Illinois GOP chair resigns
Illinois state GOP Chairman Don Tracy resigned Wednesday, ending a more than three-year run. In his resignation letter, Tracy said his decision was in part because he spent more time dealing with infighting among fellow Republicans than fighting Democrats. Tracy said his resignation was effective upon the election of a new chairman or “no later than July 19,” which is the day after the Republican National Convention ends.
Chicago named one of nation’s worst-run cities
A new study says Chicago is ranked as one of the worst-run cities in the country. To determine the best and worst, the personal finance website WalletHub compared 148 of the most populated cities using six categories, including financial stability, economy and infrastructure. Chicago came in at 137th, just 11 spots from the bottom which is occupied by San Francisco. Aurora ranked 28th on the list.
Illinois’ new veteran grant
The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs announced nearly $700,000 in Veterans’ Cash Grant Program awards to Illinois organizations that provide services to veterans and their families across the state. Awardees will receive funding to address veteran homelessness, post-traumatic stress treatment, workforce development, education, transportation training, and community development programs. Illinois is the first state in the United States to designate 100% of net proceeds of a lottery ticket to veterans. Launched in 2006, more than $20 million in grants have been awarded to approximately 400 veterans organizations statewide.