Illinois quick hits: Illinois auto insurance rates dropping

January 14, 2026/

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Illinois auto insurance rates dropping

A new report says Illinois auto insurers are lowering premiums by 4.26% in 2026 while providers are raising rates nationally by 0.67%.

ValuePenguin report authors said they compiled data from S&P Global’s RateWatch and conducted analysis with rate data from Quadrant Information Services.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias have pushed auto insurance regulation as a legislative priority.

Park grants awarded

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have announced $36 million in grant funding for 67 park projects through a cost-sharing program between state and local governments.

The Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program has awarded $675 million for park projects since its inception in 1986. Pritzker said in a statement that the state is investing millions to revitalize outdoor spaces, from playgrounds and walking trails to pickleball courts and native landscaping.

Nurse charged with selling counterfeit weight loss drugs

A registered nurse has been charged with distributing counterfeit Ozempic in Chicago.

Sharon Christine Sackman, 52, pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday to distributing misbranded drugs to three individuals in 2023.

Prosecutors say Sackman, who now resides in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, dispensed drugs that were labeled as Ozempic weight-loss medication but were not manufactured by Ozempic’s manufacturer and did not contain the drug’s active ingredient.

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