(SPRINGFIELD) The American Tort Reform Foundation is releasing a new report today that shows the nation’s eight worst Judicial Jurisdictions. The list is headed up by Los Angeles at number one with a “Tort Tax” of $2,458 per resident. The west coast jurisdiction seperated itself as the worst of the worst in 2025. New York City came in at #2, followed by South Carolina, Louisiana, and Philadelphia. While St. Louis was at #6 on the list the Illinois counties of Cook, Madison, and St. Clair are at #7. Illinois’ “Tort Tax” is at more than $1,900 per resident. For a family of four in Illinois, that means more than $7,600 with over 200,000 jobs lost in Illinois.
(SPRINGFIELD) Governor J.B. Pritzker has named a member of former President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board to the Illinois Board of Health. Julia Morita, Joyce Foundation CEO and President, previously helped lead the Chicago Department of Health for nearly two decades. The Governor also appointed Margarita Teran-Garcia from the University of Illinois Extension in Champaign to the State Board of Health.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Municipal League, in partnership with the University of Illinois at Springfield, has released Volume 10 of the Illinois Municipal Policy Journal. The new edition includes articles about the power of the ballot, municipal revenue recovery, a repeat statewide survey of local governments, disaster management through collaboration, and a case study about human trafficking. While the publication is free, there is a cost for shipping and handling by going to the iml.org/journal website or get an electronic version by downloading it for free.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois State Fire Marshall is joining fire safety organizations across the state in urging residents to keep fire safety at the top of their holiday checklists. The agency says that 12 lives were lost in fire-related incidents during the holiday season in Illinois last year. The National Fire Protection Association says more than one-third of home decoration fires are started by holiday candles. Go to the Association’s website at nfpa.org for holiday safety tips.