Illinois

Republican bills aim to assist Illinois in its battle against fentanyl

Published

10 months ago

March 7, 2025

Republican bills aim to assist Illinois in its battle against fentanyl

Illinois Republican senators have filed bills that would combat the state’s fentanyl crisis and further punish major possessors of the drug.

One bill would reclassify a fentanyl overdose as a “poison,” while another would consider major fentanyl possessors a threat to public safety.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois experienced 3,261 fatal opioid-related drug overdoses in 2022, and 2,855 in 2023.“

There’s not one simple area that it affects. It’s everyone,” Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, said. “If you don’t know someone that’s been tainted with fentanyl, you will.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says fentanyl accounts for a major portion of all fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.

It’s usually added to other types of drugs to increase potency, making the laced- drug cheaper, more powerful, addictive and dangerous.

“A packet of sugar that you get at the restaurant, that’s about 2 milligrams,” Turner said. “If you compare that to 2 milligrams of fentanyl, that little packet could kill 500 people. So think about that. That’s how important this is.”

Turner and Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, announced their sponsorship of the four fentanyl-related bills during a news conference with McLean County Coroner Kathleen Yoder in the Statehouse on Thursday.

“The vast majority of time in these deaths, fentanyl is not something someone chooses to use intentionally,” Rezin said. “It’s something they take when it’s laced in other pills or products. Families are losing loved ones, not because of addiction, because they are unknowingly being poisoned right now.”

Rezin championed Senate Bill 1283, which would change the official language of IDPH for a fentanyl-related death from an “overdose” to a “poisoning.”

“When we treat fentanyl deaths as overdoses, we minimize the impact that this drug has on the victims,” Rezin said. “As legislators, it’s our responsibility to ensure that people who die from this poison are recognized as victims, not just another overdose statistic.”

Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, said in an interview he is supportive of Rezin’s bill and is filing and sponsoring a duplicate bill in the House.

“It’s clear that fentanyl is poisonous, and people die from it,” he said. “And many times, people that die from the fentanyl overdose, they’re not intending to die, but they get a fatal dose, just like a fatal dose of any poison, and therefore it should be registered as a poison.”

Rezin is also pushing Senate Bill 113, which would require someone charged with handling 15 grams or more of substances containing fentanyl to prove that they do not pose a threat to public safety to be granted pretrial release.

“This shifts the burden away from prosecutors and judges and makes clear that the safety of our communities come first,” she said.

Neither of Rezin’s bills have been assigned to a committee, however, Ford said he agreed with Rezin that such people are a threat to public safety and planned to talk with the senators further about the bill. His main concern is if judges can already do this under the Safe-T Act.

Will Narcan continue to be the solution?

Naloxone – often referred to as its brand name, Narcan – is an over-the-counter medication as either a nasal spray or injection, and often is used to reverse opioid overdoses.

In 2010, Illinois passed the Good Samaritan Law, which allows non-medical personnel to administer Narcan to a person experiencing an opioid or heroin overdose. The law’s enactment led to the creation of the Drug Overdose and Prevention Program, which enabled the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide organizations with Narcan, for free, to be dispersed within communities in the state.

A CDC report from late 2024 disclosed that, like Illinois, fentanyl-related overdose deaths decreased from 2022 to 2023 – the first nation-wide decrease since 2018.

On Thursday, the Pritzker Administration released a statement that reported an 8.3% decrease in total drug overdose deaths in Illinois in 2023. Synthetic opioid-related deaths also dropped by 9.5%.

The statement noted that “several factors likely contributed to this decline, including sustained efforts to increase naloxone distribution throughout the state.”

“What this tells me is that Narcan works and that it saves lives,” Ford said. “That’s why we have to make sure that we do everything we can to get Narcan out there.”

But Turner and Rezin weren’t so optimistic.

“I mean, great, we’ve had a decrease in fentanyl deaths,” Rezin said. “But considering where we want to, where we need to be, we’re nowhere near being able to take a victory lap.”

Yoder, the McLean County coroner, reported that fentanyl has recently been mixed with new substances, like benzodiazepine and xylazine, often called tranq. These are substances that Narcan can’t reverse.

“This sad reality means that Naloxone alone cannot solve this problem,” Yoder said. “We need a holistic approach that includes keeping these dangerous drugs off the street and holding those trafficking these drugs accountable in order to safeguard their unwitting victims.”

