Illinois voters face a momentous decision next year.

It’s official. After all the posturing, preening and political gamesmanship, the Illinois House has joined the Senate to put a ground-breaking constitutional amendment on the November 2020 ballot.

The measure, if approved by voters, would replace the current mandated flat tax with a progressive one that would apply higher tax rates on higher levels of income.

The Illinois House Thursday approved an income tax rate schedule that would be applied if voters approve a shift to a graduated state income tax after 2020.

The House voted 67-48, but the bill needs to return to the Senate for another vote. It will then go to Gov. J.B. Pritzker who will sign it.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on longtime Ald. Edward Burke to resign after a federal indictment Thursday charged the longtime politician with racketeering, bribery and other misdeeds.

In an interview with the Tribune, Lightfoot said Burke has to resign. In her opinion as a former federal prosecutor, Lightfoot said, it’s a strong case built on recordings and a cooperating witness.

A bill passed by the Illinois Senate to greatly expand the area where Chicago diners are charged a 1% tax to help fund construction at McCormick Place will not be called for a vote by a House panel and may be stalled for this legislative session.

The move to hold the bill, which had been planned for consideration by the House Executive Committee on Thursday night, came after Mayor Lori Lightfoot voiced her opposition to the measure.

A $39 billion budget. A public works program, worth roughly as much. Bringing a casino to Chicago and to four other Illinois communities, including near Waukegan and in the south suburbs. Becoming the first state legislature to legalize the sale and possession of marijuana.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers have a single day – until 11:59 p.m. Friday – to wrap up all of that, and more.

An Illinois House committee voted 13-6 Thursday night in favor of a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and older, paving the way for a vote by the full House on Friday.

“Fundamentally, prohibition hasn’t worked,” state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, told the House Judiciary Criminal Committee, which discussed the bill for three hours before a vote was taken around 11:20 p.m.

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi conceded Thursday that his signature reform proposal has no chance of being approved before state lawmakers go home, dealing a setback to the rookie politician who campaigned on a promise to fix a broken system.

Kaegi was pushing changes that he said would improve the accuracy, fairness and predictability of the much-criticized way the county assesses commercial buildings for property tax purposes.

In an item of particular importance to some companies, the General Assembly has approved and sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker a measure to extend the life of the state’s tax credit for research and development.

The bill also would establish a new credit for apprenticeship educational expenses.

A measure aimed at protecting Illinois students from sexual abuse and assault at school is headed to the governor’s desk after the Senate unanimously approved the bill Thursday night.

The strongest provisions aim to protect students from repeated interrogations by school officials when they report sexual abuse at school, allow them to avoid testifying in person against their alleged abusers at disciplinary hearings and permit school districts to warn prospective employers about educators’ past misconduct.

Algonquin Township Clerk Karen Lukasik has offered settlement terms to Supervisor Charles Lutzow and Algonquin Township trustees over allegations stemming from a 2-year-old lawsuit claiming she tried to destroy public records.

The dispute is one of several that have cost the township hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.