Rich Miller

It does no good to help train and attract much-needed professionals if the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation can’t figure out how to approve first-time licenses and renewals in a timely fashion.

The Chicago Teachers Union is set for its own lobby day to ask for money for Chicago schools. But coming to town with two weeks left can mean settling for leftovers, and if the budget is as tight as the governor says, there may not be any leftovers for CPS.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker unexpectedly backed off his longstanding opposition to taxing services as lawmakers search for ways to fund and reform the Chicago region’s mass transit system.

If these plans for new stadiums from the Bears, White Sox and Red Stars are going to have even a remote chance of passage, teams will have to drastically scale back their state asks and show some tangible benefits for state taxpayers.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose popularity has plummeted with his Statehouse influence, ought to take this as a warning not to follow the CTU’s example.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon clears up any confusion on stadium talk and a proposed biometric privacy law that has had businesses in a tizzy.

Mueller’s main priority is “getting in front” of the steadily increasing number of calls to the child welfare agency’s hotline, as well as investigations and the number of kids in foster care.

A poll taken of 700 registered Illinois voters purports to show which of those ideas has strong support and which do not.

Niemerg’s Republican primary opponent, Jim Acklin, also faces nasty claims in the 102nd District race.