In three weeks our state lawmakers will adjourn, if they follow their published schedule to end session on May 19, 2023. Our lobbyist strongly feels that a flood of phone calls into Springfield offices could be enough to stop efforts to pass these egregious bills.

One would think that our female lawmakers would be advocates for other females. It's simply common sense. Unfortunately, common sense is a rare commodity in the halls of the State Capitol these days.

Schools throughout Illinois have implemented rules that require students to be allowed to use the restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity, but it is not clear exactly how many schools. So a trans boy, who is really a girl, is allowed to use the boys’ restroom and locker room.

Is it possible that our legislators are trying their best to make Illinois the California of the Midwest, without the mountains or beautiful weather? Our Governors, most certainly, are competing. Both have wildly inflated egos, both ignored their own directives during the height of the pandemic, and both have designs on the White House.

Earlier this month, Representative Mary Miller (R-IL) announced the launch of the Congressional Family Caucus from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. In a brief but spirited speech, she explained that the caucus' purpose is to defend the natural family from Left-grounded erosion.

interesting discussion between Dan Proft (Chicago's Morning Answer AM 560) and State Representative LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago) about his parental bullying bill, HB 29. The bill’s synopsis states that a parent commits “parental bullying” “when he or she knowingly and with the intent to discipline, embarrass, or alter the behavior of the minor, transmits any verbal or visual message that the parent or legal guardian reasonably believes would coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to the minor.”

Three terrible bills have passed out of committee and will be heard on the full House or Senate floor any day. Calls into their Springfield offices would be the ideal way to give them pause before they cast their votes.

The deadline for bills to get a committee hearing was last Friday, March 10th. Unfortunately, several have had their deadline extended to March 24th. The danger is that some of these are the worse bills and have been given a second chance to be passed.

For Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.” That’s particularly embarrassing for her because a sitting mayor is supposed to be reelected. She failed to impress voters, yet announced that Chicago moved forward during her term. Voters disagreed. Opponents pointed out the rise in crime and a consistently divisive leadership style. So who is next up?

When the Equitable Restrooms bill was introduced in Springfield, a familiar pattern started to emerge. As IFI readers know, HB1286 legalizes “all-gender, multiple-occupancy restrooms” in sporting complexes, stadiums, entertainment centers, conference centers, and other big venues in Illinois. Yes, “all-gender” is just what it sounds like – males and females using the same multiple-occupancy restroom at the same time, anytime. There are urinals and stalls and partitions.

The Springfield Capitol is teeming with activity. Some of the bills we notified you about last week have not yet been called. There is still time to file witness slips on some of them. They are listed at the end.

Dozens of government schools across Illinois have been unable to produce even one single student proficient in reading or math, according to new data from the Illinois State Board of Education. In hundreds of schools across the state, just 10 percent of children are proficient in the basics. And it is getting worse.

The assault on families in the Land of Lincoln has been put on fast track as these all-out legislative attacks on kids, parents, families, and Christian values get committee hearings this week. Once passed out of committee, the bill(s) will go to the Illinois House Floor and, if passed, will then go through the same process in the Illinois Senate.

As we look back at the results from this past election season, we ponder what could have been improved if there were better elected officials in Washington D.C. and in Springfield. The media constantly draws our attention to the national political scene. Yet, it was Tip O’Neill who stated, “All politics is local.” When was the last time you voted in your local election? If you do vote, how much research do you do to determine the best candidates?

Right on schedule, the new year will bring (yet another) onerous increase in gas taxes for Illinoisans: the gas tax is set to be increased to 42.5 cents per gallon, effective January 1, 2023.  The state gas tax was 19 cents per gallon before J.B. Pritzker took office—meaning the gas tax has more than doubled in the last four years.