Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Crain's Chicago Business: Here's how not to bring jobs to Illinois
The right-to-work debate came to Springfield this month as Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Gov. Bruce Rauner wrangled over a Democratic-sponsored measure that would forbid local governments from banning union-shop labor contracts within their borders. Rauner—as rabid a union critic as anyone reading this will ever meet—vetoed the measure. Madigan attempted to override the veto but fell one vote short, though observers on every side fully expect the speaker to twist more arms and try again.
For the sake of Illinois’ economic competitiveness, here’s hoping Madigan doesn’t succeed.
Chicago Tribune: Assessor Berrios offers no timeline on property tax study 3 months after Preckwinkle ordered it up
A review of Cook County’s fundamentally flawed property tax system is stuck in neutral more than three months after Board President Toni Preckwinkle ordered it up, but Assessor Joseph Berrios denies he’s trying to delay the study until after he runs for re-election in March.
Appearing at a Friday budget hearing, Berrios could offer no timeline on the study’s completion, drawing criticism from a county commissioner who wanted answers. Later, a Preckwinkle aide would only say they were “making deliberate progress and continuing to engage with the various stakeholders.
Chicago Tribune: Amazon Stadium? Chicago developer hopes it's the ticket to HQ2
A Chicago developer is offering a unique perk in the all-out competition to win Amazon’s second headquarters: Amazon Stadium.
Sterling Bay’s proposal to bring as many as 50,000 Amazon headquarters workers to its Lincoln Yards development includes the potential for a sports and concert venue near the Chicago River.
Chicago Sun-Times: Taxpayers lost $1.2M on cancelled concert at Guaranteed Rate Field
The city-state agency that manages Guaranteed Rate Field is out more than $1.2 million and has suspended its chief executive after cancelling a concert it planned to host at the stadium, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority spent about $1.6 million “toward retaining talent” for a concert expected to draw 30,000 people to Guaranteed Rate Field on Sept. 16, according to top ISFA officials and agency records obtained by the Sun-Times.
Chicago Tribune: Aldermen call for tougher background checks of Uber, Lyft drivers
Aldermen pressed during city budget hearings Friday for tougher background checks for ride-hailing drivers after the revelation that a Lyft driver with a federal criminal conviction was not caught by the company.
The city this month wrote a letter to Lyft accusing the company of missing Raja L. Khan’s conviction five years ago for providing material assistance to a foreign terrorist organization. The issue came up during a budget hearing Friday and helped fuel the ongoing fight over whether Uber and Lyft drivers should have to get fingerprinted.
Chicago Sun-Times: CPS watchdog questioned CEO Claypool in ethics probe of top attorney
The internal investigator for Chicago Public Schools questioned CPS CEO Forrest Claypool at the school system’s main offices on Thursday, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Inspector General Nicholas Schuler spoke with Claypool about a contract between the Chicago Board of Education and the law firm that’s paying a seven-figure severance to the school system’s general counsel.
Chicago Sun-Times: Wall Street agency upgrades CPS bond rating – for a change
A Wall Street rating agency on Friday upgraded the Chicago Board of Education’s bond rating — from B-plus to BB-minus — citing a revised school funding formula that “should improve the amount, timing and potential volatility of state aid.”
Fitch acknowledged that the Chicago Public Schools are by no means out of the woods. CPS remains “highly dependent upon external cash flow borrowing.”
Daily Herald: Still no end to District 15 support staff strike after day and night of talks
An all-day and -night bargaining session between the support staff union and Palatine Township Elementary District 15 ended without an agreement, and no new negotiations have been scheduled.
Friday marked the 10th day of the walkout for the 454 secretaries, clerical workers, nurses and classroom aides in the Educational Support Personnel Association, the local union affiliated with the Illinois Education Association.