Illinois House Approves Plan To Create Elected School Board In Chicago
The Illinois House of Representatives late Wednesday passed legislation that would create a fully elected school board in Chicago by 2027.
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The Illinois House of Representatives late Wednesday passed legislation that would create a fully elected school board in Chicago by 2027.
"Why not wait? If we know that the bill itself is deeply flawed, why are we rushing to ratify?" Lightfoot said.
The Illinois Senate voted 36-15 on Tuesday to approve legislation that would create a 21-member school board starting in 2025.
Illinois lawmakers passed several key pieces of legislation Tuesday, including a proposal for an elected school board for Chicago.
"We're very lucky our revenues came up," said House Majority Leader Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat.
The law would allow pet shops to sell cats and dogs only if they are obtained from animal control facilities or shelters that comply with regulations set out in the bill.
Minority entrepreneurs may soon have a better shot at getting into the marijuana industry, thanks to legislation that just passed the Illinois House of Representatives.
The proposed legislation would prohibit any Illinois school from applying their uniform or dress code to hairstyles "including hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture, including, but not limited to, protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists."
Democrats face a June 30 deadline to enact the maps or give Republicans a 50-50 chance at drawing the new boundary lines.
If the bill is passed, it would go into effect immediately, but would only be allowed for six months.
Illinois Secretary of State's office facilities, courts, and utility offices are all open now – but our unemployment offices that many still desperately need remain closed.
A member of Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch's staff tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, as lawmakers and their staffs returned to Springfield after their two-week spring break.
"In the spirit of good governance and in the best interest of the people of the state of Illinois I decline the one month salary to which I am entitled by law," Kodatt said in an email to the Illinois State Comptroller.
Madigan and other Democratic committeepersons from the 22nd District picked Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar to fill the seat.
Illinois State Rep. Edward Guerra Kodatt, who was picked to succeed former state Rep. Michael Madigan in the Illinois House, has resigned only three days after he was appointed to his seat.
A spokesperson confirmed Madigan plans to keep his position as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
Majority Democrats in the Illinois House adopted procedural rules on Wednesday that the GOP complained are nearly identical to the suppressive ones they labored under in the decades-long rule of former Speaker Michael Madigan.
Illinois state lawmakers can now get the COVID-19 vaccine during Phase 1B of the state's inoculation plan, after Gov. JB Pritzker approved the Illinois General Assembly's request to receive the shots.
Welch was elected earlier this month by the House to replace fellow Democrat Michael Madigan after Madigan was implicated in an ongoing bribery investigation.
The chief of staff to newly-elected Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch tested positive for COVID-19 while lawmakers were in Springfield this week for the lame duck session and the inauguration of the new Illinois General Assembly.
Sources told CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov that Welch has secured the necessary votes from House Democrats to win the speakership when the new Illinois General Assembly is sworn in Wednesday afternoon.
Welch joined the race for Speaker on Monday after Madigan suspended his own campaign and challenged the House Democratic Caucus to "work to find someone, other than me, to get 60 votes for Speaker."
"This is not a withdrawal. I have suspended my campaign for Speaker. As I have said many times in the past, I have always put the best interest of the House Democratic Caucus and our members first," Madigan said.
Neither Madigan nor any of his challengers currently have the votes to win the speaker's gavel after the new Illinois General Assembly is sworn in next week.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin last summer filed documents seeking a charge of conduct unbecoming a legislator against Madigan after federal prosecutors implicated the longtime leader in a bribery scheme involving ComEd.
The Chicago Bears held a short and light practice Wednesday without pads, but it marked the return of linebacker T.J. Edwards.
A man arrested in Mokena over the weekend with Molotov cocktails in his backpack had allegedly made threats against a mosque in Orland Park, prosecutors said.
Colombia has around 200 so-called "cocaine hippos" living in the wild, all of which descended from a colony brought to South America by slain cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar.
In a CBS News Chicago exclusive, Willie Wilson said he is making another run for mayor in 2027, becoming the 10th candidate to enter the race.
A Dane County judge ruled Tuesday that Wisconsin's paper-only absentee ballot system denies disabled voters the equal opportunity to vote privately and independently, though a trial on electronic voting as a remedy is still ahead.
In a CBS News Chicago exclusive, Willie Wilson said he is making another run for mayor in 2027, becoming the 10th candidate to enter the race.
A Dane County judge ruled Tuesday that Wisconsin's paper-only absentee ballot system denies disabled voters the equal opportunity to vote privately and independently, though a trial on electronic voting as a remedy is still ahead.
