Illinois Quick Hits: General Assembly approves CTE bill

Illinois Quick Hits: General Assembly approves CTE bill

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(The Center Square) – A bill offering career technical education classes as an alternative to Illinois’ foreign language mandate is headed to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk.

The Illinois House passed Senate Bill 3070 on Sunday.

The measure provides that high school students can still take two years of foreign language but will now have the option to take CTE classes starting in 2028.

NONPROFIT INVESTMENT BILL PASSED

The Illinois General Assembly has passed legislation allowing the state treasurer’s office to set up an investment pool for nonprofit organizations.

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs said Senate Bill 2968 is intended to help nonprofits strengthen their financial stability and maximize resources that help communities.

Frerichs told The Center Square last fall he would keep working on the legislation that was vetoed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last summer.

COOK COUNTY ANNOUNCES MINIMUM WAGE HIKE

Minimum wages will be going up in Cook County on July 1.

The county’s Commission on Human Rights issued a notice on Monday that the minimum wage for non-tipped workers over the age of 18 will increase from $15 to $15.40 and the minimum for tipped employees will rise from $9 to $9.25.

Cook County’s minimum wage is based on the greatest rate among the federal minimum wage, Illinois minimum wage, or on the county’s calculation using the Consumer Price Index.

CHICAGO ANNOUNCES BUDGET ENGAGEMENT EVENTS

Chicago officials have announced a series of five budget engagement roundtable events, starting Wednesday at Malcolm X College. T

he events are open to the public and will be livestreamed on social media platforms. More information is available at the city’s fiscal year 2027 budget engagement website.

The city’s $16.7 billion budget passed in December includes higher taxes on cloud computing, liquor and plastic bags, along with rideshare surcharges and a roughly $1 billion sweep of tax-increment financing funds to Chicago Public Schools.

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