Their properties were worth more than the back taxes they owed. They argue that after foreclosure, they should have received compensation for their lost property: the difference between what they owed the government and the fair market value of their property. And they cite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to support their argument.

“The spring legislative session is scheduled to adjourn May 24, and the Bears want a deal done by then. But judging by the comments of state leaders this past week, if these plans are going to have even a remote chance of passage, the teams will have to drastically scale back their state asks and show some tangible benefits for state taxpayers.”

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said the team would ask state lawmakers to act before the spring legislative session ends ahead of Memorial Day, warning that costs will only escalate.

House Bill 4895 gives the Illinois State Board of Education the directive to create professional development resources for educators to best teach climate change coursework. State Rep. Dan Ugaste said he thinks the legislature is starting to impose too much of what they believe the educators should be teaching Illinois children.

The report argues that noncitizens are employed at a slightly higher rate than the adult population as a whole in Illinois, so providing that group with health coverage promotes a healthier and more productive labor force.

Lead researcher Matthew Wilson explained, “The top line of benefits that we find is that it makes people more productive and it enhances their ability to work.”

In raising its outlook on Illinois, Moody’s noted among factors that could lead to more credit upgrades to Illinois: “Further increases in pension contributions that accelerate reductions in outstanding liabilities relative to current projections.”

The Circuit Court of Cook County recently redesigned its website to add weekly statistics on court attendance and the rates at which defendants pick up new charges while on pretrial release. According to the latest data — which spans from the end of cash bail on Sept. 18, 2023, through April 13 — 30,012 defendants have been granted pretrial release in Cook County, while 1,970 have been detained. Of those released, 26,930 of them — about 90 percent — have appeared in court as required.

While the settlement is significant, it is notable, as well, for being the legal battle that produced a landmark Illinois Supreme Court decision. That decision, in turn, appears to have at last spurred Illinois state lawmakers to take action to reform the state’s stringent biometrics privacy law.

“Current Illinois law treats someone who violates an order of protection the same as someone who steals a candy bar from a gas station: They are both misdemeanors.”

Gov. JB Pritzker said he is earmarking $250 million in the fiscal year 2025 budget, an increase of $50 million from last year to address the structural factors contributing to racial inequalities in homelessness. According to the report, Black residents in Illinois are almost eight times more likely to be unhoused than white residents. The gap is one of the worst in the nation and double the national rate.

Charles Pelkie, Will County Clerk chief of staff, said there are instances where judges hand out the wrong ballot style, but none of the races in this precinct were close enough to trigger a discovery request.

“Illinois has been through this before. Anyone remember years go when legislators approved 3 percent annual cost-of-living increases for retirees without making any effort either to pay for the increase or having any idea of the cost? That ill-advised decision is one of the reasons Illinois’ five public pensions are underfunded to the tune of roughly $140 billion.”

“You may have heard of this legislation referred to as the “TikTok ban.” But rest assured, we’re not out to stop the sharing of short-form videos.”

National energy experts told the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee Thursday that Illinois needs to use a mix of energy sources to ensure the power grid can meet growing demand. Downstate lawmakers are concerned that manufacturing companies won’t want to move to Illinois if there are frequent blackouts.

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “The topic is on the table because a narrow section of the Tier 2 pension promise must indeed be fixed. Tier 2 benefits are not growing as fast as Social Security checks, and this violates a safe-harbor provision in federal law. The actual problem is narrow, and the legislature is considering ways to fix it. But the little-known codicil is being used as a wedge to do much more.”

Results from the March primary show a greater share of Chicago-area Republicans cast their ballots by mail compared to the 2022 primary, but they were still vastly outpaced by Democrats in utilizing a voting system that has become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.