Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Legislative leader says lack of races, low voter turnout caused by gerrymandering
Illinois Primary Day 2024 did not feature many races and the voter turnout was low, and now a Republican legislative leader says you can blame the Democrats’ gerrymandered maps.
The voter turnout is being described as shockingly low and is expected to be below 20%.
Chicago Sun-Times: Day 4 of Chicago migrant evictions: Mayor Johnson urged to end them
Four days into the rollout of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to evict migrants from Chicago shelters, Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) and other alderpersons are calling for a halt to evictions before they exacerbate the city’s already intractable problems with unhoused Chicagoans.
“At this point we have thousands of homeless,” said Vasquez on Wednesday, speaking alongside a group of supportive alderpersons and advocates at City Hall. “Mayor Johnson’s plan will add to those numbers.”
NBC Chicago: ‘Bring Chicago Home' proponents vow to fight on after ‘disappointing' election
Proponents of the “Bring Chicago Home” referendum, designed to give city voters an opportunity to determine how real estate transfer taxes are assessed, called early election returns on the measure “disappointing,” but have vowed to continue fighting.
With 96% of precincts reporting as of Tuesday night, the measure is failing by just over 23,000 votes, with 54% of voters voting against the proposed ordinance.
WTTW: Eileen O’Neill Burke, Clayton Harris Remain Locked in Tight Battle Wednesday to Replace Kim Foxx as Cook County State’s Attorney
As some precincts and mail-in ballots continue to be tallied after Election Day, the race between retired judge Eileen O’Neill Burke and former prosecutor Clayton Harris to become Cook County’s next state’s attorney remains too close to call — and it could stay that way for days.
On Wednesday night, the Chicago Board of Elections released a statement saying the candidates requested to review the processing and counting of vote-by-mail ballots received on Election Day and through the counting period ending April 2.
The Center Square: Pritzker's migrant spending scrutinized by legislators
The Pritzker administration is working to justify to Illinois legislators the proposed $52.7 billion budget and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s ability to transfer funds unilaterally.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in Springfield Wednesday, state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said historically, governors have had a 2% transfer power, but then it increased to 4% and now it’s up to 8%. Rose said it makes it hard to see where taxpayer money is going. Rose specifically pointed out that last fiscal year, $1.2 million went to the new agency, The Governor’s Office of New Americans.
WGN: Illinois named the least ‘tax friendly’ state in the country
Tax season isn’t really fun for anyone, but some states’ residents have it harder than others this time of year.
As families around the country collect their paperwork and get ready to file, people in Illinois may find themselves with a heftier tax bill than their neighbors in other states.
The Daily Herald: Vote on Glenbard Dist. 87’s $183 million request too close to call; Roselle voters OK home rule
Voters across DuPage County delivered a mixed bag of results for taxing bodies seeking additional funding in Tuesday’s election.
Glenbard High School District 87 officials remain in limbo after an election night cliffhanger: the difference between approving and rejecting a tax increase request is a mere 90 votes.