Get the latest news from around Illinois.
State Journal-Register: Rauner: We'll meet again when Democrats get serious
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner said Wednesday he’ll resume talks with the four legislative leaders when the Democrats are ready to be serious about negotiating.
“In the meetings, it’s been clear that there was a lack of sincere negotiations,” Rauner said after an appearance at the Department of Corrections to acknowledge training programs given to Correction’s officers to deal with inmates suffering from mental disorders.
Fox Illinois: Blame Game Over Budget Negotiations Continue
There still aren’t any meetings scheduled between leaders and Governor Rauner, but some working groups met Tuesday and are meeting Thursday.
This comes as Governor Rauner insists Speaker Madigan only wants a stopgap budget and refuses to compromise on a full deal.
Daily Herald: Facing threat of lawsuit, Elk Grove will rescind support for Rauner agenda
Elk Grove Village’s mayor and board of trustees will rescind their support for Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda” amid the threat of a lawsuit from a suburban-based labor union.
Neither village officials nor a representative of International Union of Operating Engineers 150 on Wednesday would discuss the basis for a potential lawsuit stemming from the board’s April 2015 vote backing the Republican governor’s plan.
Chicago Tribune: Ald. Willie Cochran indicted on thefts from ward charity
Willie Cochran was running for 20th Ward alderman as a political unknown a decade ago when he vowed to steer clear of the graft and corruption that had ensnared so many Chicago politicians over the years.
“Most people in the ward are tired of our public officials being embroiled in one controversy after another,” Cochran, a former Chicago police officer, told the Tribune on the day incumbent Ald. Arenda Troutman was indicted on charges of taking kickbacks from contractors.
But instead of cleaning up the sleaze, Cochran was charged by federal authorities with being yet another corrupt Chicago alderman.
Chicago Tribune: Month after fare increase OK'd, Metra gives CEO a $28K raise
Calling their chief executive officer greatly overworked and grossly underpaid in comparison to other big-city commuter rail executives, the Metra Board on Wednesday voted to give CEO Donald Orseno a $28,000 pay raise.
Board members praised Orseno, a 32-year Metra veteran and Chicago-area native, as a leader in the commuter rail industry before unanimously approving the pay increase to $317,500 from $289,000 annually, retroactive to Oct. 1.
Chicago Tribune: Emanuel’s wish for 2017: Less violence
After the final City Council meeting of the year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel was asked to reflect on what has been a difficult 2016.
Amid the fallout of the Laquan McDonald police shooting controversy, Emanuel has seen his Police Department come under a federal civil rights investigation, which has prompted him to revamp the training of officers and overhaul civilian oversight of the department. And with a few weeks to go in the year, Chicago already has surpassed 700 homicides, the most for any year in almost two decades.
Chicago Sun-Times: Emanuel opens the door to relaxing police hiring standards
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday opened the door to allowing candidates with minor drug and criminal offenses to become Chicago Police officers to attract minorities at a time of high crime and deep distrust.
Emanuel said he’s leaning toward relaxing the hiring rules at the behest of three powerful aldermen: Finance Committee Chairman Edward Burke (14th); Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th), chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus, and Hispanic Caucus Chairman George Cardenas (12th).
WBEZ: Report: Illinois Has The Worst Rate Of Solving Homicides In U.S.
A new report finds Illinois has the worst rate of solving homicides in the country. The group Murder Accountability Project tracks unsolved homicides. Its new report found Illinois solved about 37 percent of the more than 750 homicides from last year. That’s significantly lower than the national rate of 61.5 percent reported by the FBI. The Chicago Police Department says it’s adding additional detectives over the next couple of years to help solve cases.
Chicago Tribune: Top Cook County prosecutor raising bar for charging shoplifters with felony
In her first major policy move since taking office, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is dramatically raising the bar for charging shoplifters with a felony crime.
Prosecutors were told Monday that retail theft charges should remain a misdemeanor unless the value of the stolen goods exceeds $1,000 or the alleged shoplifter has 10 prior felony convictions — a significant leap from the current standard of a single felony conviction.
Associated Press: Gov. Rauner touts effort to train prison staff on mental illness
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration says nearly 13,000 prison staff in Illinois received training for dealing with mentally ill inmates in the past year.
The governor’s office says the Corrections Department partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to provide two-day training to help staff better understand conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to improve communication with inmates.
National Review: How to Cut Red Tape in Blue States
Belleville News-Democrat: Commission to discuss $4.28 million MidAmerica budget, parking lot expansion
The St. Clair County Public Building Commission on Thursday is scheduled to discuss the budgets for the Public Building Commission and MidAmerica Airport for 2017.
According to documents released ahead of Thursday’s meeting, the airport is planning $4.28 million in operating expenses in 2017, an increase of nearly $598,000 from the 2016 budget.
Belleville News-Democrat: East St. Louis Township’s favorite guessing game gets new contestant
Welcome to another installment of Wheel. Of. Corruption!
Last week’s winner, Oliver Hamilton, won an American Express Card with no limits and a free trip for one to Club Fed.