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Illinois EPA Interim Director James Jennings today announced $43,159,886 in funding that is being provided to 17 individual communities to replace lead service lines during the last quarter of State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024. The funding is provided through the Illinois EPA's State Revolving Fund (SRF), which provides low-interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The funding for each of these awards is being provided in the form of principal forgiveness, so none of the communities will not have to repay any of the funds awarded.

Illinois EPA Interim Director James Jennings today announced $32,427,103 in funding that was approved for six individual communities to replace lead service lines during the last quarter of State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024. The funding is provided through the Illinois EPA's State Revolving Fund (SRF), which provides low-interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The funding for each of these awards is being provided as zero percent interest loans, so the communities will not incur any interest fees while the loans are being repaid.

Springfield, IL – On Wednesday, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) adopted a resolution supporting a set of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reforms intended to improve the nation’s long-term transmission planning. The long-anticipated reforms in FERC Order No. 1920 require transmission providers to develop planning scenarios that fully account for: state, federal, and tribal laws that are shaping the resource mix; decarbonization and electrification processes; projected load growth; trends in fuel costs; resource retirements; the interconnection of new resources; and corporate and government policy goals.

Beginning in July, all child support collected on behalf of Illinois’ low-income families with children who are current or former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients in Illinois will be passed through to the family for the care and support of the child or children and will no longer be retained by the state, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) announced.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Board announced awards totaling $23.8 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) that will finance the creation and preservation of 16 affordable housing developments in 10 counties throughout Illinois. Once completed, the developments will offer 792 affordable units for low- to moderate-income families, seniors, and persons with special needs.

The Will County Board Voted Thursday to reverse a nine-year ban on video gaming and will now allow gaming to expand in unincorporated areas of the county. The voted 13-9 in 2015 to prohibit gaming after then- chairman Jim Moustis of Frankfort said his constituents were opposed to any gambling expansion. The county had not taken action to opt out of the state's video gambling law when it was adopted in 2009, so the businesses that already had gaming have been allowed to keep their machines.

The Pritzker Administration announced that SEquity Ventures (LLC dba The Dispensary Champaign) became the 100th social equity cannabis dispensary to open its doors in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issued a full adult use cannabis dispensary license to The Dispensary Champaign on June 6, 2024, who applied for and was selected in the Social Equity Criteria Lottery (SECL) and met the lottery's criteria.

The newly formed Advisory Council on Financing and Access to Sickle Cell Disease Treatment and Other High-Cost Drugs and Treatment has begun its work to study options and make recommendations for developing payment models and financing structures for novel Sickle Cell Disease treatments, as well as other high-cost drugs and therapies that are not readily accessible to those who could benefit from them.

Governor JB Pritzker announced today that Illinois reached $1 billion in cannabis retail sales on July 1, 2024. This includes more than $850 million in adult use cannabis sales and almost $150 million in medical cannabis sales. This milestone was achieved nearly two weeks faster in 2024 compared to 2023, when the $1 billion sales mark was not reached until July 10. Additionally, Fiscal Year 2024 saw total cannabis sales exceed $2 billion, which represents an increase from Fiscal Year 2023 ($1.9 billion) and Fiscal Year 2022 ($1.8 billion). A complete month-by-month breakdown on cannabis sales in Illinois may be found online here.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) released its 2022 & 2023 Biennial Report highlighting billions in investments made in Illinois communities over the past two years. IHDA worked tirelessly to meet the ever-evolving housing needs of low- and moderate-income individuals, families, seniors, and entire communities across the state to ensure affordable housing opportunities were available.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced the first human case of 2024 in Illinois of West Nile virus (WNV), the mosquito-borne illness. While commercial testing and clinical symptoms indicate a case of WNV, IDPH routinely sends the first positive case to CDC for confirmatory testing, which is pending. The individual is in their 60’s and lives in suburban Cook County. The onset of WNV symptoms was in mid-June.

A dam, along with a secondary dam failed in Nashville, Illinois, on Tuesday morning. An evacuation warning was then put in place for residents in the city.

Attempts to legalize Illinois online casinos in 2025 are likely to suffer the same fate as previous years for one reason: Illinois’ video gaming terminal stakeholders. Nearly 48,000 video gaming terminals (VGTs) are operating in Illinois, and VGTs trail only the Illinois Lottery as the gaming entity in the state to reap the most tax revenue. Since 2012, the number of Illinois VGTs, which operate similarly to slot machines in a casino, has increased 78,564%.

