* Crain’s…

In a new shot at Chicago Transit Authority management, an influential Chicago watchdog group is urging that state lawmakers abolish the CTA as an independent agency, turning its responsibilities largely over to an empowered Regional Transportation Authority.

“Citizens want and deserve guarantees that funding increases for government programs will lead to better service outcomes. They want assurances that money is going to be spent efficiently and effectively,” the Civic Federation says in a report issued today. “In the case of mass transit, this will require substantial reform of the current siloed governance and decision-making process that prioritizes the individual priorities of service boards, or transit providers, over regional priorities.”

The report comes as state lawmakers begin to take up the issue of how to avoid what the CTA, Metra and Pace say is a collective $730 million annual fiscal cliff they’ll begin to face at the end of next year, when federal COVID relief funds that have kept them financially afloat, despite ridership drops, run out.

The consolidation also would apply to Metra and Pace. But the CTA in particular wants to keep its independence and, with backing from Mayor Brandon Johnson, instead has pushed a plan to give it a larger subsidy without significant management changes.

Click here for the full report.

* A reminder!…

It's almost time for the House vs. Senate Softball Showdown! ⚾ And you best believe the House is ready to defend our title. 💪🏾 We will be at Robin Roberts Stadium on Wednesday, May 1 with lots of family-friendly festivities. First pitch is 6:05 PM. I hope to see you there! pic.twitter.com/pZEQlElung

— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@SpeakerWelchIL) April 23, 2024

*** Statehouse News ***

* Shaw Local | Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs on what the office does, doesn’t do: So, it is not a surprise that with tax filing day approaching, I have been getting a lot of questions about taxes. We try our best to answer them, or refer people to the appropriate agency, but these questions have served as a reminder that many people just don’t understand my office. I would like to use this note to give you a better idea. Let me start with what we don’t do: We don’t collect taxes. That is the job of the Illinois Department of Revenue.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Influential West Loop Group Relaunches — But Keeps Who’s Behind It A Secret: But despite the group’s new look, its nonprofit status, and its commitment to transparency, it’s unknown who is running the nonprofit besides [President Julie Darling]. That’s because the board intends to remain anonymous, saying through a spokesperson the members fear “cyberbullying” from West Loop resident Moshe Tamssot, the creator of another West Loop Facebook group who has long clashed with WLCO leaders.

* Sun-Times | Dexter Reed was shot 13 times in deadly gunfight with Chicago police, autopsy shows: Dexter Reed was shot at least 13 times when he was killed in a gun battle with Chicago police during a traffic stop last month in Humboldt Park, according to a newly released autopsy report. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the oversight agency investigating the shooting, has reported that four officers fired nearly 100 rounds at Reed after he shot another officer in the wrist on March 21 in the 3800 block of West Ferdinand Street.

* Tribune | As Marine Leadership Academy’s embattled principal receives a promotion at CPS, parents demand accountability: Embattled Marine Leadership Academy principal Kristin Novy is resigning from her post as the head of the Logan Square school for 7-12 grade students – to take a city-wide position within Chicago Public Schools, the district said in an emailed statement Wednesday. For parents and community members who’ve been calling for Novy’s removal for months, the development can be summed up in a word, Board of Governors member Mercy Lamourt said at a meeting at the school Wednesday: “Disappointing.”

* Block Club | Imani The Piping Plover Has Returned To Montrose Beach: Imani, a male plover, was born with his sibling, Siewka, in summer 2021 and is now nearly 3. He is the son of the famed Monty and Rose, the plovers who stole the city’s hearts and inspired plovermania in Chicago starting in 2019. Imani has returned to Montrose Beach repeatedly, though he has not been joined by a female and has not been able to successfully mate.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Northwestern students set up protest encampment, call out university censorship of pro-Palestinian speech: University President Michael Schill sent a letter to students Thursday morning saying the university had enacted an “interim addendum” to the student code of conduct to prohibit tents. The letter said that protesters had been informed they were in violation of university policies and that the university was removing tents that protesters didn’t take down.

* Shaw Local | Why Kane County is taking more time to decide on new sales tax referendum: Dale Berman, chairman of the finance and budget committee, asked for the item to be removed from the committee’s agenda on Wednesday because he “sensed” members weren’t ready to decide. Berman said he wants an ad hoc committee to review the idea.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | Setting a strong foundation: Habitat for Humanity director ready for retirement: After more than a decade of guiding the Habitat for Humanity to build houses and expanding its operations on critical rebuilds, Executive Director of local Habitat for Humanity Colleen Stone is retiring on June 28. […] The legacy Stone leaves will be in good hands after a decade of service to the community, giving life changing homes to first-time homeowners. Since 2013, Stone has had part in the building/renovation of 26 houses, 58 critical home repairs, installed 92 wheelchair ramps and impacted over 200 lives in the community directly.

* WCIA | Decatur brewery wins Gold in 2024 World Beer Cup: On Wednesday, Decatur’s Golden Fox Brewing earned Gold in the world’s most prestigious beer competition, the World Beer Cup. The award was given for one of 110 beer-style categories: American-Style Imperial Stout beer. Golden Fox “topped off” 59 competing entries with their winning beverage, the Furious Fox. The beverage is described as an ale that is black in color and packed with earthy flavors, including fig molasses, oak chocolate, dark fruits and light roast coffee.

* SJ-R | What to know about near $5M road construction project beginning soon in Springfield: The city of Springfield has targeted May 6 as the start of work for converting traffic on a 1.6-mile stretch of Fourth Street from one-way to two-way traffic. That will include the setup of temporary barricades to close one lane of Fourth Street from South Grand Avenue to Dodge Street, said T.J. Heavisides, the city’s chief traffic engineer.

*** National ***

* Fox Chicago | Southwest Airlines will stop flying to these airports as Boeing troubles weigh: As a result, the Texas-based carrier is closing operations at: Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Bellingham International Airport in Washington, Cozumel International Airport in Mexico and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York.