ComEd bribery trial scheduled for March
The trial of four people accused of trying to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been scheduled for March 6.
The four are accused of arranging for Madigan’s associates and allies to get jobs, contracts and money in order to influence Madigan as key legislation worked its way through Springfield. The trial was moved because of conflicts with singer R. Kelly’s child pornography trial.
Taxpayer subsidies expand for undocumented immigrants’ health care
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is expanding the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program to now provide health care coverage to undocumented immigrant adults and certain legal permanent residents ages 42 and over.
The program was launched in March initially for qualified people ages 55 to 64. Now, those 42 and up are included as part of Medicaid omnibus legislation this spring that Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law in May.
Community looks to ban certain guns
A northern Illinois city is looking to ban the commercial sale of semi-automatic weapons.
According to the Daily Herald, three Naperville city council members have introduced a draft ordinance to outlaw the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Naperville has home-rule powers so it doesn’t need a state law. If approved, the law would go into effect Jan. 1.
Man chases, crashes into stolen car
A man says he spotted his stolen car, so he gave chase and crashed into it.
The man told Chicago police he was driving when he spotted his Honda HR-V that had been stolen from him. He said he gave chase when the suspects inside the vehicle began shooting at him.
That is when he rear-ended the vehicle on Interstate 55. The three men inside the vehicle then ran off and remain at-large.
Cubs sued over disability access
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Northern Illinois filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Chicago Cubs after the government said the team did not provide proper access for people with disabilities at Wrigley Field.
The lawsuit claims the franchise failed to provide adequate seating for people who use wheelchairs as part of the club’s extensive renovation of the century-old ballpark.
Topless beach ordinance tabled
Women in an Illinois beach community need to keep their tops on, for now.
A proposal has been tabled that would allow anyone to go topless at all Evanston beaches across the city. Alderman Devon Reid, who is behind the proposal, said it is not about topless beaches, but about equality.
The measure is headed back to the city council’s Human Services Committee.
