SPRINGFIELD – Associate judgeships in Cook County circuit court would be converted to resident judgeships under a proposal sponsored by State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago).

Read more: Jones: Laquan McDonald death will not be swept under the rug

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) voted today to increase the Illinois minimum wage to $15 by 2025.

If approved and signed by the governor, it would be the first minimum wage increase in Illinois in a decade.

“Increasing the minimum wage is something we have been waiting to do for years,” Jones said. “Personally, I’ve been eager to see the minimum wage increase again since coming to the Senate in 2009.”

Under the proposal, the state’s minimum hourly wage of $8.25 would increase incrementally to $15 per hour between now and 2025. The legislation, Senate Bill 1, also calls for a tax credit to help businesses that employ fewer than 50 workers offset the wage increase.

Read more: Jones votes to raise the minimum wage to $15

ALSIP – Laramie Park in Alsip is a beneficiary of a $400,000 state grant, State Senator Emil Jones III revealed today.
The Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Program grant program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

“Families of the Alsip community will be ecstatic that their park is receiving a renovation,” Jones said. “Every park in my district is important to me and I’m pleased to see that Laramie Park is one of the parks that will benefit from this grant.”

Additional Projects in the 14th Senate District that received OSLAD grants include:

• Park 584 West Pullman community - $350,000 for development
• Bremen Heights Park - $400,000 for redevelopment
• Palmer Park - $400,000 for redevelopment