Turner agreed.

“Yoder mentioned that now there’s different forms of fentanyl that are coming out,” she said. “I think we’re going to see more death because of Narcan doesn’t work on everything. I think she’s told us that maybe we’re going to see that in the future.”

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.

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Illinois

Trump administration freezing $10 billion in social service funding for Illinois, four other blue states

Published

3 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Trump administration freezing billion in social service funding for Illinois, four other blue states

The Trump administration plans to halt $10 billion in federal funding for child care assistance, low income and social service funds in Illinois and four other Democrat-led states, alleging unspecified “massive amounts of fraud.”

The pause in funding comes about a week after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was freezing child care funds in Minnesota and asking for an audit of day care centers amid allegations of fraud by day care centers run by Somali residents. In announcing that freeze, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said there is “blatant fraud” in Minnesota “and across the country.”

Minnesota, New York, California, Illinois and Colorado will be cut off from $7 billion in funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance for households with children, nearly $2.4 billion for the Child Care and Development Fund, which helps support working parents with child care and around $870 million for social services grants that help children at risk, according to an HHS official.

It marks the latest in a series of pauses in federal funding to Illinois that began when Trump took office last January, including social service, infrastructure and climate-related dollars.

“For too long, Democrat-led states and Governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “Under the Trump Administration, we are ensuring that federal taxpayer dollars are being used for legitimate purposes. We will ensure these states are following the law and protecting hard-earned taxpayer money.”

The Illinois Department of Health and Human Services on Monday said it had not received any official communication or notification about impacts to federal funding.

“This is yet another politically-motivated action by the Trump Administration that confuses families and leaves states with more questions than answers,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “IDHS will provide an update if it is made aware of program or funding changes.”

The department did not immediately comment on Tuesday afternoon.

Matt Hill, spokesman for Gov. JB Pritzker, criticized the funding threat in a post on X.

“The Trump team is throwing around background quotes, governing by press release, and causing mass confusion for families who need child care,” Hill wrote. “Illinois has NOT been notified of these funds being canceled. Stop politicizing child care and instead make it more affordable.”

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is running for the U.S. Senate in the March 17 Democratic primary, called the pending freeze “deeply disturbing.”

“Such a move wouldn’t punish bad actors — it would harm working parents and children who rely on these programs. As someone who grew up on essential social programs when my family got knocked down, I know firsthand how life-changing that support can be,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. “At a time when Illinois families are already facing an affordability crisis, the Trump Administration should not undermine support that helps parents remain in the workforce or play petty politics with the well-being of America’s families.”

Trump has deployed at least 2,000 federal agents to Minnesota amid a welfare fraud scandal. Federal prosecutors in December said half of more than roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported Minnesota programs since 2018 may have been stolen, the Associated Press reported.

Trump has used the fraud scandal to target the Somali population in Minnesota. A social media video posted by a right-wing influencer in late December reignited the fraud claims against daycare centers run by Somali people. Since then, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he wouldn’t seek re-election, citing “an organized group of political actors seeking to take advantage of the crisis.”

During a New Year’s Eve event, Trump claimed to reporters that fraud in Minnesota was “peanuts.”

“California is worse, Illinois is worse and, sadly, New York is worse — a lot of other places,” Trump said. “So, we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

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Illinois

Montana State wins the 2025-26 FCS football National Championship in overtime thriller

Published

15 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Montana State wins the 2025-26 FCS football National Championship in overtime thriller

The drought is over! We repeat, the drought is over! Montana State has won the FCS Championship for the first time since 1984, breaking a 41-year drought.

The Bobcats won the 2025-26 FCS Championship with a 35-34 win over Illinois State in overtime, holding off the Redbirds in the an overtime classic.

Walk-off overtime TD on 4th down to clinch 2026 FCS Championship

After Illinois State scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, the Redbirds had a shot at a game-winning field goal with just over one minute to play. That’s when the kick was blocked! The game proceeded to overtime.

MADNESS IN NASHVILLE, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! 🫨
The field goal kick gets blocked by @MSUBobcats_FB, scooped up, and returned back to the 45-yard line of Illinois State. #FCSChampionship x 🎥 ESPN pic.twitter.com/apXWzNehjH
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 6, 2026
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In overtime, Illinois State got the ball first and scored a touchdown to take the lead. That’s when the extra-point try was blocked as special teams miscues proved costly for Illinois State.

