Preckwinkle Supports Legalizing Marijuana In Illinois
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, in favor of legalizing recreational pot use, points to racial disparities in law enforcement.
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Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, in favor of legalizing recreational pot use, points to racial disparities in law enforcement.
Stroger spokesman Sean Howard said Stroger instead will run for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner, as he originally planned.
The pop tax repeal leaves a 200 million dollar gap in the county's budget. It lead to the approved layoffs of 328 county workers.
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle long insisted the beverage tax was needed to keep services and jobs intact. She now defends the budget passed by the board last week, saying delays to the reductions will only result in deeper cuts later.
Chief Judge Evans is suing Toni Preckwinkle to keep her from laying off at least 156 court employees.
The Cook County Board will vote Tuesday on $200 million in budget cuts, triggered by the demise of the sweetened beverage tax.
"We're not looking at the same race that was happening in 2010," Stroger said. "This isn't 2010. This is 2017. So this is a different age."
15 of the 17 Cook County Board members have signed on as co-sponsors to budget amendments that Board President Toni Preckwinkle says will close the shortfall caused by the repeal of the county's unpopular sweetened beverage tax.
When commissioners voted to repeal the much-maligned sweetened beverage tax, they knew they would have to make up for $200 million in lost revenue.
The former Chicago alderman announced Monday he's challenging Toni Preckwinkle in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board President.
Cook County's budget hearings have begun this week under the cloud of a deficit created by the eradication of the soda tax.
The 15-2 vote reflected the overwhelming opposition the tax faced among Cook County residents.
The Cook County Finance Committee has voted 15-1 to approve a plan to repeal the controversial sweetened beverage tax, effective Dec. 1.
The tax could be repealed Tuesday, but it was a sweet deal for some politicians who may now vote against it.
Dozens of government, business, and civic leaders gathered downtown to discuss luring Amazon's second headquarters to the Chicago area.
Illinois Public Health Institute Elissa Bassler proposed the county should exempt diet drinks from the soda tax, rather than repealing it.
Three more Cook County commissioners announced Friday they would vote to get rid of the tax, giving opponents a veto-proof majority.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle put commissioners on notice that a vote to repeal the controversial soda tax will mean cuts to vital services.
A vote on Commissioner Richard Boykin's plan to repeal the tax has been scheduled for Tuesday in the county board's Finance Committee.
Preckwinkle would not say if she has prepared two budget proposals – one including the soda tax, and one without it.
"I have never, ever seen the outrage and anger that's being displayed by our customers," said Tony's Fresh Market manager Frank Guiglio.
The Chicago River isn't quite what it used to be, and elected officials took great effort to prove that Saturday.
A showdown on the controversial tax will be held next month.
Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin has unveiled a 10-point plan to repeal the soft drink tax and make up for the lost revenue.
Some lawmakers are poised to try and 'can' the entire thing, and ads supporting it aren't changing people's minds.
A family in Zion is putting their life back together after they lost everything in a Christmas Eve house fire.
A Bensenville man is accused of trying to kidnap a Jewel-Osco employee with special needs while she was at work.
The band announced Perry Bamonte's death on their official website on Friday.
Friday marks the beginning of Kwanzaa, and Malcolm X College in Chicago is holding a free, public celebration and marketplace from now until Jan. 1.
Three women were wounded in a shooting on Christmas night on Thursday in west suburban Aurora.
The Veterans Affairs Department is reimposing a near total ban on abortions for veterans and their families that was modified in 2022.
Strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria come after President Trump spent weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
Pope Leo XIV has revealed he privately urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign a bill legalizing medical assistance in dying in Illinois.
President Trump invoked a law called Title 10 to bring members of the Illinois National Guard under federal service over the objections of state and local leaders.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
The band announced Perry Bamonte's death on their official website on Friday.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
Many shoppers were heading to stores on Friday for post-Christmas sales, following the momentum from a robust holiday shopping season.
U.S. safety regulators have launched a probe into some Tesla Model 3 cars over the vehicle's door handles.
Johnson & Johnson has vowed to appeal after the company was ordered to pay $1.5 billion to a woman who claimed decades of exposure to their talcum powder gave her cancer.
President Trump says the U.S. launched "powerful and deadly" strikes against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after spending weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
Another person has died after being injured in the UPS plane crash at the Louisville airport in November, bringing the death toll to 15.
A family in Zion is putting their life back together after they lost everything in a Christmas Eve house fire.
A Bensenville man is accused of trying to kidnap a Jewel-Osco employee with special needs while she was at work.
The band announced Perry Bamonte's death on their official website on Friday.
From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
Friday marks the beginning of Kwanzaa, and Malcolm X College in Chicago is holding a free, public celebration and marketplace from now until Jan. 1.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
One year ago, the Chicago Bears were fighting for draft positioning. Now they've clinched a playoff spot in the first year of a new coaching regime.
As the 11-4 Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday night matchup with the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers, one player earned an extra Christmas present from the league thanks to his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers.
Travis Konecny scored and added his 300th career assist, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Blackhawks 3-1 and handing depleted Chicago its sixth straight loss.
The Bulls trailed 117-107 but closed the game on a 19-6 run.
Three Chicago Bears players have been named to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman, and left guard Joe Thuney.
Three women were wounded in a shooting on Christmas night on Thursday in west suburban Aurora.
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Multiple cars were broken into this week in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Four women have been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing from a retail store in the west Chicago suburb of Villa Park.
A woman has been charged with attacking four people at a CTA bus stop in the Lawndale neighborhood, including a woman she allegedly slashed with a broken beer bottle after threatening that woman's mother.
