Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: State senator: Illinois' job picture is 'upside down'
With Illinois’ unemployment rate now tied for fourth worst in the country and the state having only added in the neighborhood of 2,500 jobs in May, Republican state Sen. Steve McClure says there have been warning signs for years.
“It shows that the attack against businesses by Gov. [J.B.] Pritzker and Democrats that has been going on for years is really taking a toll,” McClure told The Center Square. “Doing business is a struggle for many in this state and it’s not hard to see why that is.”
Chicago Tribune: NASCAR faces tight schedule as Chicago Street Course takes shape around Grant Park
The Chicago Street Course is rising fast along the city’s lakefront, but NASCAR is racing the clock to get it done by the inaugural July Fourth weekend event.
Temporary grandstands, concrete barriers and fencing have sprung up on parts of the course in and around Grant Park, facilitated by rolling street closures. But a concerted effort to keep roads open as long as possible to minimize disruption means construction won’t be completed until the eve of the race.
Chicago Sun-Times: ‘Where are the funds?’ state official asks after Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. says ‘catastrophic flood’ destroyed records on missing campaign money
Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) can’t find any paperwork regarding $100,000 in unaccounted-for campaign contributions because the records were destroyed in a “catastrophic flood” more than 20 years ago, his lawyer has told the Illinois State Board of Elections.
But William J. Cadigan, who chairs the state elections board, said the letter from Burnett attorney Michael J. Kasper “doesn’t ultimately resolve the issue: Where are the funds?”
WTTW: Push to Hike Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers in Chicago Begins
Nearly a dozen alderpeople — all allies of Mayor Brandon Johnson — launched a concerted effort Wednesday to require all Chicago businesses to pay their workers the same minimum hourly wage, regardless of whether they earn tips.
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward), the mayor’s floor leader, cast the One Fair Wage national campaign as part of a fight for justice, saying workers who earn the so-called tipped minimum wage are more vulnerable to sexual harassment, wage theft and abuse than other employees.
WGN: More than 100 teens takeover Bronzeville gas station
Hundreds of Chicago teens met for another teen takeover Tuesday night at a gas station in Bronzeville.
The teens looted a store and broke windows at a gas station near East 31st Street and South Michigan Avenue.
NBC Chicago: Report: Nicor Gas customers to receive refunds, rate adjustments due to improper charges
A recent ruling from the Illinois Commerce Commission states that Nicor Gas improperly charged customers for $31 million in infrastructure spending in 2019, according to a report from Crain’s Chicago Business.
The ruling initiates a process that will lead to refunds and rate adjustments, and orders the disallowance of around 7% of what Nicor spent in infrastructure costs in 2019, according to the report.
Daily Herald: Preckwinkle: No new taxes, fees needed to close Cook County's anticipated budget gap
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said no new taxes or fees are necessary to close an expected $86 million budget gap next fiscal year, caused largely by reduced state funding and medical costs for asylum-seekers.
Total county spending is anticipated to reach nearly $8.8 billion in 2024, according to county forecasts. Preckwinkle suggested departmental belt-tightening and holding open some of the nearly 4,000 vacant jobs will help close the budget gap without needing new revenue sources.
Capitol News: Stalled bills include repeal of subminimum wage for disabled workers, BIPA reform
While hundreds of bills cleared the General Assembly in the final month of the legislative session, some big-ticket measures will have to wait until at least the fall.
Sponsors of several stalled bills say they will consider reviving their proposals when lawmakers return to the Capitol in October and November for their annual veto session. Below is a look at some of the bills that didn’t pass in the regular session and whether they’re likely to come back up for a vote.
WAND: Illinois could soon issue standard driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants
More than 300,000 Illinoisans currently have temporary visitor driver’s licenses. Although, a bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could help undocumented immigrants receive standard IDs.
Illinois led the nation in 2013 as one of the first states to issue temporary visitor driver’s licenses to help drivers who passed road tests regardless of immigration status. However, lawmakers and advocates have seen many people discriminated against over the past decade because TVDLs have a purple mark stating “Not Valid for Identification.”