-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
The office opened half an hour early Tuesday, the clerks — almost without exception — welcomed customers with a smile and even provided little bowls filled with hard candies.
The poll found the highest level of support for the graduated income tax was in Chicago, with a 73% approval. In Chicago’s suburbs, 68% preferred the plan, and 55% had a favorable opinion Downstate.
Blagojevich did not appear at that hearing. Although he was represented by counsel, the ARDC noted that he did not file an answer to the motion, comply with requests to produce information or appear for a deposition.
They claim allowing the surcharges “helps major utilities sidestep the regulatory process, automatically raise heating bills, and force many customers into financial crisis to cover billions of dollars in reckless utility spending.”
Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert said at Tuesday’s Ag Breakfast in Springfield that for agriculture to thrive in Illinois, it needs four things: “Great trade agreements” and exports, growth in the livestock industry, and “a renewable fuel industry that works well.”
“This lawsuit is really about trying to get the state to actually follow, not just the law that we passed but also other federal laws that are designed to protect voters,” said Jay Young, executive director of Common Cause Illinois.
Chicago appears to be paying a heavy price for that kinder, gentler approach. And it could have long-term ramifications for the largest of four city employee pension funds.
State population changes will affect the official apportionment of the 435 U.S. House of Representatives seats across the 50 states after the completion of the 2020 census. States that are likely to lose seats in 2020 include Alabama, California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
Last year, as lawmakers were debating Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed constitutional amendment to overhaul the state’s income tax system, they also passed a bill establishing a Property Tax Relief Task Force that would meet throughout the fall to study ways to provide property tax relief and deliver a final report by the end of the year. So far, though, the task force has produced only a draft report.
“The intransigence of a small number of states, Illinois included, is not the norm, when it comes to pension reform.”
The cost of the virus and a possible recession are terrible news for City Hall and Springfield, both already struggling to pay their bills. “We don’t have any reserves. We don’t have any unrestricted funds that are being held in abeyance,” warns a civic watchdog.
Regulators say state law bars the release of almost all the information businesses have to submit to get lucrative licenses to grow or sell cannabis. As a result, the public can’t see records that could show whether pot businesses have questionable funding sources or ties to unsavory people.
Two new bills would allow DCFS staff more contact with children in structured settings.
Chicago continues to make tremendous strides in becoming a tech epicenter for inclusive, economic growth, and the big names in tech have taken notice. Last month, Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures announced that it would invest $50 million into Chicago and two other cities over the next five years to boost women’s involvement in the tech industry.
Funded in part by his wealthy family and aided by a personal connection at the Illinois Gaming Board, Andrew Rubenstein’s Accel Entertainment now owns a third of the state’s video gambling machines, making it the biggest video gambling operator in the nation.
The average American family spends $2,375 on property taxes for their home, but the average Illinois family spends nearly double that amount.
Known as the State of Illinois Center before being renamed for the state’s longest-serving governor in 1993, the central Loop property has served as a sort of secondary capitol building since it opened in 1985. Last spring, Pritzker signed into law an amendment to state procurement law that would allow for the sale of the massive postmodern structure.
But for more than a decade, the Chicago Police Department has had a policy that provides a workaround to the 48-hour deadline: ad hoc, largely off-the-books “after-hours” court hearings held at courthouses adjacent to police stations — and often inside the stations themselves — that were until recently coordinated by the city Law Department
With real estate investors flocking to the South Side these days, now is a good time for the city to send a loud and clear message: The days of the slumlord are over. If you’re buying up real estate in Chicago, do it right or face the consequences.
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