Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Expert says fraud fears unfounded as Illinois expands vote-by-mail
As the debate continues over the expansion of mail-in voting in Illinois, one expert said fears of widespread voter fraud are unfounded.
New laws in Illinois were enacted June 16 which requires state officials to automatically send vote by mail applications to people who have voted in recent elections. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the program is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is designed to keep voters away from the polls to prevent spreading the virus.
Crain's Chicago Business: Only state lawmakers can change the property tax system
My colleague Alby Gallun reports that commercial and industrial property tax bills in northern Cook County rose 15.8 percent on average, an alarming figure underscoring the need to end Illinois’ overreliance on property taxes before it suffocates our economy. Northern Cook was the first section reassessed by County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, and property owners in that area are the first to receive bills based on higher assessments resulting from his new valuation methods. Similar increases likely are coming for commercial properties elsewhere in Cook County as Kaegi completes triennial reassessments over the next couple of years.
Chicago Sun-Times: Layoffs, tax hikes possible as Cook County braces for one-two punch of budget holes for this year and the next
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Thursday “everything is on the table” as county officials brace for a budget gap the COVID-19 crisis has stretched to nearly $281 million for the rest of the fiscal year and possibly as much as $409 million for next year.
That could mean new taxes, furloughs and layoffs. Seventy positions have already been cut, and about 35 people laid off at the county’s health system over the past week, Andrea Gibson, Cook County Health’s interim chief business officer, said Thursday.
Crain's Chicago Business: Landlords sue Pritzker over eviction moratorium
In an action filed in Will County Circuit Court, members of the Illinois Property Owners Association, which primarily represents suburban and downstate landlords, assert that the order “essentially ties the hands of housing providers to enforce our lease agreements.” The association issued a statement announcing and supporting the suit.
The Center Square: Some lawmakers on commission want to lift Pritzker's limits of gatherings over 50
Democrats and Republicans will bring a mix of ideas to the newly formed Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission, which will provide recommendations for reviving the state’s economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For months, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been using his executive authority to decide how the state’s economy should operate during the pandemic. During the truncated legislative special session last month in Springfield, lawmakers passed a bill the governor signed that creates the Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission, which puts a group of lawmakers together with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Daily Herald: Tollway offers temporary amnesty program and lowers violation fees
Tollway customers with outstanding fines will get a break from excessive fees with new policies that include a temporary amnesty program approved by board directors Thursday.
The move allows “a more equitable tolling process — one that work for customers and not against them,” Executive Director Jose Alvarez said at a virtual committee meeting.
Chicago Sun-Times: Foxx urges pols to swear off police union cash, but others say ‘it’s an independent decision’
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has signed on to a pledge urging elected officials to reject political donations from the Fraternal Order of Police, joining a slew of political leaders around the country who say they won’t take money from police unions.
That pledge, called “Say no to money from police” was drafted by the Color of Change PAC. Foxx is the only Illinois politician to have signed on to the pledge, according to the group’s web site.
Chicago Tribune: Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicago’s ‘not there yet’ on fans in stands at ballparks
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday threw up the stop sign on the idea of fans in the stands at Chicago’s ballparks this season, saying neither the Cubs nor the White Sox have provided any specifics on how they would keep attendees safe from the coronavirus.
With Major League Baseball set to start training camp July 1 in advance of a 60-game sprint to the playoffs, Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney went on the team’s broadcast radio station, 670 The Score, on Thursday and said he’s optimistic there will be fans in seats at Wrigley Field at some point this year.
Chicago Sun-Times: Lightfoot unveils $50 million program to provide high-speed internet to CPS students
Roughly 100,000 Chicago Public Schools students will get free access to high-speed internet service over the next four years, thanks to a $50 million program bankrolled, in part, by Illinois’ richest man.
Last month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot demanded that Chicago internet providers stop “putting profits over people” and bridge the digital divide that has made remote learning difficult at CPS.
State Journal-Register: Springfield unemployment rate drops slightly, Illinois jobless claims stay steady
The Springfield area’s unemployment rate fell to 13 percent in May, down from 14.2 percent in April as some parts of the economy returned during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
About 46,000 more Illinoisans filed initial unemployment claims the week ending June 20, an increase of about 1,300 filings from the week before.