Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Speaker Madigan cuts political worker loose over inappropriate advances to campaign worker
A key staffer in House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political operation made unwanted advances to a female campaign worker and sent her inappropriate phone texts, Madigan acknowledged Monday in cutting the longtime aide loose.
Madigan, who chairs the Illinois Democratic Party, praised the “courageous woman” who had come forward to complain. But in an interview with the Tribune, the woman said the action took far too long.
Crain's Chicago Business: Illinois' lousy credit rating: It's contagious
The state’s reputation for fiscal mismanagement makes borrowing more expensive across the board. Here’s how.
NPR Illinois: Even Without A Budget, Illinois Spends And Spends
Gov. Bruce Rauner is scheduled to unveil his fourth budget proposal Wednesday in a speech to the General Assembly.
Illinois lawmakers have only enacted a budget for one of the three years he’s been in office.
Champaign News-Gazette: Tough medicine for a sick state
The only reason Illinois is not on its death bed is because states don’t die. Failing ones just keep blundering along.
It remains to be seen how long Illinois will follow that path to sorry and devastation. If readers listen to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget address Wednesday, they’ll get an idea just how bad things are and what steps — difficult ones the Legislature will ignore in this election year — must be taken.
Champaign News-Gazette: Next on legislators' not-to-do list: Restructuring higher ed
Since the goofs who run the state of Illinois usually do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons, it’s hard to imagine they’ll take any serious action this year on problems that taxpayers recognize, let alone one that runs beneath the surface.
After all, this is an election year. It’s important not to rock the boat, even if it’s taking on dangerous amounts of water.
Chicago Tribune: 2 more Legionnaires' cases found at Quincy veterans home
Officials say there are two more laboratory-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease among residents of a veterans’ home in western Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Monday night that its engineering staff has removed faucets from the residents’ rooms at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy, collected water samples and taken other steps to ensure safe water.
Chicago Tribune: Public invited to weigh in on CTA's planned Red Line extension on South Side
The public will get a chance to check out plans, ask questions and even offer their own two cents about plans to extend the Red Line south of 95th Street at a Tuesday night open house hosted by the CTA.
The event will not include a formal presentation, but CTA staff will be on hand to answer questions from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy gymnasium at 250 E. 111th Street.
Chicago Tribune: CPS puts brakes on school closing plan, will phase out 3 Englewood high schools over 3 years
Chicago Public Schools officials will phase out three South Side high schools over three years rather than shut them down this summer, an abrupt change to a long-standing plan to address schools that have struggled with enrollment and academics in one of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.
Harper, Hope and TEAM Englewood high schools will remain open until current freshmen graduate under a revamped proposal announced Monday by CPS CEO Janice Jackson.
Daily Herald: West Chicago High School teachers contract talks end with no deal
West Chicago High School teachers met with school board negotiators for more than four hours Monday night without reaching a contract agreement, but the two sides plan to resume talks Thursday in an effort to avoid a strike that would leave more than 2,000 students out of classes.
Bargaining teams on Monday held their longest session since contract talks began nearly two years ago. The board presented a full contract proposal, but teachers are still reviewing the terms, Union President Brad Larson said.
Daily Herald: Round Lake school district receiving extra $5 million from state
Round Lake Area Unit District 116 is expected to receive roughly $5 million from the state in April.
It’s money the district didn’t plan for, and now the school board must decide which projects to spend it on.
Rockford Register-Star: Winnebago County may raid trash cash to hire jail staff
Winnebago County may siphon $350,000 from an economic development fund to hire correctional officers at the county jail.
The idea came about Monday after the County Board failed to approve more than $855,000 worth of “host fee” grants this year to boost local economic development projects and programs. Board members David Boomer, R-4, and Jim Webster, R-2, convinced their colleagues that host fee dollars do not have to be strictly used for economic development. Instead, they floated the idea of using some of the money to pay for Sheriff Gary Caruana’s anticipated budget amendment request this week of $350,000.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Council opts to explore solid waste fee hike, service changes
Rather than replacing the city’s solid waste workers with private garbage haulers, the City Council directed the city staff to explore raising solid waste fees and finding cost savings in garbage, bulky waste, brush and leaf collections.
The council’s 5-3 decision at a special meeting Monday prior to the council’s regular session had city solid waste workers breathing a sigh of relief. Aldermen Jamie Mathy of Ward 1, David Sage of Ward 2 and Karen Schmidt of Ward 6 cast the dissenting votes; Ward 8 Alderman Diana Hauman was absent.