Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Sun-Times: Trump delays Blagojevich clemency decision — top Illinois pols say butt out
President Donald Trump on Thursday night prolonged the drama of whether he will commute the sentence of imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, saying in a tweet “White House staff” is still reviewing whether to free him.
This comes a day after Trump told reporters he “very strongly” leaned toward giving Blagojevich a break from serving the rest of his 14-year sentence for corruption.
Chicago Tribune: Illinois pays out nearly $4.7 million in back pay to state employees over 2 weeks
The first checks and electronic deposits are beginning to trickle in for state workers who saw some of their pay withheld during former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s tenure.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office announced Thursday that nearly $4.7 million in state worker back pay has been processed in the past two weeks — a small fraction of the estimated $300 million to $400 million in back pay owed to thousands of state employees.
Champaign News-Gazette: Another look at property taxes
People talk about reforming the property-tax system, but the costs mostly just go ever higher.
A staggering property tax bill can be evidence of the owner’s massive wealth. It also can reflect taxes that have been increased to exorbitant levels by multiple local taxing bodies.
Increasingly, it’s come to represent the latter in Illinois, as demonstrated by a couple of sorry statistics dredged up by public oversight bodies.
Chicago Sun-Times: Lightfoot to lower the boom on Chicago taxpayers Aug. 29
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is poised to lower the boom on beleaguered Chicago taxpayers on Aug. 29 — by disclosing a shortfall that tops $1 billion — during a prime-time speech that she hopes will be carried live by some media outlets.
Before an audience likely to include civic leaders and community groups, the mayor will deliver a state-of-the-city address that finally comes clean about the size of the shortfall she inherited from Rahm Emanuel and what she intends to do about it.
Crain's Chicago Business: Mayor Lightfoot: 'No reason' CPS, union can't reach a deal
A 2017 change to the state’s school funding formula and a boost from the capital budget have improved CPS’ outlook.
WBEZ: Mayor, School Leaders Say New Budget Is More Equitable Than Past Ones
Chicago Public Schools unveiled its budget Thursday with leaders saying that it represented a move toward a more equitable way of doling out money to schools.
But, outside of a focus on money to repair schools, it is not drastically different than budgets under Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s predecessor, Rahm Emanuel.
Chicago Sun-Times: $619M for renovations at 300 schools shows new priority on neighborhood schools, CPS says
Chicago Public Schools says it plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in neighborhood schools and make the largest investments ever in pre-K classrooms and “high quality academic programs,” including STEM, International Baccalaureate, and fine and performing arts.
The budget released Thursday invests $619 million in “critical building improvements” at more than 300 schools, the district said. The schools are attended by 161,000 students citywide.