* ICYMI: Bill to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers clears General Assembly. Capitol News Illinois…

-The Senate took a bipartisan 43-11 vote to pass the legislation that supporters dub the “Dignity in Pay Act.”
- The bill aims to stop Illinois organizations from paying subminimum wage to workers with disabilities will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk.
-Under the bill, Illinois has through 2029 to abolish the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities.

* Related stories…

∙ WTVO: Illinois eliminates subminimum wage for disabled workers
∙ WAND: House Republicans, Democrats argue over scheduled January lame duck session

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Defamation suit can proceed against Sun-Times over Trump Tower stories, Illinois Supreme Court rules: In a 6-0 decision with one justice taking no part, the state’s top court ruled the suit filed by ex-Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board Executive Director Mauro Glorioso wasn’t lodged against the Sun-Times “solely based on defendant’s exercise of political rights.” Glorioso is suing the newspaper over a 2020 article about an anonymous complaint that accused him of improperly pushing for a property tax break on Donald Trump’s namesake riverfront tower.

* WBEZ | Hole in Johnson’s budget grows to $340 million thanks to cellphone tax snafu in Springfield: Illinois Retail Merchants Association President Rob Karr said there were technical problems that must be fixed in the legal language the city drafted. Although the higher tax rate would have applied to all pre-paid phone products, the now-failed legislation would have “treated those similarly-situated phone products differently,” Karr said. One category was “tangible personal property” with a sales tax. The other was not tangible and fell under an excise tax. “They drew this weird dividing line between these two sets of properties. … There were concerns about that. … The city was told to come back down and engage everyone to get it done correctly. They didn’t get it done correctly,” Karr said.

* Citizen’s Utility Board | ICC grants Aqua Illinois $11.6 million rate-hike: The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Thursday cut Aqua Illinois’ rate-hike request by about 40 percent, granting the water utility an $11.6 million increase. CUB called the ICC’s Final Order a step toward reining in a utility that was the subject of intense criticism for high rates and poor water quality from customers who attended ICC public forums requested by AARP Illinois over the summer. But CUB said more needed to be done: The next step is to work for reforms in Springfield.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Starvedrock Media | Newly-Elected Murri Briel Discusses Her Plans as New State Rep in Springfield: One topic was Briel’s view of the future of education in a district that not only includes Northern Illinois University, but also a number of community colleges. Briel said she’s concerned about the load that would be put on the state if the U.S. Department of Education is broken up or dissolved.

* NPR Illinois | Making sense of the state house, Mawa Iqbal shares what it’s like in the fast-paced environment of the Illinois State Capitol: Mawa Iqbal is the state house reporter for WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio. She spoke to Community Voices about what it’s like working in the state capitol, the challenges of reporting on social justice and the importance of media literacy.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune. | CPS: At a $10B impasse with CTU, ‘fact-finding’ hearings set for December in effort to resolve contract impasse: Leaders from the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools announced differing perspectives Thursday in what has become a very public teachers contract negotiation dispute, with the fate of district’s leader on the line. Facing mounting demands from CTU to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement, CPS told reporters they don’t have the revenue to meet many of the union’s asks.

* Tribune | Creation of quantum computer research park on South Works site wins Chicago Plan Commission approval: The vote came after hours of impassioned testimony from dozens of community residents. Many said the project represents an opportunity to bring billions of investment dollars and new businesses to a region that has suffered decades of isolation and disinvestment. Others said the massive development, first announced by Gov. JB Pritzker this past summer, is moving at a breakneck pace and needs to slow down, allowing environmental activists and community advocates the chance to secure a written agreement with the developers on wildlife protection, job creation and affordable housing.

* Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove DePaul student speaks out about antisemitic campus attack
: Kaminsky fractured his wrist, while Long suffered a brain injury in the assault by two masked attackers. Long said he has been the target of cyber harassment, with Pro-Hamas supporters putting up “wanted” posters online calling him an “IDF butcher” and saying he got what he deserved.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ABC Chicago | IL comptroller among those calling for Cook County judge to resign after suspected killer’s release: “I think there is a need to evaluate how we find ourselves here again,” Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said. “I don’t even trust him with a parking ticket, nor should anyone else at this point. I think the honest thing for Judge Thomas Nowinski to do is to resign,” Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said.

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz to face former labor leader affiliated with Park District: Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz faces a reelection challenge from a former labor leader affiliated with the Park District’s project at the former state mental health center. Running with Glotz on the One Tinley Park ticket are Village Clerk Nancy O’Connor and trustees William Brady, Dennis Mahoney and Colleen Sullivan.

* Daily Herald | Former Ford Heights Mayor Annie Coulter among 4 challengers to interim Mayor Freddie Wilson: rustees Tyreese Andrews and Germaine Hooks are running for reelection, while trustees Douglas Jones, Elliott Harper and Johnny Griffin will not be on the ballot. Hooks and Jones were appointed to two vacancies on the board last month created after former Mayor Charles Griffin and Trustee Jimmy Viverette were forced to resign. Griffin was convicted of embezzling between $10,000 and $100,000 from the village and Viverette was found by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to have previously been convicted of a felony, disqualifying them from holding office.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Springfield, Champaign-Urbana have largest October job increases among IL metro areas: Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in six areas, increased in six and was unchanged in two. The metro areas that saw the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Springfield MSA (+1.9%, +2,000) and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+1.7%, +2,100).

* WREX | Rochelle’s Kitchen Table has served its final meal after eight years: Kitchen Table, a unique establishment in Rochelle, has become a lifeline for hundreds in the community, offering meals with no prices on a ‘pay what you can basis’. But now, the organization has made the difficult decision to serve its final meal. “It would allow people to still come out and feed their families and pay what they could afford to pay. So to me, it was perfect,” said Carolyn Brown, founder of Kitchen Table.

*** National ***

* Sun-Times | What’s next for Rahm Emanuel?: U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is in the mix for Democratic National Committee chair — and if there are vacancies — governor and senator. He told the Sun-Times he is weighing his options about the next “best way to serve.” Emanuel texted me: “First come home second talk and listen to folks at home about best way to serve and build what we care about.”