Get the latest news from around Illinois.
State Journal-Register: Illinois oil production slumps during pandemic
Oil production in Illinois has been on the decline for many years, but a steep drop in demand brought on by the economic slowdown spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a big bite out of the industry.
“Our production for the first quarter was actually a little bit stronger, quarter-over-quarter, but there’s no doubt that our production will decline in the second quarter,” Seth Whitehead, spokesman for the Illinois Petroleum Resources Board, said during an interview this week. “You know, just the eyeball test looking around, where I live in Fayette County, there are a lot of shut-ins at the moment. And right now, the price of oil is about $12 to $15 below where it needs to be for producers to turn a profit.”
Chicago Tribune: Editorial: To Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot: Put the kibosh on risky pension gimmicks now
The coronavirus pandemic is not only blowing holes in state budgets nationwide; it’s also exposing governments with self-inflicted wounds. Government leaders are tempted to seek magical solutions rather than reform runaway pension plans.
How much can we tax our way out? How much can we beg from federal taxpayers? How much can we put at risk Other People’s Money?
Belleville News-Democrat: Southern Illinois counties deal with funding shortfalls
Franklin County, like Williamson County, is trying to find ways of mitigating lost tax revenue because of closures and reduced travel in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 has forced the hand of many governors in the U.S. to issue stay-at-home orders and to shutter non-essential businesses to reduce the spread of the deadly virus. In Illinois, it started in mid-March.
Chicago Tribune: CPD union’s new leader is a cop facing discipline related to police report he once filed against Eddie Johnson
Rank-and-file Chicago police officers have chosen a new leader for their union, a veteran street cop known for being outspoken against Police Department brass who has a lengthy complaint history and faces an internal investigation into a pending disciplinary matter.
Officer John Catanzara, a 25-year Chicago Police Department veteran, won a runoff election on Friday to become the next president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 by defeating incumbent Kevin Graham. He received close to 55% of the vote, garnering 4,709 votes to Graham’s 3,872, according to the union.