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WBEZ: Lori Lightfoot Will Be Sworn In Today As Chicago’s First Black Woman Mayor
Chicago will make history Monday when Lori Lightfoot is sworn in as the city’s first-ever, black woman mayor.
The 56-year-old, who will also be the city’s first openly gay mayor, is set to be inaugurated at 10:30 a.m. along with Chicago’s two other city-wide elected officials and all fifty aldermen. The ceremony is being held at Wintrust Arena, the 10,000-seat South Loop stadium that’s home to DePaul University’s basketball teams and the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.
Chicago Tribune: As Lori Lightfoot takes the helm of Chicago's city government, some vestiges of her predecessor remain
Lori Lightfoot takes over as Chicago mayor on Monday after a seven-week sprint that saw her try to build an administration she can trust to run the city and promote her agenda while she also set out to mould the City Council by installing allies in key positions to try bringing change to the notoriously reform-averse body.
Just days before she was to get sworn in, Lightfoot hadn’t filled several key posts in her administration. That has led to questions about just how different it will look from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s, at least at the outset.
Chicago Sun-Times: Fact-check: Pritzker’s latest sweeping tax claim falls flat
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is mounting a full-court press to overhaul the state income tax, and critics are equally aggressive in trying to stop him. That’s led to a lot of questionable claims on both sides about the financial upside of Pritzker’s plan to switch Illinois to a graduated tax from a flat tax.
Pritzker fired yet another volley recently during an address before two big business lobbying groups that oppose his plan. The case he made for a graduated tax, which the governor calls a “fair tax,” was one we hadn’t heard before.
Champaign News-Gazette: Heading into the home stretch
For Illinois lawmakers, there’s a lot to do in a relatively short time.
With just 12 days remaining before the May 31 legislative adjournment, much of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s ambitious legislative agenda remains unfulfilled.
That’s led to uncomfortable speculation in some quarters that Pritzker doesn’t have the clout his supporters expected, as well as anonymous quotes from legislators questioning the rookie governor’s political skills.
Chicago Tribune: Gov. Pritzker and DCFS, when parents refuse services, that's a red flag
When a 4 a.m. fire ripped through a Little Village carriage house last summer, firefighters found 10 children, mostly cousins ages 16 years down to 3 months, still in their sleeping positions. They had no chance to escape, fire investigators determined. No adult was home at the time.
Public records later showed the mother of five of the children who perished — the renter of the property — was the subject of more than 20 Department of Children and Family Services complaints since 2004. At least one complaint about lack of proper supervision stemmed from an incident in which one of her children, an 8-year-old who appeared to be autistic, was found darting into traffic. A separate 2015 investigation alleged she accompanied her teen daughter to a mall where they shoplifted, according to reports.
Peoria Journal-Star: Illinois expungement proposal for pot convictions one of nation’s most comprehensive
Illinois would enact one of the nation’s most comprehensive plans for expunging marijuana-related convictions if a bill pending in the General Assembly and supported by Gov. JB Pritzker becomes law.
Out of the 10 states that have legalized recreational marijuana, only California has a plan similar to Senate Bill 7 in Illinois to streamline the scrubbing of records for large numbers of marijuana convictions, according to Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project.
Chicago Sun-Times: Share the wealth: Group says booming downtown can help the neighborhoods
Declaring that Chicago’s competitive standing depends on bridging the gaps between its thriving core and its struggling neighborhoods, a downtown civic group is calling for broad investments in public transit, workforce training, affordable housing and other efforts to spread the benefits of the city’s growth.
“A new physical and economic development strategy offers the opportunity to position Chicago as a leader in growth, quality of place and equity,” said a report of the Chicago Central Area Committee, drafted with input from more than 60 business and civic leaders.
Northwest Herald: Woodstock considers $5M overhaul of Old Courthouse complex using tax credits, TIF funding
Woodstock City Council is considering taking the financial lead in a multimillion dollar redevelopment plan for its Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s Jail complex.
City Council members recently considered a plan by the Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House Advisory Commission that would leave the city in charge of funding a renovation proposal using tax increment financing district and historic tax credit money.
Daily Herald: Des Plaines turns to familiar name in suburban entertainment to operate historic theater
Des Plaines is poised to pick a familiar name in suburban show business to operate its historic downtown theater.
The city council is expected to vote Monday on a deal to lease the Des Plaines Theatre to Onesti Entertainment Corporation, which will book shows and operate a restaurant at the 1925 Art Deco-style building at 1476 Miner St.
Belleville News-Democrat: St. Elizabeth’s leaves, then Lindenwood downsizes. What’s the economic impact on Belleville?
While Belleville city leaders and residents may not yet know the full economic impact of Lindenwood University’s decision to end its daytime undergraduate program in Belleville, they can look at a key economic barometer since St. Elizabeth’s Hospital left town.
The city’s share of sales tax revenue, which is based on the purchases made in the city, has increased since St. Elizabeth’s Hospital relocated to O’Fallon in November 2017.