Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Stakes are high for workers, businesses as Illinois considers minimum wage hike
Business was slow one brisk spring morning at the Dairy Queen in suburban Northbrook. Bernadette Simpson, manning the Blizzard machine, churned an ice cream treat and then made a show of holding it upside-down to demonstrate its gravity-defying thickness, as company policy requires her to do.
Simpson, 48, started working at Dairy Queen two years ago for $8.50 an hour, a quarter more than the state’s minimum wage, and now earns $10.25.
Chicago Sun-Times: State senator wants to bar ZIP code from car insurance equation
State Sen. Jacqueline Collins wants to bar insurance companies from using a person’s ZIP code when setting auto insurance premiums, saying the move would help prevent insurers from charging higher-than-usual rates to drivers in minority communities.
The Chicago Democrat said Monday she’ll add the ZIP code rule to her pending bill that would block insurers from considering a person’s credit rating.
Crain's Chicago Business: Illinois biz won't like these tax numbers
As Springfield lawmakers wrestle with whether to raise taxes to ease a sea of red ink, a new report takes a good look at where Illinois business stands in terms of what it’s paying relative to its peers.
The bottom line: Nationally, Illinois stands about in the middle, ranking 30th of the 50 states and District of Columbia, in terms of the share of business profits taken by the state and local tax man combined. Our position has improved a tad in recent years as the income tax hike pushed through by former Gov. Pat Quinn began to go away.
But Illinois is an outlier compared to other Midwestern states when it comes to the combined state and local business tax burden. Not only Indiana and Wisconsin but peer big states Ohio and Michigan have lower burdens than we do. The only one higher is Minnesota, and just by a little bit.
News-Gazette: Tax Day: Past due
For some people, including state employees, the deadline for filing federal and state income taxes came and went a long time ago.
Today’s the day — the deadline for the filing of federal and state tax returns. Just the thought of it puts many people in a foul mood, whether they’ve already filed, are scrambling to meet the midnight deadline or already have secured an extension.
In that context, here’s another small burr to put under the saddle.
Quincy Herald-Whig: School superintendents back education funding reform bill
Students do not choose the ZIP code in which they go to school.
Each educator in attendance at Monday’s Fix the Formula town hall meeting at the Quincy School Board office echoed this idea in some form.
Chicago Sun-Times: Dems boast millions in campaign funds — but Rauner still has more
Gov. Bruce Rauner started the month with more than $50.3 million in his campaign war chest — more than 17 times as much as his five major Democratic challengers combined.
Rauner and state Sen. Daniel Biss are the two gubernatorial candidates reporting more than a million dollars of campaign cash on hand, according to the first major campaign report filed Monday with the state’s Board of Elections.
Chicago Sun-Times: Sports Facilities Authority Chief Lou Bertuca moving on
Sneed has learned Illinois Sports Facilities Authority CEO Lou Bertuca, who was appointed to that position in one of former Gov. Patrick Quinn’s last acts in office, is leaving.
The formal announcement of Bertuca’s departure from ISFA, the state agency that manages Guaranteed Rate Field — home of the White Sox — is expected Tuesday.
Chicago Tribune: Appeals court again hearing arguments on ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's sentence
After two criminal trials, a pair of sentencing hearings and nearly four years of appeals, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is facing what could be his last hurrah in court Tuesday when a federal appeals court in Chicago once again takes up his sweeping corruption case.
Blagojevich’s attorneys have asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to order a new sentencing hearing, arguing that U.S. District Judge James Zagel failed to take into account glowing letters from fellow prisoners and all of the ex-governor’s good works while behind bars when he resentenced him last August to 14 years in prison.
Peoria Journal-Star: Jehan Gordon-Booth says expungement can offer a second chance
State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth wants to level the playing field for people who have made a mistake in the past and gotten into the criminal justice system.
This is not just for humanitarian reasons, she said, adding there’s a practical side to her upcoming expungement summit on April 29.
Chicago Sun-Times: City contractor accused of ‘reserving’ jobs for alderman’s office
Ever since the city hiring scandal triggered the appointment of a federal hiring monitor, there has been speculation that city contractors may be picking up the slack by hiring candidates recommended by Chicago aldermen.
On Monday, Inspector General Joe Ferguson pretty much verified that speculation–at least in one instance.
Crain's Chicago Business: O'Hare growth badly lags peer airports
As negotiations heat up over expanding terminals and gates at O’Hare International Airport, new data indicate just how far behind its peers the world’s formerly busiest airport has fallen.
