With the state budget that begins July 1 set to be sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his approval, some warn the Illinois legislature is making promises it can’t keep while giving the governor more authority to shift funds to make ends meet.

After this year’s long holiday weekend ended with 59 people shot, 11 of them killed, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the level of violence — the most shooting victims since 2016 — was intolerable.

Citing rising rates and unresponsiveness from City Hall, DuPage County — Chicago’s biggest water customer — has taken initial steps to cut off its lucrative contract and build its own pipeline to Lake Michigan.

Rural towns like Cullom stand in contrast to some larger downstate communities that have struggled amid population loss and a changing national landscape over the past half-century as companies that once employed hundreds have left and stores on rural Main Streets have closed.

On Wednesday, Chicago City Council will vote on $51 million in funding to address the city’s mounting migrant crisis. People on both sides of the debate on city funding to help Chicago migrants are speaking out ahead of the vote.

Schaumburg and its police officers union have reached an agreement on a three-year contract retroactive to May 2022, just before the protracted negotiations were scheduled to go to arbitration.

“Hearing that there will be more funding to be able to address homeless prevention is something that is very much needed,” said Darsonya Switzer, the CEO of Dove, a Decatur-based organization that offers outreach programming to help people such as the homeless and anyone experiencing domestic violence.