Illinois Legislative News: February 17, 2025
Third Reading Consulting Group
Following 11 weeks of testimony, former House Speaker Michael Madigan was convicted on February 12 on 10 counts of bribery and wire fraud in his federal corruption trial. Madigan faced a 23-count federal indictment in Chicago. Prosecutors accused him of colluding with utility giants ComEd and AT&T to secure no-show jobs for Madigan’s allies in exchange for his legislative influence. Jurors convicted Madigan of one count of bribery conspiracy involving ComEd, two counts of bribery involving ComEd, three counts of wire fraud related to an effort to secure a state board seat for disgraced former Alderman Danny Solis, and four counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate bribery. Madigan was acquitted on seven counts; however, the jury could not reach a decision on six counts, including an overarching racketeering conspiracy charge. At 82, Madigan now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
In another major political move, this week, President Trump issued a full pardon to ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted in 2011 for attempting to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat following the 2008 presidential election. While Trump had commuted Blagojevich’s sentence in 2020, a full pardon restores certain rights, such as voting, serving on a jury, running for public office, and owning a firearm. However, the Illinois Supreme Court’s revocation of Blagojevich’s law license remains unaffected by the pardon. President Trump announced he will consider nominating Blagojevich to be the US. Ambassador to Serbia. The U.S. Embassy in Serbia has been without an ambassador since January.
This week will be a busy week at the Capitol, with committees ramping up ahead of the March 21st committee deadline. The House filed over 3,800 bills, while the Senate filed over 2,500 at the close of the bill filing deadline. Additionally, Governor Pritzker is set to unveil his FY 2026 budget proposal this week, outlining spending priorities and new revenue streams to close a projected budget deficit.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
February 19 – Governor’s State of the State and Budget Address
March 21 – Initial Chamber Committee Deadline
April 11 – Initial Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 9 – Opposite Chamber Committee Deadline
May 23 – Opposite Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 31 – Adjournment