Week In Review: Education, Jobs, Taxes & More

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Pritzker Plays Political Games as Violence Terrorizes Chicago Neighborhoods

Gov. JB Pritzker continues to wage a war of words with the federal government and President Donald Trump. The latest kerfuffle involves Trump's plan to send the National Guard into Chicago to fight crime and make communities safer. There is no love lost between Trump and Pritzker, who is exploring a run for the Presidency in 2028. And despite the President's offer to help save lives and bring law and order to town, Pritzker has rebuffed him at every turn. Politics over safety, and soundbites over common sense, that's the environment created in Illinois under Pritzker's leadership.

No matter what statistics you cite, violent crime and public safety continue to be major issues in Chicago. Crime numbers may be slightly down in 2025, as compared to 2024, but how many 'less' murders are acceptable? How many 'less' violent robberies and devastating impacts to public safety and neighborhoods are acceptable? In a recent interview with NBC Chicago, Pritzker was forced to admit the quiet part out loud. While attempting to dodge a question about violent crime and the recent outbreak over Labor Day weekend, Pritzker stated, "Look, big cities have crime, there's no doubt about it." The response was tone deaf and offensive to thousands of families who have had their lives shattered due to the crime and violence in Chicago in the last decade and beyond. Instead of pushing to find solutions, combat violent crime, and work to save lives, the Governor chooses to hide behind veiled statistics and political talking points.

The war of words between Pritzker and the federal government does nothing to help the citizens of Illinois. And policies championed by the Pritzker administration and Illinois Democrats, headlined by the SAFE-T Act and TRUST Act, continue to put communities in danger. Almost every day in Illinois, violent criminals are set free within hours of being arrested due to the SAFE-T Act. If the crimes these suspects are being accused of are not on the list of detainable offenses, judges have no choice but to set them free. These violent criminals are released into our neighborhoods, free to commit other heinous crimes while awaiting trial.

The TRUST Act, enacted in 2017, prohibits local law enforcement from assisting with federal ICE operations without a warrant. With thousands of illegal immigrants still inhabiting the Chicago area, this law is compromising public safety and making the jobs of federal agents more challenging. If the goal is to get criminals off the streets and create safer neighborhoods, then the TRUST Act must be repealed, a stance House Republicans have stood firm on.

What standard of public safety are Illinois Democrats and Gov. Pritzker beholden to? Crime remains out of control in Chicago, and every weekend, news reports cite details that are not debatable. A huge problem remains, and rather than work with the federal government, Gov. Pritzker continues to play political games at the expense of keeping Illinois citizens safer. Lives are at stake, Governor. Chicago is not 'fine.'

Justice for Political Points, Not for Illinois Victims

Governor Pritzker recently took aim at the federal government over the potential deployment of the National Guard, declaring: "If you hurt my people, nothing will stop me, not time or political circumstance, from making sure you face justice under our constitutional rule of law."

But Illinois families are asking: why doesn't he show the same resolve toward the violent criminals roaming free under his own SAFE-T Act? Instead of protecting law-abiding citizens, his soft-on-crime policies let offenders walk, only to strike again.

Where was his outrage when:

● A man accused of hitting and killing a DeKalb County deputy was released pretrial.

● A Plainfield man charged with sexual assault was allowed pretrial release.

● A Bolingbrook man charged with arson was freed, only to offend again.

● A man charged with first degree murder in Rockford was given pretrial release.

These are not outliers; they are the consequences of Governor Pritzker's failed policies. He saves his fire for national media attention while turning a blind eye to criminals.

If the Governor truly meant what he said, he'd get tougher on crime.

EDUCATION
New Illinois law mandates universal public-school mental health screenings. Public Act 104-32 creates a planning process that is explicitly intended to move towards universal mental health screening in public schools. The new law creates statewide guidelines for local public-school districts to follow in implementing these screenings, including a mandate that they be administered annually to all students from grade 3 until high school graduation. The new law sets a 2027-2028 mandated target date for implementation.

House Republicans voted against the new law, which passed by a vote of 72-36-0 along partisan lines. Reasons for voting "no" against the new law include the aggressive desires of some caregivers to provide 'help' to as many people as possible, diminishing the ability of young people to grow up naturally with the support of their families and friends. This week in The Hill, a mental health expert issued a nationwide warning against initiatives in the 50 states starting with Illinois' new law. He warns that caregivers are writing out and distributing well-meaning 'screens' that over-diagnose mental health challenges and sicknesses

By utilizing an opt-out provision, parents can ask their public school to excuse their children from the mental health screenings mandated by this new Illinois law.

JOBS
Granite City Works will shut down operations in October; in Trump deal, no immediate layoffs planned. Granite City Works, owned until 2025 by U.S. Steel, takes in steel slabs from other mills for processing into specialty products. The plant has been a key production center for decades for certain essential American steel goods processed by this mill's specialized machinery. An example of its long-term production has been sheets of flat-rolled steel that are used by other manufacturers.

