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2h ago

Illinois Lawmakers Open Veto Session With ICE Limits, Transit Fix and Energy Talks on the Table

Budget pressures and election-year politics limit room for major deals.

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A bus moves along West Wacker Drive as the sun sets on Sept. 14, 2025, in Chicago. COVID-19 relief money for transit networks is running out and 40% cuts in service across all three agencies could occur by next year, increasing fares and laying off employees if substantive state funding doesn't come to the rescue. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
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Overview

  • Democratic leaders are weighing “ICE out” proposals that would restrict federal immigration arrests at courts, hospitals, schools and state universities, though enforcement details remain unresolved.
  • The spring Senate plan that paired transit governance changes with a $1.50 package-delivery tax remains stalled in the House as the Regional Transportation Authority now pegs the fiscal gap at roughly $200 million.
  • Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team says securing new resources for CTA, Metra and Pace is the administration’s top priority for the session, while acknowledging a solution could slip into next year.
  • After summer bill spikes tied to heavy data-center demand, lawmakers are revisiting a clean-energy and storage package that collapsed in the spring, with negotiators saying a compromise is within reach and some Republicans questioning costs.
  • Facing a projected $2.2 billion state deficit linked to federal tax changes and Chicago’s $1.15 billion shortfall, lawmakers are discussing decoupling parts of the tax code as the Bears’ push for megadevelopment incentives draws resistance and the governor presses the team on $534 million in Soldier Field debt.