Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Former campaign worker sues Madigan fund, Democratic Party in sexual harassment case
The campaign worker who disrupted House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political operations with sexual harassment allegations against a top lieutenant filed a federal lawsuit late Wednesday afternoon, saying her decision to report the behavior cost her a chance to advance in his organization.
Alaina Hampton, who first told the Tribune last month of receiving inappropriate texts from Madigan aide Kevin Quinn, contends in the lawsuit that her effort to stop his unwanted advances effectively prevented her from getting further work on Democratic campaigns.
Champaign News-Gazette: UI official says Rauner's pension-shift plan would cost it $200M a year
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to shift some pension costs to the state’s educational institutions would eventually cost the University of Illinois about $200 million a year, a top official says.
Rauner’s plan, part of his fiscal 2019 budget outline, would require universities, colleges and school districts to pick up health care and retirement costs for existing employees over a four-year phase-in period, beginning this year.
Chicago Tribune: CPS approves additional borrowing that district says will provide more resources for classrooms
The Chicago Board of Education approved plans Wednesday to issue up to $600 million in bonds to raise money officials said would be used to refinance old debts and free up cash to spend in classrooms.
If a bond market that’s already offered a fiscal lifeline to Chicago Public Schools signs onto the deal, part of the district’s multibillion-dollar debt load would be refinanced in exchange for some short-term financial breathing room.
Associated Press: Cook County voters support recreational use of cannabis
Voters in the Illinois county that includes Chicago have backed the recreational use of marijuana in a nonbinding referendum.
Tuesday’s question for Cook County voters asked if Illinois should legalize “the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products for recreational use by adults 21 and older.”
Northwest Herald: McHenry County recorder elimination referendum approved by voters
In a binding referendum, McHenry County residents voted in favor of eliminating the recorder’s office and folding it into the clerk’s office.
About 79 percent of voters voted “yes,” and 21 percent of voters voted “no,” according to unofficial results.
Rockford Register-Star: Rockford’s options to combat budget challenges, blight narrow without home rule
City officials said they awoke on Wednesday after the defeat of a home rule referendum with fewer potential options to confront Rockford’s financial and neighborhood challenges.
Voters have spoken with 53.7 percent of 24,712 voters opposing home rule, according to unofficial results from the Rockford Board of Elections.
Rockford Register-Star: Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney floats sales tax increase in State of County speech
Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney called his blueprint for the county’s long-term prosperity a “simple plan.”
“We just have to execute,” he said.
Rockford Register-Star: Boone County leaders consider another sales tax referendum
Peoria Journal-Star: City: Pere Marquette developers siphoned $1.6 million off for themselves
Despite City Hall protests, a bankruptcy judge on Wednesday gave control, although limited, of the Marriott Pere Marquette back to the people who creditors and the city believe have mismanaged the properties or, worse, pocketed profits.
The agreement, reached after a two-hour Wednesday afternoon hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Perkins, will allow First Hospitality Group, the management company, to continue managing the hotels instead of a state court-appointed receiver who recently suffered a heart attack. Bob Howard was reportedly being released from hospital on Wednesday, said a Pere Marquette employee.
Belleville News-Democrat: East St. Louis Township raids funds meant for summer youth jobs program
Former East St. Louis Township Supervisor Oliver Hamilton secretly transferred more than $300,000 from a state-funded youth summer jobs program to the township’s general fund to help pay for illegal credit card purchases, and assigned some of the youths in the program to work for his private construction company.
A two-month investigation by the Belleville News-Democrat discovered how lax oversight by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the township board allowed Hamilton and his sister, June Hamilton Dean, a former township financial consultant, to gain control of nearly $1 million in unauthorized loans and state grant money.
Belleville News-Democrat: Madison County voters will decide in November whether to eliminate recorder's office
Madison County voters will have a chance to decide if they want to eliminate the recorder’s office to save costs, a move supporters of the office say is irresponsible.
County Board members on Wednesday approved a county-wide referendum for the Nov. 6 general election ballots.
Belleville News-Democrat: Madison County sales tax increase fails for third time
For a third time, Madison County voters have said they don’t want a sales tax increase to help schools pay for building projects.
According to unofficial results, 65 percent of voters rejected the proposal in Tuesday’s primary election.