Budget lawsuit hearing set
A lawsuit claiming the process Democrats used to approve the Illinois state budget was unconstitutional is scheduled to be heard in court on July 3.
The Illinois Freedom Caucus filed the lawsuit in Sangamon County. The group comprised of seven state lawmakers say Democratic leadership in the House and Senate wait until the last possible moment to pass a budget and violate the Illinois Constitution in the process.
Teacher charged with abusing student out pretrial
A public school teacher is not being detained even though she faces more than 50 counts related to the sexual abuse of a student.
The Daily Herald reports that Downers Grove South teacher Christina Formella is facing 52 new charges.
Judge Mia McPherson cited Illinois’ SAFE-T Act when she denied a prosecutor’s request to detain Formella and instead ordered electronic monitoring.
Cook County deficit revealed
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday unveiled her preliminary budget forecast for fiscal year 2026, showing a projected gap of $211.4 million across the county’s general and health funds.
The report presents a mid-year projection of year-end revenues and expenses. Preckwinkle blamed the budget gap on “financial uncertainty and unpredictability being caused at the federal level.”