REDBIRDS STRIKE FIRST IN OVERTIME ⚡️
Dylan Lord scores his second touchdown of the game to give @RedbirdFB the lead. #FCSChampionship x 🎥 ESPN pic.twitter.com/cE9621nX2Y
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 6, 2026

However, Montana State still had to respond with a touchdown of their own. Facing 4th-and-10, quarterback Justin Lamson hit wide receiver Taco Dowler for the game-tying score. To win the game, Colby Frokjer knocked in the game-winning PAT.

TACO DOWLER TOUCHDOWN 🚨🚨🚨
Lamson connects with Dowler in the end zone for an overtime @MSUBobcats_FB touchdown. #FCSChampionship x 🎥 ESPN pic.twitter.com/gBdNnha0PR
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— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 6, 2026

The game-winning touchdown earned Lamson Most Outstanding Player honors. He completed 67 percent of his passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 30 yards and two scores.

“There’s not many moments that are gonna be better than this.”@MSUBobcats_FB’s @justin_lamson10 reflects on bringing back the first title in 41 years back to Bozeman with @stan_becton 🏆 #FCSChampionship pic.twitter.com/2UQuvtKXO2
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 6, 2026

It’s the first championship of the Brent Vigen era in Bozeman as the head coach lifts the trophy for the first in his third championship game appearance. The win is also the Big Sky’s first over the MVFC in a championship game, bringing the all time record to 4-1.

Full finish: CHAOTIC Q4 ending, FIRST-EVER FCS title game overtime

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Illinois

‘Very high’ levels of flu cases reported in Illinois amid ‘significant winter surge’

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

‘Very high’ levels of flu cases reported in Illinois amid ‘significant winter surge’

What to Know

-Children between the ages of 5-17 are seeing the highest impact in the surge in cases in Illinois
-COVID cases are also on the rise, with “moderate” levels reported by the CDC
-Illinois health officials say just 22% of the state’s residents have received flu immunizations, while 6.8% have received COVID vaccine boosters

Hospital admissions and positive tests for influenza are soaring in Illinois, prompting warnings and concerns from health officials.

According to an update Monday from the Illinois Department of Public Health, flu activity in the state has climbed to “very high” levels in recent days, the most severe of five categories of respiratory illness activity used by the CDC.

Data available via the IDPH’s Seasonal Respiratory Illness Dashboard shows that more than 19% of emergency room visits in Illinois during the last reporting period were due to acute respiratory illness, with more than 18% of hospital admissions attributed to those illnesses.

Acute respiratory illnesses include the flu as well as COVID-19 and RSV, according to officials.

COVID-19 rates are also on the rise, increasing to “moderate” levels in the state according to the CDC.

The CDC uses wastewater monitoring to help detect viruses infecting people in a community, according to its website.

The bulk of hospital admissions and ER visits associated with respiratory illnesses were made because of flu symptoms, according to officials.

Health officials in Illinois are warning of a new and unexpected mutation that could make for a “more serious flu season.” Natalie Martinez has more.

Data shows that the spike in illnesses is having a serious impact on those residents under the age of 18. Children between the ages of 5 and 17 are most impacted by hospital admissions related to acute respiratory illnesses and the flu, while residents over the age of 65 are most impacted by COVID-19.

In the press release, Illinois also reported its first influenza death in a child this season.

“Illinois is facing a significant winter surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses with flu activity at very high levels,” Dr. Sameer Vohra, IDPH director, said. “Vaccinations remain the most effective tool to prevent severe illness from flu, COVID-19 and RSV.”

That push for vaccinations comes as approximately 22% of state residents have received flu shots, according to Illinois health officials. Even though flu season peaks in January and February, officials caution that it can last into May, making vaccination a smart strategy in containing spread of the illness.

In addition to vaccines, washing hands frequently is critical to preventing spread of the illness, as is covering coughs and sneezes, and wearing a mask when ill.

Antiviral treatments can also minimize symptoms and speed up recovery, but must be sought in the early stages of the illness to be effective, officials warn.

More information can be found on IDPH’s website.

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