In a bipartisan effort to cut McHenry County’s local tax burden, the McHenry County Board voted overwhelmingly in favor of a pledge to cut the county tax levy by 10 percent. The board chairman has intimated he will pursue further local government consolidation efforts.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...