Illinois voters rejected a proposal in 2020 to change the state’s flat income tax to a graduated tax. There are currently discussions to try the measure again. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, however, said that’s not on his radar.

The Illinois Constitution requires a flat income tax. The progressive income tax proposal would have created different tax rates for different income levels. Voters rejected that idea.  

U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is among the names that could drop in March during the trial of four people accused of trying to bribe then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan — an event that could take place in the middle of the mayoral election in which Garcia is a front-runner.

The Chicago Sun-Times has learned Garcia’s name is mentioned in a recorded phone conversation between Madigan and his longtime confidant, Michael McClain, one of four people set to go on trial for the alleged scheme centering on ComEd.

The Chicago Board of Ethics will look into the email scandal surrounding Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s re-election bid.

Lightfoot has since acknowledged that the email her campaign sent out was, “clearly a mistake.” But, the Chicago Board of Ethics plans to discuss the matter at 3 p.m.

University of Illinois Chicago officials and faculty union members reached a tentative agreement late Sunday, ending a nearly week-long strike as staff prepares to return to work Monday.

The UIC United Faculty announced the agreement includes increases in salaries, stronger job protections for non- tenure-track faculty, and a non- contractional commitment on mental health services.

The watchdog for the Illinois Department of Human Services is seeking harsher penalties against health care workers who obstruct abuse and neglect investigations.

IDHS Inspector General Peter Neumer’s call to action comes on the heels of extensive reporting by Lee Enterprises, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica last year that revealed a culture of abuse and cover-ups at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in rural southern Illinois. The news organizations detailed how uncooperative staff stymied the state’s ability to hold employees facing serious abuse allegations to account.