WATCH: Chicago committee rejects proposed tax hikes; Hemp industry wants regulation

WATCH: Chicago committee rejects proposed tax hikes; Hemp industry wants regulation

November 18, 2025/
Spread the love

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(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.

Events

No events

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

DOJ urges federal judge to strike down climate change law

DOJ urges federal judge to strike down climate change law

By Chris WadeThe Center Square The Trump administration is asking a federal judge to invalidate a New York law that seeks to punish fossil fuel companies for their alleged role...
WATCH: Newsom deploys state police to help local law enforcement

WATCH: Newsom deploys state police to help local law enforcement

By Dave MasonThe Center Square New California Highway Patrol teams will work with local law enforcement to fight crime in Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area,...
Appeals court rejects Trump's tariffs, but leaves them in place

Appeals court rejects Trump’s tariffs, but leaves them in place

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A federal appeals court said Friday that President Donald Trump doesn't have the authority to issue blanket tariffs, in a blow to the president's domestic...
Denver Public Schools accused of violating Title IX

Denver Public Schools accused of violating Title IX

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Education for Civil Rights announced this week that Denver Public Schools' policies on “all-gender” facilities violate Title IX. The department's Office...
Poll: 41% of parents worried about school safety before Minneapolis shooting

Poll: 41% of parents worried about school safety before Minneapolis shooting

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Four in 10 parents of K-12 students are worried for their children’s safety at school, according to a new Gallup poll. The poll was collected...
Report: Offshore wind critics played role in Revolution Wind work stoppage

Report: Offshore wind critics played role in Revolution Wind work stoppage

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square Offshore wind opponents in the fishing industry helped shape the Trump administration’s decision to halt work on the Revolution Wind project, a $4 billion development...
Nevada governor addresses statewide cyberattack

Nevada governor addresses statewide cyberattack

By Liam HibbertThe Center Square Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo spoke publicly for the first time on a cyberattack that shut down government websites and kept state employees at home, four...
Illinois quick hits: Mine manager pleads guilty; Johnson issues food executive order

Illinois quick hits: Mine manager pleads guilty; Johnson issues food executive order

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Mine manager pleads guilty A former Franklin County mine manager has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Mine Safety...
Op-Ed: Chicago-area transit needs an intervention, not another fix

Op-Ed: Chicago-area transit needs an intervention, not another fix

By Brad Weisenstein | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square If Illinois were a family, it would have 1,313 siblings – its cities, towns and villages. One of them is...
WATCH: ‘Partisans’ who want to should ‘get up and move’ from Illinois, Pritzker says

WATCH: ‘Partisans’ who want to should ‘get up and move’ from Illinois, Pritzker says

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – If you’re not willing to stick around and help make the state better, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker...
Green-Garden-Township-Graphic.1

Green Garden Township Debates New Land Use Plan during Workshop, Pushes Potential Vote to October

Article Summary: The Green Garden Township Board reviewed a new draft Land Use Plan designed to protect the area's rural character while defining commercial and industrial corridors for the first...
Victims identified in Minneapolis Catholic school shooting

Victims identified in Minneapolis Catholic school shooting

By Jon StyfThe Center Square “As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.” Those are the words of the parents of 10-year-old Harper...
Pentagon to build new task force to counter drone threats

Pentagon to build new task force to counter drone threats

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Pentagon is creating a new task force to counter drone threats and keep U.S. airspace safe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Department of...
'Horrendous' religious freedom violation leads to payout by Chicago Public Schools

‘Horrendous’ religious freedom violation leads to payout by Chicago Public Schools

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A court-approved settlement of over $2.6 million is being paid to 207 former Chicago Public School students...
Extended Secret Service protection canceled for Kamala Harris

Extended Secret Service protection canceled for Kamala Harris

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square More than seven months after leaving office, President Donald Trump is revoking the taxpayer-funded Secret Service protection detail of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Former...