Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Court watchdog details how top Dems got friends, kin hired at Quinn's IDOT
A new report issued Monday by a court-appointed watchdog charged with looking into patronage hiring at the Illinois Department of Transportation details how top Democrats clouted relatives and friends into positions under former Gov. Pat Quinn, even as many of those hired had little or no experience.
House Speaker Mike Madigan’s office successfully pushed a former bricklayer for a job that included “maintaining relationships” with minority road contractors, though the man eventually resigned after being arrested for allegedly “physically assaulting” a then-state lawmaker. Cicero Rep. Lisa Hernandez sent in the resume of a bank manager who was put on the state payroll to inspect roads. And a daughter of 30th Ward Chicago Ald. Ariel Reboyras ended up in another state job after complaints at a different agency.
Chicago Sun-Times: U.S. Supreme Court deals struggling taxi industry another blow
Chicago’s taxicab industry is likely to turn into a “Wild West” dominated by independent drivers, with fleets disappearing and the city losing control, after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday dealt the struggling industry a final flow.
By refusing to hear the taxi industry’s appeal, the nation’s highest court let stand a federal appeals court ruling last fall that snuffed out an attempt by the cab companies to level what they called an uneven playing field that favors Uber, whose investors include Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s brother.
Fox Illinois: Political Experts Predict Bleak Outlook On Remaining Days of Session
We’re now more than halfway through the spring legislative session and time is running out to pass a budget. Lawmakers return to the Capital City after their two-week spring break, but, still, there’s no signs of them reaching a spending plan.
With only six weeks left in spring session, experts are predicting the outcome could look a lot like what we’ve seen in the past, which is no budget.
Belleville News-Democrat: ‘Why are we so bad with money?’ New Baden student asks governor
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday visited a Clinton County school, where a student started a conversation about state funding for schools when the child asked, “Why are we so bad with money?”
The governor pointed to Illinois’ history of spending more money than it brings in when he answered the New Baden Elementary School student.
State Journal-Register: Rauner fundraising letter says balanced budget with no tax hikes
A fundraising letter from Gov. Bruce Rauner says that Illinois taxpayers “deserve a balanced budget without any tax increases.”
The four-page letter – a copy of which was obtained by the State Journal-Register – appears to represent a departure for Rauner who has repeatedly said the state cannot get out of its financial problems through cuts alone.
Associated Press: Illinois tech chief’s memberships cost $208K
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s technology czar has contracted to spend $208,000 in tax dollars for two professional memberships even though the state is without a budget and is billions of dollars in debt, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Hardik Bhatt, the $145,000-a-year secretary of the Department of Innovation and Technology, has had a $50,000 annual membership in the Chief Information Officer Leadership Council of the Virginia-based executive-assistance organization CEB Inc. since 2015. He’s also approved a $29,000 subscription and annual renewal for his agency, known as DoIT, with CEB’s Risk Leadership Council.
WBEZ: Superintendent: Illinois Schools Will ‘Struggle’ Opening In Fall Without State Budget
More than 400 school superintendents from across Illinois — representing more than 1 million students — are posting messages outside their schools and on Twitter starting Monday to call on the governor and state lawmakers to pass a state budget.
After 22 months without a budget in Illinois, state superintendents said schools can’t handle another year without one.
Chicago Tribune: Tollway unveils, advances $4B plan to widen Tri-State, from Balmoral to 95th
The Illinois Tollway wants to widen the congested central Tri-State, an ambitious plan that began with an idea to rebuild the existing roadway but is now a larger project at more than double the price: $4 billion.
On Monday, a tollway committee OK’d the proposal, advancing it to the full board, which is expected to take a final vote during its Thursday meeting.
Chicago Tribune: New leaders start at Chicago State University
Following years of financial, academic and management struggles, Chicago State University on Monday completed a leadership shift intended to turn around the troubled South Side school.
