At issue is legislation pushed by IOEU Local 399, a highly influential and politically active labor group. The measure would require data centers to not only use union labor in building data centers, but also effectively hire from union-approved lists in filling operational jobs, many of them highly technical.

Money is being raised in several Chicagoland school districts to join a consolidated action against Governor J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health

State Supt. Carmen Ayala says the goal was to get every school district up to at least 90% adequacy in a decade. But, like the old way, the formula needs money to work. “We’re not there yet. And so we still have about eight out of 10 students are still in districts that have not reached 90% adequacy.”