**Important update** Some new details on what property owners can build by right on land zoned for residential under Pritzker's plan: ≤2,500 sq ft: 1 unit 2,500–5,000 sq ft: up to 4 units 5,000–7,500 sq ft: up to 6 units 7,500+ sq ft: up to 8 units

Gov. Pritzker could give his State of the State/budget speech outside if he wanted to. The forecast for speech time: sunny skies and 65° with a slight breeze. Just a beautiful day in the capital city. It certainly beats the usual frigid temps and sometimes snowy conditions!

It’s a supply side approach to address the state’s housing shortage by tackling the “patchwork of local barriers” that prevents builders from building. But expect significant pushback from local governments to the imposition of statewide zoning standards and permitting timelines.

New from me: @govpritzker.illinois.gov will use his State of the State address to push a sweeping housing plan that’d permit multi-unit buildings on most residential lots, legalize granny flats and slash red tape that’s slowed homebuilding in recent years. capitolnewsillinois.com/news/pritzke...

Illinois lawmakers say there’s “positive momentum” on a Bears stadium package. Indiana’s push helped. But a major hurdle – getting enough Chicago lawmakers on board – remains. @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports ➡️ https://loom.ly/gwGBV2k

@brendenmoore.bsky.social will also be bringing back his column, now called Moore in Springfield. Read his first iteration here: capitolnewsillinois.com/news/moore-i...

Exciting things on the way. ⬇️

Ted Dabrowski has traded think tank influence for a spot on the ballot, pitching himself as more electable than the GOP’s 2022 nominee, Darren Bailey. He’s also calling for rolling back Illinois’ 4.95% income tax to 3%. First in our series profiling GOP candidates for governor:

Gov. JB Pritzker quietly dropped $5M into a PAC backing Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s U.S. Senate bid, filings show. The group later confirmed it has raised more than $10M overall. Brenden Moore and Ben Szalinski report ➡️https://loom.ly/qLiFVhw

The reason Stratton needs outside help? Raja Krishnamoorthi. He raised $3.6 million in Q4 and entered 2026 with $15.2 million cash on hand, per his campaign's FEC filing. By my count, he dropped $4.8 million on TV ads in the final three months of 2025 alone.

New: Gov. JB Pritzker donated $5 million last month to Illinois Future PAC, the outside group backing Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s U.S. Senate bid, per the PAC's FEC filing. His cousin, Jennifer Pritzker, added $1.05 million. The PAC raised $6.32 million overall in 2025. #twill

The 3 leading Democratic candidates vying to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin called for some version of dismantling ICE, but only Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton called for the agency's complete abolition. @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports ➡️ https://loom.ly/ZXW6k28

Illinois has averaged about one lawsuit a week against the Trump administration since January 2025. Here’s the status of them all. @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports ➡️ https://loom.ly/456Vp38

Inside JB Pritzker’s media strategy as he gets in Trump’s head, grows his 2028 profile and embraces social media influencers. @benszalinski.bsky.social & @brendenmoore.bsky.social report ➡️ https://loom.ly/WwOiMT0

Gov. Pritzker showing up a lot on your TikTok scroll, favorite podcast or TV screen? That’s no coincidence. @benszalinski.bsky.social + I report on Pritzker’s embrace of an all-of-the-above media strategy drawing the attention of Trump and a national audience: capitolnewsillinois.com/news/needlin...

Top Illinois Democrats are calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s removal after video contradicted the federal account of a fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, echoing two shootings involving federal agents in Illinois last year. @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports https://loom.ly/c2UeC_U

From Chicago’s Operation Midway Blitz to Minneapolis, the pattern is familiar: ICE shooting, DHS claims self-defense, then evidence that appears to tell a different story. My pal @ckubzansky.bsky.social digs into the parallels: www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/07/f...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Even with signs of fiscal challenges reemerging in Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker and Democrats do not appear to be considering raising income taxes on the wealthiest this year, @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports. @stlpublicradio.bsky.social www.stlpr.org/government-p...

Illinois’ budget math is getting tougher, but a graduated income tax — rejected by voters in 2020 — remains off Gov. JB Pritzker’s agenda heading into 2026. @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports: https://loom.ly/wZ8bgtU

The primary elections in Illinois really aren't so far away. It's just a couple of months until early voting starts. @brendenmoore.bsky.social with @capitolnewsil.bsky.social joins us on @21st.show to talk through some of the bigger developments in the Senate, House and governor races.

Gov. JB Pritzker met with Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Wednesday, discussing the recent Trump immigration raids and inviting the pontiff to visit Illinois. @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports. Get the full story here: https://loom.ly/ziVwb24

Pritzker often talks about the impact of losing his parents young. I didn’t know until reporting this, but Caprara also lost her mom at a young age. That shared loss helped build their connection — and the empathy they say is at the root of many of the administration’s decisions.

