By SOPHIA TAREEN
Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) â Legislators returned to Springfield to take up a massive overhaul of energy policy that includes a bailout for nuclear plants and closing coal-fired plants, but negotiations stalled Tuesday.
Proposals on energy and an elected school board in Chicago are outstanding following a whirlwind legislative session that ended June 1 and resulted in a $42 billion budget.
Here s a closer look at where things stand:
THE BACKGROUND
Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to make Illinois a completely renewable-energy state by 2050 with tighter controls on utilities, following a bribery scandal involving electric company Commonwealth Edison. Last August, the first-term Democrat released an extensive plan with goals for addressing climate change, pollution and sustainable jobs.
Lawmakers return to Illinois Capitol to debate energy policy overhaul
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What voters should know about how amending Illinois constitution will boost government union power
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Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Two years ago, I was elected with a mandate to bring reform to our city, with a focus on creating more fairness, more equity, and more opportunity for those Chicagoans who had been excluded. I knew that would mean taking on tough fights, and not backing down until we reached a solution.
The latest of these thorny issues is reforming the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education to be fairer, more inclusive and more democratic, while still ensuring accountability for City Hall and stability for our kids and Illinois taxpayers.
We need a paradigmatic change in the governance of our school system. But the most consequential change in governance of the CPS Board of Education must be guided by important core values.