The big question involving the proposed Obama Presidential Center is whether it gets built in Chicago in a timely fashion, if it all. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey gave the center a welcome push forward.

He dismissed a lawsuit that sought to sidetrack the project, providing a positive legal outcome and a dose of urgency to what’s been a nagging hangup. The case “might be an important case. But it’s not a difficult case,” Blakey said after listening to lawyers from both sides make their arguments. “There should be no delay in construction.”

If voters aren’t already sick of hearing about Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed progressive-income-tax amendment, they will be 16 months from now. November 2020 is when the issue will be put to a vote.

Between now and then, the public will be subjected to multiple millions of dollars spent on radio and television advertising that either knocks the proposal or praises it as the best thing since sliced bread.

The closure of manufacturing facilities in Champaign and Chicago contributed to more than 500 layoffs reported to the state in May, according to a monthly report by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Rockwell Automation, a Milwaukee-based maker of factory automation products, and Jernberg Industries, an iron and steel forging company, separately notified the state they were planning to cut 130 and 166 jobs, respectively.

New faces on the fifth floor of City Hall mean it’s time to probe how Chicago Public Schools officials handle allegations of bullying inside the classroom.

That’s according to several Chicago families and their lawyers, who on Tuesday renewed their call for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to conduct a criminal investigation of several high-profile bullying cases across city schools in recent months — and for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to spearhead a “full investigation” of her own.

After six months of meetings, a task force examining Chicago’s ticketing and debt collection practices on Tuesday suggested an array of reforms that include possible changes to one of the city’s costliest vehicle citations, a targeted debt forgiveness program and an overhaul of the city’s onerous payment plans.

The 25-page report from the Chicago Fines, Fees & Access Collaborative falls short of calling for immediate reforms or specific changes to some of the most controversial practices, including license suspensions over unpaid tickets, late penalties and ticketing disparities. Instead, it lays out a broad road map for Chicago’s City Council if it chooses to introduce legislation to reform the city’s ticketing policies.

Chicago aldermen are in for a dizzying schedule of back-to-back committee meetings before the full council meeting Wednesday.

Newly installed Finance Committee Chair Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward, is having his members come to City Hall an hour early to reconsider a vote on a $3.7 million legal settlement.

Winnebago County Board members are discussing the need for a succession plan for the county’s top administrator nearly five months after the board altered the chain of command by having Carla Paschal report to the 20-member board instead of Chairman Frank Haney.

Besides shoring up Paschal’s dual role — she’s also the county’s chief budget officer — the board is examining oversight of the human resources department. Board members received a consultant’s report last month that noted significant policy, management and internal control gaps within Winnebago County’s finance and personnel operations.

Some Peoria City Council members really, really don’t want to do business with a local construction company.

But right now, it appears they really don’t have much of a choice.