Politics
The Politics Section of the Chicago Journal.
Supreme Court upholds cash-free bail in Illinois, takes effect in September
Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis ordered that the halt on the law be lifted 60 days after Tuesday's opinion, on Sept. 18, 2023.

Kim Foxx won't seek third term
“I leave now with my head held high, with my heart full, knowing that better days are ahead,” Foxx said. “And it has been my honor and my privilege on behalf of project kids across this city."

Johnson elected Chicago mayor in victory for progressives
Johnson, a Cook County commissioner endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, won a close race over former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas.

Chicago chooses between progressive, moderate for mayor
The top two vote-getters in the all-Democrat but officially nonpartisan race moved to the Tuesday runoff because no candidate received over 50% of the vote.

ComEd, Madigan focus of federal bribery trial in Illinois
While Madigan, 80, will feature in much of the testimony and evidence, he won't be in court. He has been indicted, but he isn't a defendant at the current trial in U.S. District Court. He isn't expected to testify either. His own trial is scheduled for next year.

Illinois ban on cash bail in hands of state's Supreme Court
Brief arguments before the Supreme Court's seven justices in Springfield on Tuesday largely centered on whether lawmakers have the authority to make such a sweeping change to pretrial procedures. The justices gave no timeline for when a decision in the case will be released.

Illinois enacts mandatory paid leave 'for any reason'
Just Maine and Nevada mandate earned paid time time off and allot employees the freedom to decide how to use it, but Illinois’ law is further reaching, unencumbered by limits based on business size.

Board skirts concealed-carry law, drafts bill to fix issues
Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office declined comment in part because it expects lawsuits over the board's unwillingness to administer the expanded program.

Rep. Darin LaHood says FBI wrongly sought surveillance info about him
At a hearing of the House Intelligence Committee, LaHood pressed FBI Director Chris Wray to acknowledge that his agency and others had at times violated the rules on the use of data collected through electronic snooping.

Retired officers angry at board's delay on gun-carry law
The ILETSB said conflicting laws render the board powerless to issue CCL's to sheriff's deputies who worked the jails or monitored courtrooms. But it waited until Jan. 11 — more than a week after the law's effective date — to seek an opinion from the attorney general as to how to proceed.
