Daywatch: Pritzker’s preschool pitch
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Good morning, Chicago.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will propose today $75 million in additional spending to add 5,000 slots to existing state-funded preschool programs, a modest down payment on an ambitious call in his second inaugural address last month to “go all in for our children and make preschool available to every family throughout the state.”
Pritzker’s preschool expansion plan is part of a $250 million proposal to boost services for the state’s youngest residents and their families. It would take the remainder of the governor’s new term to achieve an overall increase of 20,000 seats, which “actually gets us to coverage for every 3- and 4-year-old that’s looking to go to preschool,” Pritzker told reporters Tuesday during a briefing on the plan.
The second-term Democrat is set to unveil the plan, dubbed “Smart Start Illinois,” as part of his $49.6 billion spending proposal for the next budget year. Pritzker will deliver a combined budget and State of the State speech at noon in the Illinois House chamber, marking the first time he has addressed a full joint session of the state House and Senate since before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in 2020.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Jeremy Gorner.
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26 bakeries in Chicagoland with your pick of paczki for Fat Tuesday
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It’s best to pick your paczki well in advance, choosing from classic flavors like plum and custard and novel varieties packed with tiramisu or peanut butter. Here’s where to get them.
