Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Illinois lawmakers lay out their plans to fight poverty
Illinois is in the top 10 for states with the most residents living under the poverty line, leading members of both parties to call for changes.
Numbers from World Population Review show that Illinois has more residents living in poverty than most other states. The national poverty rate, or those earning less than $14,580, is 11.5% and according to World Population Review, Illinois has nearly 1.5 million people, or 12.1% of the state’s population, living in poverty.
Chicago Sun-Times: City Council committee OKs study on how best to deploy Chicago police as resources shrink, some crimes spike
A City Council committee voted Monday to require the Chicago Police Department to conduct yet another staffing analysis to determine how to best deploy its dwindling ranks after similar studies were effectively scrapped.
In pushing for the workforce allocation study, Ald. Matt Martin (47th) cited the need to respond more quickly to 911 calls, close the gap between response times in different police districts and comply with a federal consent decree that mandates such analyses on a regular basis.
The Chicago Tribune: Demand for office space nearly back to pre-pandemic levels in some cities, but not in Chicago, report finds
Demand for Chicago office space kept falling in 2023, a sign that a true recovery for downtown could be years away.
The drop-off comes even as some high-flying cities like New York City saw demand nearly return to 2019 levels, while tech-heavy markets on the West Coast remain stuck in the doldrums far behind Chicago, according to a new study by VTS, a New York-based software firm that tracks the number of companies checking out potential new office space.
NBC Chicago: A breakdown of new consumer protection laws in Illinois
A wide range of consumer protection laws took effect in Illinois at the beginning of the year, including some that are based on recent high-profile crimes and tragedies.
One of the newest laws making headlines takes aim at doxxing.
Daily Herald: Making way for growth: Pheasant Run Resort buildings coming down; city eyes redevelopment of eastern gateway
Drive into St. Charles from the east, you’ll be greeted by an empty mall and whatever remains standing at the Pheasant Run Resort.
The Von Maur, once touted as a sign of revival at Charlestowne Mall, is the only store that remains open there. At the Pheasant Run Resort, crews are disassembling the iconic hotel tower, floor by floor, as demolition and cleanup of the property nears an end.
The Chicago Tribune: Plan to end mandated hiring of police as school security guards awaits CPS approval, union says
As Chicago Public Schools plans to sunset its School Resource Officer program by the start of the 2024-25 school year, the district’s prior commitment to minimize the larger presence of police in schools serving as security guards remains up in the air.
Service Employees International Union Local 73, the union representing CPS support personnel, has offered to waive a contract stipulation that currently requires CPS to hire police in part-time security roles, union spokesperson Eric Bailey told the Tribune.
WCIA: Decatur City Council to discuss vacant building ordinance, parking garage rendering contract
The Decatur City Council is scheduled to meet Monday evening. Among items on the agenda include an ordinance to crack down on the city’s vacant buildings, and a plan to build a new downtown hotel and parking garage.
The council is scheduled to discuss an ordinance to help revitalize the city by fining owners between $150 and $500 who own vacant buildings that fall behind on maintenance. Officials argue vacant and foreclosed properties are a home for vermin, a trap for first responders when extinguishing fires, and a commonplace for drugs and vandalism.