* Here you go…

* Tribune | Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch doesn’t rule out putting abortion rights on 2024 ballot: Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch on Wednesday vowed there wouldn’t be another attempt to ask voters to approve a graduated-rate income tax, but did not rule out putting a proposed constitutional amendment codifying a women’s right to abortion on the 2024 presidential election year ballot to drive Democratic turnout.

* Chicago Mag | Rowe v. Raoul: In a case combining lawsuits across 64 counties, Kankakee County state’s attorney Jim Rowe contends that ending cash bail violates the Illinois Constitution. Late last year, Thomas Cunningham, a conservative Kankakee County judge, agreed. Attorney General Kwame Raoul appealed Cunningham’s ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in mid-March. A decision is expected this summer.

* 19th News | Women are almost half of lieutenant governors. Could it pave the way to higher office?: Among the research findings: Most voters believe that women lieutenant governors are qualified to serve as governor, and the office can prepare these women for the role. “They’re kind of the sleeper category in terms of gaining parity for women, because I don’t think people are really thinking about it too much,” said Amanda Hunter, executive director of the foundation, which does nonpartisan research on women in politics.

* Tri States Public Radio | Illinois House Republican Leader hoping for balanced state budget: “The speaker says it will be balanced. But does balanced mean we will borrow funds from other agencies and other funds? Yes. Does it mean that we will move funds from one fund to another? Yes. I don’t hope for that, but it’s been that way ever since I’ve been there.” She said such maneuvering lacks transparency.

* Sun-Times | Judge slams city’s handling of Chicago police abuse lawsuit, orders deposition of former top cop: At a hearing last week, Judge Gerald Cleary ruled city lawyers withheld evidence from lawyers for Bernard Kersh by failing to turn over a letter in which Brown said Officer Jerald Williams used excessive force when he slammed Kersh onto the sidewalk. Williams claims Kersh spit on him.

* Daily Herald | Ex-Kane County court clerk accused of stealing from office: Former Kane County Circuit Clerk Thomas Hartwell has been charged with official misconduct, accused of spending nearly $120,000 in county funds on a campaign event and taking kickbacks from a St. Charles business owner.

* Sun-Times | Cook County bans reporters from bringing computers, phones into courthouse — for now: The ban was ordered after a reporter took photographs with a cellphone while in a courtroom, a spokeswoman said. A meeting has been set for Friday with court officials “to discuss expectations going forward.”

* WBEZ | CTA is launching an anti-grime campaign. Customers say it’s overdue.: The CTA earlier this month announced a new “Goodbye, Grime” campaign — complete with digital ads — to highlight $6.5 million in repairs and improvements planned for rail stations. Cleaner transit stations and fleets are part of a bigger effort to boost sagging ridership and public confidence in the agency that has taken a hit this year. In a November WBEZ survey of regular CTA commuters, complaints about cleanliness and sanitation ranked third among rider concerns, after reliability (1) and safety (2).

* Tribune | Aldermen who supported Vallas look to mend fences with Johnson yet stay true to themselves: Weeks later, Beale and his colleagues who backed Vallas find themselves in the unenviable position of having supported the loser in the mayor’s race and forced to build a new relationship with Johnson, who some aldermen had described as too progressive, too inexperienced or too lenient of crime.

* WBEZ | Chicago drops public school ratings in favor of a less punitive system for assessing schools: Rather than being punitive, CPS board members say CPS’ new accountability policy focuses on improving teaching and learning, as well as creating an optimal educational experience. “This is a soft accountability policy that can be model for the nation,” John Easton told the board. Easton served as an advisor on this policy and formerly served as the director of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. Easton started his career in Chicago Public Schools.

* CBS Chicago | Longtime resident’s new book offers glimpse at booming West Loop’s history: Fairbanks proudly calls the West Loop home. She wrote a book about it called “Chicago’s West Loop, Then and Now: People, Businesses, Buildings.” “I wrote this book because I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 25 years,” she said. “So I’ve seen the wave of changes, and I knew there was history here.”

* Daily Herald | 2023 Best Places to Work in Illinois to be honored May 11: The Daily Herald Suburban Business has announced the names of 57 companies in three categories of competition that are being honored as the 2023 Best Places to Work in Illinois. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses.

* WTVO | Illinois senator gets stuck in falling elevator: A scary moment for Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose, as an elevator he was in at the Capitol suddenly started to fall. Rose was on his way to a meeting, hopping in an elevator on the fourth floor. It started to drop as soon as the doors closed.