Southern Illinois Delegation to Host Choate Town Hall this Wednesday
Following the recent announcement regarding major operational changes at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna, a delegation of Southern Illinois lawmakers and community stakeholders will host a town hall meeting on August 26 at Anna-Jonesboro Community High School.
The town hall is open to the general public, and Southern Illinois residents are encouraged to attend, ask questions, voice their concerns, and make their voices heard about the future of the facility.
State Senators Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) and Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) will join State Representatives Scott Doody (R-Anna), Dave Severin (R-Benton), Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) and Charlie Meier (R-Okawville), along with other guest speakers, for an open forum following the Illinois Department of Human Services’ announcement that it plans to significantly reduce operations at Choate, lay off employees and relocate dozens of patients.
Under the plan, Choate’s general residential units serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will cease operations by September 30, 2026. IDHS will also phase out all 75 civil mental health beds at the facility. The closure is expected to be completed by March 2027, with civil mental health capacity instead being added at Madden Mental Health Center in Chicago.
The lawmakers said the announcement represents a major blow to Southern Illinois, impacting vulnerable patients, hundreds of employees and families throughout the region while raising serious questions about the long-term future of the Choate campus. The town hall will provide those most directly affected by the changes, including employees, patients’ families and community members, with an opportunity to be heard and raise their concerns directly.
Another House Democrat Faces Serious Misconduct Allegations as Ethics Concerns Mount
Just weeks after the Illinois House Democratic Caucus was rocked by separate sexual harassment and federal corruption cases, another Democratic state representative is now facing serious allegations of misconduct from a former staff member.
State Representative Amy “Murri” Briel is facing allegations of sexual harassment, drug use, retaliation, and creating what her accuser describes as an abusive workplace environment.
The allegations surfaced in a video online. During the video, Rep. Briel’s former chief of staff, Laura Jackson, detailed her experience working with Rep. Briel during the 2024 campaign. Jackson alleges Rep. Briel sexually objectified and harassed her, provided Adderall to staff members, drove to Michigan to purchase marijuana to give staff, was under the influence while carrying out public-facing responsibilities, and repeatedly engaged in inappropriate behavior toward Jackson and other staff.
The claims were made through a campaign-produced interview and remain allegations. However, they add another serious controversy to a House Democratic Caucus already facing mounting questions over misconduct, accountability and its treatment of staff.
The allegations are particularly striking after Rep. Briel was reportedly included on a list of Democratic lawmakers tapped to participate in the House Speaker’s private, Democrat-only working group on sexual harassment policy. The group was formed following intense criticism of House Democratic leadership’s handling of misconduct allegations involving former Representative Harry Benton.
Benton resigned in July after a Legislative Inspector General investigation was conducted into accusations of sexual harassment. At nearly the same time, Democratic Representative Carol Ammons was indicted on 10 federal felony charges stemming from an alleged scheme involving campaign funds, state grants, and kickbacks. Ammons faces charges including wire fraud, making a false statement to the FBI, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
In a matter of weeks, one House Democrat resigned following founded sexual harassment violations, another was indicted on federal corruption charges, and now another is facing concerning accusations from a former staff member.
For Senate Republicans, the continued stream of misconduct allegations reinforces the need for Springfield to stop treating ethics reform as an afterthought. Illinois cannot rebuild public trust when serious allegations repeatedly emerge from inside state government and meaningful reforms are continually delayed or watered down.
Senate Republicans have repeatedly pushed for stronger ethics laws designed to provide more oversight and increase transparency surrounding ethics investigations and make it harder for public officials to hide misconduct from the public. Republican lawmakers have also proposed greater public disclosure of corruption cases and stronger tools to hold public officials accountable.
Another Audit Shows Millions of Taxpayer Funds Wasted
Illinois taxpayers are once again being left to ask what they received for tens of millions of dollars in state spending after a new Auditor General report examined the University of Illinois’ Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and an abandoned headquarters project in Chicago.
According to the audit, the State directly provided $49.7 million to DPI, including approximately $37.9 million spent on its planned headquarters at The 78 development. Construction began in September 2024, but just weeks later, University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen decided to abandon plans for the headquarters.
The headquarters was part of a larger initiative backed by $500 million in state capital funding and promoted as an investment that would help drive innovation, research, entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic development throughout Illinois.
Questions about DPI’s direction were also being raised internally shortly before the headquarters was abandoned. According to the audit, the Dean of the Grainger College of Engineering warned that not having an “intellectually-driven focus” presented a significant risk to DPI’s future. University officials told auditors those concerns did not drive the decision and said President Killeen ultimately made the call to change course.
