SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, advanced a series of bills to the governor’s desk cutting costs on everyday purchases and utilities, banning gimmicks that raise prices, and requiring businesses to fairly compensate consumers.

“Illinois families can only stretch their budgets and hard-earned dollars so far, and they’re sacrificing their futures just to get by,” Mah said. “My constituents sent me to Springfield with one singular mandate: bring costs down. We can’t stop the president’s tariff schemes, costly foreign wars or the resulting skyrocketing prices we see back home, but we can do everything we can to fight this out-of-touch agenda and deliver real relief.” 

While federal policies and international instability are making everything more expensive, Mah is taking charge of what Illinois can control, and championing policy to provide some immediate relief. 

Mah worked to pass the following cost-cutting measures:

• • House Bill 45: Expands access to savings by requiring retailers to honor all advertised sales or coupons, even if customers cannot access an app or operate digital coupons.
  • House Bill 228: Cracks down on junk fees and hidden costs by requiring businesses to disclose all mandatory fees and charges added on top of an advertised purchase price.

• House Bill 4044: Strengthens consumer rights by banning no-return policies that limit customers to store credit for unused, unopened items for most purchases. 
• House Bill 4514: Allows residents to voice opposition to general rate increases by requiring public utility companies fully inform residents of their rights prior to a rate proposal. 

All four measures successfully advanced through House and Senate chambers, and now await the governor’s consideration. 

CHICAGO – State Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, joins more than 600 state legislators from over 48 states across the country to release a joint national statement regarding the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) occupation of Minneapolis, MN, and the killings of Alex Pretti, Renee Nicole Good, and others at the hands of DHS and ICE.

The statement reads, in full:

“We, the undersigned state legislators from across this country, contend we are at a decisive moment in our nation’s history. For a nation founded 250 years ago on the basic and fundamental principles of freedom, liberty, and inalienable rights, having armed masked federal agents on our streets engaging in a campaign of wanton destruction threatens to destroy these foundational values that underpin our democracy. 

We are stepping into extraordinarily dangerous territory in this country and have reached an unimaginable point where ICE and Border Patrol agents have now, twice within one month, killed US citizens on camera while the federal government tells us not to believe our own eyes.

Further, the vast majority of ICE arrests in our cities and suburbs are of those with no criminal record, while due process and search and seizure rights guaranteed by our Constitution are not just being violated daily: chillingly, per a leaked memo, these violations are sanctioned by the Department of Homeland Security.

We stand with the people of Minnesota and demand that ICE and Border Patrol leave Minnesota immediately.  

We demand a full and independent investigation into the shootings and deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as others, over the last year.

Finally, we demand the restoration of our American values and principles to our federal government, an end to the abductions and killings, an end to the occupation of our towns and cities, and an end to Congressional funding for ICE.”

Mah recently co-sponsored House Bill 1312, protecting people from ICE violence at locations including hospitals, courthouses and daycares. Last week, she co-sponsored House Resolution 622, condemning federal violence and lawlessness, and calling for DHS Secretary Noem’s immediate resignation or impeachment. 

“I am proud to stand with my colleagues around the nation in supporting everyone protesting and making their voices heard in the Twin Cities. The freedom of speech, protest and press are First Amendment rights and we are seeing them all in action in Minnesota. I am devastated by the harm done by federal border patrol agents, who are responsible for 9 deaths this month alone. We must continue to stand up and speak out until the federal government and Department of Homeland Security does the right thing and gets untrained, violent officers off our streets,” said Mah.

The full joint statement can be found here.

CHICAGO – State Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, is urging Governor Pritzker and his administration to fully back the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act (House Bill 2627) and push back against Trump-era policies that threaten the health and safety of Illinois communities.

The federal government’s recent decision to halt its annual monitoring of mink farms means critical data—such as the geographical region and production levels of mink farms—will no longer be collected or made publicly available each year.

“This move by the Trump administration is a reckless abandonment of basic public health responsibilities,” said Mah, sponsor of the Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act. “Data on mink farming is essential for understanding and mitigating the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, especially given the role mink farms have played in previous viral outbreaks. By cutting off this data stream, the federal government is leaving communities in the dark about a real and present threat to public health.”

Illinois can step up to fill the void through strong, science-based state policy. The Mink Facility Disease Prevention Act establishes clear disease reporting requirements, improves transparency, and implements safeguards to reduce the risk of virus transmission between animals and humans on Illinois mink farms.

“While the Trump-era U.S. Department of Agriculture may be ignoring science, Illinois must be committed to listening to the experts—and protecting its communities,” said Mah. “House Bill 2627 has become not just important, but absolutely necessary. That’s why I am calling on Governor Pritzker and his administration to fully support this legislation, stand with public health experts, and ensure Illinois families are protected from preventable risks.”