“Changes are going to have to take place, there’s no doubt, at the CTA, and I think that’s going to take some new leadership and additional leadership,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. The agency has been under scrutiny amid rider frustration, unkempt train cars and safety concerns.
Stories by amanda vinicky
Pritzker Says CTA Needs ‘Evolution of Leadership’ as Agency Faces Ridership, Financial Concerns
Apr 19, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
House Sends Bill Restricting Chicago Selective Enrollment School Changes to Senate Despite Rebukes From CTU, CPS Board
Apr 19, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
An increased moratorium on closing Chicago Public Schools – including charters – easily passed the state House heads to the Senate over the objections of the Chicago Teachers Union and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appointees to the city’s school board.
Need a Notary? Now You Can Get One Online as Illinois Launches New E-Notary Service
Apr 18, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Important documents — the volumes of paperwork that go along with buying or selling a home, for example, or granting the power of attorney — require notarization. Under a new initiative announced Wednesday by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the entire process can now be done remotely.
Chicago Gets New Chief Economic Recruiter, Booster
Apr 16, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
As the new president and CEO of World Business Chicago, Philip Clement is charged with reversing high-profile departures of businesses like Boeing, Caterpillar and Citadel while continuing recruiting momentum.
Protesters Calling for Cease-Fire in Gaza Temporarily Blocked Traffic Near O’Hare Airport
Apr 15, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Demonstrators used the traffic shutdown to bring attention to the continuing war in Palestine and push for a cease-fire in Gaza. Traffic flow resumed by about 9:20 a.m.
Chicago, Federal Agencies Ramp Up Security Training Ahead of August’s Democratic National Convention
Apr 4, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
The Secret Service will be responsible for security at the United Center and McCormick Place and their containment areas. The Chicago Police Department is responsible for everything outside the venues, including management of protests.
State Lawmakers Call for Prisoner Review Board Reform After Fatal Stabbing of 11-Year-Old Chicago Boy
Apr 2, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
The killing of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins is drawing attention to a small state board responsible for deciding when prisoners can be released on parole.
Chicagoans Should Vote on Using Taxpayer Money for Bears and White Sox Stadiums, Ex-Gov. Quinn Says
Mar 27, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Should the former governor succeed, a nonbinding referendum would ask Chicago voters on Nov. 5: “Shall the people of Chicago provide any taxpayer subsidies to the Chicago Bears or the White Sox in order to build a stadium or a real estate development?”
Candidates Can Start Circulating Petitions as Chicago Public Schools Begins Transition to Elected School Board
Mar 26, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Tuesday marks the first day board of education candidates can begin to gather the minimum 1,000 signatures they need from neighbors in order to make it on the ballot.
Illinois Driver’s License Facilities Again Running After ‘Nationwide Network Outage’ Thursday Morning
Mar 21, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
The cause was an outage in the “national network that connects driver’s license facilities,” a network run by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. That outage resulted in the system having to shut down across the country.
At Least 2 State Legislators Lose Their Seats in Primary Election. A Look at the General Assembly Results
Mar 20, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
At least two sitting members of the Illinois state legislature – including the longest-serving member of the General Assembly – won’t be returning to Springfield next year after losing their primary races Tuesday.
Justice Joy Cunningham Claims Victory in Illinois Supreme Court Primary Race
Mar 19, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Justice Joy Cunningham was appointed by the court to fill the seat ahead of Justice Anne Burke’s 2022 retirement. Cunningham’s opponent in Tuesday’s race, Appellate Judge Jesse Reyes, was striving to be the first Latino on the state’s high court.
Pritzker Signs Hybrid CPS Board Bill, Says He Supports Moratorium on Selective Enrollment Closures
Mar 18, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Under the new law, voters will elect 10 members in Novembers while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint 10 members of his choosing, plus the board president. That leaves the board under mayoral control until 2027, when the city would move to a fully-elected school board.
Pritzker Announces $900M Plan to Demolish, Rebuild Stateville and Logan Prisons
Mar 15, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
An independent report identified Illinois’ Stateville and Logan prisons as outdated and in need of costly repairs.
Illinois’ High Court Reports ‘Breathtaking’ Rise in Appeals Following Elimination of Cash Bail
Mar 14, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
According to Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, the spike in appeals is the “biggest challenge” to the judicial branch’s implementation of the pretrial justice system.
Many Illinois Companies Will Soon Be Required to List Pay Scales, Benefits in Job Postings
Mar 12, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Illinois has laws to protect against gender discrimination in pay, but it can be difficult for workers to know whether there’s a pay discrepancy. That may be easier to figure out starting next year.
New Bill Would Ban Guns From Illinois Polling Places
Mar 7, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
State Rep. Bob Morgan said banning guns at polling places is necessary given rising security concerns surrounding elections. Gun rights advocates said the proposal is an answer in search of a problem.
Chicago is One Step Closer to Hybrid Elected School Board as Illinois House Approves Plan
Mar 7, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
A plan headed to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk will allow voters in November to choose half of the Chicago Board of Education. Johnson will appoint the other half, plus its president.
Illinois Senate Signs Off on Plan for a Hybrid Elected School Board in Chicago
Mar 6, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Chicago is on the path to getting the hybrid school board preferred by Mayor Brandon Johnson, with the Illinois Senate’s begrudging approval of legislation Tuesday finalizing the transition to an elected school board.
How an Illinois Law Protects IVF Access, Reproductive Health Care Rights
Mar 5, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
A recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling is raising questions about IVF. In Illinois, the Reproductive Health Act protects the increasingly popular path to parenthood while establishing people’s right to make decisions about their own reproductive health.
Gov. Pritzker Seeking to Eliminate State Grocery Tax, But Some Municipalities Could Push Back
Mar 4, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Illinois shoppers would save a dollar when they buy $100 worth of groceries under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposal to eliminate a state sales tax on groceries.
Illinois Signed $640K Contract to Review Controversial ‘Invest In Kids’ Tax Credit Program, But Results Are Deemed ‘Inconclusive’
Mar 1, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Illinois signed a contract for $640,000 for a report that could help legislators determine the value of the state’s recently defunct private school scholarship program, but a lack of data makes its findings “inconclusive.”
What Goes Into Setting Car Insurance Rates and How Illinois May Change It
Mar 1, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Illinois’ insurance code prohibits discrimination, but state Rep. Will Guzzardi said there’s a difference between impact and intent. Even if insurance agents aren’t doing it maliciously, Guzzardi said, algorithms end up perpetuating inequities and punishing people of color and low-income drivers.
Pritzker Says He’s ‘Reluctant’ to Use Taxpayer Money to Help Build a New White Sox Stadium
Feb 26, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he’s “reluctant” to use taxpayer funds to help the White Sox move from Bridgeport to the South Loop.
Pritzker’s $52.7B Budget Proposal Funds Migrant Care and Early Childhood Education, Angers Business Community
Feb 21, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday unveiled a $52.7 billion budget that he described as filled with “hard choices.” The plan builds on priorities like funding preschool, supporting Black residents, funding the neediest schools and caring for asylum seekers.
White Sox Owner Meets With State Lawmakers as Team Seeks Public Funds for New Stadium
Feb 20, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
The White Sox have played in Bridgeport for more than a century, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf and developer Related Midwest proposed building a new stadium in the South Loop as an anchor to a 62-acre site dubbed The 78.