Illinois Governor, Attorney General Deadlocked in Battle of Pointing Fingers
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner Sophia Tereen / AP Photo
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Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Army of volunteers saves Colorado town from fire; Maine considers state pension income tax exemption; and Baltimore tentatively increases minimum wage.
STATE GOVERNMENT | Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, accused state Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, of trying to shut down government through “coordinated activity,” after she asked the state Supreme Court to enforce a section of their constitution preventing any spending unless a budget is approved. A day earlier, Rauner engaged in a spat with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, suggesting City Hall provide public schools with the money they need—having walked away from the bargaining table with the Chicago Teachers Union. [Chicago Tribune; FOX 32]
Maine Senate Democrats have proposed a bill exempting state employees’ retirement pensions from income tax, similar to a current credit for military retirement benefits. A legislative committee table the legislation, pending review of Gov. Paul LePage’s budget, which includes a similar measure. “Folks realize that if you’re receiving social security, you’re not taxed on that income under state law,” said Sen. Shenna Bellows, the bill’s author. “And so what this would mean is it would create an exemption that is equal to what you would be receiving under social security and you wouldn’t be taxed on that portion of your public service pension benefits.” [WABI TV 5]
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Wednesday he is opposed to raising the state’s gas tax to pay for road repairs. Earlier in the day, a state Senate panel approved a proposal to raise the state’s 16.75-cent-per-gallon tax by two cents a year for six years. [The State]
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System is slashing benefits by as much as 63 percent for 200 retirees who worked for a now-defunct multi-jurisdictional agency in Los Angeles County that folded in 2014 and stopped payments to CalPERS. [The Sacramento Bee]
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT | An “army of volunteers” in a small town in northeastern Colorado made a brave stand to save their community of 900 residents from a wind-whipped wildfire that was rapidly advancing on Monday. Their last-ditch efforts, involving residents with “tractors trying to get in front of it” to dig firebreaks was credited with helping to contain the blaze. The fire in the Haxtun area, which grew to 80,000 acres on Tuesday, is currently under investigation by state and local law enforcement. [The Denver Post]
CITY HALLS | Baltimore City Council preliminarily approved a minimum wage increase—backed by eight new, younger, more progressive members—to $15 by 2022. Maryland’s current minimum wage is $8.75 with an increase to $10.10 scheduled by July 2018, but low-wage workers have argued that’s still unlivable. Mayor Catherine Pugh, who has said the minimum wage debate should take place at the regional or state levels, hasn’t weighed in on whether she’ll veto the legislation. She has worried openly it will make Baltimore an island, pushing and keeping businesses out. [Baltimore Jewish Times]
Pittsburgh will supply free lead filters to every Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority homeowner customer as part of a new $1 million program that Mayor William Peduto announced Wednesday. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
LICENSING | Toothy grins have been prohibited since last fall in Idaho driver’s license photos. The state began regulating how people smile for the pictures because it plans to soon launch new facial recognition software designed to stop identity theft. Virginia was one of four states to adopt a “no smile” policy in 2009, but repealed the policy in 2015. [Idaho Statesman]
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