Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Southern: Republicans want details on Pritzker’s income tax plan
In the absence of public details regarding a rate structure for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax, opposing factions are painting starkly different pictures of the proposed change’s potential impact on the state and its residents.
While Republicans say a graduated income tax will put an added burden on the middle class and businesses, Democrats say most Illinoisans — including small businesses — will see a tax reduction if a constitutional amendment passes.
State Journal-Register: House GOP unites in opposition to graduated tax
With discussions of a graduated income tax about to ramp up in Illinois, House Republicans Wednesday filed another resolution showing they are unanimously opposed to the idea.
All 44 House Republicans signed onto House Resolution 153 that declares “a graduated income tax in Illinois would only create added burdens and dissuade economic prosperity, two unintended consequences that proponents of enacting such a tax system fail to mention.”
Champaign News-Gazette: Slim margin for error in Pritzker's guesswork budget
When new Gov. J.B. Pritzker appeared before legislators last week to deliver his $39 billion budget proposal, reaction to it was, unsurprisingly, delivered along partisan lines.
Majority Democrats embraced Pritzker’s spending plan while minority Republicans didn’t see much in it to like.
Peoria Journal-Star: Illinois could face credit downgrade under Gov. Pritzker’s budget plan
A Wall Street credit rating agency is warning that Illinois could face another debt downgrade if lawmakers adopt Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget plan.
Fitch Ratings said in a news release Tuesday that the plan Pritzker presented last week “would not materially address the state’s structural budget issues in the current fiscal year or the next.” The warning comes four days after S&P Global Ratings panned the new Democratic governor’s spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1, calling it “precariously” balanced.
Chicago Tribune: Ex-Ald. Edward Vrdolyak's co-defendant pleads guilty to tax evasion in tobacco settlement scheme
A lawyer and longtime friend of former Chicago Ald. Edward Vrdolyak pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal tax charge stemming from millions of dollars in secret payments he and Vrdolyak allegedly received from the state’s massive settlement with tobacco companies in the 1990s.
Daniel Soso entered his plea to one count of income tax evasion in a hearing before U.S. District Judge Robert Dow.
Chicago Sun-Times: Social media monitoring drastically cut down misconduct: CPS security chief
A controversial social media monitoring tactic that Chicago Public Schools officials quietly experimented with to tamp down on student gang violence raised the alarm of some parents and advocates wary of privacy invasions.
But it worked, according to the district’s security chief.
Daily Herald: Teachers union, Warren Township High School District 121 upbeat about talks
More than 25 negotiation sessions have come and gone between Warren Township High School District 121 officials and teachers union representative, but despite reports of progress from both sides, a resolution remains elusive.
Teachers in the district have been working without a contract since June 30 and last week began the mandated public posting process for a possible strike. Officials from the Warren Township High School Federation of Teachers and the district have met to negotiate a number of times, including a daylong session Friday.
Peoria Journal-Star: Wedding license fees in Peoria County may go to $75
It soon may cost more to get married in Peoria County.
The Ways and Means Committee of the Peoria County Board voted unanimously Wednesday to increase the cost of a wedding license in the county from $50 to $75.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Normal likely to consider hiking gas tax, video gambling fee to match Bloomington
Normal Mayor Chris Koos would like to see the same local motor fuel tax rates and video gambling machine fees in both of the Twin Cities.
“We generally try to move in tandem to keep a level playing field in the two cities,” said Koos.