Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Associated Press: Pritzker signals union-relations about-face
Just days into his term of office, Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week signaled an abrupt about-face in government relations with organized labor after four years of rancor.
The Democrat took a series of pro-worker actions, highlighted by reinstatement of long-postponed, experience-based salary increases for state workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Chicago Tribune: Illinois’ new governor touts legal marijuana, but will he remove roadblocks to expand medical pot?
With pro-marijuana J.B. Pritzker now in the Illinois governor’s mansion, all eyes are on his plan to legalize cannabis for recreational use. But even if approved by lawmakers, that could take more than a year to implement, and many voices are raising the call to take things slowly.
In the meantime, advocates say there’s a simple way the governor could greatly increase access to marijuana for those who want it for medical reasons.
Chicago Sun-Times: 2 new libraries in housing developments to be unveiled by Mayor Emanuel
The legacy tour continues!
Watch for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to officially cut the ribbon Tuesday on two buildings containing libraries within housing developments on the city’s North and South sides — highlighting the modernization and growth of Chicago’s library system during his tenure.
Northwest Herald: Is the road district subject to public records law?
Are road districts subject to public records requests made through the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?
It’s a question Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Andrew Gasser’s attorney has proposed to an Illinois appellate court in a bid to overturn a lawsuit lost to a labor union last year in a Lake County courtroom.
Daily Herald: District 62 levy going up almost 7 percent
The Des Plaines Elementary District 62 board has adopted a tax levy of $74.4 million, a 6.93 percent increase. The increase is based on the 2.1 percent rise in the consumer price index and the projected increase in the tax base due to new construction within the district. The district’s tax on existing properties should increase approximately 2.1 percent. The board approved the levy after a public hearing last month.