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The State Treasurer’s Office made $1.45 billion in investment earnings from the state investment portfolio during Fiscal Year 2026, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today. Treasurer Frerichs is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer. He is responsible for investing state revenue in the state investment portfolio.

The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) joined civil rights enforcement agencies including the District of Columbia’s civil rights enforcement agency to provide a joint comment urging the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to preserve longstanding federal workforce demographic reporting requirements that help agencies identify and address employment discrimination.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is responding to an outbreak of measles in Douglas County, Illinois, involving at least four cases. An outbreak is defined as three or more cases that are connected by a common exposure source or epidemiological link.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced applications are now open for the sixth round of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program. The Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program provides training opportunities, expands the talent pipeline, and boosts diversity in the construction industry and building trades. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.

Ahead of Labor Day, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, labor leaders, and state legislators on Thursday highlighted a new law that will allow him to make investments to build more affordable housing.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced record-breaking growth across Illinois’ tourism industry in 2025. The state welcomed 115 million domestic and international visitors in 2025 – an increase from 2024.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $11.4 million in funding for 23 organizations across Illinois as part of the Job Training and Economic Development Program (JTED) to expand workforce training, career pathways, and support services for Illinoisans facing barriers to employment. Through the Job Training and Economic Development Program (JTED), the funding will help connect workers with the skills and resources they need to enter in-demand careers while helping employers build the skilled workforce they need to grow.

ISACo staff participated in a NACo briefing examining the SAVE America Act and a presidential executive order concerning mail-in voting. Presenters discussed how the proposals could substantially change voter registration and election administration while creating new costs, responsibilities and legal risks for counties. Both proposals remain subject to further congressional action and ongoing litigation.

The State Treasurer’s Office made $1.45 billion in investment earnings from the state investment portfolio during Fiscal Year 2026, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today. Treasurer Frerichs is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer. He is responsible for investing state revenue in the state investment portfolio. “Every dollar we earn in interest for the people of Illinois is a dollar that lawmakers don’t have to raise in taxes or cut in services,” Frerichs said. “We are trying to maximize earnings for our state at a time when working families are being squeezed by Trump’s war, tariffs, inflation, and the ridiculous cost of housing.”

In recent weeks, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) celebrated with its partners the grand opening of three residential senior developments located in northern, central, and southern Illinois that received IHDA funding. These developments collectively supply more than 160 affordable housing units, enabling Illinoisians to remain within their communities they call home. The three developments will provide much-needed rental options in regions that have experienced limited housing capacity, increased rents, and lengthy waiting lists.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced the State of Illinois has been approved to receive $1.04 billion in funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to support high-speed internet access statewide. The funding will connect approximately 350,000 residents through homes, businesses, and community institutions across Illinois by 2031. Between private investment, prior public funding, and new BEAD funding, the total broadband investment will exceed $2 billion.

Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB), and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced $50 million in grant funding has been awarded to 21 grantees through the Community Health Center Construction Grant Program. This funding was made possible by the Rebuild Illinois capital program which aims to support the construction, expansion, and improvement of community healthcare facilities across Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in July, down -0.2 percentage point from June, and up +0.6 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised June unemployment rate was 5.1 percent.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director James Jennings today announced $766,600 in funding through the Public Buildings Energy Efficiency Program for projects that include energy efficiency upgrades identified in an energy efficiency assessment or audit conducted within the last five years. The Efficient and Resilient Public Building Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is now posted.

The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) estimates that local taxing districts will receive approximately $2.366 billion in Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) allocations during Fiscal Year 2027, a $425.1 million, or 21.9%, increase over FY 2026 distributions. IDOR attributes the increase largely to a significantly smaller diversion from the PPRT Fund through the annual “true up” process, changes affecting business tax payments and an improved outlook for domestic corporate profits. IDOR has published estimated FY 2027 allocations for approximately 6,500 local taxing districts, including each district’s estimated allocation and FY 2026 actual disbursement. The estimates are based on current economic data, and actual distributions may vary. Click on the title for more information.

Illinois and 46 state financial agencies in 46 states have reached a $15.5 million settlement with one of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers for improperly imposing “force-placed” insurance costs on borrowers who already had active homeowners insurance policies. Under the terms of the settlement, Fort Washington, Penn., based NewRez LLC (NMLS ID 3013), will pay a total of $15.5 million. The company worked with state regulators to self-identify and proactively remediate more than $4.5 million to the impacted borrowers, and it will pay nearly an additional $11 million for costs and penalties. NewRez will be required to implement and conduct enhanced monitoring for loans that have force-placed insurance. The company also must implement other actions to strengthen controls.

Potential changes to Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) are emerging as a key issue in negotiations over data center legislation. Organized labor and the data center industry are seeking targeted changes to address AI applications and the storage or transmission of biometric information, while privacy advocates and trial lawyers caution against weakening existing protections. Click on the title to read the article.

Parents starting on back-to-school shopping will get a temporary sales tax break for 10 days this month. From Friday, Aug. 7, through Aug. 16 the state’s sales tax on school supplies will be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25%. Items with a lower sales tax will include traditional supplies such as markers and pencils, notebooks and folders and other classroom items, as well as many clothing purchases.

Advocates urged the state to invest in community-based alternatives to nursing homes for people with disabilities before attempting to enter Gov. JB Pritzker’s Chicago office in the West Loop on Wednesday.

Small-town law enforcement agencies are adopting automated license plate readers, bringing new crime-fighting tools and new privacy debates to rural communities.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned a record $307.8 million in missing money to more than 567,000 residents, businesses and organizations through the I-CASH program during Fiscal Year 2026. “Our changes to I-CASH allowed us to return more money to more people,” Frerichs said. “We are proud to set records, but we’re even more proud of helping folks. Reuniting people with money that rightfully belongs to them is even more important as inflation and decisions made by the Trump administration squeeze the average person and make food and gas harder to afford.”

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) today announced the award recipients of the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program, distributing nearly $4 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to support the continued expansion of Illinois’ local food system.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Heidi E. Mueller, legislators, DCFS staff, caregivers and students gathered to celebrate this year’s scholarship recipients at the department’s annual scholarship luncheon at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare in Rosemont. This year, 317 current or former youth in care received scholarships provided by the Illinois DCFS Scholarship Program, including up to five consecutive years of tuition and mandatory fee waivers valid at Illinois public universities, community colleges and vocational schools. The program also provides student recipients with financial assistance for books and school supplies, a monthly grant payment to supplement other expenses and an Illinois Medicaid card.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate remained at 5.1 percent in June, unchanged from May, and up +0.8 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised May unemployment rate was 5.1 percent. Total nonfarm payrolls saw a fourth consecutive over-the-month increase in June, up +1,500 (0.0%) to 6,164,400. The May monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +6,000 to +4,100. The June payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

The Chicago region is currently under an Air Pollution Action Day alert for ground-level ozone. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are reminding all Illinois residents to take into consideration each day’s daily air quality index to protect their health. This is especially pertinent at a time when North America is seeing increased wildfire intensity and frequency, and the smoke from these fires travel across the continent impacting more than the region of origin.