Put on another pot of coffee — the final day of the Illinois General Assembly's spring session is here.

Why it matters: The legislature set today as a deadline to pass the state budget and other crucial bills.

The budget: Governor JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders from both chambers agreed on a balanced budget plan with $1.8 billion in tax cuts, including:

• Stimulus checks to most Illinois residents.
• Suspension of the grocery tax.
• Freeze of the gas tax for six months.
• Up to $300 in property tax rebates for residents.
• Freeze of taxes on school supplies in August.

Of note: The budget also pays down an extra $200 million to the state's pension debt.

What they're saying: "Once again, Democrats are demonstrating that ours is the party of fiscal responsibility," Pritzker said in a statement.

The other side: "This isn't a triumph of good management; the state is simply experiencing an inflation-induced sugar high," GOP House floor leader Mark Batinick said in a statement.

The bottom line: With Democratic majorities in both chambers, the budget is expected to pass today. Other spring session items:

• Anti-crime bills: A carjacking bill forcing manufacturers to give law enforcement real-time data is moving forward.
• Plus, film credit expansion, modifying drug testing, and divesting from Russian oil and stocks.

What's next: The spring session was shortened because of the June primary. It is scheduled to end tonight.

A national police reform group wants cities to stop using ShotSpotter, a service that identifies potential gun shots to theoretically alert police to crimes faster than 911, Axios' Russell Contreras reports.

• Campaign Zero launched its "Cancel ShotSpotter" campaign Thursday amid growing evidence that the technology is largely ineffective and can even make police interactions worse.

Why it matters: Chicago's 117-mile ShotSpotter system is one of the largest in the nation and has faced local scrutiny since its adoption in 2018.

• Last summer, Chicago's Inspector General issued a report saying the city's "ShotSpotter alerts rarely produce documented evidence of a gun-related crime, investigatory stop, or recovery of a firearm."

Yes, but: Despite the criticism, city officials quietly re-upped the $33 million ShotSpotter contract through August 2023.

• Activists discovered the renewal last summer and called on city officials to break the contract to instead invest in Black and Latino communities where the technology is used.

The other side: Some city council members, including freshly announced mayoral candidate Ald. Ray López, have defended the program.

• "The last thing any of us want to do is strip technology our officers rely on to keep our residents safe," López told ABC-7 last November.

⛽ Mayor Lori Lightfoot's gas and transit card giveaways might be in jeopardy, as the city council is questioning her motives. (Sun-Times)

🎨 Expo Chicago takes over Navy Pier this weekend. If you don't want to go to the exhibit hall, just drive up and down the Kennedy to see a billboard-turned-art installation. (Expo Chicago)

🏀 The Bulls are stumbling into the playoffs. After being blown out by the Celtics Wednesday night, they are currently the East's No. 6 seed. (CBS Sports)

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👋Justin here! The White Sox start their 2022 season today on the road in Detroit. First pitch: 12:10pm.

• You may end up watching the game with friends at Cork & Kerry or talking to co-workers on Google Meet, so here's a guide to faking your knowledge of the 2022 White Sox.

Driving the news: The Sox are really good. They won the AL Central last year but got trounced in the playoffs. Experts believe they will win the division again.

• A smart "can we just skip the season and get to the playoffs" quip would be well-received.

Between the lines: This team is full of swagger, bat flips, practical jokes, and dugout celebrations. They have a ton of fun, even if manager Tony LaRussa doesn't want them to.

• Hit your friends with a "Tony has a 'get off my lawn' vibe" and everyone will laugh.

Quick take: Their outfield is considered the best in baseball. Experts are talking about center fielder Luis Robert as a possible MVP candidate.

• Fun fact: He's the only Sox player with two first names.
• Keep that one in your pocket, though. It could hit but also bomb. Read the room.

The intrigue: The White Sox have some of the best facial hair in baseball. Most of the starting pitchers wear beards except Dylan Cease, who is sporting a '70s style bushy mustache. José Abreu uses a rubber band in his beard/goatee, Eloy tries (it's cute) and Lance Lynn looks like he's in an alt-country band.

• "Is Lance Lynn a pitcher or a guitarist for The Lumineers?" Your friends will explode in laughter and buy all your rounds.

Pro tip: If all else fails, make fun of the Cubs rebuild. Sox fans love it.

👋 Hey, it's Monica. I'm a longtime fan of Chicago's century-old Maxwell Street Market — now technically on Desplaines Street.

• I was super sad when it shut down during the pandemic but thrilled to see it relaunch, so I went to review the weekly market's first Sunday back.

The wares: With only about 20 booths, the Sunday pickings were slim.

• Bric-a-brac included old clothes, headphones, used kitchenware, Spanish Bible storybooks, second-hand bikes, jugs of hand sanitizer, and old tools.

The food: Where there used to be more than a dozen Mexican food stands, Sunday's market featured only one.

• I didn't jump in the long line, but the pineapple-topped pastor meat and freshly made tortillas smelled delicious.

📬 Note: This is the first in a series of local market reviews. Reply and tell us about your favorites.

Go deeper for more on the Maxwell Street Market.