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Judge denies Madigan’s request to avoid reporting to prison. The convicted former Speaker of the Illinois House Michael J. Madigan has been ordered to report to prison by October 13, 2025, to begin serving a 7.5-year sentence for bribery and conspiracy. After a landmark trial, Madigan, the longtime head of the Illinois Democratic Party was convicted on ten separate counts of federal criminal offenses. Madigan was sentenced in June 2025. After his sentencing, Madigan filed appeals to strike down all his convictions. These appeals have now entered the federal court process.
Madigan and his attorneys have also filed a plea with his trial judge that the former Speaker’s imprisonment be stayed pending resolution of his appeal process. Under existing federal criminal procedure, this stay of imprisonment pending appeal requires a showing by the defendant that the appeal raises a substantial question of law or fact. The judge who heard Madigan’s case and passed sentence, Judge John Robert Blakey of the Northern District of Illinois, has now ruled that Madigan and his legal team did not clear this showing requirement, and Madigan’s prison reporting deadline will stand. Judge Blakey rejected Madigan’s plea on Friday, August 8, and Madigan’s prison date of October 13, 2025, continues in effect.
GERRYMANDERING & REDISTRICTING
Opinion: Pritzker’s Gerrymandering Hypocrisy is a Masterclass in Political Theater. Last week, Texas Democrats fled their state to block a redistricting vote and Governor JB Pritzker rolled out the red carpet. On national television, he joked that if the Texans wanted to stop gerrymandering, they should come to Illinois.
If there were a masterclass in how to rig a map, Illinois would be the lab and Pritzker the tenured professor. Under his watch, Democrats drew one of the most shamelessly gerrymandered maps in America dividing communities and silencing voters.
When campaigning for Governor, Pritzker pledged to support an independent redistricting commission. He vowed to only sign maps drawn by a fair and drawn by an independent body. That promise, like many others, was tossed aside the moment it became politically inconvenient.
Instead, he signed partisan maps crafted behind closed doors by Democrat insiders, graded an “F” from Princeton University’s Gerrymandering Project. That’s not reform. That’s raw political power.
It’s also insulting. In 2016, President Obama stood before the Illinois General Assembly and called for an end to gerrymandering from both parties. He warned it was one of the greatest threats to public trust.
So, when Pritzker welcomes fleeing lawmakers and plays national politics, it’s not just hypocritical, it’s offensive. Illinoisans continue to lose faith in a system where competitive districts have vanished, communities are carved for party gain, and voters are stripped of real choices.
Let’s be clear: Republicans don’t oppose redistricting; we oppose rigging the system. Illinoisans deserve a fair, transparent process where voters choose their politicians not the other way around.
If Governor Pritzker truly believes in defending democracy, he should prove it. Start with an independent redistricting commission. Until then, any lecture he gives on “reform” is just political theater, well-scripted, but still fiction.
EDUCATION
Safety tips for students heading back to school. The American Red Cross has published a checklist on back-to-school safety for all parents, especially parents of students who are younger or are going to school for the first time. Things that all students should know include:
ü Contact numbers for their parents, parent, or another trusted adult;
ü Never talk to strangers or accept rides from strangers;
ü Safe walking to and from a school bus;
ü Safe walking or biking to a school building for students who do not ride on a bus;
ü Safe use of cellphones, including trusted weather apps.
JOBS
July unemployment rate remains at 4.6%. The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Thursday that total nonfarm payrolls were nearly unchanged over-the-month in July, down -2,500 (0.0%) to 6,165,600. The June monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +9,400 to +2,300.
The industry sectors with the largest over-the-month jobs increases included: Construction (+2,900), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+1,700), and Private Education and Health Services (+1,100). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-3,500), Government (-2,900), and Leisure and Hospitality (-1,200).
The unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in July, unchanged from the previous month, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised June unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.6 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.2% in July 2025 from 4.1% in June. Illinois continues to struggle with persistently higher unemployment than the rest of the nation.
AbbVie makes major Illinois jobs announcement. The pharmaceutical maker announced plans this week to build a new $195 million production facility adjacent to its headquarters in North Chicago. The Lake County-based firm specializes in high-margin pharmaceuticals. Branded drugs under AbbVie’s production control include Humira (rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease) and Botox.
Drug industry analysts pointed to President Donald Trump’s “Buy American” pharmaceutical strategy, which will encourage greater production of pharmaceuticals – including drugs financed by purchases aided by the Medicare and Medicaid programs – within the U.S. In compliance with this program, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Eli Lilly have made commitments to invest billions of dollars in increased U.S. domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and production.
TAXES
House GOP Stands Firm in Opposing Tax Hikes. Illinois families are being asked to dig deeper into their pockets and House Republicans say enough is enough!
This spring, Democrats in Springfield passed a $55.2 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2026, the largest in Illinois history. To pay for it, they leaned on over $1 billion in new taxes and fund sweeps and paused statutory transfers.
“Tax-and-spend Democrats are thriving in Illinois,” said House Minority Leader Tony McCombie. “But their success is coming at a steep cost to working families who are already stretched to the limit.”
Among the most controversial ideas floated during budget negotiations was a service tax, a plan to tax over eighty everyday services like parking, haircuts, dry cleaning, and even oil changes. While that specific proposal didn’t make it into the final budget this spring, House Republicans are warning that it’s not off the table for long.
“We fully expect the service tax conversation to come back during veto session this fall,” said Deputy Minority Leader Norine Hammond. “This is a clear sign that Illinois families and small businesses are going to be asked to do more while government continues to spend more. A service tax will drive up the cost of living even more for Illinois families.”
Instead of cutting spending or providing tax relief, Democrats passed a patchwork of targeted tax increases and budget maneuvers. The new law hikes taxes on tobacco and nicotine products, raises fees on sports betting, and adjusts business tax rules to bring in tens of millions more. Meanwhile, a one-time tax amnesty program was approved to collect back taxes, projected to raise hundreds of millions.
But Republicans like McCombie and Hammond realize that behind every line item is a family trying to make ends meet.
“Illinois families cannot afford and should not have to pay service taxes on top of the enormous tax burden they already pay,” McCombie said. “Instead of making tough decisions and solving the problem, they’re passing off the burden to hardworking taxpayers who are already struggling.”
Rep. Hammond was especially critical of the decision to sweep hundreds of millions from dedicated funds like the Road Fund and delay payments into the state’s Rainy Day Fund. “They’re papering over budget holes with temporary fixes,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s not sustainable, and it’s not fair to taxpayers.”
More tax hikes could be on the horizon. Democratic lawmakers are still calling for additional revenue, proposing taxes on home deliveries, digital advertising, capital gains, and even wealth-based assessments. Republicans say they’re bracing for an aggressive push this fall, one that could reshape Illinois’ tax structure and hit middle-class families hardest.
“There’s always another tax on the horizon,” McCombie said. “But instead of finding new ways to take more, we should be focused on doing more with what we already have. Illinois working families deserve better.”
As the State heads toward the fall veto session, House Republicans have made their position clear: they’ll fight any renewed push for a service tax or new burdens on families, seniors, and small businesses. They’re encouraging constituents to stay informed and stay vocal.
“The people of this state are smart,” Leader McCombie added. “They know when they’re being asked to pay for government’s mistakes. We’re standing with working families over bloated government spending.”