Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: State expands plan to add toll lanes on I-55
Interstate 55 at rush hour is a great place to listen to an audiobook of “War and Peace.”
But it’s not so great if you want to get home on time. I-55 offers one of the worst commutes in the Midwest and sees 12 hours of daily congestion, with four crashes a day, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
State Journal-Register: Illinois’ legislative conflicts law could be better, official says
In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity ranked states on the level of their public integrity.
Overall, Illinois scored a D+, which wasn’t all that bad since the highest ranked state only earned a C.
However, Illinois got a middle-of-the-road mark for how it deals with lawmakers voting on legislation on which they may have a conflict of interest. A state received a top score if it had a law on the books that “requires state legislators to recuse themselves from any action that could confer a financial benefit to them or their immediate family, such as participating or voting in hearings, committees or on the floor.”
Crain's Chicago Business: 7,000 reasons for Illinois taxpayers to rise up
There comes a time when important issues that generally make our eyes glaze over start making us mad: Lamentations on our “crumbling infrastructure” moving from public policy forums to close encounters with jarring potholes. Congressional “debt ceiling” debates ending in debilitating government shutdowns. Alarmist commentaries on “unfunded pension liabilities” foreshadowing costly credit downgrades and tax hikes.
Crossing those thresholds from nerdy government-speak to visceral reality can create the political equivalent of critical mass, enough pressure to prompt long-overdue reforms.
NBC 5 Chicago: Monday Marks Last Day to Apply for Money Back on Red-Light, Speed Camera Tickets
If you’ve received a ticket from a red-light or speed camera in Chicago, you may be eligible to get some of your money back – but you better act quickly, because Monday marks the final day to apply for a refund.
In July, City Council approved a $38.75 million settlement of two class-action lawsuits that alleged the City failed to give motorists adequate notice of a violation before finding them guilty and imposing an additional late fee.
Northwest Herald: Woodstock School District 200 Board to vote on tax levy
Woodstock homeowners could see tax savings this year.
The Woodstock School District 200 Board is scheduled to meet Tuesday to determine its annual tax levy. Officials determined in November to levy for $56.7 million, about a $1 million reduction from last year’s levy, according to a news release from the district.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Aldermen to set tax levies for city, township, library
The city’s share of Bloomington residents’ property tax bills isn’t expected to increase next year under a levy likely to be approved Monday, but the township and library are seeking slight increases.
Despite a looming budget deficit, the City Council voted unanimously Nov. 13 to keep the city’s estimated 2017 property tax levy for bills payable in 2018 at $20.06 million.
Belleville News-Democrat: Penny tax for Madison County school construction is still a hard sell
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s because the third time is a charm if you want to add a 1 percent sales tax, right?
Madison County voters this spring may again be faced with whether they want to pay an extra $1 on a $100 purchase so schools have another revenue stream for construction and building maintenance. In 2011, 80 percent of voters said “no.” Earlier this year, voters said “no” by a tiny fraction of a percentage point.
Belleville News-Democrat: We don’t need deputies. We need really big cargo planes
St. Clair County plans to spend $35.8 million in the coming year — an extra $2.4 million — but there’s no room in the budget for employee raises.
County workers already make 25 percent less than their peers in Madison County. Now a year of wage freeze will put them farther behind.