The Illinois Supreme Court recently decided that the Illinois Minimum Wage Law does not incorporate the federal Portal-to-Portal Act’s preliminary or postliminary exclusions. This decision has effectively widened the compensable workday for Illinois employees and employers should be aware of these timekeeping changes to avoid substantial liability.

On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down the ‘Liberation Day’ and other tariffs the administration imposed in February and April 2025. On March 12, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) representative provided ground level details for ways the government will process and issues refunds. This new system will be called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE). It is estimated the man hours for this project will top four million and the last time the government had to issue refunds, it took several years. While these details do provide a framework it is unknown when or how refunds will take place.

Now is the time for Cook County homeowners to apply for any property tax exemptions they may be missing. Exemptions can significantly reduce your annual property tax bill and include the Homeowner’s Exemption, Senior Exemption, Low-Income Senior Freeze Exemption, and more. If you were eligible for a tax exemption in the past few years but did not receive it, it may be still be possible to obtain a refund. Brianna Golan is here to assist you with all your property tax needs.