Chicago Public Schools borrowed over $1.8 billion amid a delay in last year’s Cook County bills, adding interest costs and exposing the fragility of the district’s finances.
Sen. Graciela Guzman has introduced contradictory bills. One calls for more state funding, while the other would block donated federal money for students.
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...