Illinois is nearing another phase in the state’s reopening plan, but things won’t open up all at once.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week unveiled what he called his “Bridge Phase,” announcing new guidelines that will allow for higher capacity limits at public places such as spectator events. The guidelines also involved fewer restrictions on businesses during the transition between the current Phase 4 and a full reopening in Phase 5.

Under a program recently approved by the Springfield City Council, minority-owned businesses and residents on the city’s east side will have access to grants funded by city taxes on recreational cannabis.

The program allocates half of the 3% sales tax, which is estimated at around $445,000 according to city officials. The money is targeted to home and business owners in the area bound by Carpenter and Ash streets and Dirksen Parkway and the 10th Street rail corridor.

The Midwest’s biggest city is emerging as an increasingly crucial financial epicenter of the booming multibillion-dollar marijuana industry.

Three of the country’s biggest publicly traded weed companies — Green Thumb Industries, Cresco Labs and Verano Holdings — are headquartered here. Another major national player, privately held PharmaCann, also calls Chicago home. And a growing number of legal, financial and technology firms with big books of cannabis business are based in Illinois.

The Illinois Legislature is drafting a bill to end physical restraints and isolation in classrooms.

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, would prohibit the use of prone restraint, one type of physical restraint for behavioral protectiveness, and isolated time-outs unless a student is an imminent danger to the student or others.

The head of the Cook County Land Bank Authority, whose dealings have been the subject of a series of reports by the Chicago Sun-Times, has resigned.

Robert Rose Jr. submitted a letter of resignation Friday, saying he plans to leave his $225,000-a-year job as executive director of the county agency in June, Nick Shields, a spokesman for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, said Monday.

Voters in the Meridian School District will be asked April 6 whether to permanently extend the education fund tax rate approved seven years ago.

“If you vote yes, the tax rate paid over the past seven years in the education fund will be maintained permanently,” Superintendent PJ Caposey said. “If you vote no, the rate will revert to what it was in 2013 and the district will lose over $1.3 million in funding.”