Longtime Madigan staffer testifies under immunity
A close, longtime staffer for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan took the stand in the ComEd bribery trial Thursday, testifying under immunity about secretly recorded 2018 discussions about House leadership in which a longtime Madigan confidant participated.
Will Cousineau, who served as the speaker’s issues director and as political director of the Democratic Party of Illinois, said he considered his rank in Madigan’s world to be just below the likes of Madigan confidant Michael McClain. The testimony came during the federal trial of McClain and three other former political power players.
Chicago schools eye deficits
The head of the Chicago Public School system warns that their financial situation could be dicey in the coming years.
CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said during a board meeting that $2.8 billion in federal COVID-19 funds will dry up next year. Martinez said there are underlying funding issues, including “underfunding by the state” and teacher pensions. He noted that increased costs and inflation could lead to a $600 million deficit by 2026.
Unemployment rate stagnates
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports the state added 10,700 nonfarm jobs in February.
The top sectors for job growth last month included government with nearly 6,000 new job gains, hospitality with 5,100 job gains, and transportation, trade and utilities with 2,700 job gains. The unemployment rate remained stagnant from January at 4.5%, nearly one percentage point higher than the national average.
