Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Op-ed: For real police reform, stop letting police union contracts override Illinois law
Nearly a year has passed since George Floyd’s death set off waves of demonstrations across the nation, including Chicago, prompting Illinois’ public leaders to pledge police reforms that both improve public safety and community relationships with law enforcement.
But what if none of those promised changes mattered? What if police union contracts could void whatever reforms state and city leaders craft to fix the problem?
WGN: Illinois could soon allow bars to give free beer to vaccinated people
Many Americans started drinking more alcohol during the pandemic. Soon, they could drink their way out of the pandemic.
A new bill filed in the Illinois House on Tuesday would allow bars and restaurants to provide a free alcoholic beverage to people who show proof of their vaccination status. The proposal is designed to help people overcome vaccine hesitancy at a time when the rate of vaccinations has slowed in the state.
Chicago Tribune: Editorial: Fix the unemployment mess in Illinois
Secretary of State offices are open. Police stations are open. Courthouses and parole offices are open. Department of Children and Family Services offices are open. Schools are open. Public health departments are open.
So why, at a time when thousands of Illinoisans have struggled to receive the unemployment benefits to which they’re entitled, have Illinois Department of Employment Security offices remained closed? Doors locked to the public?
Chicago Crusader: A bipartisan proposal for creating more affordable housing in Illinois
These are incredibly challenging times for middle-class and working families all across our state. The COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating aftermath are only adding to the pain.
In the city of Chicago and Illinois’ more populous areas, the housing crisis is all too real and frightening. We have been battling dwindling stock of affordable housing for years. What used to rent for $700 a month a few years ago now costs $1,500 a month. Property taxes have quadrupled. People have jobs and the incomes to live somewhere reasonably priced, but there is nowhere to turn.
The Center Square: Illinois’ revenue revised up more than $2 billion this fiscal year, $792 million next fiscal year
Illinois collected more taxes than initially thought in the current fiscal year, according to a bipartisan commission.
There’s also an increase of more than three-quarters of a billion dollars for the coming fiscal year.
The Center Square: American Community Survey data is not accurate for redistricting, Illinois researcher says
With redistricting hearings wrapped up and lawmakers providing their input in a map room controlled by Democrats, it’s unclear when draft maps will be released. But some worry about the accuracy of the data that could be used.
Sherri Taylor, a researcher with the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University, said Illinois is in the same pickle as the rest of the country. Census data used to accurately draw new political boundaries for states across the country has yet to be released.