All Week Long
Originally published on chicagotribune.com 11/17/22 | Photo: Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune
Fresh off her reelection to four more years leading the Cook County Board, President Toni Preckwinkle received unanimous support Thursday for her $8.8 billion budget for 2023, which is free of taxes and full of plans to spend the county's federal COVID relief dollars on a slew of social programs.
This summer, the county forecast the smallest deficit of Preckwinkle's 12-year tenure: $18.2 million. Thanks to higher-than-anticipated revenue figures - including $124 million more than it was expecting from sales taxes - Preckwinkle did not need to propose gap-filling measures.
After amendments, the $8.8 billion figure is a roughly 8% increase over her 2022 budget and nearly three times the size of Preckwinkle's budget a decade ago. That growth has been driven by the county expanding its flagship health system - at a 2023 cost of more than $4 billion - and steadily rising pension payments, which will total more than $500 million in 2023.
Originally published on blockclubchicago.org 11/16/22 | Photo: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
A week after the midterm elections, an amendment to Illinois’ constitution that protects workers’ rights and blocks right-to-work laws has passed.
The measure needed 60 percent of yes votes from people weighing in on the question or a favorable vote from the majority of all people who voted in the election. It did not clear the higher threshold, but it received 58.4 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting, securing passage, according to the AP and the Tribune.
The amendment had close to 59 percent of voters in support according to early election results last week, prompting supporters to claim victory. More than 2.1 million people voted in its favor, according to the Tribune.
“Being able to protect everyone’s ability to step up and organize their workplace is a critical component to making sure everyone has access to some higher paying jobs and safer workplaces,” Joe Bowen, spokesman for the Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights group, told the AP.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccines currently available in the United States are more than 90% effective at preventing COVID-19. Getting vaccinated will protect yourself and those around you and will help keep your community healthy.
Paid for by Preckwinkle for President. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board's official website, http://elections.il.gov/, or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. All contributions are reported to the State Board of Elections. Contributions are not accepted from employees of Cook County. Companies holding contracts with the Cook County are limited to $750.
Political contributions are not deductible for income tax purposes.