Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: House Speaker Michael Madigan spends more than $445,000 in legal fees during closing months of 2019, records show
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan spent more than $445,000 in legal fees from his political war chest during the closing months of 2019, according to a filing with the state board of elections.
The spending is to cover the cost of a $275,000 settlement with a former campaign worker, ongoing civil cases and routine staff training, according to a Madigan spokeswoman.
The Center Square: Fewer Illinois taxpayers are on the hook for growing public sector pension liabilities
As the state’s pension liabilities mount, fewer taxpayers remain to pay the tab.
The Auditor General reported the state’s largest pension fund, the Teachers’ Retirement System, increased in overall liability by $4.5 billion to $134.4 billion. Around $3.2 billion of that isn’t funded. The total unfunded liability for TRS was $81.1 billion, meaning TRS was 39.6 percent funded.
Chicago Tribune: Ethics board imposes max $2,000 fine against Chicago Ald. Edward Burke over letter he wrote in matter involving a client
The Chicago Board of Ethics has fined Ald. Edward Burke $2,000 after determining the embattled alderman wrote a letter to another city official “in a matter involving a client of his law firm within 12 months of when the alderman’s law firm represented this client.”
Burke properly recused himself from the matter, which involved a property tax classification break, but the board found “he failed to do a ‘due diligence check’ before writing the letter to another city official in the matter, which involved a client of his law firm — even though his law firm did not represent the client in this matter.”
Chicago Sun-Times: Pot taxes in Chicago could be as high as 41% by July as county moves forward with 3% levy
A 3% tax on cannabis retailers was approved by a Cook County panel Wednesday and is expected to be approved by the full Board of Commissioners Thursday — meaning taxes on some pot products in Chicago could exceed 41% by the summer.
The county proposed the Cannabis Retailers’ Occupation Tax on recreational cannabis in December. It would be imposed on “all persons engaged in the business of selling cannabis.”
Chicago Tribune: Preckwinkle seeks more control over county health board after CEO ousted with $542,000 severance
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is seeking veto power over the selection of the public health system’s next leader, a move that comes after a $542,000 severance package and generous pension for the ousted CEO raised eyebrows.
On Wednesday, Preckwinkle and several key commissioners proposed amending the 12-year-old ordinance that created the independent health board. The changes would give the County Board, which Preckwinkle largely controls, final say in the hiring of a new CEO, as well as that person’s bonuses and severance package.
The Center Square: More bills surface to stop Illinois’ 'revolving door' from lawmaker to lobbyist
Lawmakers have filed more bills to stop Illinois’ “revolving door” of lawmakers becoming lobbyists as soon as they leave office.
In 2019, lawmakers filed 11 bills that involved some sort of restrictions on the way that a lawmaker is free to lobby their former colleagues, commonly called a “revolving door prohibition.”
The Center Square: Illinois commission on lobbyists hears concerns about lack of uniform standards, shadow lobbying, loopholes
Illinois state lawmakers heard about lobbying regulations, the lack thereof, and the need to close some loopholes at a commission meeting Tuesday focused on lobbying.
The Illinois Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reforms was created last year after raids, indictments and allegations of improper behavior by lawmakers and lobbyists.
Chicago Tribune: Chicago alderman’s plan would ban foam packaging in restaurants and reduce the use of plastic utensils, straws and more
Is Chicago ready for its hot dogs to be swaddled in a more environmentally friendly manner?
A City Council ally of Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced a plan Wednesday to get rid of plastic food packaging in local restaurants and reduce the use of plastic utensils, stirrers, straws and condiment containers in a bid to cut down on pollution.
Chicago Tribune: Court rules the infamous Lincoln Towing can stay in business
Lincoln Towing Service may be off the hook for years of alleged towing violations after a Cook County judge Wednesday reversed the state’s decision revoking its license.
In his ruling, Cook County Circuit Judge Neil Cohen said the Illinois Commerce Commission “violated fundamental fairness and … due process rights” by failing to advise Lincoln Towing that it could lose its license as a result of the hearing process.
The Center Square: Illinois lawmakers propose taxpayers pay for first two years of college for state residents
Another measure has been filed to create a taxpayer-funded program to ensure Illinois residents have their first two years of college tuition paid for.
State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, D-Shorewood, filed Senate Bill 2324 on Jan. 8. It mirrors legislation filed in 2019 by Chicago Democratic state Rep. Will Guzzardi. The new bill would ensure residents “seeking an associate degree, certificate, or diploma from an institution of higher learning” a taxpayer-funded state grant that would pay for tuition and fees, minus any other aid awarded, starting in 2021.
Chicago Sun-Times: New rules for cops in CPS prevent officers from intervening in school discipline
Chicago police officers posted at schools are no longer allowed to intervene in student discipline but will, at least for the time being, remain in more than 110 schools.
Those are among the changes laid out in a $33 million agreement between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department — the details of which have been newly released — that sets the ground-rules for a much maligned program that puts officers in school buildings.
Northwest Herald: Electoral board upholds referendum asking whether to restructure Regional Office of Education
McHenry County’s electoral board decided on Tuesday to overrule an objection seeking to strike an advisory referendum regarding the restructuring of McHenry County’s Regional Office of Education from March’s primary ballot.
The complaint, which was filed by former McHenry County Board candidate Orville Brettman, alleged that the referendum – which asked voters whether the County Board should pursue a new structure of the office of the McHenry County Regional Superintendent of Schools or enter into an agreement with another Regional Office of Education to share services – was defective and offered a vague definition of what restructuring of the office would entail.
Belleville News-Democrat: Illinois awards recreational marijuana license to a second metro-east dispensary
A second cannabis dispensary license has been approved in the metro-east.
The Green Solution, located at 2021 Goose Lake Road in Sauget, received approval for a “same-site” adult-use cannabis license, allowing the medical cannabis dispensary to obtain an adult-use dispensing license.