The Milwaukee mosque leader's former Israeli attorney testified in immigration court that Sarsour was coerced into confessions and was never convicted of any charge linking him to a terrorist organization.
Former state health official Abdul El-Sayed faced Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan in a closely watched contest that represented the latest test of the party's divisions.
Nine people and counting have now announced campaigns for mayor of Chicago for 2027, and the first was Chicago business owner and former mathematics teacher Joe Holberg.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
While the building that housed the flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue has been torn down, the renowned Chicago restaurant chain is now set to open a new Lakeview location.
Nationally, data centers used 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023 — a figure projected to reach 72.6 billion gallons by 2028, raising concerns about states' water supplies.
Chicago's Wishbone Restaurant will soon be closing after 36 years in business.
The Old Town Pour House isn't in its namesake neighborhood anymore, but it's returning to the central area of Chicago — specifically in the Loop.
Stella's Diner in Chicago's East Lakeview community has gone out of business.
Crews need about a week and a half to tear down the festival site before the city can begin its own inspection — and past cleanup costs have topped $1 million.
Vincent Pastore played Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on all six seasons of "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007.
If weather forces an evacuation, shelter sites are located at Grant Park North, Grant Park South, and Millennium Lakeside Garages, accessible through the vehicle entrance on Michigan Avenue.
Grant Park was filled with tens of thousands of people Thursday for the start of Lollapalooza, as warm weather greeted festivalgoers on day one of the four-day music festival.
Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash.
The Chicago Bears held their second straight padded practice Tuesday with multiple periods of live tackling as they focused in on defense.
Multiple rounds of rain and storms are expected in Chicago on Wednesday. Highs in the upper 70s.
The U.S. has used nearly all of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles during the war with Iran, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell CBS News.
Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, narrowly defeating U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in a victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state.
A 21-year-old flight instructor made an emergency landing on a Florida highway after reporting oil pressure issues to air traffic control. Instructor Emily Shelton was flying with a student on his first-ever lesson.
A 21-year-old Chicago man is charged with murder in the shooting deaths of two teens on the Far South Side of Chicago in 2024 and 2025.
A man arrested in Mokena over the weekend with Molotov cocktails in his backpack had allegedly made threats against a mosque in Orland Park, prosecutors said.
Colombia has around 200 so-called "cocaine hippos" living in the wild, all of which descended from a colony brought to South America by slain cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar.
In a CBS News Chicago exclusive, Willie Wilson said he is making another run for mayor in 2027, becoming the 10th candidate to enter the race.
A Dane County judge ruled Tuesday that Wisconsin's paper-only absentee ballot system denies disabled voters the equal opportunity to vote privately and independently, though a trial on electronic voting as a remedy is still ahead.
A South Holland woman said she was left high and dry after paying thousands of dollars to have her swimming pool fixed, only for the contractor to vanish.
An Elgin man has seen what he thought was the deal of a lifetime turn into weeks of frustration after a fake tracking number scam left him without goods or a refund after buying a game system on eBay.
Nationally, data centers used 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023 — a figure projected to reach 72.6 billion gallons by 2028, raising concerns about states' water supplies.
A clean energy initiative on the South Side of Chicago is increasing access to solar energy and electric vehicle charging stations, and community members say it's making a difference.
A glitch in the Illinois Tollway system earlier this month left about 100,000 drivers with unexpected warnings about unpaid tolls, some dating back about a year.
The Chicago Bears held a short and light practice Wednesday without pads, but it marked the return of linebacker T.J. Edwards.
The Chicago Cubs spoiled Tarik Skubal's debut with the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, posting a 5-1 victory behind key RBI singles by Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to six games with a 14-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
Standout right tackle Darnell Wright has agreed to lucrative contract extension with the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears held their second straight padded practice Tuesday with multiple periods of live tackling as they focused in on defense.
The Milwaukee mosque leader's former Israeli attorney testified in immigration court that Sarsour was coerced into confessions and was never convicted of any charge linking him to a terrorist organization.
A woman stood charged Tuesday with stabbing a man during a fight in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood this past weekend.
An Illinois State Police trooper who has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a bartender in southwest suburban Tinley Park will remain behind bars as he awaits trial.
Thieves stole an ATM from a gas station in Chicago's Roseland community early Monday.
Two young men and a teenage boy were shot and wounded early Monday in Chicago's Park Manor community.
