Through its recent decisions, the Illinois Supreme Court delivered a clear message that pension reform efforts seeking to unilaterally reduce benefits simply cannot be squared with the Illinois Constitution’s pension clause. That outcome was hardly surprising given the plain language, drafting history, and prior court decisions interpreting the pension clause.

Now that the Illinois Supreme Court has clearly reaffirmed that welching is simply not an option the General Assembly may pursue, the question becomes what can legislators do?

Upon closer inspection, the extra $200 million-plus for Chicago Public Schools pensions that’s part of the stopgap budget deal is far less solid than it would appear.

The budget-saving CPS help is supposed to be doled out only if Democratic leaders and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner can agree on state pension reform by early January. Both political philosophy and timing could get in the way.

A big problem with public transit is the public.

Not all the public. Just the seat hoggers, loud talkers, music blasters, door blockers, smelly eaters, backpack bludgeoners, litterers and boors who won’t give their seats to pregnant or disabled passengers.

Trying to improve the ride, Metra is launching its first courtesy campaign Monday with reminders to “Ride Nice.”

Money in Bellwood School District 88 is tight. The district is steeped in debt, and many of the students come from low-income homes. The classroom basics — such as paper and calculators — are often paid for by teachers or through fundraisers, said PTA leader Maria Perez. Tablets or new textbooks are just a dream.

But that hasn’t stopped leaders in the west suburban district from giving perks to the superintendent or traveling to conferences in five cities in less than a year. Nor has it curbed family hiring on the taxpayers’ dime.

Compensation, travel bills and other expenses found by the Tribune in a series of open records requests raise new questions about spending in the troubled school district. Previous Tribune investigations found the district cycled through more superintendents than any other in the region in recent years, and it was mired in legal bills that, on a per-student basis, were among the highest in Chicago’s suburbs.

After a turbulent year of steep cuts and predictions of further financial catastrophe, Chicago Public Schools educators will finally learn this week what their school budgets will look like after CPS promised classrooms “will be protected.”

Now that major funding sources have been put in place — about $350 million in new funding from a state stopgap budget plus another $250 million from new city property taxes — school budgets are expected to be unveiled Wednesday at a daylong series of meetings for principals.