Rauner Forms Panel To Recommend Overhaul Of Criminal Justice System
Saying he wants the state to do more to keep people out of prison, Gov. Bruce Rauner has formed a commission to study possible changes to the state's criminal justice system.
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Saying he wants the state to do more to keep people out of prison, Gov. Bruce Rauner has formed a commission to study possible changes to the state's criminal justice system.
A day after outlining an ambitious agenda for his first year in office, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner Thursday was confronted with a state budget that is millions of dollars short for programs such as subsidized day care that are rapidly running out of money.
Gov. Bruce Rauner laid out a first-year agenda Wednesday he said will help Illinois better compete with its neighbors, largely by stripping power from labor unions, shrinking the size of government and making the state more attractive to companies looking to create jobs.
The Republican's first State of the State address, scheduled for noon Wednesday before the General Assembly in Springfield, comes as some state agencies and programs already are running out of money this year and with Illinois facing an even greater budget gap next year.
House and Senate Democrats will seek to protect their own interests and constituencies in eventual negotiations with Rauner. While he speaks of the need for steep budget cuts, they'll likely seek to protect social services, state workers and Medicaid recipients.
A conservative Republican lawmaker from Wheaton has teamed up with a liberal Democrat from Chicago in an effort to make Illinois a "right to try" state.
Recent police-caused deaths in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City and an ongoing concern about racial sensitivity is behind a set of police reform bills sponsored by Illinois Democrats, who say measured steps are needed to address the underlying issues.
Gov. Bruce Rauner said he will propose a number of reforms to turn the state around, and indicated they would involve making Illinois more attractive to businesses while slashing spending on everything from health insurance for the poor to public-worker pensions and the state's payroll.
Rauner's inauguration ceremony was scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. He was set to take the oath of office along with Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, and Comptroller Leslie Munger.
The head of the agency that oversees children who are wards of the state told state lawmakers Wednesday that a revolving door at the top is partly to blame for abuses that have plagued the department for decades.
Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Monday giving Illinois' attorney general more power to stop pension payments to convicted felons.
Gov. Pat Quinn was moving to call a special session of the Illinois General Assembly next month to vote on legislation to set up a special election in 2016 for the Illinois State Comptroller's office.
The case involves the pension fix lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn adopted last year. The law cut retirement benefits and made other changes to help fill a $111 billion deficit in five state pensions systems caused by years of state underfunding.
Fast food and home healthcare workers were rallying in the River North neighborhood early Thursday, hoping to keep the pressure on state lawmakers to raise the minimum wage.
Illinois lawmakers face a number of issues as they wind down their fall veto session but won't consider increasing the state's minimum wage. Votes could come Wednesday on an expanded election law and a state health-insurance exchange.
Aldermen have set the stage to hike the city's minimum wage to $13 an hour over the next four-and-a-half years, under a measure the City Council is expected to approve Tuesday.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said she expects the state's highest court could take up the state's landmark pension overhaul plan by the end of January, now that a lower court judge has ruled it unconstitutional.
With state lawmakers set to return to Springfield for three days of veto session later this week, and then again in early December, advocates for a higher minimum wage were urging the legislature to act on a measure to increase the minimum wage in Illinois to $10 an hour.
Democrats and Republicans on a state panel looking into the governor's scandal-plagued 2010 anti-violence program were accusing each other of playing politics on Thursday as former Quinn administration aides testified in Chicago.
The Chicago Democrat approved the bipartisan legislation that will also provide lawmakers with opportunities to attend popular ribbon-cutting ceremonies in an election year.
A law enacted last year authorized a four-year pilot project that will expire in 2017. So far, not a single marijuana seed has been planted. But now that rules have been approved, the state agencies running the program can start posting applications for a limited number of grower and retailer permits.
Not a single marijuana seed has been planted in Illinois' pilot medical cannabis program. But medical marijuana is inching closer to reality and a meeting set for Tuesday will shape the program's future.
Plans to expand gambling in Illinois were put on hold Friday when the backer of legislation proposing new casinos said he wouldn't call the measure for a vote until he resolved lingering issues and had key support.
Illinois lawmakers continued to grapple Wednesday with a new state budget, as Republicans ripped majority Democrats for spending beyond their means with a plan even Democrats acknowledge leaves "big unanswered questions" about the state's finances.
Having given up on extending Illinois' temporary income tax increase -- at least for now -- the Illinois Legislature is moving forward with a scaled-back budget that could lead to layoffs, further delays in paying the state's bills and a post-election vote to make the tax hike permanent or generate some other source of revenue.
José Urquidy pitched six innings of crisp, two-hit relief, rookie Braden Montgomery drove in two runs and the Chicago White Sox topped the crosstown Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.
