Illinois House Democratic budget negotiators said Wednesday they’ve begun a review of the Senate’s newly approved tax-and-spending plan to determine if it meets their criteria for passing a budget, something Illinois hasn’t had for nearly two years.

At the same time, the state Republican Party has begun placing recorded phone calls to voters around the state and to districts of specific House Democrats criticizing the plan for the higher taxes it includes and because it is not tied to a property tax freeze.

It’s a concept that has many people scratching their heads – a House Republican, who’s said she’s against increasing taxes, is sponsoring a bill that would do exactly that.

Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, is sponsoring Senate Bill 9, a revenue bill that passed the Senate Tuesday and is part of the Grand Bargain.

In perhaps a preview of how difficult it will be to clear a controversial budget plan through the Illinois House, the state’s Revenue Department in a memo on Wednesday said three provisions in the tax package may violate the state’s Constitution and federal laws.

Illinois Senate Democrats who passed three budget bills on Wednesday, immediately pinned the state analysis on the governor.

Your neighborhood bar could be making some cutbacks. Satellite TV users could see an additional 5% tax on their bill if the Senate budget follows through.

It’s called the “entertainment tax” and it passed Tuesday with only Democratic support, but it’s facing some backlash from those who say it’ll be a burden on businesses.

Governor Bruce Rauner is calling the Senate’s work of passing a budget Tuesday night a “disaster.” He says he will not sign it if it reaches his desk.

He says he will only sign a spending plan which includes permanently freezing property taxes. Senate Democrats agreed to a two-year property tax freeze, but Rauner says it’s not enough.

About two hours after Illinois Senate Democrats sucked it up and approved a big tax hike bill late yesterday, two figures were seen dining at a Springfield restaurant: Michael Sacks, a confidant and emissary for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Consider it a sign that the inevitable finally has arrived.

Investigators with Illinois’ child welfare agency face overwhelming caseloads and feel pressured to quickly wrap up abuse investigations, according to testimony provided during a legislative hearing.

A panel of experts and lawmakers spoke Tuesday about issues at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Illinois House Democrats have proposed a plan to subsidize higher-education costs for college students who choose to stay in Illinois.

Democratic Reps. Lou Lang of Skokie and Will Guzzardi and Christian Mitchell of Chicago announced their plan Tuesday. It would provide full-time Illinois students attending a public university or community college with a yearly grant capped at $4,000.

After years of modest growth, Chicago and most suburbs have seen declining population in the last several years.

That’s according to the latest population estimates of Chicago and 90 suburbs from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday.

Chicago was the only city among the nation’s 20 largest to lose population in 2016 — and it lost nearly double the number of residents as the year before, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

It’s the city’s third consecutive year of population loss. Chicago’s population fell by 8,638 residents between 2015 and 2016, to 2,704,958. The year before, it declined by 4,934.

The Chicago Board of Education unanimously authorized borrowing close to $900 million Wednesday after the district’s finance chief warned of “dire” consequences if the school system didn’t add to the system’s already substantial financial burdens.

Board President Frank Clark asked Chicago Public Schools finance chief Ron DeNard whether failing to approve the loans would leave the district “facing the real likelihood of simply running out of money.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday played poker with his plan to tax downtown businesses and high net worth individuals to put the broke Chicago Public Schools on solid financial footing, despite pressure from the City Council’s Progressive Caucus.

Emanuel said he would wait until the Illinois General Assembly adjourns its spring session before identifying a local source of revenue to generate the $400 million to $600 million in annual revenue CPS desperately needs.

It’s not often that public officials make an argument that they’re paid too much.

Kudos to Jennifer Putman, a member of the Urbana & Champaign Sanitary District Board who contends that the $6,000 annual salary paid to her and two colleagues to attend monthly meetings is too high. Putman is, of course, correct — the $6,000 sum is not just exceedingly generous but grossly excessive compared with the pay appointed members of other municipal and county boards receive.

Frankly, it has long been our view that those who serve on local boards of this nature are volunteers, entitled to nominal compensation at most. A perfect example would be local school boards, whose members seek election to have the opportunity to confront tough issues and occasional public acrimony for zero compensation.

Kelvin Ellis, who pleaded guilty to running an escort service out of East St. Louis City Hall and plotted the murder of a federal witness, could face prison time if prosecutors are successful in their efforts to revoke his parole for meeting with felons, including former Township Supervisor Oliver Hamilton and others.

Ellis, 67, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cliff Proud on Wednesday morning and was advised he could face up to two years in prison for consorting with convicted felons.

Harry Hollingsworth is a 70-year-old cancer patient.

He has spent a lifetime in public service: Democratic precinct committeeman, East St. Louis Park Board, East St. Louis Liquor Control Commission and now East St. Louis Township clerk.