Weekly News from Leader McCombie

PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE

Gov. Pritzker signs bill legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Illinois.

On Friday, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation allowing assisted suicide to become law. The legislation, SB 1950, faced significant objections from coroners, medical experts, religious communities, and disability-rights advocates. Throughout debate, concerns were raised about the bill's lack of guardrails, the exclusion of key stakeholders, and the potential risks it creates for vulnerable families.

In response to the bill signing, I released the following statement:

"This is an emotional and deeply personal issue for many families, including mine. When my mother passed at home, I know she would have chosen this path to ease our pain, not her own. That's exactly why strong safeguards matter.

"This bill goes too far without the protections Illinois families deserve. Coroners, who will be responsible for determining causes of death, were never brought into the conversation. Stakeholders raised red flags that were brushed aside. Those gaps pose real and dangerous consequences.

"I opposed this legislation because compassion must be paired with caution. Illinois should have taken a more responsible, inclusive approach before moving forward."

Read more about the bill and unintended consequences here.

IMMIGRATION

Despite opposition from law enforcement, Pritzker approves expansion of Illinois' failed sanctuary state policies

During the fall Veto Session, the Democrat supermajority acted against the federal government's effort to crack down on illegal immigration in Illinois. Democrats passed, and this week Gov. Pritzker signed into law, House Bill 1312 which further expands Illinois' failed sanctuary state policies.

Due to the Biden Administration's disastrous open-border policy, there are now 550,000 illegal immigrants living in Illinois. At President Trump's direction, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, recently conducted an immigration enforcement action know as "Operation Midway Blitz."

Illinois Democrats responded to the DHS/ICE operation with the passage of HB 1312, which expands Illinois' failed sanctuary state policies by creating Immigration Enforcement-Free Zones in and around courthouses, daycare facilities, hospitals, and college campuses. It allows illegal immigrants to sue police and immigration agents, including allowing immigrants to recover punitive damages from law enforcement and immigration officials.

I spoke with WGN's Sean Lewis about recently signed legislation, HB1312, and the unintended consequences the pro-immigration bill will have on law enforcement at the state and federal levels:

"I think it's going to end up being a bill that puts local law enforcement in a bad position with the feds. We have a couple folks in law enforcement in our caucus, and they were quick to state the federal government is going to do what the federal government is going to do.

"This really just ties the hands of, again, local law enforcement in assisting and aiding federal law enforcement, when it's necessary. That's what we really should be talking about-fixing the TRUST Act so local law enforcement can work with the feds."

State Rep. Patrick Windhorst says Governor JB Pritzker's signature on a major expansion of the State of Illinois' Sanctuary State law (HB 1312) is a mistake that will harm public safety and cost taxpayers more money. Windhorst voted against the legislation during the October 2025 Veto Session.

"This legislation establishes the ability to sue anyone who violates someone else's Constitutional Rights during immigration enforcement action. While this legislation is largely aimed at ICE agents and law enforcement officers who are trying to do their job in deporting criminal illegal immigrants, it will also mean local and state law enforcement officers can be sued," Windhorst said. "The Governor has made a regular practice of resisting anything the Trump administration is for. In this case, that means the Governor is standing up once again for the rights of illegal immigrants over the rights and public safety of law-abiding Illinois taxpayers, who have already paid billions of dollars to prop up the Sanctuary State policies of Illinois through premium healthcare, cash payments, and other types of assistance to those who entered the country illegally."

The legislation will also place new requirements on hospitals, childcare facilities, and higher education institutions on how they work with law enforcement on their premises and restrictions on what information they can share with law enforcement, with potential penalties for those institutions that fail to comply.

Windhorst offered sharp criticism for the process that led to the bill's passage on the final day of the fall Veto Session, pointing out that Republicans weren't even given a chance to read the final bill before it was brought for debate and a vote on the House Floor.

"As the House GOP Floor Leader, I asked that we be given at least one hour's notice to read the bill when the amendment was filed," Windhorst said. "Disappointingly, but maybe not surprisingly, House Democrats voted to suspend their own rules and passed the bill in the middle of the night, giving the Republicans in the House and the public no time to review the bill's contents. This is a major expansion of the TRUST Act, or what is better known as our Sanctuary State policies. I maintain my belief that this law is unconstitutional, and that its implementation will hurt morale in our law enforcement community, stifle recruitment, and cause people to retire or choose other professions. I voted NO."

Read more about the recently signed law here: Gov. JB Pritzker signs bill protecting immigrants from federal enforcement in Illinois.

Governor Pritzker's Sanctuary Illinois Released More than 1,700 Criminal Illegal Aliens Including Murderers, Pedophiles, and Kidnappers

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul calling on him to put the safety of Americans first and honor ICE arrest detainers of the more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in the state's custody including murderers, sexual predators, and those convicted of or charged with weapons offenses.

Illinois' failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 1,768 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes of these aliens include 5 homicides, 141 assaults, 23 burglaries, 4 robberies, 24 dangerous drugs offenses, 15 weapons offenses, and 10 sexual predatory offenses.

There are currently 4,015 aliens in the custody of an Illinois jurisdiction with an active detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 51 homicides, 1,134 assaults, 107 burglaries, 36 robberies, 275 dangerous drugs offenses, 120 weapons offenses, and 813 sexual predatory offenses.

In September, ICE sent a letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asking for cooperation in honoring ICE detainers on criminal illegal aliens. His office did not respond.

"Governor Pritzker and his fellow Illinois sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and kidnappers back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk," said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "We are calling on Governor Pritzker and his administration to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in Illinois' custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans."

JOBS

Illinois' unemployment rate was 4.4% in September

The jobs report, issued by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), showed Illinois' total number of nonfarm payroll jobs in slight decline in early fall 2025. With 6,162,600 Illinois jobs reported in September, the headcount of paychecks was down 2,200 from the previous month. Two of the chief job sectors of the Illinois economy, Health Services and Government Services, showed declines in September 2025; this dragged down overall Illinois numbers. Key private-sector jobs segments, headed by (a) Trade, Transportation and Utilities, (b) Information, and (c) Leisure and Hospitality, showed small increases during the same month.

For Illinois in September 2025, the unemployment rate was 4.4%. This matched the nationwide unemployment rate, also 4.4% for the same month. Illinois' jobless rate dropped 0.6% from the 5.0% rate posted in September 2024, one year earlier than the reported month. In their release of these September 2025 numbers, IDES mentioned a delay in reporting them; these numbers usually come out in mid-to-late October. The Department stated that the 43-day-long U.S. federal government shutdown had affected the flow of data needed to produce this jobs-and-joblessness report.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Savanna Community Blood Drive will be held on Friday, December 19th from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Savanna Fire Department Truck Bay, 101 Main Street, Savanna.

This holiday season, I'm inviting everyone to join us at our annual community blood drive and make twice the impact. Consider giving the gift of life by donating blood and the gift of hope by bringing a non-perishable food item for our local food pantry. Together, we can save lives, fill tables, and support families right here at home in NWIL.

The community blood drive has helped boost local blood supply every year, and I am hopeful this year's event will continue to exceed expectations.

Along with donating blood, residents are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item, which will help replenish local food pantry shelves following the Thanksgiving holiday.

Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are available. Residents can make an appointment online at redcrossblood.org or contact the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767. To streamline your donation and save up to 15 minutes, you can visit RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and questionnaire on the day of your appointment.

Office Closure: Happy Holidays

My office will be closed December 24th through January 2nd to allow our team time with family and to celebrate the holiday season. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!