Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Crain's Chicago Business: Graduated tax is no panacea—and could hurt state, Moody's says
That’s the view from Moody’s Investors Service as the credit rating agency gave a distinctly mixed view as to whether the tax, aimed at pulling in an additional $3.4 billion a year in revenue, is worth the pain and potential harm to the state’s economy.
Champaign News-Gazette: Illinois' latest bond issue
Chicago-area legislators are pushing another dramatic policy change on downstate counties.
Illinois legislators are considering legislation to abolish the cash bail system in Illinois.
They are well advised to tread carefully on an issue that’s more complicated than many of them may realize.
Chicago Tribune: Legal pot opponents reject Pritzker's social equity arguments
Opponents of legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois on Monday rejected Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s argument that his proposal would promote social equity by providing potential benefits to communities that have been disproportionately affected by enforcement of lower-level drug crimes.
“Minorities have said to me we don’t want this stuff in our neighborhood,” state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, said at a news conference outside the Thompson Center in the Loop. “There’s other ways to generate revenue, not on the backs of our children and young adults.”
Chicago Sun-Times: Madigan: Parts of legal pot bill ‘very controversial’ — passage ‘not guaranteed’
A 532-page proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis in Illinois by Jan. 1, 2020 was filed in the state Senate Monday, but House Speaker Mike Madigan said its passage is “not guaranteed today.”
Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 7, carried by Chicago Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans, allows Illinois residents to possess 30 grams of cannabis, five grams of cannabis concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC contained in cannabis-infused products. Visitors from other states could possess half of those amounts.
Chicago Tribune: How much will it cost Illinois to get a correct census count in 2020? One group says $33M — and worth every penny
Kathie Kane-Willis wants people to think about the 2020 census not just as a questionnaire but a tool that can wield power and money.
That is, money in the form of billions of dollars in federal funding at stake, and power in the form of a congressional seat — or two — the state stands to lose if there’s an undercount.
Crain's Chicago Business: Pritzker yanks two health board appointees in wake of Westlake drama
The administration said today it’s withdrawing the nominations of Julie Hamos and Michael Gelder to the board, which decides the fate of health care projects in the state.
Crain's Chicago Business: Old Main Post Office tenants to get state tax credit money
Officials sang the praises of Chicago as an emerging tech center with top talent and transportation links, but there was one other element today at an event to mark two divisions of grocer Kroger planning to move into the Old Main Post Office: cold cash.
According to the state, the deal in which meal-kit maker Home Chef and data analytics provider 84.51 will lease a combined 130,000 square feet will result in $4.5 million in Edge payroll tax credits. Details of how that money will be divided between the two tenants were not immediately available, but Edge generally is paid only if a company meets specified targets for creating new jobs in the state.
Northwest Herald: McHenry County board members oppose spending plan with $206K in new tax revenue
County Board members are requesting that the McHenry County Conservation District go back to the drawing board after introducing this year’s budget with more than $206,000 in additional property tax funding, despite ending its last fiscal year with an additional $750,000 in its growing surplus.
The property tax portion of the Conservation District’s fiscal 2020 tentative budget is 2.8% above the amount budgeted last fiscal year. This includes asking for $157,000 in additional property tax funds from taxpayers.
Northwest Herald: Newly seated Woodstock City Council to talk bike share program, TIF requests
Woodstock City Council will meet Tuesday to swear in three newly elected members, and consider various tax-increment finance district development requests.
Lisa Lohmeyer, Wendy Piersall and Darrin Flynn will be seated Tuesday. Incumbents Mark Saladin, Dan Hart and Maureen Larson chose not to seek re-election in the April 2 consolidated election.
Daily Herald: U-46 board approves 4-year teachers' contract with 3.85% average raises
The Elgin Area School District U-46 school board Monday night unanimously approved a four-year teachers’ contract granting a 3.85% increase on average over its duration — amounting to roughly $30.5 million total.
It took nine months and 50 negotiation sessions to reach an agreement, which runs from 2018 through August of 2022, said Suzanne Johnson, U-46 deputy superintendent of instruction.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Normal OKs enterprise zone expansion sought by Brandt Industries
The town of Normal is supporting the addition of more territory to a local enterprise zone to include property on which Brandt Industries is planning a $35 million expansion of its manufacturing facility.
Inclusion in the Bloomington-Normal McLean County Gibson City Ford County Enterprise Zone could help Brandt get a sales tax rebate for materials used in the building project.