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State Journal-Register: Filing by attorney general uncalled for
Unnecessary.
That is the only way to describe Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s action Thursday afternoon, when she asked St. Clair County Court to order that state employees stop getting paid. Her premise is correct: Since lawmakers have not passed a budget, they have not appropriated funding to pay workers. She argued that in July 2015, the first month without a state budget, but that same court issued an injunction that mandated state workers be paid.
Northwest Herald: Rauner contract offer generous
AFSCME members across Illinois will begin voting Monday on whether to give their leaders the authority to strike.
We urge them to vote no.
Peoria Journal-Star: More waiting on the 'grand bargain'
We’re going to have to wait another two weeks to find out if that do-or-die “grand bargain” in the Illinois Senate is going to do or die.
Yes, Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno continue to talk optimistically that progress is being made and that votes will be coming in early February when the Senate next is in session. Radogno, in particular, said the delay in taking votes on the components of the package has actually proven beneficial because it’s allowed people to suggest ways to make the proposal better.
Bloomington Pantagraph: In budget inaction, Illinois has no peer
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s effort to “shake up Springfield” has sent shock waves to every corner of the state with the first-term Republican governor and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly failing to reach a comprehensive budget agreement during his first two years in office.
While Illinois’ financial problems predate Rauner, his clash with Democratic legislative leaders — most notably longtime Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan — has led to unprecedented uncertainty.
The Southern: Will it ever end? Budget impasse reaches unparalleled territory
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s effort to “shake up Springfield” has sent shock waves from the Capitol to every corner of the state as the first-term Republican governor and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly have failed to reach a comprehensive budget agreement during his first two years in office.
While Illinois’ financial problems long predate the wealthy former venture capitalist’s foray into public office, Rauner’s clash with Democratic legislative leaders — most notably long-serving House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago — has led to unprecedented and unparalleled uncertainty.
Quincy Herald-Whig: State budget cuts affect offender re-entry program
A Missouri Department of Corrections budget cut could mean a program aimed at assisting parolees and those finishing their sentences re-enter the community will have to look for other ways to help.
When released from prison, one of the first stops for many offenders often was the Hannibal Families and Communities Together office.
Chicago Tribune: After Trump criticism on Chicago violence, Emanuel touts police smarts
Two days after President Donald Trump told a national television audience that Mayor Rahm Emanuel needed to “smarten up and toughen up” on fighting gun violence, the mayor held a carefully orchestrated news conference to discuss Chicago’s “smart-policing strategy.”
As Emanuel summoned a swarm of cameras to the 7th District police station in Englewood on Friday to highlight new police cameras and gunshot tracking technology, sources said the Police Department’s top brass was busy carrying out an order to flood the city’s most violent neighborhoods with extra officers this weekend.
Chicago Tribune: Illinois treasurer to launch tax-free savings accounts for people with disabilities
Kimberly Dorencz-Cuervo walks a financial tightrope when it comes to taking care of her 3-year-old daughter Dayna, who has a severe form of spina bifida.
The Morgan Park mom wants to ensure Dayna is taken care of day to day, and the family’s Medicaid benefits help cover that. But Dorencz-Cuervo also wants to save for a new, more accessible home so her daughter has the freedom to move around as she pleases.
Associated Press: Chicago shoppers will soon pay tax for paper, plastic bags
Shoppers in Chicago will soon have to pay a checkout tax of 7 cents per bag at all retailers in the city unless they bring their own bags to stores.
The tax, which starts Wednesday, is the city’s latest attempt to cut down on the use of disposable bags, which are usually given for free at checkout and often end up in landfills, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Rockford Register-Star: How about creative solutions to Rockford's budget woes? We have a couple
A little more than a decade ago, Rockford’s MetroCentre looked as if it were ready for the wrecking ball. It badly needed repairs, but there was no money to pay for them.
Rockford, Winnebago County and MetroCentre officials came up with a creative plan that involved purchasing a hockey team and issuing taxpayer-financed construction bonds to fix up the building.
State Journal-Register: Rochester School District opposes creation of TIF
Village and school officials in Rochester are at odds over a proposal for the community’s first tax increment financing district.
School Superintendent Tom Bertrand said the school board has instructed him to attend a public hearing Monday and voice opposition to the inclusion of residential property in the TIF.
Belleville News-Democrat: Hard sell expected before voters give 2 percent more in sales taxes
St. Clair County’s education and law enforcement leaders must have a bit of the gambler in them: They’ve joined forces and decided to go for all or nothing.
Sales tax questions on the April 4 ballot seek a penny on the dollar for school construction and debt as well as a penny on the dollar for law enforcement. If both pass, the average sales tax in St. Clair County will lead the region at 10.47 percent on consumer goods and dining out — but not groceries, pharmaceuticals or cars. Cops and kids will split $44 million a year.