WATCH: Chicago committee rejects proposed tax hikes; Hemp industry wants regulation

WATCH: Chicago committee rejects proposed tax hikes; Hemp industry wants regulation

Spread the love

(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.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Appeals court: IT firm can’t make insurer foot bill for $28M face scan deal

Appeals court: IT firm can’t make insurer foot bill for $28M face scan deal

By Scott Holland | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A state appeals panel has agreed an insurance company doesn’t need to contribute to a $28.5 million settlement that resolved a class...
Screenshot 2025-11-01 at 11.28.53 AM

Mokena Approves ‘Emerald Social’ Restaurant and Outdoor Entertainment Venue

Village of Mokena Board of Trustees Meeting | October 13, 2025 Article Summary: The Mokena Village Board has granted final approval for Emerald Social, a new restaurant and family-friendly outdoor...
Lawmakers introduce bills to slash their own pay during government shutdowns

Lawmakers introduce bills to slash their own pay during government shutdowns

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square With the ongoing government shutdown dragging on for a record-breaking period of time, U.S. lawmakers are introducing bills to make shutdowns as painful for Congress...
Trump considers military action to stop Christian genocide in Nigeria

Trump considers military action to stop Christian genocide in Nigeria

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square President Donald Trump has directed the Department of War to prepare for possible action in Nigeria to target Islamic militants committing genocide against Christians. “If...
94% of sanctioned scholars suffered from free speech attacks

94% of sanctioned scholars suffered from free speech attacks

By Tate MillerThe Center Square A Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression survey shows that 94% of sanctioned university scholars have experienced a negative impact following the attacks on their...
Illinois soybean farmers face uncertainty amid MAHA push against seed oils

Illinois soybean farmers face uncertainty amid MAHA push against seed oils

By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square Illinois soybean farmers face a potential market shakeup if public sentiment, and eventually policy, turns against seed oils, experts warn. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now...
Family-based visa quotas cause system backlogs

Family-based visa quotas cause system backlogs

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square One of the most prevalent ways for immigrants to gain legal status in the United States is through family-based visas. However, backlogs in the system...
After 50 years of struggles to save Spotted Owl, FWS plan is to kill 500k Barred Owls

After 50 years of struggles to save Spotted Owl, FWS plan is to kill 500k Barred Owls

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The Spotted Owl is again in the headlines again. U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., filed a resolution to reverse a Biden administration plan to kill...
Association says housing aid to continue through December

Association says housing aid to continue through December

By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square Federally-funded housing assistance will continue to be paid through December, a national housing association director told The Center Square Friday afternoon. Previously, those who rent...
WATCH: Father of Housing First points to success; We Heart Seattle highlights failures

WATCH: Father of Housing First points to success; We Heart Seattle highlights failures

By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square On an overcast mid-October day, just inside the Third Avenue offices of We Heart Seattle, Executive Director Andrea Suarez and two of her staff members...
Death threats against ICE officers up by 8,000%, DHS says

Death threats against ICE officers up by 8,000%, DHS says

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Death threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are up by 8,000% compared to the same timeframe last year, the Department of Homeland Security...
Colorado sues over Space Command HQ moving to Alabama

Colorado sues over Space Command HQ moving to Alabama

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Colorado has sued the Trump administration over its decision to move the U.S. Space Command Headquarters out of the state. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser...
Illinois quick hits: Pritzker to sign tax, toll increases to bail out transit

Illinois quick hits: Pritzker to sign tax, toll increases to bail out transit

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Pritzker to sign tax, toll increases to bail out transit Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he looks forward to signing public transit...
IL Senate approves Department of Corrections director despite fierce opposition

IL Senate approves Department of Corrections director despite fierce opposition

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Despite a myriad of ongoing issues at the Illinois Department of Corrections, state senators approved the nomination...
Report: PJM power grid electrification faces bumpy transition

Report: PJM power grid electrification faces bumpy transition

By Lauren Jessop | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The nation’s power grid is entering a new era of soaring demand – the full extent...