Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Associated Press: Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner: Cut taxes, 'wasteful spending' to curb deficit
Gov. Bruce Rauner said Monday that he will propose rolling back last year’s income tax increase in a “step-down” process over several years while also tackling a continuing deficit of billions of dollars.
The Republican, who will propose a budget outline next month, revealed his plan to pare down the tax increase – a $5 billion-a-year revenue boost – in response to a report that the state spent $2 billion that lawmakers never approved.
Champaign News-Gazette: Ending conflict of interest
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s order on the property-tax appeal process is both good government and good politics.
There’s going to be a lot of posturing and posing over public policy in Illinois between today and the November general election, particularly as it relates to the governor’s race.
The speculation in Springfield already is that when the Democratic-controlled General Assembly returns to work, it will do nothing that could even conceivably be of political benefit to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, even if it would simultaneously benefit the public.
NPR Illinois: National Study Hammers Illinois Budget Practices
A national study of state government budgeting gives Illinois low marks.
It’s no surprise to see Illinois fare poorly when it comes to finances. A two year budget impasse created even more problems:.
Associated Press: State pays $1 billion in late-payment charges
Failure to pay debts on time has cost Illinois $1 billion in late-payment penalties.
The debt-transparency report Monday also shows that in addition to the backlog, there’s roughly $2.3 billion the General Assembly never approved spending.
WTTW Chicago Tonight: Biometric Data: Are We Safer in Illinois, Or Just Having Less Fun?
If you’ve been on social media recently, you’ve probably seen your friends (and celebrities) finding their fine art doppelgangers via the Google Arts and Culture app – and maybe you’ve felt left out of the fun. That’s because Illinois is one of only two states with laws regulating the use of biometrics, like your face or your fingerprint, to authenticate your identity.
Biometric methods are quickly becoming the authentication method of choice for smartphone manufacturers, financial institutions and even U.S. border patrol. And while it can be a lot of fun to animate an emoji to match your face, the long-term implications of using biometric data are still uncharted.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Bonding out: Low-level offenders earn credits for release under new law
People charged with a wide range of low-level offenses who cannot afford to post a cash bond could be released after being jailed for a few days under a new state law.
The bond measure is part of a movement by Illinois lawmakers to reform bail practices that have kept many people in jails across the state when they could not make the 10 percent payment on the bond required for pretrial release.
Chicago Tribune: Alderman hangs 'sword of Damocles' over noisy Riverwalk businesses
A downtown alderman is sending a warning to businesses along the Chicago Riverwalk that have irked nearby residents with the music they play.
Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, has introduced a measure to ban broadcasted or live music at alcohol-serving venues east of Michigan Avenue — even as he’s scheduled meetings with those businesses to work out a less-severe remedy. He says he’s received a host of complaints from Streeterville residents.
Chicago Sun-Times: Pappas gets rid of $1 fee for online payment of property taxes
To ease the pain ever so slightly of having to pay property taxes, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has eliminated the $1 fee for online bill paying, she said.
“The dollar fee for online payment is almost like [the city’s] 7-cent bag tax — it’s just an annoyance to people,” Pappas said, talking to reporters at her City Hall office Monday.
Chicago Sun-Times: Dynamic pricing, frequent parking programs coming to O’Hare Airport
The days of searching O’Hare Airport’s main parking garage and remote lots for an elusive space may finally be coming to an end — at least for those motorists willing to pay a premium price.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration has issued a “request for proposals” (RFP) for the management and operation of public parking and ground transportation at O’Hare that raises the specter of higher prices for better service.
State Journal-Register: Sangamon County should get first dibs on state jobs, lawmaker says
Seeking to address longstanding fears of state jobs being poached from Springfield, a local lawmaker has proposed legislation that would require most new and vacant positions to be located in Sangamon County.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Leland Grove, said the legislation, House Bill 4295, would make Springfield and the county the default location for employees of most state agencies and the governor’s office. It would require the director of Central Management Services to give a reason why a job needs to be based elsewhere.
State Journal-Register: Seeking to address longstanding fears of state jobs being poached from Springfield, a local lawmaker has proposed legislation that would require most new and vacant positions to be located in Sangamon County. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Leland Grove, said the legislation, House Bill 4295, would make Springfield and the county the default location for employees of most state agencies and the governor’s office. It would require the director of Central Management Services to give a reason why a job needs to be based elsewhere.
At the outset of the city of Springfield’s budget presentations last week, budget director Bill McCarty hammered home one principle:
“Without tax increases, you can’t cut to $11.5 million without touching police, fire and public works,” McCarty said, naming the city’s three biggest departments and referring to the deficit the city faces.
Belleville News-Democrat: Supporting open government, until prosecutor’s office betting pool gets exposed
Transparent government in Madison County seems to be getting more opaque, or at least hazy from several sources of smoke and heat.
State’s Attorney Thomas Gibbons and his Madison County Public Corruption Task Forcecame swooping in Jan. 10 to grab computers from the county worker who used to handle Freedom of Information Act requests. Then the current FOIA office is subpoenaed for a representative to appear before a grand jury on Thursday.