Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a controversial measure to increase pension benefits for some Chicago firefighters, despite objections from Mayor Lori Lightfoot who says the bill will cost taxpayers $30 million a year at a time when city finances are already stressed due to COVID-19.

It’s the second pro-union bill the governor has signed in a week. He approved legislation boosting the subjects the Chicago Teachers Union can bargain – and strike – over on Friday. Lightfoot had opposed that bill during the lame duck session, arguing it would impact negotiations over the return to in-person learning.

The price to play the Illinois lottery has gone up from $1 to $2 for every six-number lottery line picked by players as part of what lottery officials are calling “game enhancements.”

The price increase, which took affect April 1, also brings rules changes to the lottery system. Lottery players will still select six numbers per lottery line at the new $2 per line price, however, the range of numbers players can choose from will go down to 1-50 instead of 1-52.

Even with record spending and federal aid, Illinois looks to be on track to spend a fraction of what a report says it should comply with a court order to better serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In his budget proposal, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office plans to devote another $77 million for community service providers, for a total of $1.43 billion. That funding level is closely watched by a court monitor responsible for ensuring Illinois is keeping up its end of a 2011 agreement that ensures disabled persons on a waiting list to get into community care are served at a reasonable pace.

Area residents will get their chance this week to speak out about how new state legislative and congressional maps are drawn this spring.

But they’ll be speaking about an amorphous concept, because there are no maps to review. There isn’t even 2020 Census data on which to base a map. That isn’t scheduled to be released by the Census Bureau until sometime in late August, the Illinois House redistricting committee was told last week. Normally, that information would be available now, but it’s been delayed because of the pandemic.

A Chicago police officer pleaded guilty Monday to his role in a multi-million dollar gambling ring in the case that led to January’s pardon of Mettawa Mayor Casey Urlacher by then-President Donald Trump.

Nicholas Stella, 43, pleaded guilty to conspiring to conduct an illegal gambling business. He is the fifth defendant in the case to plead guilty, and the fourth since Trump pardoned Urlacher, the brother of Chicago Bears great Brian Urlacher. A CPD spokesperson said Monday that Stella’s status with the department was “inactive.”

Gas prices are expected to climb as more drivers are hitting the road amid COVID-19 vaccination rollouts.

According to GasBuddy, a tech company that provides real-time data on fuel cost, prices are incrementally rising due to an increase in demand as more people become vaccinated and decide to begin traveling.