Get the latest news from around Illinois.
AP: Federal tax bills: Where does your state rank?
U.S. residents paid Uncle Sam an average of $8,943 per person in federal income, payroll and estate taxes in 2016.
A look at how the District of Columbia and the states rank in per capita federal taxes:
1. District of Columbia: $36.569
2. Delaware: $16.322
3. Minnesota: $14.624
4. Massachusetts: $14.516
5. Connecticut: $13.773
6. New Jersey: $12.852
7. New York: $11.758
8. Illinois: $10.814
9. Ohio: $10.735
10.Maryland: $10.455
Associated Press: While devastating some programs, Rauner’s cuts wouldn’t be enough
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed 2018 budget would eliminate or significantly cut funding in at least 40 areas, a new analysis finds.
Those include after-school programs, immigrant services and mass-transit subsidies, according to the Associated Press analysis.
Rockford Register-Star: Milkweed, bacon and bikes; your Illinois General Assembly at work
State lawmakers assure us that they can walk and chew gum at the same time, which is how they justify passing inconsequential legislation while the state continues to go without a budget.
So while we’re chewing on the facts that Illinois’ revenues are dropping, its expenditures are rising and its credit ratings and reputation are in the toilet, lawmakers are giving us a resolution to make milkweed the official state wildflower.
State Journal-Register: Illinois voters more sympathetic to school funding issues
School districts across Illinois are having more luck getting voters to approve referendums, a review by the Illinois Association of School Administrators has found.
On the April 4 ballot, 29 of the 52 questions, or 56 percent, related to public school districts in Illinois were successful. Most of the referendums raised property or sales taxes to produce more revenue for schools.
Belleville News-Democrat: Proposed sales tax increases for school repairs failed. Now what?
Voters decided that they don’t want a sales tax rate as high as 10 percent in some areas of St. Clair and Madison counties to provide money for school repairs.
That leaves Smithton District 130 with few options to address its growing student population in a building it hasn’t expanded in 15 years, according to Superintendent Susan Homes. She said the school board, which will include two new members after the April election, could consider borrowing money to pay for a building expansion with voter approval next year.
State Journal-Register: Revisions already coming to new Illinois license plates
Last year, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White unveiled the state’s new license plate design.
But now that they’re beginning to hit the road, some residents are giving the new design a thumbs-down.
Chicago Tribune: Pritzker defends progressive credentials in Democratic governor bid
Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker on Sunday accused the media of trying to divide the primary field into categories of establishment and progressive contenders and said he’s firmly in the progressive camp despite his immense wealth.
“Let’s be clear that it’s the media that’s decided to break it down into an establishment versus progressive. I’m a progressive,” the billionaire investor and entrepreneur said on WGN AM-720 in describing his work on child care, education, social justice and job creation.
Crain's Chicago Business: The Chicago boss who cried wolf is crying wolf again
Those of you who have been around a few years will remember how things used to be at the Chicago Transit Authority. Every year or two, the agency would suffer one of its inevitable financial crises. Without enough cash to pay the bills, whoever was the boss at the time would throw a five-alarm news conference, vowing to shut half the el stops, limit bus service to daylight hours every other Tuesday, and otherwise force everyone to walk 10 miles to work.
Eventually, the CTA’s financial situation stabilized. But the lesson of “let’s hold our breath until we turn blue and scare the bejabbers out of everybody” apparently was not lost on Forrest Claypool, the ex-CTA boss who now runs Chicago Public Schools and is threatening to shut down CPS almost three weeks early in June because he can’t pay the bills. He and Mayor Rahm Emanuel loudly blame the shortfall on Gov. Bruce Rauner, who they say reneged on a deal to provide $215 million for CPS pensions.
Chicago Tribune: Expand Chicago aldermen's clout? No, thanks
Businesses already face spools of red tape when they attempt to set up shop in Chicago. Especially restaurants. Alcohol, food, valet parking, outdoor seating, signage and canopies require separate types of permits. Want to open a small cafe? Prepare to make numerous trips to City Hall — and don’t forget your wallet.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has tried to streamline the process by reducing the number of licenses required to open a business. He has expanded the online license application process and established a small business resource center within City Hall.
Chicago Sun-Times: Emanuel still fielding emails on city matters via private account
Campaign contributors and others with clout are still pitching their ideas to Rahm Emanuel on the mayor’s private email — at the risk of attracting attention from Chicago’s reinvigorated Board of Ethics.
Private emails written to and from Emanuel during the months of January and February were released to the Chicago Sun-Times in response to a Freedom of Information request.
Chicago Tribune: Claims overwhelm commission investigating Burge torture
Chicago police interrogated Arnold Day for several hours before he confessed to two homicides.
At trial, Day testified that he confessed only after one officer kicked him in the back of the head and another choked him and threatened to throw him out a window.
Chicago Tribune: Two easy moves on Chicago police reform
Chicago’s elected leaders are preparing to check off another box on the police reform to-do list. That’s a good sign.
Laura Kunard is expected to be hired as deputy inspector general for public safety, part of a top-to-bottom overhaul of the police oversight system. Kunard won over aldermen in a confirmation hearing Monday and faces a vote by the full City Council on Wednesday.
State Journal-Register: Business owner displaced by food truck rules seeks TIF money
Shannon Hughes picked up walleye fish dinners from MJ’s Fish and Chicken Express for her family on Good Friday afternoon, a first meal from the food stand across the street from her office.
She said she’s tried to be a customer there before, but “the line was too long, I couldn’t get in.”