Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Jan. 4 that longtime Ald. Ed Burke resigned as chairman of the city’s finance committee. The move came the day after federal agents served Burke an attempted extortion charge.
Springfield is facing mounting pressure to enact a massive state gas tax hike. One proposal would make the average motorist pay as much as $200 per year in additional taxes on gas.
Federal prosecutors claim Burke used his position as alderman to solicit business for his law firm, which specializes in Cook County property tax appeals. Felony attempted extortion could come with up to 20 years in prison.
Fixing Chicago’s outdated governance would benefit the entire state. Pritzker should use his new job – and the megaphone that comes with it – to help make that a reality.
Since 2014 alone, voters in 11 suburban Cook County communities approved term limits on elected leaders. A bill in the Illinois General Assembly seeks to curb those reforms.
Local law enforcement will can take temporary custody of pets left in life-threatening weather conditions.
Of the more than 3,700 Illinois state workers who stopped sending part of every paycheck to a union, 2,800 stopped sending their money to AFSCME.
The Gem City joins a growing list of Illinois municipalities raising property taxes to pay for pensions.