Overview

• Senate Bill 328 is now law, expanding Illinois courts’ reach over toxic‑substance lawsuits involving out‑of‑state parties, while a GOP lawsuit in Sangamon County challenges the bill and the ‘gut‑and‑replace’ process used to pass it.
• Senate Bill 246 was vetoed after the governor warned a state‑run nonprofit investment pool could benefit extremist groups, a rationale State Treasurer Michael Frerichs publicly rejects as unfounded.
• House Bill 3363 creates the Office of the State Public Defender to bolster resources and independence for local defender offices, responding to research showing only about 56% of needed public defenders were allocated in 2023.
• Pritzker’s actions cap a review of more than 430 measures, with two vetoes total, including one technical budget provision already addressed elsewhere.
• Additional enacted measures include PFAS restrictions for firefighting gear and consumer products, stricter warehouse tornado‑safety rules, a ban on AI serving as primary instructors in community colleges, and annual driving tests starting at age 79.