the center square

“It's certainly bad news for taxpayers because as these property values go down in the big office properties, that means the property tax bills are going to grow higher for residential,” Dabrowski told The Center Square as the vacancy rates are up nearly 14% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. #office

One measure, House Bill 3564, prohibits a landlord from imposing a move-in fee for renters. #rent

“We are crafting another bill. We're in the process of crafting that now, but this [HB]1117 wouldn't have addressed that concern in Deerfield,” said McCombie. #sports

The Fighting Illini men's and women’s squads both won 22 games and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this season. #ncaa

Illinois frequently gets mentioned as one of the most corrupt states in the country, including by the organization Best Diplomats, which ranked Illinois third worst in the country.  #ethics

State Rep. Paul Jacobs, R-Pomona, introduced House Bill 1345 to repeal the Illinois TRUST act and end the state’s sanctuary status. #immigration

U.S. Census Bureau data shows Illinois lost 56,235 people to other states in 2024 to rank 48th across the country in losses from domestic migration, with many of the now former residents pointing to the state’s high taxes as the top reason for them deciding to walk away. #migration

After much discussion, a majority of city aldermen voted Wednesday in favor of the mayor’s $830 million borrowing plan for capital projects. #price

Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order entitled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” announced the “termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.” #dei

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) has launched its sixth annual “Makers Madness” bracket-style contest to determine the top product manufactured across the state. Any product that is manufactured in Illinois can be nominated for the tournament. #products