WATCH: Chicago committee rejects proposed tax hikes; Hemp industry wants regulation
November 18, 2025/
(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.
Latest News Stories
War Department, VA have highest number of unresolved recommendations from congressional watchdog
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Of the 15 federal executive departments that compose the president’s Cabinet, the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs have the most unresolved, open recommendations for...
Nearly 550 truck drivers cited for not understanding English in Illinois YTD
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The number of English language proficiency violations for commercial drivers in Illinois year-to-date has nearly eclipsed last...
Envelopes with white powder sent to two Texas ICE offices, no public threat
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Texas remains ground zero for targeted attacks against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. In the past few months, ICE facilities in Texas have been...
Georgia GOP thanks Greene; Trump says she ‘went bad’
By Kim JarrettThe Center Square Less than 24 hours after the surprise resignation of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican received thanks from the state Republican Party and...
Texas governor, members of Congress lead effort to ban Sharia law in US
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square An anti-Sharia law movement is being led by Texas Republicans, including Texas’ governor and members of Congress. Gov. Greg Abbott this week issued three directives...
California loses one taxpayer per minute, Florida gains
By Andrew Rice | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Florida welcomes a new taxpayer about every two minutes while California loses one about every minute, according...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Executive Committee for November 13, 2025
Will County Board Executive Committee Meeting | November 13, 2025 The Will County Board’s Executive Committee met on Thursday, November 13, 2025, with its agenda dominated by a lengthy series...
Peotone School Board Faces Public Scrutiny Over Bus Accident Response
Peotone School Board Meeting | November 17, 2025 Article Summary:Parents and community members at the November 17 board meeting raised serious concerns about Peotone School District 207-U's handling of a...
SCOTUS issues stay in Texas redistricting case
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court requesting it to stay a federal district court ruling in a...
Marjorie Taylor Greene leaving Congress in January
By Kim JarrettThe Center Square U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Friday evening she is resigning from Congress effective Jan. 5, 2026, citing personal attacks by President Donald Trump behind...
WATCH: Trump, Mamdani meeting cordial with leaders finding common ground
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square After pelting each other with political insults over the course of several months, President Donald Trump and New York’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani appeared to have...
Study: K-12 public spending nears $1 trillion in U.S.
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square School districts across the country have significantly increased spending since 2020, even as they face steep declines in student enrollment and academic performance, according to...
WATCH: Power grid regulator says PNW in ‘crosshairs’ for potential winter blackouts
By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square The Pacific Northwest could be facing a challenging winter ahead when it comes to the demand for power and potential blackouts. The North American Electric...
