Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Axios: Judge says ruling on dispensary licenses may take at least 18 months
A Cook County judge signaled there won’t be a quick end to the lawsuit that has prevented 185 social-equity applicants from starting dispensaries in Illinois.
Why it matters: When Illinois legalized marijuana in 2019, officials promised the program would be the most socially equitable in the country. But two years later, it’s one of the worst.
Daily Herald: 'I thought I was being rescued': Palatine woman abused in foster care leads legislation on DCFS
A Palatine resident and former foster kid brought her ideas for improving the child welfare system to her legislator, and that has resulted in a bill aimed at better support for children in state custody.
Trea Jackson brought her vision for change, and a written proposal, to state Rep. Thomas Morrison, a Palatine Republican.
The Center Square: Retired Illinois teachers can work more hours without impacting pensions
Retired teachers can work more hours in the classroom without impacting their pension benefits under a measure signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The legislation was filed by state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, and would allow retired teachers to return to the classroom for 140 days or 700 paid hours, without having to temporarily stop receiving their pension benefits. That’s up from 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year. Pritzker signed the bill into law last week.
Chicago Tribune: Editorial: How many more indictments before Illinois finally reforms red-light cameras?
Red-light cameras are supposed to snag traffic scofflaws. For the last few years, they’ve done a much better job giving a green light to corruption.
The latest nominee for the Red-Light Camera Hall of Infamy is Tony Ragucci, an ex-cop and former mayor of west suburban Oakbrook Terrace, who recently was charged by federal authorities with honest services wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Ragucci was mayor when he allegedly accepted money to permit the installation of red-light cameras in the DuPage County town he ran. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Center Square: Goldman Sachs: Two-thirds of Illinois businesses still haven’t recovered from pandemic
Two years after lockdowns were extended in Illinois for a second month, two-thirds of Illinois businesses say they still are having trouble making ends meet even with restrictions mostly lifted.
This week two years ago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker extended his COVID-19 stay-at-home order through May 30 of that year, with continued restrictions on gathering sizes and indoor dining well into the fall.