Chicago Tribune Opinion Thursday, May 1, 2025 | | |
| | | | | Good morning and happy May Day. School years are winding down, and the editorial board turns its eyes east to Indiana, where state lawmakers just sandbagged Indiana University with some truly draconian
"reforms." The editorial board also views with concern the potential for state lawmakers here in Illinois to pass a new payroll tax, which is pending in the Senate. The cause is fine, but the last thing this state needs is a new disincentive to hire. In an op-ed, former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon considers the recent passing of his friend and former teammate Steve McMichael and makes a case for hemp as a critical pain reliever for those like McMichael suffering from devastating diseases. Former Illinois Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra writes on Donald Trump's attempts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, wondering if Trump’s efforts in Afghanistan in his first term are a worrying harbinger. And the Illinois Policy Institute's Micky Horstman has some constructive criticism for the city of Chicago in its efforts to get more new housing built. As always, we have readers' letters as well. Opinions abound in times like these. Have a great Thursday, and we'll talk to you tomorrow. — Steve Daniels, editorial board member Submit an op-ed | Submit a letter to the editor | Meet the Tribune Editorial Board | Subscribe to this newsletter | | | | Indiana legislature rams though last-minute changes impacting Indiana University. The Tribune Editorial Board wonders: Where’s the light of day? | | | | | Illinois should not pursue policies that are direct disincentives to hiring, the Tribune Editorial Board writes. | | | | | Lawmakers across the country are working to ban or severely restrict access to the very products that helped Steve McMichael, fellow Bears great Jim McMahon writes. | | | | | Donald Trump played into the Taliban’s hands in negotiating an Afghanistan withdrawal. A former Illinois Republican elected official asks: Will Trump repeat his mistake in the Russia-Ukraine talks? | | | | | Chicago’s leaders must abandon their self-strangling, restrictive approach to affordable housing, an Illinois Policy Institute associate writes. | | | | | Medicaid cuts pose far-reaching implications for individuals, health care providers, state and county budgets, and overall public health, a Cook County commissioner writes. | | | |
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