* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield next week, here’s some things to keep an eye on. WBEZ…

- The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning wants to merge Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority into one regional agency as part of an attempt to close a $730 million budget deficit.
- Plans for a wide ranging “cannabis omnibus” bill fizzled in the final days of 2023’s spring session, but cannabis advocates in the legislature are still pushing forward.
- State Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) and State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) are promoting a plan to put wind turbines to Lake Michigan.

* Isabel’s top picks…

* SJ-R | Still on the ballot: ISBOE denies objection to Illinois 95th House District candidate : ISBOE records showed Chiaro signed Coburn’s nomination papers who was running in the same district. Michael Kasper, Chiaro’s attorney, however, said the candidate remained eligible since she signed her own nomination papers on Sept. 30 before signing Coburn’s on Oct. 31.

* Crain’s | Plan to elect Chicago school board hits political land mines: The twin battles pit the Chicago Teachers Union and progressive groups against Senate President Don Harmon and more centrist Democrats, with Mayor Brandon Johnson potentially playing a key intermediary role. Until a deal is reached, the rules that guide board elections mandated by a 2021 state law are uncertain — including whether all 20 board members and the chair will be elected this November, or whether voters will elect only 10, with Johnson temporarily selecting another 10 plus a chair for a hybrid board that would run schools until another election in 2026.

* WTTW | What a Permanent Child Tax Credit Could Mean for Families in Illinois: The expansion of the child tax credit during the pandemic — which included cash payments to families for six months — lifted more than 2 million children out of poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. […] State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights) is a chief co-sponsor of a bill in the state House that would enact a permanent child tax credit.

* Governor JB Pritzker heads to Iowa to campaign with President Biden ahead of the Republican Caucus. He will be holding a news conference in Des Moines on Monday at 2:30 pm.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Sun-Times | High times for Illinois pot industry as annual recreational sales top $1.6 billion: Illinoisans bought more joints, gummies, flower and other weed products overall, too — 42,124,741 of them, to be exact — a 15% jump from the previous year, officials said. The only number harshing Illinois’s reefer revenue buzz was a 14% decline in sales to out-of-state customers, who spent $418 million. Officials blamed burgeoning weed sales in nearby states that have also legalized recreational cannabis, such as Michigan, Missouri and Minnesota.

* Tribune | Rule change allows craft cannabis growers in Illinois to expand more quickly, but it may not be enough to save many of them: A rule change in December by the Illinois Department of Agriculture allows craft growers to immediately expand from the current limit of 5,000 square feet of flowering plant space to 14,000 square feet.

* 25 News Now | McLean County Board rejects immigration resolution:: The McLean County Board has rejected an effort to ban the use of county tax dollars to support migrants who would come to the community from the border. The vote was 13-7 against GOP board member Chuck Erickson’s resolution, with three Republicans joining all 10 Democrats opposing Erickson’s measure. Board Chair Catherine Metsker, Randall Knapp, and Susan Schafer -all Republicans - voted with the majority.

* WMBD | McLean County’s EMA director lays out plan for migrants: Cathy Beck, director of McLean County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA), said the plan would be to send migrants to the migrant intake center in Chicago. She did mention that a lot of the planning would have to be done spontaneously, as the buses would likely arrive without warning.

* Lawmaker: More legislation may be needed to protect young people on social media: State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said she plans to introduce legislation in Illinois to address mental health problems among young people. “You talk to teachers in your school districts and they will tell you that the No. 1 issue that they are dealing with is mental health breakdowns, and they’re coming to Springfield for more money,” Rezin told The Center Square. “We need to ask ourselves why are we seeing these breakdowns, especially in minors.”

* WLS | Illinois Secretary of State announces enhancements for ‘Skip the Line’ online DMV program: The Illinois Secretary of State made a push Thursday to urge drivers to “skip the lines” at the DMV and go online for services. Alexi Giannoulias held a news conference Downtown to unveil enhancements to his office’s website.

* Illinois Times | Judge denies Sam McCann’s request to delay trial again: The bench trial of former Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann on illegal campaign fund spending charges will begin as scheduled Feb. 5, a federal judge ruled Jan. 10 when she turned down McCann’s request for another delay in the almost 3-year-old case. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Lawless also denied McCann’s second request since January for a delay in filing a list of potential witnesses the Plainview resident plans to call to the stand and testify during the trial.

* WNIJ | Has the well-being of children in Illinois improved over the past decade? A new report explores.: “In general, our scores were above the national average for the well-being of children in most racial and ethnic groups. But the state ranked in the bottom third of states for the well-being of Black children,” she said. “This data point really underscores in Illinois, and in states more broadly, we’re really failing to ensure that children, especially children of color, have all the resources they need to thrive.”

* Crain’s | Debt and deficits set off alarm bells at University of Chicago: The university ended fiscal 2023 in June, reporting operating expenses of $3.14 billion and a deficit of $239 million, resulting in a hiring freeze and other budget cuts. At the same time, it has been dealing with debt and rising interest payments.

* STAT | Addressing the Black youth suicide crisis requires a new approach to licensing clinical social workers: But at a time when they are arguably needed most, Black social workers face stringent barriers to earning full clinical licenses. Nationally, Black social workers report experiencing racial bias in the test-taking process that is required to earn the clinical license needed to administer independent therapeutic services. This crisis calls for new solutions, and Illinois is trying one that sounds promising. A new state law provides alternative paths to obtaining clinical licensure, and other states would benefit from closely watching this approach.

* Crain’s | In the search for a new top tourism exec, Chicago’s reputation is at stake: With the unexpected departure of CEO Lynn Osmond, Choose Chicago finds itself in the same place it was in 2021, casting a wide net to reel in a new leader in charge of drawing visitors and conventions to the city. The challenge proved formidable back then, when the agency’s board of directors spent more than nine months trying to fill the role.

* Sun-Times | Chicago area under winter storm warning, as much as 12 inches of snow could fall, flights grounded at O’Hare: A ground stop was ordered at O’Hare International Airport at 5:35 a.m. because of ice and snow. It was due to be lifted at 8 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. As of 7:15 a.m., more than 550 flights had been cancelled at O’Hare and nearly 200 at Midway Airport.

* Tribune | Chicago White Sox GM Chris Getz breaks down recent roster additions — and what’s next for pitcher Garrett Crochet: The Sox announced a one-year, $4.25 million deal with Maldonado on Jan. 5. They acquired Stassi in a trade from the Atlanta Braves in early December. Getz highlighted the experience both provide — Maldonado has 13 seasons in the big leagues and Stassi 10 — along with their game planning, receiving, throwing and building rapport with others.