“Illinois’ chronic structural budget and pension strains will persist long after it spends down $7.5 billion of new federal relief so lawmakers should avoid digging the hole any deeper.”
Ald. Jason Ervin, chairman of the Council’s Black Caucus, countered that using half the revenue to eliminate scoop-and-toss borrowing would be a difficult pill to swallow for Chicagoans who’ve lost their jobs or seen their hours severely cut during the pandemic. “It’s gonna be a tough sell to say, ‘Hey. We’re only gonna take care of our needs as government and not necessarily look at the needs of the people.'”
The state’s FOID card has been around since the 1960s. Illinois is the only state in the region that requires residents to possess a state-issued FOID card. But, for more than a year there have been backlogs in applications being processed in the tens of thousands.
The Illinois Municipal League is calling it “Moving Cities Forward,” and calls for initiatives that protect municipal revenues. One is the protection of the Local Government Distributive Fund, which sets aside a percentage of state income tax revenues for municipalities and other local governments.
“Speaker Welch asked me to take on this issue: looking at various statues and coming back with recommendations as to which should go and which should stay,” said task force chair state Rep. Mary Flowers. “History matters — there’s been some problems in American history. For those statues that represent a person who has done harm, a decision should be made as to whether it should stand or fall … It’s time for us to get history straight as we know it … and erect new statues.”
Cases of COVID-19 linked to elementary buildings that have been open for several weeks — but with only a fraction of eligible students, whose families chose for them to return — appear to be relatively low, according to CPS data. Last week, CPS reported 40 adult cases and 18 student cases among the tens of thousands of students and staff members who have resumed in-person classes.
A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday argues federal authorities should have relocated the official campus in order to protect the surrounding environment.
The latest Loop Alliance data from March shows foot traffic at about 56% of what it used to be. Not back to normal by any means, but a vast improvement.
That would significantly limit aldermen’s ability to send direct aid to struggling Chicagoans, potentially triggering a political fight that could shape the city’s recovery from the pandemic as well as the 2023 municipal elections.
The city has been preparing for possible protests after footage from the body worn police cameras is released. More officers have been sent Downtown and large trucks that can be used to block off roads have been set up. Large salt trucks have been stationed outside Chicago Police headquarters in Bronzeville.
Advanced Energy Economy, an industry association which promotes advanced energy technologies and services, released its “Electrifying Illinois” report which shows the state is on pace to reach 83 percent job growth in electric transportation-related work by 2024, regardless of legislative action.
Bryce Hill, senior research analyst for Illinois Policy, said he is encouraged by the bipartisan measure. “Everyday Illinoisans understand they cannot spend more than they take in, and it is time state government plays by the same rules.”
“We’re probably going to be between four and five billion dollars in debt in the [Unemployment Insurance] trust fund by the end of the year, those are dollars we have to borrow from the federal government,” Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President Mark Denzler said. “The state of Illinois has to pay interest.”
Jim Dey: “Joining the governors of six other large, high-tax states, Pritzker recently urged President Joe Biden to ‘undo the ($10,000) cap placed on state and local tax (SALT) deductions’ adopted in 2017…Wirepoints financial analyst Mark Glennon described the changes as ‘a windfall for the middle class’ taxpayers who don’t itemize. But, he said, limiting the SALT deduction ‘hammered high income taxpayers.'”
While the Illinois House and Senate both passed term limits on party leadership in their respective chamber rules in January, Rep. Anthony DeLuca said his bill would be important to enforce the new rules via state law. “This is an initiative of really the membership in the House and of Speaker Welch and I want to give Speaker Welch a lot of credit for supporting this measure.”
“But is this effort considered an abandonment of Black neighborhoods which need economic activity? Siri Hibbler of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce insists her organization is simply looking at the entire city and putting a dent in its entrenched racial segregation.”
On May 6, when new city leaders will be sworn in, the communities of Alorton, Cahokia and Centreville will officially merge to become Cahokia Heights.
“The State of Illinois has yet to issue an audited financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020…For anyone trying to track State of Illinois finances, the most recent audited financial report is for a year that ended more than 650 days ago.”
Witnesses testifying in support of the bill told the committee that the criminal statute has been used in 22 cases since 2012, and fewer than 10 times since 2017.
Rudy Acosta Sr. faces roughly six months in prison, but his sentencing was delayed to give him more time to cooperate with federal investigators.
“In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards.” -Mark Twain
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joins Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson on Chicago’s Morning Answer. They discussed the new law Pritzker signed giving CTU more strike powers, vaccines, and child tax credits.
Modified work schedules that allow students in higher-density schools to attend only once a week, remote work for teachers who will continue to teach virtual students and a firm commitment to vaccinate eligible students and their families are among the details to be ironed out.
The school board voted to rename Thomas Jefferson Middle School after late Georgia Congressman John Lewis. Daniel Webster Middle School will be renamed for local civil rights activist Edith Smith.
“Chicago holds its breath, awaiting release of a police video showing 13-year-old Adam Toledo, reportedly with a gun, shot dead by a cop. The city by the lake hasn’t recovered from the waves of looting and other violence that grew out of last year’s George Floyd protests.”
“As parents, we are disheartened, seeing the pain that this is causing our young adults, who have had the hopes of returning to in person learning threatened again,” the protesters said in a statement.
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