Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Illinois legislators set to change 'offender' to 'justice-impacted individual'
Illinois legislators are working to change the term “offender” to “justice impacted individual” in state law, a move Republicans say disrespects victims of violent crime.
House Bill 4409 would add Illinois Department of Corrections representation to the Adult Redeploy Illinois oversight board, but it also changes the word “offender” to “justice-impacted individuals.” Republicans on the Senate floor said the name change could cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.
The Daily Herald: Suburban mayors ask state legislature to boost their share of income tax
Suburban mayors are calling on the Illinois General Assembly to restore the local share of state income tax to levels first agreed upon 55 years ago, before cuts began in 2011.
The group of about 50 mayors gathered this week in Elmhurst, where they also urged that lawmakers be more sensitive to the impact of unfunded mandates, particularly while reducing state funding to municipalities and counties.
The Chicago Tribune: ShotSpotter’s Chicago future faces final vote with new data on victims helped
The desperate supporters of the embattled ShotSpotter gunshot detection system have clung to one last argument in the hopes of keeping the expensive technology online in Chicago.
As they push back against Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to rid the city of the around $9-million-a-year policing tool — and aldermen prepare Wednesday to vote on whether to take some control of the program — they repeatedly argue ShotSpotter helps keep gunshot victims alive by getting them critical aid more quickly, even when no one calls 911.
Capitol News: Would-be union of legislative staffers accuse Welch of undermining organizing effort
Seven months after Democratic Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch advanced a measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, members of his own staff on Tuesday blasted the speaker for allowing the bill to languish.
The legislation has not seen any action since its passage through the House in October and the would-be union claimed its attempts to get a meeting with Senate officials have been met with silence.
Chicago Sun-Times: City Council member angered by game of musical committee chairs
Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) said Tuesday she accepted Mayor Brandon Johnson’s offer to chair the City Council’s Housing Committee, only to be told by a top mayoral aide the job she covets has been promised to Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), who was forced out of Council leadership after bullying and intimidating her.
Ramirez-Rosa resigned as Johnson’s floor leader and Zoning Committee chair after apologizing for stepping over the line in a desperate attempt to prevent the Council from approving a non-binding referendum that would have allowed voters to weigh in on whether Chicago should remain a sanctuary city.
WAND TV: House passes bill calling for independent study of Illinois property tax system
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle hope an independent study of Illinois property taxes can lead to solutions for the broken system.
Sponsors and advocates know Illinois has one of the highest and most burdensome property tax bills in the country.
The Chicago Tribune: Legislation to end subminimum wage for tipped workers stalls, but advocates plan to keep pushing
Legislation to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers statewide appears unlikely to pass before lawmakers adjourn this week, but the coalition pushing the measure vowed Tuesday to continue efforts to bring the rest of Illinois in line with the city of Chicago.
“We have more work to do. We’re going to do that over the summer. We’re going to do it in good faith,” state Sen. Lakesia Collins, a Chicago Democrat, said, standing alongside members of the coalition One Fair Wage at a Springfield news conference.
WGN TV: Majority of Chicago alders support CTA chief’s ouster
Twenty-six of the city’s alders have signed on to a non-binding resolution calling on Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter to resign or for the mayor to fire him, as what began as a handful of leaders calling for his dismissal has grown to a majority.
Ald. Andre Vasquez of the 40th Ward plans to introduce the resolution at Wednesday’s meeting of the Chicago City Council as critics point out that Chicago trails several cities in post-pandemic ridership recovery, including Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Boston.