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 5
86° 65°
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Latest News Stories
Commission Approves Massive Lake Michigan Water Infrastructure Project for Troy Township
Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission on May 5, 2026, unanimously approved two major public utility...
Committee: Capital Improvements Committee Weighs $300 Million Options for Downtown Joliet Campus
Will County Board Capital Improvements & IT Committee Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article SummaryThe Will County Capital Improvements & IT Committee is evaluating four multi-million-dollar proposals to replace aging...
Incumbents weather challenges in Nebraska primary
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Voters in Nebraska elected incumbent candidates in races throughout the state on Tuesday. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts was nominated in the Republican primary, and...
US House passes Save Our Shrimpers Act
By Nolan MckendryThe Center Square The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at stopping American taxpayer dollars from helping finance foreign shrimp operations that Gulf Coast lawmakers say...
CBO says Pentagon’s Golden Dome estimate off by $1 trillion
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense shield could cost American taxpayers as much as $1.2 trillion...
VA budget tops $488B as workforce stays above DOGE target
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Department of Veterans Affairs is requesting $488.2 billion for fiscal year 2027, a 7.7% increase over current spending levels, as VA Secretary Doug Collins...
DEA warns fentanyl mixtures overwhelming overdose reversal drug
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warned Americans Tuesday that fentanyl is increasingly mixed with a dangerous array of synthetic substances that can limit the effectiveness...
Cook County must pay for taking homes over unpaid property tax: Judge
By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Cook County could be on the hook for at least tens of millions of dollars, if not more than $100 million, to...
Chicago aldermen consider $54.7M tax break for United Center project
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago City Council may consider a $54.7 million property tax break for owners of the Chicago...
Farmers call for fertilizer price transparency, domestic growth
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Farmers and advocates on Tuesday called on Congress to implement transparency reporting requirements in fertilizer pricing. The U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee held...
Major nationwide Tren de Aragua crackdown, more than 80 firearms seized
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The Trump administration continues to crack down on violent Tren de Aragua Venezuelan prison gang members after they flooded the country during the Biden administration....
Illinois Quick Hits: State taxpayers to cover student loan debt for civil engineers
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that the state will pay $15,000 of eligible student loan...
Bradley-Bourbonnais Blanks Lincoln-Way Central, 11-0
BRADLEY, IL – The Bradley-Bourbonnais varsity softball team dominated Monday’s conference matchup, cruising to an 11-0 shutout victory over Lincoln-Way Central. The Boilermakers’ offense was firing on all cylinders, racking up...