The university’s new interim president and new chief administrative officer, to be paid a combined $440,000 during the next year, are charged with quickly implementing plans to boost enrollment, repair failing facilities, rally donors and decide the future of academic programs.
Chicago Tribune: CPS proposes school year dates for 2017-18
Chicago Public Schools parents and students who are still waiting to find out if this school year will be cut short are about to learn the classroom schedule for the coming year.
The Chicago Board of Education is expected to take up the 2017-18 school year calendar at its monthly meeting Wednesday. Students in district-operated schools would begin classes Sept. 5, and have 178 attendance days to fulfill before the scheduled last day of school June 18, 2018.
WBEZ: CPS Will Require All Eighth Graders Apply For High School
The Chicago Board of Education is expected Wednesday to approve dramatic changes to the high school admissions process that will, for the first time, require all students to fill out an application.
Now, many students just show up at their neighborhood high school without applying while others apply to a long list of schools. Requiring all students to apply will make for a more fair and equitable process, argues Chicago Public Schools’ Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson.
WTTW Chicago Tonight: The Pitfalls of Participatory Budgeting
Each of Chicago’s 50 aldermen gets a load of cash – $1.32 million – to spend on their wards annually. Some aldermen ask their constituents how the money should be spent, a process called participatory budgeting. Some don’t.
The money is meant for infrastructure and capital improvements like fixing potholes, alley repair and street paving. Sometimes it goes to basketball courts, lighting or beautification projects.
Crain's Chicago Business: An improved el stop near Obama library?
On the day when former President Barack Obama was in town for his first big speech since leaving the White House, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Transit Authority officials announced plans to rehab the el station that’s close to the Obama’s presidential library in Jackson Park.
It was a nice gesture—but not much more than that, at least for now.
Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago to replace computer-automated dispatch system
The computer-automated dispatch that forms the guts of Chicago’s 911 emergency center will be replaced with an upgrade that allows people to text and send photos and videos from emergency scenes, improving the quality of the city’s response, a top mayoral aide said Monday.
Alicia Tate-Nadeau, executive director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said the new system will replace a 20-plus-year-old version that’s as old as the 911 center and “clearly past its time to be replaced.”
Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago stepping up its game in war on graffiti
Chicago is stepping up its game in the never-ending battle against graffiti.
The city is adding three graffiti removal crews and eight new chemical removal trucks to its existing fleet of 14 to keep response times to three to five days with no backlog.
Chemical trucks require just one employee and cost $69,700 each, compared to $150,000 and a two-employee crew for “soda blasters,” according to Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Charles Williams.
Peoria Journal-Star: Peoria Public Schools cuts budget and sets the stage to borrow money
As Peoria Public Schools tries to slash a $4.3 million deficit in its operating budget, it also wants to make sure it has enough money to pay bills through the end of the year.
Board members approved more than $900,000 in cost-saving measures in the district’s operations and maintenance budget Monday, but also authorized the district to issue a short-term line of credit up to $10 million in anticipation of delays in state funding.
Quincy Herald-Whig: Quincy City Council approves $34.4 spending plan
Aldermen voted 10-1 on Monday to approve a $33.4 million city budget that will take effect May 1.
The spending plan calls for $32.7 million in general fund revenues, with an additional $700,000 in pension contributions approved in the current budget year but payable under the new budget.
Quincy Herald-Whig: Revised projections highlight QPS financial struggles
Revised projections paint a darker financial picture for the Quincy School District.
“May is going to be a tight month for us,” Business Manager Joel Murphy said. “In the education fund, if we do not get any of the categorical payments we’re supposed to be getting, we’ll be in negative cash flow and looking at making loans from working cash to cover that.”
Belleville News-Democrat: St. Clair County board approves property tax increase
Even though voters in the county rejected a public safety sales tax increase earlier this month, the county plans to bring in more money this year.
The St. Clair County Board approved a property tax increase on Monday as it went through its annual abatement process.