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Chicago City Hall meetings focus on neighborhood gambling, youth violence strategy
Chicago leaders are set for a busy day at City Hall as officials discuss neighborhood gambling and efforts to reduce youth violence.
CHICAGO - Chicago leaders are set for a busy day at City Hall as officials discuss neighborhood gambling and efforts to reduce youth violence.
What we know:
The Committee on Workforce Development is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss an ordinance tied to Chicago's casino workforce.
While the agenda says the measure is meant to help grow the casino workforce, it also includes a proposal to ban video poker and slot machines in neighborhood bars and restaurants.
The move comes after the Chicago City Council voted in December to end a decades-old ban on neighborhood gambling machines. City leaders hoped the machines would bring in additional revenue.
However, the issue returned to the spotlight after state regulators recently approved the first six licenses for local businesses to install the machines.
Bally's Casino, which has the exclusive agreement to build Chicago's first downtown casino, has warned city officials that neighborhood gambling could hurt business at the casino. The company says the city could lose as much as $70 million a year in tax revenue if neighborhood gambling expands.
Mayor Brandon Johnson is now asking aldermen to reverse course and block the machines before they begin operating.
What we don't know:
It is not clear whether enough City Council members support the mayor's proposal to ban the machines after previously voting to allow them.
Dig deeper:
Another City Hall meeting Wednesday will focus on teen employment and youth trends.
The hearing comes after several large teen gatherings, sometimes called "teen takeovers," have occurred across the city, with some incidents turning violent.
Rather than focusing on increased police enforcement, Johnson has continued to emphasize youth employment as a violence prevention strategy.
The mayor has set goals to hire tens of thousands of teenagers for summer jobs, arguing that keeping young people busy and employed can help keep them out of trouble.
What's next:
Both meetings are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall.
The Source: The information in this story was obtained and reported by FOX Chicago's Se Kwon.