Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Madigan under fire again over handling of sexual harassment claims, asks for watchdog investigation
ouse Speaker Michael Madigan asked the legislature’s top watchdog to investigate allegations that his allies retaliated against a Democratic lawmaker, a move that could provide him some insulation as he remains under fire over sexual harassment claims in his political and government organizations.
Madigan’s request came hours after he sent a letter to North Side state Rep. Kelly Cassidy denying she was pressured to resign from a part-time job in Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office. Her accusations could renew a party rift that emerged earlier this year and played out in the Democratic primary race for governor.
Chicago Sun-Times: Is the speaker hearing the ‘message’? Or just mouthing the words?
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan on Tuesday moved quickly to quash the latest scandal spattering his operation, directly disputing an allegation of retaliation and calling for an investigation into his own chief of staff and a key legislative ally.
The powerful Southwest Side Democrat vowed to cooperate fully with any probe conducted by Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter into state Rep. Kelly Cassidy’s charges that Madigan’s allies retaliated against her after she criticized the speaker’s handling of harassment complaints. But Cassidy dismissed Madigan’s denials as the “discredit-the-target portion of the program.”
Crain's Chicago Business: Property tax assessments soar on North Side
John Holden’s two-flat in Uptown is worth about 51 percent more than it was three years ago, according to the Cook County assessor’s latest estimate. “That figure is kind of hallucinatory,” Holden said.
The Cook County assessor estimated the market value of Holden’s red-brick two-flat on Dover Street at $712,000, up from $471,000 in the previous reassessment, in 2015.
NPR Illinois: School Supts Sue State For $7.2 Billion
A group of school superintendents is suing Gov. Bruce Rauner and the State of Illinois seeking more than $7 billion for schools.
Last August, Illinois adopted a new school funding plan. It’s called the “evidence-based model” because it’s calculated using dozens of metrics to determine how much money each district needs to provide kids with a good education. The State Board of Education, known as ISBE, says the total cost would be $7.2 billion. Lawmakers planned to get to that number over time, by appropriating around $350 million per year over the next decade.
Chicago Sun-Times: CPS IG: Guaranteed free preschool perk inside richest school boundary must end
Chicago Public Schools has been giving special priority for free, all-day Montessori preschool to families living in its wealthiest attendance area — a loophole that let in just four kids from outside that boundary in the last five years, the schools inspector general has found.
Inspector General Nicholas Schuler said that CPS should immediately halt the “unjustifiable” perk at Oscar Mayer Magnet elementary school, 2250 N. Clifton, that would be worth about $30,000 on average in similar private programs.
Chicago Sun-Times: Ald. Reilly gets his way: Fiscal impact statements mandated for many ordinances
No more will Chicago aldermen blindly approve budget changes, major transactions or the sale of city assets simply by taking the mayor’s word for it, as they did before leasing Chicago parking meters.
At least 72 hours prior to a City Council vote, they’ll have their own “fiscal impact statement” that outlines in advance the “immediate impact,” the impact on the “reasonably foreseeable” future, and the “long-range” effect on city finances.
Daily Herald: Teachers to vote Thursday on U-46's proposed contract
Teachers in Elgin Area School District U-46 will vote Thursday on a proposed new contract being met with some resistance among the rank and file.
The Elgin Teachers Association — the union representing the district’s 2,448 teachers — and U-46 administration reached a tentative agreement this month on the new multiyear contract for the 2018-21 school years that will provide raises to all teachers.
Peoria Journal-Star: Peoria County advances 1/2 percent sales tax referendum for road repairs
Voters in Peoria County are likely to be asked this fall whether to raise the sales tax one-half percentage point to finance the bulk of about $69 million in road repairs over the next 12 years.
After that time, the tax would go away — though board members have the chance to eliminate the tax sooner if tax revenue is enough to pay off the debt earlier.
Decatur Herald & Review: WIU's declining enrollment, deficit prompt concerns about reserves
Continuous declining enrollment and the need for deficit spending are taking a toll on the university’s cash reserves.
At the monthly meeting of the Western Illinois University board of trustees, Admissions Director Seth Miner and Budget Director Letisha K. Trepac delivered some unwelcome news: a projected decline of about 14 percent in overall enrollment, and the related probability that the university will no longer have reserves to fall back on next year.
State Journal-Register: Ferguson-Booth building project one step closer to losing its downtown TIF funds
An ordinance that would rescind the offer of almost $2 million in tax-increment financing dollars to help renovate three historic buildings downtown is one step closer to a vote.
Aldermen voted 7-2 Tuesday to move the ordinance out of committee for debate and a possible vote during its next city council meeting on June 5. If the ordinance passes then, Bright New Day Investments, which is led by developer Rick Lawrence, will no longer have access to a promised $1.1 million in TIF funds and a $800,000 low-interest TIF loan. The total TIF investment in the project, including the January deal, was $3.8 million. The city council had extended the offer to Lawrence in January with the conditions that he close on the sale of new market and historic tax credits by Feb. 28 and then pay the $1.4 million owed to vendors and subcontractors within 10 days of closing. The developer also needed to maintain a private financial lender.