The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) posted updated prevailing wage rates, by construction trade, for each county on Monday this week. By requiring that local prevailing wages are paid on public works construction and infrastructure projects, the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act helps ensure that Illinois' tax dollars are re-invested back into Illinois' workforce and spent in Illinois' economy.

The Illinois Youth Center at Warrenville, a secure facility of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ), sustained significant fire damage to its main building yesterday afternoon. Several fire departments responded to the fire, which began in the kitchen. The building that was affected by the fire includes educational programming, health care, a dining room, recreational space, and administrative offices. When the fire occurred, 34 youth and 55 staff were on the campus. All youth and staff were safely evacuated, and youth were transported to the Department's PEACE Center in St. Charles.

CHICAGO – As National Homeownership Month comes to a close, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) wants to remind individuals that free assistance is available to overcome the financial barriers to owning a home. IHDA currently offers up to $10,000 to help individuals, families, veterans, and others realize that the dream of homeownership is achievable and more than within reach.

SPRINGFIELD – The Freelance Worker Protection Act, which provides protections for independent contractors who create products or services in Illinois or who work for a hiring entity located in Illinois, took effect on July 1st. Under the law, freelance workers are entitled to the following when the value of their work is equal to or greater than $500 in a 120-day period: A written contract outlining the products and services to be provided, the dates by which services are to be performed, and the rate and method of compensation (sample available online) Full payment for the services by the due date in the contract, or if the due date is not specified, within 30 days of completing the services outlined in the contract Protection from retaliation and/or other negative action for exercising rights under the FWPA

To view the entire Illinois Adult Use Cannabis Monthly Sales Figures report please click here.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has announced an expanded list of high-risk ZIP codes, increasing mandatory testing for lead exposure of children who live within those areas. 148 new zip codes, representing parts of 60 Illinois counties, have been added to the list this year, bringing the total of high-risk ZIP codes to almost 1,200. “There is no safe level of lead in the blood,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “To better serve our children and build brighter futures for all of our residents, IDPH is acting to ensure that more children have access to the testing and interventions necessary to decrease the potential serious physical and developmental health concerns linked to lead exposure.”

Gov. JB Pritzker traveled to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden and his fellow Democratic governors on Wednesday amid rising worry within the party about the president’s ability to continue running for a second term. Pritzker – whose name had been floated by the pundit class as a possible 2024 candidate for the White House before the president announced his reelection campaign – has repeatedly pledged his loyalty to Biden. The only public criticism Pritzker has leveled against Biden has been in asking for more help with migrants arriving in Illinois.

Today, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) Director Elizabeth Whitehorn released the following statement in response to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approval of Illinois' "1115" demonstration waiver: "This announcement transforms and advances our state's vision of an equitable and sustainable healthcare delivery system, leveraging Medicaid resources to address root causes of health disparities. We thank federal CMS for recognizing the connection between health-related social needs and healthcare outcomes. The new services will be designed to bring sustainable, community-driven solutions to some of our most vulnerable residents and incorporate non-traditional providers into the Medicaid program.

Today, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) Director Elizabeth Whitehorn released the following statement in response to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approval of Illinois' "1115" demonstration waiver: "This announcement transforms and advances our state's vision of an equitable and sustainable healthcare delivery system, leveraging Medicaid resources to address root causes of health disparities. We thank federal CMS for recognizing the connection between health-related social needs and healthcare outcomes. The new services will be designed to bring sustainable, community-driven solutions to some of our most vulnerable residents and incorporate non-traditional providers into the Medicaid program.

Today, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that the state has secured approximately $51 million in federal funding for the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub, leveraging the state’s leading production of raw agricultural materials to develop sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based products. This pivotal funding from EDA marks a significant milestone in advancing Illinois' leadership in the precision fermentation and biomanufacturing industry – propelling economic growth, business development opportunities and the creation of good-paying jobs.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has announced an expanded list of high-risk ZIP codes, increasing mandatory testing for lead exposure of children who live within those areas. 148 new zip codes, representing parts of 60 Illinois counties, have been added to the list this year, bringing the total of high-risk ZIP codes to almost 1,200. "There is no safe level of lead in the blood," said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. "To better serve our children and build brighter futures for all of our residents, IDPH is acting to ensure that more children have access to the testing and interventions necessary to decrease the potential serious physical and developmental health concerns linked to lead exposure."

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will accept applications for the next round of Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grants between July 1 through Sept. 13. OSLAD is a matching program that provides an advance payment (for development projects only) of 50% of the grant award amount shortly after the grant agreement is executed. The local agency must demonstrate and possess the ability to finance the remaining cost of an approved project prior to receipt of remaining grant funds. The program offers state-financed funding assistance to local governmental agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and outdoor recreation areas.