My final story for Lee Enterprises is out today — a profile of Gov. Pritzker's chief of staff, @annecaprara.bsky.social. She’s helped shape his "Team Fight" approach to dealing with President Trump while using her own agency to enlist others in the battle. Read here: pantagraph.com/news/state-r...

Sen. Dick Durbin said he couldn’t justify “playing with other people’s lives” as millions missed paychecks & benefits, and his vote to end the shutdown wasn’t coordinated or orchestrated by Chuck Schumer. @brendenmoore.bsky.social reports: https://loom.ly/uEFuVek

Golden hour glow up. ✨

Gov. Pritzker will be in Little Village tomorrow for a Veterans Day ceremony.

All it took was the first hint of a Chicago winter. Nice scoop from @jmetr22b.bsky.social and @ckubzansky.bsky.social: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/10/f...

Gov. Pritzker is taking a similar “Team Fight” stance here as he did with the GOP government funding deal that passed in March with the votes of a handful of Democratic senators.

After @mandophotos.bsky.social photographed federal agents pointing rifles at 26th/Lawndale yesterday, I inquired with DHS about what threat had prompted them to pull weapons on a busy commercial strip (pictured). This is the response I got from a representative of the United States government.

@govpritzker.illinois.gov sounds like a hard NO on the House-proposed transit reform bill: "There's got to be a lot of discussion between the House and the Senate in order to come up with a final bill — because it isn't going to look like what the House has put forward." #twill

The war of words between President Donald Trump and Gov. JB Pritzker escalated dramatically this week as Texas National Guard troops arrived in Illinois. https://loom.ly/_J0xM9o

Standing room only for the Broadview, IL village board meeting this evening. Like it’s 2022 again — follow along, yes?

A federal judge declined to issue a restraining order against sending troops to Illinois, but she gave the U.S.DOJ 2 days to respond to request. @hannahmeisel.bsky.social @brendenmoore.bsky.social report. https://loom.ly/9GnMeYA

“Soon” is today! Thrilled to share that I’ve joined the @capitolnewsil.bsky.social team. Grateful to work alongside such a talented group of reporters and editors — all of whom I count as friends. Exciting things to come.

Illinois and Chicago are suing the federal government for what JB Pritzker described as an “invasion” of the state and city. @benszalinski.bsky.social @brendenmoore.bsky.social, and Hannah Meisel report. https://loom.ly/MI6oEvM

Kedzie and Pershing. 3 p.m. Feds v. Protesting civilians

Friday news dump: today was my last day at Lee Enterprises. More soon on what’s next for me, so stay tuned! For now, I’m just feeling incredibly grateful for the experiences I’ve had and the talented colleagues I’ve been lucky to work with over the past five years.

It's not clear whether the troops will be Illinois National Guard, another state's guard or regular army. But when President Trump invoked Title 10 in Los Angeles this summer and in Portland yesterday, California and Oregon National Guard troops, respectively, were federalized.

One observation on language: Gov. Pritzker has repeatedly used the term "Department of War" in this presser. President Trump signed an executive order earlier this month reviving use of the term in reference to the Department of Defense, which remains its official name.

@ilattygeneral.bsky.social Kwame Raoul has this message to Illinoisans regarding the deployment of federal officers to the Loop: "Don't take the bait. There is no emergency in Chicago. Don't help him create one."

Gov. Pritzker said that ICE and Border Patrol activity in Chicago and Broadview was about "creating a pretext to send armed military troops into our communities" and "about consolidating power in Donald Trump's hands." More plainly, he labels it authoritarianism.

@govpritzker.illinois.gov: "Moments ago, the Illinois National Guard received word that the Department of Homeland Security has sent a memo to the Department of War seeking the deployment of 100 military troops to Illinois, claiming a need for the protection of ICE personnel and facilities."

Everyone needs a hype person like CK in their corner.

New: @govpritzker.illinois.gov signed an executive order this morning directing state agencies to identify up to 4% in FY26 appropriations to reserve, citing the impact of Trump Administration economic policies. Reports due to GOMB on 30 days. Doesn’t impact pension payments or K-12 funding.

Gov. Pritzker put on his lawyer hat to answer this question from @tahmanbradley.bsky.social about why he won’t ask President Trump for civilian resources to address crime. “He’s going to end up in court. And that will be a fact that they will use in court— that the governor called to ask for help.”

President Trump, speaking at a news conference, said he was planning to send the National Guard to Chicago. Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois said the state was ready to fight the Trump administration’s plan in court. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/u...

As Trump repeats his idea that D.C. will be a "template" for federal takeovers of Chicago and other cities, it's worth looking at what life in D.C. has been like under that takeover. Check out my piece for the @chicagotribune.com on Sunday: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/31/t...

Pritzker on raids during celebrations: "This is an aim of this government. They don't actually care if you're here and undocumented. They just care if your skin color is a little off of theirs, and that you're Latino. They're going to just target you without knowing anything."