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Belleville News-Democrat: Teacher minimum wage is another state demand without cash
Illinois state lawmakers were at it again, having their way with our schools without making the commitment to support them.
Unless Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoes it, Illinois will set a minimum wage for teachers. Next year the least teachers could be paid would be $32,076, increasing to $40,000 by the 2022-23 school year under Senate Bill 2892.
Champaign News-Gazette: Another fast one by Chicago pols
What started with such promise has become emblematic of The Chicago/Illinois Way.
Illinoisans are justifiably proud of their presidents — all of them — so the news was warmly greeted when former President Barack Obama announced he would build his planned presidential library in Chicago.
Having an Obama library in Chicago and a Abraham Lincoln library in Springfield seemed like perfect bookends to celebrate the historic presidencies of both men. The attraction would draw both tourists to see and learn about the lives and times of both men as well as scholars to review the records of both administrations and write their histories.
Chicago Tribune: Cook County inmates call new jail recording studio 'a blessing'; officials hope it reduces recidivism
Just eight classes into a music education course at Cook County Jail, inmate D’Andre Morris already looked like a professional. Using an Apple computer connected to two subwoofers, Morris deftly cut and blended musical tracks at a new recording studio built in the basement of the jail’s medium-maximum Division 11.
Long interested in songwriting and music production, Morris said he’s never worked on professional sound equipment like the kind inside the studio locked behind a large green metal door with a single square window. Morris, who’s spent more than a year behind bars awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge, said he’s grateful to be learning the technical aspects of sound engineering, even if he regrets that it took a stint in jail for this opportunity.
Crain's Chicago Business: Who pays the highest rates for workers' comp insurance in Illinois?
Who are the most expensive workers to insure in Illinois? It’s not roofers or sawmill operators, coal miners or painters. Nor is it loggers, steelworkers or carnies. In 2018, oil and gas drillers paid the highest rates for workers’ compensation in the state.
High risk for severe injury plus a tiny pool of industry players combine to generate rates of $30.61 for every $100 of payroll. (Insurers set premiums based on rates for job types, then adjust prices for individual employers.) That’s nearly 14 times the Illinois median rate for 2016.
Decatur Herald & Review: 'Game-changer': How the U.S. Supreme Court's sales tax ruling could affect Decatur
The effects of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling could lead to some relief for Decatur taxpayers by helping to stabilize the city’s biggest revenue source after years of losses.
The high-court decision allows states to collect sales tax on more online purchases. The proceeds could trickle down to local governments like Decatur’s, which have come to rely a cut of video gambling profits in a struggling market for physical businesses. Brick-and-mortar businesses see an opportunity to compete with online sellers, who had long enjoyed the advantages of selling tax-free.
State Journal-Register: Aldermen to look at rules to punish members for ‘disorderly conduct’
At the request of an alderman, the city is researching rules that would address disorderly conduct among aldermen and could ultimately allow two-thirds of aldermen to expel one of their own from a meeting.
Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner said she began looking into the code after a utility committee meeting that several aldermen described as going “off the rails.” In the last couple of minutes of the two-hour meeting on June 11, two aldermen shouted at each other, and the chair of the committee requested a security guard.