In June 2025, U.S. Steel was acquired by competitor Nippon Steel, a Japanese firm. As part of an agreement reached as a condition of the acquisition deal's approval by the Trump Administration, employment at Granite City and other U.S. Steel plants will be held harmless for the two-year period following the merger. The October 2025 plant workforce will remain on staff to maintain the facility and its specialized equipment. However, the long-term future of Granite City is unclear. With the mill no longer to be used as a key production waypoint, the function in which it had served for U.S. Steel, the facility complex could be vulnerable to being sold to another company. In an alternative outcome, the mill could be prepared for eventual shutdown.

The Granite City Works dates its operational history to 1895. In summer 2025 as the Works were acquired by Nippon Steel, the complex had a headcount of approximately 900 workers. With its current hiring freeze and retirements, this headcount is expected to drop to 800 workers by the time of the announced October 2025 operational shutdown. The Granite City announcement was made on Tuesday, September 9.

TAXES
Inaction by Democrat-controlled General Assembly threatens Illinois property taxpayers. A complex chain of circumstances could lead to even higher property taxes levied by Illinois counties. The origin lies in a series of current procedures, themselves very complex, in the Property Tax Code that are meant to move into place if a property tax bill remains unpaid for several years. Under the law, the delinquent owner is sent repeated mail warnings and, if the bill remains unpaid, the property is subjected to what is called a "property tax sale." This means that a third party can come in and bid for a tax deed to the property. After further complex procedures have taken place, the tax deed can be transformed into a real deed and the previous owner can be evicted.

Under Illinois law, the entire amount that a tax purchaser bids in a property tax sale for a tax deed is kept by the county collector. It is this feature of Illinois law that was struck down, in May 2023, by a decision of the federal Supreme Court in the case of "Tyler vs. Hennepin County." Based on a tax sale that had taken place in Minnesota, the court ruled that entire-amount retention by local property-tax governmental units was an unconstitutional "taking" of private property. The decision instructed local governments to retain only that portion of the tax-sale money that represented the actual tax debt, plus reasonable penalties and interest, and stated they must return any surplus to the original owner of the property. The decision also implicitly mandated the state governments with laws like Minnesota, and Illinois, to change their laws to create a legal procedure to return these moneys to their rightful owners.

Minnesota, and all of the other states with the tax-sale laws scrutinized in "Tyler vs. Hennepin," revised their laws in accordance with this federal Supreme Court decision, with the exception of Illinois. Several bills to revise Illinois law to put our State into conformity with "Tyler vs. Hennepin" have been assigned to the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee, but none of the bills have advanced through both chambers to become law. Although the "Tyler" decision was published on May 25, 2023, more than two years ago, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly has yet to take action on the matter.

This inaction, in turn, has placed local governments and their taxpayers at risk. Since May 2023, county collectors that carry out tax sales have been engaged in conduct that renders them vulnerable to private lawsuits filed by legitimate plaintiffs and aggressive trial attorneys. These lawsuits seek redress and substantial damages, including hourly fees for the plaintiff attorneys. These lawsuits against Illinois counties are starting to pile up. Current State law does not allow counties to adjust their property tax sale procedures to obey "Tyler vs. Hennepin," but does allow them to charge higher property taxes when a county loses a "Tyler"-based lawsuit or is forced to accept an unfavorable "Tyler"-based litigation settlement. Thus, the inability of the General Assembly to change the Property Tax Code to comply with "Tyler vs. Hennepin" could soon lead to even higher property taxes in affected counties.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF CHARLIE KIRK
Rep. Sheehan Files Resolution Honoring the Life and Legacy of Charlie Kirk. State Representative Patrick Sheehan has filed a resolution mourning the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, a native of Arlington Heights and nationally recognized conservative activist, who was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.

"I'm heartbroken by the senseless violence that took Charlie Kirk's life," Rep. Sheehan said. "Charlie was a man of deep faith and fearless conviction. His courage moved people, challenged culture, and sparked dialogue across the country. We must reject political violence in all its forms. Honoring Charlie means committing ourselves to peaceful, non-partisan dialogue no matter our differences in belief."

Born in Arlington Heights in 1993, Charlie Kirk attended Wheeling High School and Harper College before dedicating his life to public advocacy. At just 18 years old, he co-founded Turning Point USA, transforming a grassroots campus initiative into a prominent national organization. Kirk was also a published author and a passionate advocate for free speech, frequently touring college campuses to promote open dialogue and the exercise of First Amendment rights.

Charlie Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Lane Frantzve, their two young children, and his parents, Robert and Kimberly Ann Kirk.

A Message on Charlie Kirk

In light of the assassination of co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement:

"My heart is broken, and I am angry. Charlie Kirk was assassinated in a senseless act of violence. My prayers are with his family, friends, and all who loved him.

"It is deeply disturbing that hatred has escalated to the point where lives are being stolen. That this happened while he was speaking on political violence at a university, a place that should be dedicated to free speech and the open exchange of ideas, makes it even more tragic. If ideas cannot be debated on campus without fear of violence, we have truly lost our way."

Suspected Kirk shooter in custody

The suspected shooter in the death of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Please continue to keep Charlie's family in your prayers through this extremely difficult time.

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