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Chicago Tribune: House Speaker Michael Madigan's public and private roles back in spotlight after bombshell involving Ald. Danny Solis
The intersection of Michael Madigan’s dual roles as Illinois House speaker and private property tax appeal lawyer gained the spotlight once again Tuesday, as the veteran politician was dragged into a burgeoning City Hall influence-peddling scandal.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Madigan was secretly recorded while pitching his property tax appeal services during an August 2014 meeting with an associate of a developer who wanted to build a Chinatown hotel. The meeting at Madigan’s law office was arranged by Ald. Daniel Solis, whom sources said has worn a recording device as part of the investigation that led to an attempted extortion charge against veteran Ald. Edward Burke this month.
Chicago Tribune: House Speaker Michael Madigan: 'To my knowledge, I am not under investigation'
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Tuesday said that he is not under federal investigation “to my knowledge,” releasing the statement after a report that he was secretly recorded by the FBI while trying to solicit business for his law firm from a developer.
The Sun-Times reported on Tuesday that the longtime speaker and state Democratic Party chairman was recorded during a meeting arranged by Ald. Daniel Solis, who wore a recording device in the investigation that led to an attempted extortion charge against veteran Ald. Edward Burke.
Chicago Sun-Times: Pritzker has little to say about Madigan being recorded by feds
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday that public officials should avoid outside occupations that conflict with their public responsibilities — but he said he did not know whether House Speaker Mike Madigan had done so.
And the newly seated Democratic governor declined to offer any opinions on a report by the Chicago Sun-Times that revealed Madigan was recorded by authorities in his private law office as they investigated Ald. Danny Solis.
Chicago Sun-Times: Small-time developer plays big role in fed’s Ald. Solis investigation
See Y. Wong was a small-time developer with big dreams for reshaping Chinatown until his ambitious projects hit the skids in the last real estate recession.
Several projects failed. Investors lost their money. Lawsuits piled up, and some of Wong’s activities came to the attention of federal authorities.
Chicago Tribune: Chicago politicians call for reform, following report House Speaker Michael Madigan was secretly recorded
Chicago aldermen and mayoral candidates continued pushing Tuesday for the kinds of government reforms they say Chicagoans are clamoring for in the wake of a federal public corruption investigation at City Hall.
With the city elections less than a month away, elected officials and candidates sought to distance themselves from allegations against Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, and Ald. Daniel Solis, 25th.
Chicago Tribune: Ald. Daniel Solis, who wore wire for FBI, paid himself hundreds of thousands of dollars from campaign fund
As a longtime alderman, Daniel Solis makes a salary many Chicago residents would envy — nearly $119,000 a year after the latest pay boost.
But despite his income, Solis’ financial picture has been murky. In recent years, the bank that held the mortgage on his West Side home filed for foreclosure, according to court records. He’s taken tens of thousands of dollars in loans from a 25th Ward campaign fund that he chairs, state election records show.
Crain's Chicago Business: Solis quits powerful City Council committee chairmanship
In a statement released by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office, the mayor said Solis “recognized that he cannot effectively preside over matters before the committee . . . and he has communicated with my office his intent to resign as chairman. I commend him for making the right decision.”
Associated Press: Pritzker: State employee step increases start April 1
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says state employees will be placed on the correct step of the state pay plan on April 1.
The reinstatement of long-postponed, experience-based salary increases is expected to affect about 20,000 state workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Pritzker announced his intention to bring back the raises earlier this month on his first full day in office.
Chicago Sun-Times: Study: A third of young adults want out of Chicago; ill omen for population loss
Over a third of young adults in Chicago — especially African Americans — want out of this city, citing racism, fractured police-community relations, neighborhood disinvestment and lack of jobs and economic mobility, a new study finds.
The University of Chicago’s GenForward Project surveyed African-American, Asian, Latinx and white young adults from 10 diverse neighborhoods, and found 36 percent want to leave the city — but as high as 46 percent in challenged neighborhoods like Englewood.
Champaign News-Gazette: Food trucks-vs.-restaurants battle reaches Illinois Supreme Court
Food servers battled food servers last week in a legal case that bubbled up, literally, from the sidewalks of Chicago all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court.
On one side were operators who serve food out of a truck. On the other were restaurateurs who operate from fixed addresses in the city. The case — LMP Services v. City of Chicago — tests the extent to which a city can use its zoning power in matters involving competing economic interests.
Daily Herald: Schillerstrom resigns as tollway chairman amid agency churn
A pivotal figure at the Illinois tollway for the last four years has resigned amid scrutiny of the agency and a legislative push to clean house.
Chairman Robert Schillerstrom has submitted his resignation, a tollway spokesman said Monday.
Chicago Tribune: University of Illinois plans in-state tuition freeze for 5th straight year
Continuing an ongoing battle to attract local students, University of Illinois will not increase in-state tuition rates for next fall’s incoming freshmen, school leaders announced Tuesday.
Base annual tuition for Illinois freshmen would remain $12,036 in Urbana-Champaign, $10,584 in Chicago and $9,405 in Springfield, according to the proposal from university President Timothy Killeen.
Northwest Herald: No McHenry County schools receive Property Tax Relief Grant
The Illinois State Board of Education announced the 28 schools that are eligible to receive the Property Tax Relief Grant for fiscal 2019. Several McHenry County schools applied for the grant, but none were on the list of 28 selected.
Community High School District 155 was No. 29 on the list of eligible districts, while Fox River Grove District 3 was
No. 49. McHenry High School District 156 was No. 56, and McHenry School District 15 was No. 66 on the final list of eligible schools that applied.
Rockford Register-Star: Belvidere police, fire chiefs ask aldermen for more money
The city’s fire and police chiefs are asking for more money in the next budget, and Mayor Mike Chamberlain wants aldermen to give them a serious listen.
Fire Chief Al Hyser wants an additional $109,000 — a nearly 3 percent increase — to pay for increases in pension and health insurance costs. The department’s budget would be $4.3 million if the increase were approved.