-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
When Illinois passed Amendment 1 in November to enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution, we expected aggressive union action. Well, that was fast. Last week Prairie State lawmakers passed a bill authorizing collective bargaining among Chicago principals and assistant principals.
While 2022 was a banner year for Chicago apartment rent growth and lease renewals, growing supply and a cooling market could mean more deals for prospective tenants.
Following Cook County voters’ approval of a higher property tax levy for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County via a referendum question on the November 2022 ballot, the Illinois General Assembly last week passed a law that will change the District’s funding schedule for its pension plan to an actuarially-sound 30-year plan with a 100 percent funding goal.
A source familiar with the Board of Trade Building said it is about 65% occupied. Built for financial traders, the building has had an identity crisis because its core industry has shifted to electronic markets and no longer requires huge trading floors.
A new bill would eliminate the current 10-year waiting period for felons, allowing them to change their name once their sentence is complete. State’s attorneys can still file objections for name changes to people on registries, people convicted of identity theft, and people with a pending criminal charge, as well as appear at the name-change hearing.
Sen. Dick Durbin said it is “absolutely unacceptable that letter carriers, working for the U.S. Postal Service are being attacked while they’re in the neighborhoods in the city of Chicago.”
Sheriffs and state’s attorneys from across the state have said they won’t enforce a gun ban and registry, saying it violates Illinoians’ rights in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Attorney General Kwame Raoul responded, “As law enforcement agencies, there’s overlapping jurisdiction as well, so if they don’t do their jobs, there are other people there to do the job.”
Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement, “Our work on clean energy, our investments in infrastructure, and our dedication to technological innovation and growth are all world-class, and I’m excited to perform my role as Chief Marketing Officer for Illinois on the world stage.”
Now, base salary for members of the Illinois General Assembly starts at $85,000. The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies Illinois as “full-time lite,” meaning they serve smaller districts and work shorter sessions than full-time lawmakers, but are highly paid, employ large staffs and perform legislative work for at least 80% of their jobs.
The Skokie Elementary School District Board is saying a group of parents, who are suing the board because they allege the district is riddled with racism, have made the “shockingly repugnant” claim the board and superintendent are in league with a white supremacist group.
The Senate will not have standing committees for commerce, pensions, redistricting or ethics. Senate President Don Harmon reassured Republicans that ethics bills will be heard in the Senate Executive Committee.
Given that the secretary of state’s office also tracks business registrations in the state, the Giannoulias administration will launch a video series to connect business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to state resources.
A new program offering grants of up to $250,000 will help defray the opening costs for new, ground-floor businesses along La Salle Street between Court Place and Van Buren Street. The program will be funded with money generated by the La Salle-Central tax increment financing district. Retailers expanding from low- or moderate-income neighborhoods are eligible for an additional $50,000, for a total grant of $300,000.
Others were for standard repairs to existing buildings. And many of the projects are still in the conceptual phase and have not even begun to be built. Of the more than $750 million that the city counts as part of the public spend for Invest South/West, more than half has been allocated toward those kinds of expenditures rather than new or groundbreaking projects, the Tribune found.
State lawmakers approved the bill Tuesday which, among other items, would shield reproductive and gender-affirming health care patients and providers from legal action originating across state lines.
The teen, who is not identified by name because of his age, is facing 16 felony counts, including 11 vehicular hijacking charges, an attempted hijacking count, and four charges of armed robbery. Handguns were allegedly used to commit all of the crimes.
A 2022 annual report from the district’s Office of Inspector General provides multiple instances where CPS staff fraudulently underreported their income and received SNAP benefits while making their children eligible for free-and-reduced lunches at their schools. The Inspector General report states that the eligibility of students for free-and-reduced lunches is important because it is “also the determination of other important funding streams for CPS.”
The recent Supreme Court decision that changed the landscape on the Second Amendment is known as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. The high court’s 6-3 ruling in that case last June 23 said judges must rely on the Second Amendment’s text and the history of gun regulation to decide the constitutionality of gun laws — and not on the strength of the public safety purpose of those laws. The decision overturned New York ‘s restrictions on concealed-carry gun permits.
“Speaking of the Supreme Court, how is H.B. 5471 likely to fare against the inevitable constitutional challenges? In the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Court said the Second Amendment covers arms ‘in common use’ for ‘lawful purposes,’ a description that plainly applies to the guns and magazines that Illinois has banned. Last year in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the justices said gun control laws must be ‘consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.'”
The program will support individuals who have returned home to Cook County from prison in the last 24 months. Eligible individuals will be referred by a reentry case manager or a parole officer and will receive rental assistance via direct payments from the Housing Authority of Cook County to their landlord.
Crain’s survey finds that two-thirds of companies that are moving are doing so because they are expanding and need more space. Larger office spaces are especially a pull factor for companies on the move that have growing revenue, 82% of which want a better configuration or more space to accommodate employee growth. For the 33% of companies seeking smaller offices, the main driver is an increase in remote work.
“The whole process is a politician protection racket, as if they aren’t already insulated well enough by the public’s inattention to public affairs and fading memories.”
Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich had a “f——— golden” opportunity to fill a U.S. Senate seat. Ex-City Treasurer Miriam Santos had potential political donors whom she argued should “belly up” with campaign contributions. And now, former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan allegedly had a host of cronies who “made out
Ted joined the WJPF Morning Newswatch to talk about Gov. Pritzker’s claim that he helped Illinois surpass $1 trillion GDP, why the governor’s policies have led to a terrible jobs climate, the fact that EV industry is largely avoiding Illinois, and more.
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