Get the latest news from around Illinois.
WTTW Chicago Tonight: New Watchdog to Investigate Ethics Complaints in Springfield
Following recent allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct in Springfield, state lawmakers have appointed a legislative inspector general to investigate those and other ethical complaints made against politicians.
The Legislative Ethics Commission, which is composed of eight state lawmakers evenly split by party affiliation, unanimously voted Saturday to appoint former federal prosecutor Julie Porter as Illinois’ special legislative inspector general.
Associated Press: Legislature’s new inspector general: ‘I can make a difference here’
The first person in two years to hold the post of inspector general for the Illinois General Assembly said Monday she took the temporary position amid Statehouse disarray over sexual-harassment complaints because “I can make a difference here.”
Julie Porter, a former federal prosecutor whose private legal work includes investigations and civil rights complaints, told The Associated Press that her aim is to ensure allegations of misconduct against lawmakers or their staff members are dealt with sincerely and seriously.
Chicago Sun-Times: Aldermen raise concerns about new sexual harassment policy
Chicago’s 53 elected officials would be held accountable for sexual harassment on their staffs – and citywide victims of sexual harassment and bullying would have a new tool to protect them – under a pair of ordinances unveiled Monday that scared the heck out of Ald. Nick Sposato (38th).
The City Council’s Finance Committee heard testimony, but took no vote on the companion ordinances championed by its Chairman Edward Burke (14th) because there wasn’t enough public notice.
Belleville News-Democrat: Appellate court rules against Rauner on pay increases
The Fifth District Appellate Court in Mount Vernon has ruled that Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration should be paying unionized state workers scheduled increases promised by contract.
Monday’s opinion overturns an Illinois Labor Relations Board decision.
Crain's Chicago Business: Cook County governments owe $139 billion—up 30% in six years
Local governments in Cook County, including the county itself, now have a whopping $139 billion in debt, most of it unfunded and most of it money owed to municipal and school workers for pensions and retiree health costs.
That’s the bottom line of the latest Debt Disclosure Report issued by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, with the combined figure that taxpayers are on the hook for rising 30 percent just since 2011.
Chicago Tribune: Alderman rips Emanuel study for failing to address Uber driver fingerprinting
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration late Monday released a long-in-the-making ride-hailing study, but an alderman ripped the report for sidestepping the issue of whether Uber and Lyft drivers should be fingerprinted as part of background checks.
Instead, the study conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago simply analyzed the monthly citation and arrest records of drivers for the evermore-popular ride-hailing companies and the increasingly financially beleaguered taxi drivers. Chicago requires taxi drivers be fingerprinted, a requirement not made of ride-hailing service drivers.
NBC 5 Chicago: Push to Legalize Recreational Pot in Illinois Takes Step Forward
Illinois voters could soon be able to voice their say on whether the state should legalize recreational marijuana.
Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey plans to announce Tuesday an effort to put the marijuana legalization question on the March ballot.
Chicago Sun-Times: Emanuel gets green light to refinance $400M in water revenue bonds
Mayor Rahm Emanuel got the go-ahead Monday to save up to $60 million by refinancing $400 million in water revenue bonds at reduced interest rates.
At the same time, the City Council’s Finance Committee authorized the Emanuel administration to enter into Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loans for an amount not to exceed $450 million.
Chicago Sun-Times: Aldermen authorize $9.6M land buy for new police and fire academy
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to build a $95 million public safety training campus on the West Side cleared a key hurdle Monday, but not before a barrage of questions about financing, police overtime abuse and alleged intransigence by the Fraternal Order of Police.
After 3.5 hours of debate, the City Council’s Committee on Housing and Real Estate authorized the city to pay $9.6 million — $7.25-per-square-foot — for 30.4 acres of land at 4301 W. Chicago Ave. that has stood stubbornly vacant for 40 years.
Crain's Chicago Business: Is Chicago's real estate bull market running out of steam?
After marching higher for nearly eight years, the Chicago commercial real estate market is shifting from go-go to slow-go.
Vacancies in local office, industrial and retail buildings are rising again, and hotels are a little emptier than they were last year. A construction wave threatens to undermine the best downtown apartment market in decades. And sales of Chicago-area commercial properties have dropped amid signs that prices have peaked.
Northwest Herald: McHenry sets levy at $4.6M; public hearing set Dec. 4
McHenry City Council members unanimously approved setting the city’s levy and a date for a public hearing on the matter Monday night.
The city will levy about $4.6 million under approved plans, which means it is forgoing an allowable increase for its seventh year and keeping the levy flat.
Daily Herald: College of DuPage, Breuder appear in Appellate Court today
Three U.S. Appellate Court justices are scheduled to hear oral arguments this morning focusing on whether former College of DuPage President Robert Breuder’s contract was valid at the time of his October 2015 firing by the school’s board of trustees.
It’s a key issue in determining whether Breuder’s wrongful termination lawsuit, which seeks more than $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages, continues or is ultimately dismissed.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Normal still on track for tax hike
Normal remains on track for a 6.38 percent tax hike next year.
The Normal City Council signed off Monday on a preliminary property tax increase to cost the owner of a home valued at $165,000 an extra $44 per year to cover employee pension costs.