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Chicago Tribune: Madigan: Attempt to override Rauner's education veto set for next week
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan said Wednesday that he’s “not walking away from” his party’s bill to change the state’s school funding system and planned votes next week to either override Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s changes or eventually send him identical legislation again.
Madigan’s comments came after the state House overwhelmingly rejected a bill designed to reflect Rauner’s amendatory veto of legislation to overhaul the way Illinois divvies up money for school districts. The test vote was orchestrated to try to embarrass the governor on what was supposed to be a celebratory day of rallies for the GOP at the Illinois State Fair.
Peoria Journal-Star: House rejects Gov. Rauner’s school funding plan
Saying he won’t give up on the school funding reform bill that’s already passed the General Assembly, House Speaker Michael Madigan said Wednesday he will call the House back into session next week to vote on overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1.
If the vote fails, Madigan held out the possibility the House could take one more stab at overriding the veto before time will run out to act on it.
Chicago Tribune: Metra taps one its own to be new CEO of transit agency
Facing a tighter budget, the Metra board of directors on Wednesday decided to look within the agency for its next CEO, turning to a 20-year veteran who is used to dealing with the costs of repairing and replacing the railroad’s aging equipment.
In a unanimous vote during its regular monthly meeting, the board hired James Derwinski, 49, currently Metra’s chief mechanical officer, to replace current Executive Director Don Orseno, who is retiring at the end of the year. Orseno also had been a longtime Metra veteran, and the board decided again to go with an internal candidate to lead the commuter rail service after a nationwide search.
Chicago Sun-Times: Lobbyist registrations surge after fines tied to Emanuel emails
The hard line taken by Chicago’s reinvigorated Board of Ethics has not discouraged powerful people from lobbying Mayor Rahm Emanuel through the mayor’s private emails. But, it has done wonders for lobbyist registration.
An “all-time record” of 759 lobbyists are now registered with the Board of Ethics, a 27 percent increase over the last year, according to a tweet posted this week by Executive Director Steve Berlin.
Chicago Sun-Times: Days after re-appointment, Lightfoot gets $100K communications help
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has agreed to reappoint outspoken Police Board President Lori Lightfoot after being boxed in by the politics of police reform.
Now, the mayor is granting Lightfoot’s year-old request for a communications consultant for the Police Board charged with disciplining wayward police officers.
Daily Herald: Cook County soda tax would be banned under new state proposal
A Schaumburg state representative has introduced legislation that would prevent counties from taxing soda or sweetened beverages as Cook County has begun to do.
Democrat Michelle Mussman of Schaumburg filed the bill this week as lawmakers returned to Springfield for a special session focused on education funding.
News-Gazette: How sweet it isn't
Elected officials are learning the hard way that consumers of sugary drinks, a majority, don’t like it when they’re treated like cigarettes smokers, a minority.
The great soft-drink fiasco continues to shake the political foundations of Cook County politics, outraging consumers, frightening county board members who voted for the beverage tax and encouraging those who consider the issue a ticket to higher office.
For now, however, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle stands proudly by this disastrous policy decision. She’s withdrawn an ill-advised lawsuit that demanded $17 million in damages (lost tax revenue, by her estimate) from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association for having the gall to challenge the law in court and winning a court-ordered stay in its implementation.
Daily Herald: New CFO for Cook County government named
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday announced she is naming Ammar Rizki as the county government’s chief financial officer, pending board approval.
Rizki, acting CFO since June, has served as deputy CFO since August 2013, having joined the county in 2010 as deputy revenue director.
The Southern: Tax redemption puts Grand Tower Power Plant appeal back in the spotlight
One of the largest taxpayers in Jackson County in early August redeemed tax certificates for back taxes owed on power plant properties commonly known as the Grand Tower Energy Center.
According to Jackson County Clerk and Recorder Larry W. Reinhardt, the owner of the power plant, Texas-based Rockland Capital, paid over $5.9 million to redeem tax certificates for 2014 and 2015 held on nine separate parcels owned by the utility.