The data, passed on by a source close to high-level talks between airline carriers and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration, amount to a slightly different but starker look at travel trends that my colleague John Pletz and I examined in a story in January on O’Hare’s future.
DNA Info: You Need A Permit To Hang A Hammock In Chicago's Parks (Who Knew?)
Planning on ensconcing yourself in an elevated nylon sling strung between trees? Be advised that officials say you need a permit to install a hammock in a Park District park.
In response to a query from DNAinfo, Jessica Maxey-Faulkner, a Chicago Park District spokeswoman, said Monday “the erection of a hammock would require a permit per the Chicago Park District code” and that “failure to obtain a permit would result in request for the removal.”
Chicago Tribune: Emanuel won't 'prejudge' future of aviation police after man dragged off United flight
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday sidestepped a question about the future of Chicago’s aviation police force following worldwide attention drawn by officers dragging a passenger off of a United Airlines flight at O’Hare International Airport.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the April 9 incident, Emanuel would say only that a thorough review of the situation is being conducted. The unarmed airport cops are in the middle of the debacle, with Dr. David Dao of Kentucky considering a lawsuit against the city for the injuries and trauma he suffered when the officers pulled him off the plane after he refused to give up his seat so an airline employee could have it.
Chicago Sun-Times: Rahm Emanuel casts doubt on future of aviation security force
Viral video of a bloodied man being dragged off a United Airlines flight underscores why the city’s aviation security officers should not be armed, Mayor Rahm Emanuel maintained Monday, saying he would await the outcome of a broader review to determine whether the city force should exist at all.
In his first public comment about the embarrassing fiasco, Emanuel branded the incident involving Dr. David Dao as “totally, all-around unacceptable.”
WBEZ: Mayor Emanuel Hints At Changes In Police Officer Contract
Mayor Rahm Emanuel hinted Monday that he will pursue changes to the contract for the city’s police officers, who last week elected a new union president who vowed to take a tougher approach to negotiations.
New Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham has promised to “fight new, unfair disciplinary procedures” and to “restore due process rights.” He has specifically pointed to a policy change made in the wake of the Laquan McDonald scandal to confine officers to desk duty for at least 30 days after they are involved in shooting.
Chicago Sun-Times: Ferguson casts new questions on CPD’s merit promotion process
Inspector General Joe Ferguson disclosed Monday that he has uncovered “procedural and compliance issues” tied to a merit promotion process in the Chicago Police Department condemned by officers interviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice as a “reward for cronyism” and clout.
The new allegations, contained in Ferguson’s quarterly report, surround 2013 merit promotions to the rank of sergeant.
Northwest Herald: Woodstock Council to consider removal of property from TIF district
A strip of property in the city Square could be removed from the Woodstock Tax Increment Financing District because of an incoming council member’s conflict of interest.
Council member-elect Jim Prindiville owns property at 100-108 N. Benton St. in Woodstock’s historic Square. The property is located in the city’s downtown TIF district, which means officials either need to remove the parcel from the district or Prindiville would have to recuse himself from all council votes regarding TIF funding, under state statute.
Rockford Register-Star: Rockford’s B/E Aerospace will close by Sept. 30, about 40 could lose jobs
B/E Aerospace will close its Rockford facility by the end of September, and about 40 people could lose their jobs if they don’t relocate, according to a statement released by Rockwell Collins.
Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Rockwell Collins “officially acquired” its rival B/E Aerospace on Thursday. The company had announced in October it was buying B/E Aerospace for $6.4 billion.
Quincy Herald-Whig: Quincy Transit Lines budget shows potential for expansion, but state budget stalemate hurts likelihood
The state’s inability to pass a budget has left many question marks for Quincy Transit Lines and future growth.
Transit Director Marty Stegeman on Monday said the city has sought to expand services to all of Adams County for several years, but with no state budget, the expansion has not moved forward.
State Journal-Register: Superintendent Gill gets new five-year contract; Wind leaving Southeast
The Springfield School Board on Monday extended Superintendent Jennifer Gill’s contract through 2022 and approved moving Southeast High School principal Jason Wind to the district office.
The board voted 6-1 on a new five-year contract with Gill. The deal keeps her base salary of just under $200,000 per year the same, but kicks in an extra $2,995 annually to her retirement. Gill does not receive employee benefits.
Belleville News-Democrat: Belleville City Council approves $123.1 million budget
The Belleville City Council on Monday approved a $123.1 million budget scheduled to go into effect on May 1.
The budget is comprised of several funds that get revenue from various sources. For example, most of the property taxes collected in the city are used to support the police officer and firefighter pension funds and the library fund.