Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Rauner gives decisions about liquor sales near schools to local officials
Illinois has replaced an arcane state law dating to post-Prohibition days that required businesses to get approval from the state to serve alcohol within 100 feet of a church or school.
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday signed the new law, which allows local authorities to hand out exemptions to the state’s Liquor Control Law of 1934 that limits where alcohol sales can take place. Previously, it took an act of the General Assembly and approval of the governor to grant an exemption.
Chicago Tribune: Gov. Rauner signs bill allowing medical marijuana for students at Illinois public schools
Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a law requiring Illinois public schools to allow parents to administer medical marijuana at school to eligible children.
The Republican governor took action Wednesday. It allows parents or guardians to administer a “cannabis-infused product” to a student on school property or a school bus if both parent and child have been cleared by the state’s medical marijuana law.
Chicago Sun-Times: Clout company hired child-sex predator to park cars on Chicago school lot
A politically connected company that has five leases to park cars on land owned by the Chicago Public Schools employed a convicted child-sexual predator to help Cubs fans park their cars on a school parking lot — just a few feet from kids playing this summer on the school’s playground equipment.
CPS could suspend or terminate Blk & Wht Valet LLC’s contracts — which total more than $2 million and run through 2020 — for failing to ensure that sex offenders and other criminals aren’t working on school property.
Chicago Tribune: Emanuel unveils 2-year, $10M revamp of Riverwalk between State Street and Lake Shore Drive
London Mayor Sadiq Khan got a water taxi tour of it. Famed architect Santiago Calatrava sipped coffee along it. And tech magnate Elon Musk strolled down it.
When visiting dignitaries and corporate CEOs come to town, Mayor Rahm Emanuel takes many of them to the same place: Chicago’s Riverwalk.
Crain's Chicago Business: Moody’s boosts outlook of CTA, RTA debt
Moody’s Investors Service moved its outlook from negative to neutral on debt issued by both the Chicago Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority. The action means there no longer is a likelihood that ratings will be cut in coming months.
Daily Herald: McHenry County Board to consider term limits, reducing its size
Efforts to shrink government size and encourage turnover among elected officials are moving forward in McHenry County, pending approval from the county board.
An ad hoc committee on governmental consolidation this week recommended placing two binding referendum questions on the Nov. 6 ballot seeking term limits for county board members and the chairman. If voters support both measures, the chairman would be restricted to two terms, and board members couldn’t serve for more than 12 years.
Belleville News-Democrat: Serving up more taxes for tennis courts hits foul line
Maybe we’ll see the next Jimmy Connors or Serena Williams come out of the tennis program at the East St. Louis Park District. We know we won’t see the next Suze Orman or Warren Buffett emerge from the park district’s administration.
That’s because the district failed to manage the $252,074 it had to refurbish three tennis courts. They overspent by $20,000.