5 new laws starting on or after July 1
5 new laws starting on or after July 1
A list of laws Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed over a year ago take effect this year. Here’s what you need to know.
Cook County property taxes funding pensions more than service
Cook County property taxes funding pensions more than service
Cook County homeowners face rising property taxes. Three-fourths of that money is going to police and fire pensions instead of services.
Small lots lower Illinois housing prices, even for big homes
Small lots lower Illinois housing prices, even for big homes
A Lombard housing project shows how smaller lots can lower costs, boost development and help Illinois address its housing shortage.
Scholarships can help special ed students denied services in Chicago
Scholarships can help special ed students denied services in Chicago
More than 2,000 special education students in Chicago Public Schools are denied support they’re legally guaranteed. Federal scholarships could help pay for service, but only Gov. Pritzker opts Illinois into them.
Vallas: Chicago Public Schools’ new budget will fail, hurt taxpayers
Vallas: Chicago Public Schools’ new budget will fail, hurt taxpayers
The vote is over on the Chicago Public Schools budget. It dodged some immediate problems, but the financial mess will continue. Taxpayers will feel the pain long into the future.
Pritzker’s latest gas tax hike greets Independence Day travelers
Pritzker’s latest gas tax hike greets Independence Day travelers
Just in time for Independence Day travel, drivers will face Illinois’ latest gasoline tax hike. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has added 29 cents per gallon since 2019 – costing the average driver $143 more per year.
Lawmakers seek to strengthen student literacy through teacher training
Lawmakers seek to strengthen student literacy through teacher training
House Bill 1368 builds on previous literacy efforts by state lawmakers in 2023. If passed, professional development for literacy instruction would be aligned with “science of reading” strategies.
Illinois holiday shoppers pay sales taxes as high as 11.5%
Illinois holiday shoppers pay sales taxes as high as 11.5%
Sales taxes up to 11.5% will greet some Cook County shoppers this holiday season. Illinois averages 8.85% in sales taxes statewide, slightly more than last year and the seventh highest nationwide.
Cómo me registro para votar en Illinois?
Cómo me registro para votar en Illinois?
Registrarse para votar en Illinois puede ser confuso. Aquí está lo que necesitas saber para asegurarte de que tu voz sea escuchada este Día de las Elecciones.
VIDEO: Chicago prepares for Democratic National Convention. Is it ready?
VIDEO: Chicago prepares for Democratic National Convention. Is it ready?
The Democratic National Convention is Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. But after a year and a half of planning, the political backdrop of the event is radically different than the one organizers started with and that Chicago leaders promised.
Sign-ups for gambling addiction program shrink while betting grows
Sign-ups for gambling addiction program shrink while betting grows
More Illinoisans are gambling than ever before, yet sign-ups to Illinois’ gambling addiction program have dropped. That runs counter to the national increase in problem gamblers.
The Policy Shop: 3-in-10 seats empty at Chicago Public Schools
The Policy Shop: 3-in-10 seats empty at Chicago Public Schools
Hundreds of Chicago Public Schools buildings have a space-use problem – they’re too empty. Nearly 60% of schools are underutilized while 5% are overcrowded. Only 37% are at ideal capacity. The Chicago Teachers Union wants to add staff to the empty schools.
Did your state lawmaker take Chicago Teachers Union money?
Did your state lawmaker take Chicago Teachers Union money?
See how much campaign money your Illinois state representative and state senator received from the Chicago Teachers Union.
Chicago’s affordable housing crisis can be fixed without tax hikes
Chicago’s affordable housing crisis can be fixed without tax hikes
Chicago housing affordability is among the lowest in the Midwest, driven primarily by restrictive land-use policies and slow approvals. Low-income families have it worse than in other large Midwestern cities.