Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois needs to ‘root out the purveyors of greed and corruption’ in State of State speech
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker used his State of the State address Wednesday to urge lawmakers to confront the “scourge” of political corruption in Illinois and called for an end to the practice of retiring legislators quickly becoming lobbyists and of lawmakers serving as paid lobbyists to local governments.
“We must root out the purveyors of greed and corruption — in both parties — whose presence infects the bloodstream of government,” Pritzker said in his noon speech before the General Assembly.
Capitol News Illinois: In plea deal, former state senator agrees to cooperate with ongoing investigations
Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval entered a plea deal Tuesday, Jan. 28, in which he admitted to receiving more than $250,000 in bribes over a three-year period and filing a false tax return.
In exchange for his plea, Sandoval agreed to cooperate with federal investigators in other ongoing investigations and he will not face sentencing until he is finished cooperating. That cooperation includes the possibility of testifying against other defendants who may be charged.
The Center Square: Ex-state Sen. Martin Sandoval sent bills to empty committees, ensuring they wouldn't advance
A former state lawmaker who pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting $250,000 in bribes in exchange for using his legislative weight to unilaterally stop bills from advancing often assigned measures to a subcommittee that had no members, essentially ensuring those measures wouldn’t advance.
“Protector” is what former state Sen. Martin Sandoval described himself as he made his pitch, unknowingly, to a federal informant tied to red light camera company SafeSpeed.
Beacon-News: Aurora approves city’s first marijuana dispensary near outlet mall
The Aurora City Council has approved the first recreational marijuana dispensary in the city.
Aldermen voted 10-1 to approve a special use for a marijuana dispensary at 1415 Corporate Blvd., along Farnsworth Avenue, just north of Interstate 88 and west of Chicago Premium Outlets mall.
Daily Herald: Lake Zurich could seek tax increase to help fund Paulus Park Barn rebuild
Lake Zurich residents could see a referendum on new taxes as part of the village’s plans to rebuild the Paulus Park Barn gutted by fire in early November.
The referendum, which would appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot at the earliest, likely would seek voter approval for a bond issue to help fund the reconstruction and possible expansion of the barn.
WBEZ: Crooked ex-Chicago cop fights to get his pension
Despite criminal convictions that ended his long career as a Chicago cop, William Pruente pleaded with the city’s police pension board to let him get his annual pension of more than $46,000.
“This is the only thing I can hopefully hold onto,” Pruente told the pension board’s members, according to a transcript of the board’s Nov. 25 meeting that WBEZ obtained.
Belleville News-Democrat: Removed from judgeship, Duebbert files to run for St. Clair County State’s Attorney
Ronald Duebbert, a former circuit judge who was recently removed from office by the state’s courts commission, will run as a write-in candidate for St. Clair County State’s Attorney.
Duebbert filed to run for the position as a Republican, records from the St. Clair County Clerk’s Office showed Wednesday.
Chicago Tribune: Facebook may pay Illinois users a couple of hundred dollars each in $550 million privacy settlement
Facebook will pay $550 million to Illinois users to settle allegations that its facial tagging feature violated their privacy rights.
The settlement — which could amount to a couple of hundred dollars for each user that is part of the class action settlement — stems from a federal lawsuit filed in Illinois nearly five years ago that alleges the social media giant violated a state law protecting residents’ biometric information. Biometric information can include data from facial, fingerprint and iris scans.
The Center Square: Illinois lawmakers push to give dogs, cats legal representation in abuse cases
Illinois lawmakers want to allow for abused cats and dogs to have legal representation in court.
Proposed legislation filed by State Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee, would have the Illinois Department of Natural Resources create a county-by-county database of legal professionals, from lawyers to paralegals to experts on animal abuse, willing to step in on a dog or cat’s behalf when a person is facing punishment for neglecting or abusing them.
Chicago Sun-Times: Electric scooters to return this summer after 4-month test that provided 821,615 trips
Electric scooters will return to Chicago this summer for a second test run after a four-month pilot that provided 821,615 trips but raised safety, parking and equity concerns.
Newly-appointed Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi said Chicago’s love-hate relationship with electric scooters needs further study in a different geographic area to work out kinks that include sidewalk clutter, 192 injuries reported by Chicago hospitals and 39 citations issued to nine participating companies.