Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Demand grows for transparency on COVID-19 data as more regions face added restrictions
Republican state legislators are demanding Gov. J.B. Pritzker comes to the table with data and to reevaluate his COVID-19 mitigation strategy that prohibits bars and restaurants from indoor service, but they’re ruling out legal action.
The governor has unilaterally imposed stricter COVID-19 mitigations on bars and restaurants all across the state. The industry said it could be devastating.
Daily Herald: Geneva restaurant on legal fight against dining ban: 'We want to do it the right way'
The day after a judge allowed FoxFire Restaurant in Geneva to offer indoor dining while fighting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent ban, several other eateries in the city’s downtown were serving customers indoors.
One of them, Nosh, took to social media to thank FoxFire for its legal efforts.
Capitol News Illinois: Legislators discuss statewide police reforms
In the wake of a police shooting that left one teenager dead and a woman injured last week in Waukegan, lawmakers met in a joint hearing of the Senate Criminal Law Committee and Senate Special Committee on Public Safety Tuesday to discuss statewide reforms for law enforcement.
Lawmakers and witnesses discussed body cameras, mandatory data collection, increased transparency around police shootings, residency requirements for officers and changes to how allegations of police misconduct are handled. Public defenders, state’s attorneys, municipal officials and law enforcement all gave testimony.
Chicago Sun-Times: Year after raising aldermanic expense allowance, Lightfoot takes back 26% increase
The mayor giveth. The mayor taketh away.
One year after raising the annual aldermanic expense allowance to $122,000 to build support for her first budget, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is snatching back that 26% increase, forcing aldermen to share the pain in her pandemic budget.
Northwest Herald: IHSA Board votes to move forward with basketball season as planned, defying IDPH and Pritzker
The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors on Wednesday voted to move forward with the basketball season as scheduled, defying a decision announced on Tuesday by Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health that it was putting the high school season on indefinite hold.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson was scheduled to meet with statewide athletic directors at a 3 p.m. Zoom call to discuss the decision.
Chicago Tribune: Waukegan police officer had body camera off during fatal shooting of Marcellis Stinnette, attorneys say
The Waukegan police officer who killed Marcellis Stinnette, and seriously wounded his girlfriend Tafara Williams last week, did not have his body camera activated during the shooting, attorneys for the Williams family said Wednesday.
The officer only activated his camera after the shooting, and then reportedly said, “You tried to run me over,” Antonio Romanucci and Ben Crump said at a press conference outside the Des Plaines Illinois State Police station after they had reviewed video gathered in the shooting.
Chicago Sun-Times: Illinois pot shops are now rolling in bud, so why does an eighth of weed still cost $80?
Customers waited in line for hours in January to buy legal pot for the first time, only to learn there were limits on purchases — and some stores weren’t even selling smokeable cannabis flower to recreational users.
But since persistent supply shortages marred the rollout of recreational sales, cultivators have scaled up their operations to meet Illinois’ growing demand for legal weed. Now, 10 months later, pot store shelves are consistently stocked with flower.
Northwest Herald: State asks for Appellate Court to reverse decision by judge regarding indoor dining ban
Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health is asking the Illinois Second District Appellate Court to reverse a decision by Kane County Judge Kevin Busch granting a temporary restraining order to prevent the enforcement of an indoor dining ban at FoxFire restaurant in Geneva.
In their appeal, Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health ask for the order to be vacated and for the temporary restraining order to be dissolved. The appeal was filed on Tuesday, the day after Busch granted the temporary restraining order.