Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Rockford Register-Star: Advocates trying again to raise Illinois tobacco buying age to 21
Legislators are bringing back a bill to raise the age at which people can legally purchase tobacco products to 21, after Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed similar legislation last session.
“I have reason to believe we can pass it again in both houses,” said Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, adding that she thinks Gov. J.B. Pritzker will look at the bill favorably.
Crain's Chicago Business: Here's what readers had to say about property tax pain
This is why Illinois taxpayers are leaving at a staggering rate of 1 every 11 minutes—second-worst in the country only behind New York (shocker). #StopTheMadness—@shonkori, Twitter
Daily Herald: 10 new Illinois laws affecting schools, colleges
Illinois schools and community colleges will see a number of changes this year with the adoption of new state laws requiring active shooter safety drills, high school dental exams, and teaching black history, among other mandates.
The new rules, which took effect Jan. 1, affect governing policies, classroom programs, funding and student wellness.
Northwest Herald: McHenry officials approve tax increases on sales, telecommunications
The city of McHenry has raised its home rule sales tax rate by a quarter of a percentage point.
The move is projected to bring in an extra $1 million annually to boost the city’s capital improvement fund. City Council members approved the measure during a meeting last week. At the same meeting, officials voted to increase the city’s telecommunications tax from 1 percent to 3 percent.
Daily Herald: Hoffman Estates set to approve massive redevelopment of former AT&T campus
After more than nine months of planning and discussion, Hoffman Estates officials appear ready to sign off on a massive redevelopment of the shuttered former AT&T campus along the Jane Addams Tollway.
Village trustees are holding a special meeting Monday, when they’re expected to approve a New Jersey-based developer’s plan to replace the onetime corporate center with a mix of multifamily housing, offices, retail space, restaurants, conference facilities and a hotel. Somerset Development, which led a similar redevelopment at the 2 million-square-foot former Bell Labs building in Holmdel, New Jersey, is tentatively calling the project “City Works” and labeling it a “metroburb.”
Daily Herald: District 155 board approves $14.5 million in construction projects
The Crystal Lake High School District 155 school board has approved spending roughly $14.5 million for 22 summer construction projects across its four high schools and administrative office.
Most of the improvements are necessary for basic maintenance and upkeep of facilities, with a few designed to improve learning environments, officials said.