled DMV appointment.
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“If you receive a message like this, remember it’s a scam – plain and simple. Do not click the link and please report the message to scamalert@ilsos.gov,” the release said.
Wednesday at 2 p.m., Giannoulias will hold a news conference about the scam, saying “don’t click it’s a trick.” Giannoulias is expected to break down how it works, and what to watch out for.
If you do receive a text, here’s what the Secretary of State’s office recommends:
One lucky Illinois Lottery player is a whole lot richer after they captured the jackpot in Monday’s Lotto drawing.
According to the Illinois Lottery, the ticket captured a jackpot worth $5.6 million in the Monday draw of the Lotto game, and the winner has not yet come forward.
Officials say the ticket was sold at Royals Liquor, located in Belleville, located just southeast of St. Louis.
“I got a call early this morning from a customer saying we sold the winning jackpot ticket,” said Bhavik Patel, co-owner of the store. “At first, I thought it was a prank—it can be hard to believe something like that over the phone. I checked the Lottery’s website and was shocked to see our store listed as the retailer that sold the winning ticket.”
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The store will receive a 1% bonus from the sale of the winning ticket, which was the second-largest awarded in the Lotto game this year.
The winning ticket matched numbers 5-18-27-33-40-49 in the drawing, according to officials.
Lotto is drawn on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and is an Illinois-only game. Tickets can be purchased at participating retailers or via the Lottery’s website and mobile app.
