Recent Publication:
Cook County Board President Preckwinkle Releases FY2027 Proposed Budget Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle released her proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The proposal totals approximately $9.69 billion and continues the County’s approach of balancing its budget without increasing the base property tax levy. County officials emphasized fiscal stability and continued investment in core services […]
Rianda advises clients on legislative and regulatory developments at the state and local levels across Illinois. She supports client engagements by monitoring a wide range of legislative and regulatory activity, analyzing policy proposals, and tracking developments across key issue areas.
Rianda previously supported the team as a legislative analyst. Before joining Public Strategies, she worked at The Strategy Group, where she analyzed polling data and supported strategic communications and direct mail outreach for federal, state, and municipal Democratic campaigns. She began her career in Missouri politics, interning with her county legislator and staffing local campaigns. She later served as a research fellow at the University of Missouri’s Political Communication Institute and held roles with the ACLU of Missouri and the People’s Action Institute, where she conducted policy research, community outreach, advocacy campaigns, and grant monitoring.
Rianda earned a Master of Public Policy, with a specialization in survey research, from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communication, with a minor in peace studies, from the University of Missouri.
Publications
October 09, 2026
Cook County Board President Preckwinkle Releases FY2027 Proposed Budget Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle released her proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The proposal totals approximately $9.69 billion and continues the County’s approach of balancing its budget without increasing the base property tax levy. County officials emphasized fiscal stability and continued investment in core services […]
October 07, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Illinois Democrats accuse Darren Bailey of failing to disclose who provides rent-free Chicago apartment “The Illinois Democratic Party has accused Darren Bailey, the Republican nominee for governor, of violating state campaign disclosure law by failing to publicly reveal who is providing him with a rent-free downtown Chicago apartment, where he has […]
October 05, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Former Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin endorses Democrat JB Pritzker over Republican Darren Bailey “Accentuating the schisms that have helped make Republicans the superminority political party in Illinois, former Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin said he is endorsing Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker for a third term over Republican nominee […]
September 28, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Gov. JB Pritzker names new Illinois Prisoner Review Board executive director “Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday named the chief of staff of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board as its next executive director, a position created two years ago after the board faced a firestorm of criticism,” by the Chicago Tribune. […]
September 23, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Pritzker establishes AI cabinet amid calls for greater regulation “Pritzker signed an executive order on Tuesday to establish an AI Cabinet made up of experts and representatives from several state agencies. The unpaid group, which will formulate policy proposals through 2027, will analyze and assess ‘the various risks posed by AI […]
September 21, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Gov. Pritzker: AI is dangerous ‘on the level of nuclear weapons’ “With calls to regulate AI growing, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker urged Congress to pass federal guardrails on the technology,” by ABC News. Subscribe Gov. JB Pritzker doesn’t condemn remarks by streamer Hasan Piker while ex-Mayor Rahm Emanuel blasts them […]
September 16, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Illinois, Chicago sue to block Trump plan to restrict green cards to legal Medicaid, SNAP users “The state of Illinois and city of Chicago, along with a coalition of other states and cities controlled by Democrats, are suing the Trump administration to block a new federal rule that would give immigration […]
September 14, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Illinois governor’s race shifts to Texas “Illinois voters can begin casting ballots in just two weeks, but the governor’s race has assumed a temporary battlefront in Texas this week on the sidelines of the Republicans’ rare midterm convention,” by Capitol News Illinois. Subscribe Federal judge denies bid to block Illinois’ medical-aid-in-dying law […]
September 09, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Pritzker, Eyeing 2028, to Help Midterm Democrats With a $20 Million Group “Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is leading a new political group that plans to spend at least $20 million this fall to help Democrats in battleground races in the midterm elections,” by the New York Times. Subscribe Illinois […]
September 02, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Pritzker pledges to stay on ‘Team Fight’ as he asks Illinois voters for 3rd term “Pritzker, a 61-year-old Chicago billionaire, is seeking a rare third term as governor and is running heavily on cost-of-living concerns and his fiscal record. With nearly eight years under his belt, Pritzker embarked last week on […]
September 01, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Pritzker pours cold water on using Meta windfall for Chicago Schools funding “Gov. JB Pritzker poured cold water Thursday on Illinois Federation of Teachers President Stacy Davis Gates’ call to spend the state’s $768 million cut of a multi-state settlement with social media giant Meta for education, saying that ‘one-time money […]
August 26, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Moody’s upgrades Illinois credit rating ahead of September bond sales “Moody’s upgraded its credit rating for Illinois’ general obligation bonds to A1 from A2, the agency’s highest rating for the state since December 2011,” by Crain’s Chicago Business. Subscribe Illinois attorney general joins suit against Postal Service over mail voting rules “Illinois […]
August 24, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Illinois Democrats focused on Trump as they seek third sweep of statewide races “Though hundreds of Republican candidates will appear on the ballot in Illinois in November, the state’s Democrats are focused on a common opponent: President Donald Trump,” by Capitol News Illinois. Subscribe Gov. JB Pritzker announces his appointments to the […]
August 19, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE JB Pritzker’s education record earns him key reelection endorsement from Illinois teachers union “Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is seeking reelection this November, received a key endorsement on his education policies from the state’s largest union this week,” by Chalkbeat Chicago. Subscribe With $65M infusion, Pritzker has now self-funded $439M since 2018 campaign […]
August 17, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Pritzker tours storm damage, signs flood relief bill expanding local Chicago programs “Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill on Friday that allows more Chicago homeowners to access financial relief for flood damage locally while many communities in the state cleaned up from damaging storms,” by Capitol News Illinois. Subscribe Amid latest Illinois […]
August 12, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Illinois governor’s race: JB Pritzker, Darren Bailey spar over Trump tariffs, farm economy at ag forum “Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican opponent in the governor’s race, Darren Bailey, sought to woo Illinois’ agriculture industry Monday, with Bailey, a veteran farmer, accusing the two-term Democrat of hating President Donald Trump […]
August 10, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Pritzker signs bill that aims to protect 340B drug discount program “Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday that places guardrails on a drug discount program that hospitals and other healthcare providers say they rely on to help them care for vulnerable patients,” by the Chicago Tribune. Subscribe Pritzker pens […]
August 05, 2026
ILLINOIS AROUND THE STATE Illinois joins lawsuit over Trump’s new tariffs, calling them ‘pretext’ to replace his old ones “Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February,” by the Chicago Tribune. Subscribe Pritzker signs bills allowing state […]
August 03, 2026
ILLINOIS | AROUND THE STATE Federal judge tosses Trump administration lawsuit seeking full access to Illinois voter rolls “A downstate federal judge has rejected an effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to obtain full access to Illinois’ voter registration database, including sensitive personal data on more than 8 million residents statewide,” by the Chicago Sun-Times. […]
July 29, 2026
Illinois Pritzker signs school cellphone ban to avoid student distractions “Although many districts already have similar policies in place, Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday that will require all districts to have ‘bell-to-bell’ device bans in place before the start of the 2027-2028 school year,” by Capitol News Illinois. Subscribe Pritzker loses potential home-state edge […]