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.
Community Events
MondayDecember 1, 2025
TuesdayDecember 2, 2025
WednesdayDecember 3, 2025
Latest News Stories
Library Explores New IT and Copier Services Amid Equipment Failures
The Library is evaluating an overhaul of its technology services, exploring new providers for both IT support and its public-facing print management system due to ongoing equipment failures. During Tuesday's...
JJC Embarks on New 10-15 Year Facilities Master Plan Process
Joliet Junior College is laying the groundwork for its physical future, officially launching a comprehensive process to create a new facilities master plan that will guide campus development for the...
Meeting Briefs: Library Board of Trustees for June 24, 2025
The Library Board of Trustees unanimously approved its annual working budget after amending the family programs line to $25,000. The board is also moving forward with long-term financial planning, having...
Meeting Summary: Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees for June 25, 2025
The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees met on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Key actions included the approval of the fiscal year 2026 budget after a contentious debate and hearing...
Mokena Enacts Local Grocery Tax to Avert $850,000 Revenue Loss
The Mokena Village Board has moved to preserve a crucial revenue stream, unanimously approving a new local grocery tax to replace state-collected funds that will disappear in 2026. The move...
Mokena Dissolves Two Committees to Streamline Development Process
In a bid to become more business-friendly, the Village of Mokena is dissolving two of its long-standing advisory committees to accelerate the process for new development. Mayor George J. Metanias...
Mokena Police to Get New Axon In-Car Cameras in $176K Deal
The Mokena Police Department is set to receive a significant technology upgrade after the Village Board approved a five-year, $176,526 contract with Axon Enterprise for a new in-car video system....
Mokena Targets Invasive Callery Pear Trees for Removal
The Village of Mokena is taking proactive steps to improve its urban forest by removing dozens of invasive Callery Pear trees from public parkways, funded in part by a grant...
Meeting Briefs: Mokena Village Board for June 23, 2025
The Mokena Village Board took several major actions at its June 23 meeting, including approving a new local grocery tax to head off a projected $850,000 revenue loss after the...
Mokena 159 Board Approves Amended Budget Amid Transparency, Deficit Concerns
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education approved an amended budget for fiscal year 2025 in a contentious 6-1 vote Wednesday night, following sharp criticism from a board member...
Mokena 159 Board Signals Support for Recording Meetings After Public Push
Following requests from several residents, the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education on Wednesday discussed and expressed broad support for recording and publicly posting its meetings to increase transparency....
District 159 Adopts ‘Wayfinder’ Program to Boost Middle Schoolers’ Social-Emotional Health
Mokena Junior High School students will have a new curriculum focused on social-emotional learning (SEL) next year after the Board of Education unanimously approved the adoption of the "Wayfinder" program....
Mokena 159 Principals Report End-of-Year Academic Progress, Focus on Writing
Principals from Mokena School District 159 presented their end-of-year School Improvement Plan (SIP) updates to the Board of Education on Wednesday, highlighting student progress with a particular focus on improving...