State Senator Terri Bryant says Illinois families work too hard for their money to see tens of millions of taxpayer dollars poured into projects that ultimately fall apart. She says taxpayers deserve a clear explanation of how the project reached this point, why it was allowed to proceed as far as it did, and what safeguards are being put in place to prevent similar situations in the future.
The findings come as other recent state audits have raised questions about the management and oversight of taxpayer dollars throughout Illinois government. Senate Republicans say the repeated findings should concern every taxpayer, particularly as Governor Pritzker and the Democratic Supermajority continue approving record levels of state spending.
The Legislative Audit Commission is expected to review the findings, with the co-chair of the Commission calling on University President Killeen to attend and answer questions.
Chicago Amusement Tax Offers Warning for Illinois Taxpayers
Chicago residents are already paying more to stream movies, listen to music and play online games, offering a glimpse at a tax idea that Democratic lawmakers have already considered expanding statewide.
Since January 2025, Chicago has imposed a 10.25% amusement tax on electronically delivered entertainment, including video streaming services and online gaming. The city previously taxed both digital and in-person entertainment at 9%, but raised the rate on digital entertainment while leaving the in-person rate unchanged early last year.
While amusement taxes are currently imposed at the local level by home-rule municipalities, Democratic lawmakers have previously considered taking the tax statewide as part of previous negotiations over funding Chicago-area public transit.
In previous legislation, Democrats proposed a 7% statewide amusement tax on a broad range of entertainment, including streaming services, live shows, concerts and sporting events.
The proposal would have meant that Illinoisans across the state could have been forced to pay another state tax to watch a streaming service at home, attend a concert or take their family to a sporting event.
That tax was ultimately stripped from the final transit package, but State Senator Terri Bryant said that the fact that Democrats considered the proposal at all should concern Illinois taxpayers. She said that it just shows they are willing to continue reaching into taxpayers’ pockets to find ways to pay for even more government spending.
Illinois Makes Traveling Easier for Caregivers
The Illinois Secretary of State has implemented a pilot program that expands access to disability parking placards.
The new pilot program expands in-person disability parking placard services to 14 additional facilities across Illinois. The expansion follows recently signed legislation that allows legal guardians who transport children and individuals with disabilities who are incapable of driving themselves to obtain meter-exempt disability parking placards. Previously, meter-exempt parking benefits were primarily for drivers with disabilities and not their caregivers.
The new walk-in option is expected to help reduce application processing times and allow eligible drivers to more easily obtain their placards.
Meter-exempt disability parking placards allow eligible individuals to park in spaces reserved for persons with disabilities while also exempting them from parking meter fees and certain time limitations of 30 minutes or less.
Participating driver services facilities include the: Springfield Flagship, Chicago Flagship, Chicago North, Chicago South, Chicago West, LaSalle, Robinson, Rockford, Champaign, Carbondale, Peoria, Quincy, Moline, Macomb, and Granite City.
Illinois Farmer Mental Health Program Expands Under New Name
The Farm Family Resource Initiative, which began as a pilot program serving six counties in 2019, is now known as FARM SOS. The program has grown to serve agricultural communities across all 102 Illinois counties. The rebranding is intended to make the service easier for farm families to recognize and access when they need support.
FARM SOS provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its helpline connects farmers and their families with trained professionals who can provide emotional support and connect callers with additional resources. The program also offers up to six no-cost telehealth counseling sessions for individuals, couples, or groups.
The program is a partnership between the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Illinois Department of Agriculture, and Illinois Department of Human Services.
State Senator Terri Bryant says ensuring Illinois farm families have access to resources when they are facing difficult circumstances is an important part of supporting the state’s agricultural communities.
Illinois Takes a National Lead in Crisis Intervention Team Training
The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), in partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, has established a dedicated 24/7 callout line and email address for the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Crisis Response Therapy Canine Certification Program.
The statewide program provides specially trained therapy canine teams to support individuals and communities experiencing trauma or crisis. The new callout line and email address make it easier for schools, first responders, local governments, businesses, community organizations and residents across Illinois to request the assistance of certified crisis response therapy canine teams.
According to ILETSB, therapy canine teams may be requested for a wide range of situations, including:
- Critical incidents and crisis response
- School support following traumatic events
- Community healing events
- Public safety outreach and engagement
- Wellness events for first responders, students, and community members
- Other community events where therapy canine support may provide comfort and connection
To request a Therapy Canine Team, call 773-67-4DOGS (3647), Option 9, or email CITIllinoisTherapyK9@Illinois.gov.