Gov. J.B. Pritzker cleared the way for Illinois to sell the James R. Thompson Center, the controversial state government building in the Loop that opened in 1985 and in recent years has fallen into disrepair.

Pritzker’s predecessor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, pushed for years to sell the Thompson Center to help stabilize the state’s finances, and lawmakers even counted on $300 million in revenue from selling the Helmut Jahn-designed building in the current state budget. But until Friday, the state hadn’t established a process for selling it.

There are no details filed yet for a bill to legalize recreational adult-use marijuana in Illinois, but that did not stop the state Senate Executive Committee from voting on the measure Wednesday.

As it stands now, Senate Bill 7 is what is referred to as a “shell bill,” or a vehicle to be amended with substantial language in the future. The shell bill passed committee by a 12-4 vote, with all four Republicans present voting against.

When a new study reported that legal marijuana could have dire circumstances for the Midwest, it marked the latest in an onslaught of public relations attempts to affect the outcome of the legalization debate in Illinois.

On one side, the cannabis industry, investors, social justice advocates, and mostly Democratic lawmakers are calling for an end to what they consider a destructive war against a relatively harmless and sometimes beneficial drug.

The foundation that supports the 16th president’s library and museum mismanaged its assets in a way that could put an “extraordinarily important” collection of more than 1,000 Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln artifacts at risk of being auctioned off, the museum’s chief has told lawmakers.

If that happens, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Executive Director Alan Lowe said, it would be “devastating” to the institution.

Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot on Friday accused Ald. Edward Burke (14^th) of attempting to organize the City Council against her and threatened to expose aldermen who dare to conspire with him.

“Any alderman who’s gonna try to align themselves with Ed Burke at this time — we’re gonna make sure that gets very public and exposed . . . I’m going to do everything I can to shine a light on that,” Lightfoot told the Sun-Times.

A co-founder of developer Sterling Bay and a former senior economic adviser to President Barack Obama have teamed up to raise $1 billion to invest in the poorest areas of Chicago and other cities.

Scott Goodman, the former Sterling Bay executive who’s the founding principal of Farpoint Development, and Steve Glickman, the onetime presidential adviser, are part of a newly formed venture called Decennial Group that wants to raise $1 billion for the first of several planned funds to invest in real estate in overlooked areas. Its first target in Chicago: the former Michael Reese Hospital site south of McCormick Place.

Lincoln Yards, the $6-billion megaproject that seeks to build a new minicity between Lincoln Park and Bucktown, was an election issue far beyond the confines of the 2nd Ward where it’s located.

Both mayoral candidates argued the project should be delayed.

A closed preliminary hearing to determine whether a political action committee that tried to pull a McHenry Township consolidation referendum from November’s ballot failed to report campaign finances has been scheduled for April 23.

According to a complaint from McHenry Township Trustee Bob Anderson, the Citizens for Facts First committee – of which Township Supervisor Craig Adams is a member – failed to report legal costs for three separate court appearances related to its efforts to remove a referendum asking voters whether the road district should be abolished and consolidated into the township.