WATCH: Chicago committee rejects proposed tax hikes; Hemp industry wants regulation
November 18, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares comments from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson after a city council committee rejected a slew of proposed tax increases he says are needed to prevent layoffs in city government. Johnson vowed to veto a budget with a property tax increase, but dodged whether he’d veto a budget that didn’t include a head tax on employers.
Bishop also discusses the current status of regulations on the hemp industry after the federal government approved regulating intoxicating hemp products. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s looking to work with the industry on how Illinois can further regulate the industry.
Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted.
Today Jun 14
76° 55°
Sunny
Latest News Stories
Obama-era ‘Welcoming Cities’ program overlaps with illegal border crosser crimes
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A program launched in partnership with the Obama administration more than a decade ago that certifies localities to “improve immigrant inclusion” overlaps with crimes being...
Expert blasts Illinois Congressman’s push to double H-1Bs as ‘tone-deaf’
By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square A renewed push to double H-1B visas is touted as a talent win, but critics warn it could reshape the tech market by driving down...
Safety Upgrades Planned for Wilmington-Peotone Road; Gas Line Proposal Rejected
Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | December 2, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Public Works Committee approved a $1.9 million engineering contract for improvements to a dangerous stretch...
Afghans arrested by ICE released into the country by the Biden administration
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Federal and local law enforcement officers have been arresting Afghan men since they were released into the country by the Biden administration in 2021. Key...
Library Board Rejects Costly Software and Donation Box Proposal
Mokena Community Public Library District Board Meeting | October 28, 2025 Article Summary: Mokena Library Trustees made several operational decisions Tuesday, opting to switch technology platforms to save money and...
Officials: Stockton stands together after fatal shooting
By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square In the days after the deadly Nov. 29 shooting in Stockton, the Northern California community is trying to pull together, local representatives told The Center...
Illinois quick hits: Armed sex offender sentenced; most are family farms
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Armed sex offender sentenced A Southern Illinois man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after he admitted to distributing...
HHS: Pritzker ‘eroded public trust’ in public health
By Jim TalamontiThe Center Square A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman says Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker eroded public trust and is trying to reinvent public health. The...
WATCH: House passes bills to block CCP’s influence on schools
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square House representatives passed three bills this week aimed at protecting K-12 classrooms from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. The bills - PROTECT Our...
U.S. Supreme Court to decide birthright citizenship case
By Dan McCalebThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide a case challenging President Donald Trump's plan to end birthright citizenship. On the first day of...
New fiscal year begins with lowest border apprehensions in recorded history
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Illegal border crossings continued an historic downward trajectory in October and November, representing the lowest numbers ever reported at the beginning of a fiscal year...
IL legislator credits Trump for U.S. Steel announcement
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois state legislator from the Metro East says it’s a Christmas miracle that U.S. Steel is...
Debate over AI heats up as GOP scraps moratorium in annual Defense bill
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Lawmakers are becoming increasingly concerned about the rapid expansion of AI technology and its impacts on cybersecurity, the power grid, and online safety. While the...
