U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wants Illinois state lawmakers to redraw congressional district maps to offset Republican gains from mid-decade remapping in Texas. Illinois lawmakers aren’t eager to do it.
Ald. Marty Quinn’s proposed ordinance would restrict additional dwelling units in Chicago to just 20% of the city and add costly labor mandates. It also boosts each alderman’s power over what Chicagoans can do with their own homes.
A slew of private investments in nuclear energy signals opportunity, yet Illinois remains one of only 12 states that limits production. The state needs to lift its ban on new reactors.
Peoria Heights’ mayor vetoed a grocery tax, saying the village would not balance its budget on the backs of families at the grocery checkout. Now Chicago is considering taking $73.5 million through the tax.
If Illinois state lawmakers are not going to spend the $3.3 billion sitting in the state’s road fund, drivers should get a break from the taxes going into it. Illinois gasoline taxes are No. 2 in the U.S.
Legalizing additional dwelling units citywide would bring more housing choices, lower costs and help Chicagoans stay in the neighborhoods they love.
The Illinois State Board of Education is giving school districts an incentive to study consolidation, but a flawed process still stands in the way. The state has too many school districts, driving up administrative costs and property taxes.
District 146 Educators Council has voted to authorize a strike. If an agreement is not reached, teachers in Tinley Park could strike as soon as Sept. 22.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dropped by 3.2% in May. Still, nearly 2 million Illinoisans relied on federal food aid, with participation rates exceeding 30% in some Southern Illinois counties.
Illinois companies announced 1,065 mass layoffs in August. Minority-owned Diverse Facility Solutions, headquartered in Alsip, Illinois, and two other janitorial services companies accounted for nearly half of the jobs lost.
Teachers in the 10th-largest school district in Illinois may be on the picket lines instead of in classrooms with students on Sept. 18. Romeoville and Bolingbrook teachers are paid more than the state average but are pushing for more.
Third grade is a critical year for young readers, predicting the success of their future education. See how well your local schools are doing at producing proficient readers by the end of third grade.
Chicago’s pension systems carry over $53 billion in debt, leaving taxpayers with rising bills and no reform in sight.