Illinois governor signs law to protect immigrant renters
August 21, 2019
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a law aimed at creating protections for immigrants who rent in Illinois. The law prohibits landlords from evicting or retaliating against tenants based on their immigration status. Landlords are also barred from disclosing or threatening to disclose immigration status...
Illinois House OKs tax rates for proposed graduated scale
John O'Connor, Associated Press
May 30, 2019
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Democrats who control the Illinois House on Thursday approved tiered income-tax rates that would take effect if voters opt for revamping state taxation to hit higher incomes harder, a plan they say is aimed at attacking the state's crippling debt. The 67-48 vote followed...
Voters to decide on Pritzker’s graduated income tax program
John O'Connor, Associated Press
May 27, 2019
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Voters will decide next year whether to ditch Illinois' flat-rate income tax in favor of one that hits the wealthy hardest following House action Monday that gave Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker his top campaign pledge and biggest victory since taking office. On a 73-44 roll...
Illinois governor announces plan to legalize marijuana
Sara Burnett, Associated Press
May 5, 2019
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Saturday he's reached an agreement with key lawmakers on a plan to legalize recreational marijuana in the state starting next year. The legislation would allow adults 21 and older to legally buy cannabis for recreational use from licensed dispensaries. Illinois residents...
Proposed graduated tax in Illinois inches forward
John O'Connor, Associated Press
May 4, 2019
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Senate has begun the process for ending the state's 50-year-old flat-rate income tax structure. But Senate approval of a constitutional amendment and proposed rates for a graduated income tax does not guarantee a change. House Democrats are trying to gather...
Tobacco 21 bill rises from the ashes
Ella Lee, Focus Editor
April 15, 2019
Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Tobacco 21 bill Sunday, April 7, which raised the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 years old. As Tobacco 21’s most affected age group, some DePaul students say they have mixed feelings about the new law. “I don’t agree with smoking because of t...
Pritzker signs bill banning tobacco sales to Illinois minors
April 8, 2019
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a bill banning the sale of tobacco products to minors. Pritzker on Sunday signed legislation raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. With Pritzker's action, beginning on July 1, Illinois will join California, New Jersey, Massachusetts,...
How the minimum wage increase will affect DePaul student employees
Doug Klain, Opinions Editor
April 8, 2019
When DePaul University junior Breya Jones heard that Illinois was raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, she felt like it was a validation that her work is valued by the community. Like many studying at DePaul, she’s a student employee at the university. “It makes me feel like even though I’m a...
Building a new Illinois: Pritzker’s plan
Samuel Rahman, Contributing Writer
January 28, 2019
From expanding Illinois’s Medicare system to instituting a progressive graduated income tax, newly inaugurated Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed a slew of daring policy plans to overhaul Illinois’ economy. With a new Democratic governor and a reaffirmed Democratic state Senate and House of Representa...
Gov. Pritzker plans ahead for Illinois and college students
Luc Fougere, Contributing Writer
January 22, 2019
Newly sworn-in Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker sees the state as one of possibility and promise, and outlined how he plans to fix a variety of issues during his inauguration speech last Monday. “No. Everything is not broken,” he said in his speech. Pritzker, who beat out the former Republican Gov. ...
Rauner loses gubernatorial race after a single rocky term
Carina Smith, News Editor
November 12, 2018
After an expensive and widespread campaign season, incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner announced he was conceding to Democratic opponent J.B. Pritzker, effectively ending his time in office. At his watch party held at the Drake Hotel on Nov. 6, Rauner announced he was dropping out of the Illinois gubernatorial...
Pritzker wins battle of the bank accounts in Illinois
Rosbelis Quinonez and Ryan Witry, Contributing Writer
November 12, 2018
Democrat J.B. Pritzker rode a green wave of record-breaking spending as he seized the Illinois governor’s office from Republican incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner in a midterm election that generated unusually high turnout. Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, won easily after pour...
Bianca Cseke, Online Editor
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A 35-year-old man was critically wounded after being shot early Sunday morning in the 400 block of West...
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So, you’ve decided to become a Blue Demon at DePaul, the home of a competitive...
DePaul hires new Title IX coordinator, retitles position
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DePaul has hired Ann M. Skiffington as the university’s new director of gender...
Loop Block Party kicks off new school year
September 15, 2019
On the first day back to school, the Loop Block Party kicks off the school...