Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Illinois Supreme Court grants stay in Clay County challenge to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus orders
The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the state’s request for a stay in a downstate legal challenge to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus-related executive orders.
The state’s highest court also indicated it would consider the state’s request that it determine whether Pritzker has the power to issue continued emergency orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Center Square: Madigan denies tying legislation to the employment of a 'few individuals'
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said he is not responsible for who gets hired, has never made legislative decisions based on improper motives and the notion of tying consequential legislation to the employment of a few individuals is “seriously mistaken.”
That’s the latest statement from the longest-serving statehouse speaker in the country after an ongoing patronage scandal involving a utility and a civil RICO lawsuit filed by a group of attorneys against both Madigan and the utility, ComEd.
Crain's Chicago Business: CPS budget counts on $343 million more from feuding feds
According to budget details released today, CPS is assuming the feds eventually will quit fighting and send a check for $343 million, on top of the $206 million it expects to get from the earlier CARES Act.
Chicago Sun-Times: Navy Pier could be shut down, says private operator facing $20 million loss
Navy Pier Inc. said Monday it expects to lose $20 million this year and plans to decide by month’s end whether to close the popular tourist attraction whose business has been devastated by the coronavirus.
But Payal Patel, a spokeswoman for the private operator of the government-owned pier, said the company “is not going out of business. Navy Pier is not going bankrupt. They’re looking at full closure, partial closure.”
Chicago Tribune: In the wake of controversial Englewood shooting, Mayor Lightfoot says all Chicago police officers dealing with public need to have body cameras
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city shouldn’t be sending police officers out on the street without body-worn cameras but defended the department’s account of a shooting in Englewood that allegedly touched off looting and civil unrest over the weekend.
On a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Lightfoot acknowledged the Chicago police officer who shot 20-year-old Latrell Allen in Englewood did not have a body camera and blamed it on an issue with the city’s contract for camera purchases as well as the Police Department’s recent reorganization.
Chicago Tribune: Aldermen criticize slow pace of Chicago police reform, want cops to answer for future moves
Aldermen on Tuesday criticized the Chicago Police Department’s slow movement toward reform and gave preliminary approval of a measure that would require police brass and other officials to answer for their future performance before City Council members.
Members of the council’s Committee on Public Safety voiced dissatisfaction during an online meeting that the city missed more than 70% of its deadlines in the first year under the consent decree, a broad court order calling for changes to the way the troubled police force treats people.
Daily Herald: Some Lake County employees face pay cuts through unpaid holidays
Three days that previously had been paid time off for Lake County government employees will be unpaid days this fall for about half the workforce under a controversial plan approved Tuesday.
The county board voted not to pay employees who don’t work on Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving rather than giving them paid time off work as in past years.
Belleville News-Democrat: Madison County Board votes against property tax cap referendum on November ballot
Madison County Board shut down a proposed referendum aimed at limiting property tax growth during a meeting on Monday night.
The proposal was pushed by Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler who hoped to add the referendum to the November ballot.