Daily Whale Originals

Several human service groups rallied outside the James R. Thompson Center on Wednesday calling on Gov. Bruce Rauner and state legislators to end the budget stalemate and approve legislation restoring funding for key state services. The House Executive Committee is scheduled to vote on the measure Thursday to provide $3.8 billion in emergency funding for Illinois human service providers.

Joining the human service groups and advocates were state Reps. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) and Greg Harris (D-Chicago).  

The Chicago City Council Finance Committee on Monday delayed action on an ordinance codifying a previous executive order requiring the city to declare at least 25 percent of its unrestricting Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds as a surplus each year.

Aarti Kotak, managing deputy commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development, explained to committee members that the ordinance codified a Nov. 8, 2013 executive order issued from Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Earlier this week, Fitch Ratings gave an AA- stable rating to $250 million worth of bonds City Colleges of Chicago issued in 2013. The rating marks the second time the bonds have received an AA- stable bond rating from the agency.

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) issued the bonds to support a five-year, $524 million capital plan to implement specific industry focuses at each of CCC’s seven colleges, according to a press release from the community college district.

The Voices for Illinois Children Fiscal Policy Center released a report on Tuesday detailing the negative impact of the budget impasse in Springfield on human services across the state.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday announced plans to expand a program through which the city sells vacant residential lots for $1.  The Large Lot program will now extend into the Roseland and Pullman neighborhoods.