Afternoon News Update Tuesday February 17
- Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is expected to propose spending cuts and a new tax on some services during his budget address tomorrow. The speech is likely to set up a battle with Democrats who want to raise income tax rates that rolled back at the start of 2015.
The mystery surrounding the body of former Chicago Cubs great Ernie Banks has been solved. Officials said that Banks was buried at a cemetery just north of Wrigley Field a week after his funeral. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on a dispute between Banks' family and his caretaker over what the family said was the caretaker's desire to have Banks' remains cremated.
- Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan says Governor Bruce Rauner's budget address will include "tough medicine" for the state. Madigan and other leaders met with the governor today ahead of tomorrow speech. Advocates for low-income, elderly and disabled people are preparing for possible cuts to Medicaid and other programs. Madigan says Rauner plans no tax hikes.
- Health officials in Illinois say that the number of measles cases have jumped to 14. Officials say that another infant from a Palatine day care is the most recent confirmed case in the outbreak. All 14 cases have been in Cook County, with 2 adults and 12 infants affected. Thirteen of the 14 cases have been associated with a KinderCare Learning Center in Palatine.
- Electronic cigarettes soon could be classified with tobacco products under a proposed smoking ban from an Illinois lawmaker. The measure would put e-cigarettes under the same law that restricts smoking inside public places across the state. Scientific studies have not reached a consensus on the the long-term health risks of the use of e-cigarettes.
- A 25-year-old man has pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in connection with a deadly Rockford car crash that killed another person in March of 2014. The crash left 25-year-old Drakaar Malone paralyzed from the waist down and killed 17-year-old Robert Wilson. In August, Malone was charged with Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Involving Death among other charges.
- Illinois governor Bruce Rauner and his wife spent a portion of President's Day speaking to students about the importance of the civil rights movement. They stopped by a Springfield movie theater shortly before a group of students were set to view the movie "Selma." Diana Rauner told students that the movie was a vivid demonstration "of what nonviolent resistance looks like and how powerful it is." The Rauners said they viewed the film themselves a few weeks ago.
- One Illinois community hasn't given up its dream of becoming an Amtrak stop. The Daily Chronicle cites leaders in Genoa as holding out hope despite losing some battles in the long fight to be selected as a stop for passenger-train service. The newspaper says Genoa’s mayor recently asked Gov. Bruce Rauner to put aside plans by former Gov. Pat Quinn to bypass Genoa with a Rockford-to-Chicago Amtrak line.
- Some Chicago taxi drivers angry over the city's decision to license the ride-booking company Uber held a noisy downtown demonstration Tuesday morning. The drivers refused fares and drove around City Hall honking their horns. They say companies such as Uber are under-regulated and are taking away their business.
- An Illinois lawmaker wants motorcycle safety to be a formal part of driver's education courses. The proposal would amend the driver's education act in the Illinois School Code to require that all behind the wheel instruction include lessons on motorcycle safety and awareness. Bennett says the concern was raised by constituents in his central Illinois district.
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