A new Barnes & Noble bookstore opened in the heart of downtown Chicago on Wednesday, while separately, a building that used to house an old Barnes & Noble store in the Gold Coast was being demolished.
A 55-year-old mystery surrounding a deadly train crash in southern Illinois has finally been solved.
A man and woman were shot and killed in the middle of the day Wednesday on Chicago's West Side.
Federal officers found a moving pillowcase in a car that was seized at the U.S.-Mexico border. A collection of stolen exotic reptiles was inside.
There was a big turnout in Springfield on Wednesday to celebrate retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois).
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign confirmed on Tuesday that it recieved a letter from the Department of Defense, which has announced "research security audits" at 30 universities nationwide.
The Justice Department is planning to deploy a record 1,000 federal monitors to polling places throughout the U.S. for the midterm elections.
Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin announced Tuesday that he is filing a complaint against Treasurer Maria Pappas over some profanity-related texts.
Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin is demanding an apology from Treasurer Maria Pappas for some profanity-laden text messages he says are offensive.
A new Illinois law signed by Gov. Pritzker offers up to $1,000 to eligible homeowners hit by storm damage, but the money won't be available until next year — and the program only covers certain areas of Chicago.
Illinois is one of 46 states that have reached a $15.5 million settlement with a Pennsylvania-based mortgage servicer for improperly imposing new insurance policies on homeowners who already had insurance.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Moderna and Merck announced study results that reflect a "landmark moment" in treatment for one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer.
Researchers from the University of Chicago have uncovered some information on how space travel affects — or actually doesn't affect — the heart.
As people age, it becomes crucial to do whatever possible to protect from issues like memory loss. But leading neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter said the process actually starts well before advanced age.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is not adopting new federal child vaccine guidelines and will continue following recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In a wide-ranging interview with the CBS News partner BBC News, Hunter Biden grew emotional as he discussed his father's condition, describing it as very sad to watch.
A new Barnes & Noble bookstore opened in the heart of downtown Chicago on Wednesday, while separately, a building that used to house an old Barnes & Noble store in the Gold Coast was being demolished.
The Original Rainbow Cone celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday with a special event at its Beverly location.
The Shops at North Bridge on the Magnificent Mile announced plans Thursday for a multimillion-dollar renovation project.
While the building that housed the flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue has been torn down, the renowned Chicago restaurant chain is now set to open a new Lakeview location.
Nationally, data centers used 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023 — a figure projected to reach 72.6 billion gallons by 2028, raising concerns about states' water supplies.
Madonna leads all artists with 11 nominations at this year's MTV VMAs, and a full sweep would tie her with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for the most VMA wins in history.
Hayden Panettiere, who starred in "Remember the Titans" as a child actor and rose to fame in the series "Heroes," has died at the age of 36. The coroner's office says she was found in cardiac arrest.
Buddy Guy was honored with the Chicago Music Legend Award at the Obama Presidential Center's Chicago Culture Ball this weekend.
Bal Khabra is the author of the four-part series "Off the Ice," a college hockey romance collection that is wrapping up at just the right time.
Crews need about a week and a half to tear down the festival site before the city can begin its own inspection — and past cleanup costs have topped $1 million.
Bodycam footage shows Kentucky State Trooper Blaine Miller smashing a window to free four family members from a smoking, burning vehicle after a rollover crash on Interstate 64 in Hardin County.
The Trump administration says it has reached a deal with Canada to delay 50% tariffs that were set to take effect overnight on billions of dollars worth of Canadian goods.
A man and woman were shot and killed in the middle of the day Wednesday on Chicago's West Side.
The Chicago Bulls are back with their free festival for fans this Saturday and Sunday outside the United Center. Joining Audrina Sinclair to talk about the huge draw for fans is Bulls head of basketball programming Kyle Cummings.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the extended forecast.
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority Board on Wednesday unanimously approved a major increase in tolls starting next year to help fund future maintenance and repairs.
Six teens were shot, one fatally, after multiple shootings reported hours apart in Chicago overnight.
As of Wednesday morning, NIPSCO had restored power to 282,000 customers across Northwest Indiana. But more than 83,000 buildings and homes remained in the dark.
The new quantum facility is said to create 1,000 permanent jobs, with an apprentice program supplying a pipeline of community-college grads in Chicago.
A new Barnes & Noble bookstore opened in the heart of downtown Chicago on Wednesday, while separately, a building that used to house an old Barnes & Noble store in the Gold Coast was being demolished.
CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, Harley Johnson, gave CBS News Chicago an exclusive look inside the new park in South Chicago.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation last inspected South Chicago Chapel funeral home in October, 10 months before 56 decomposing bodies were found there.
The discovery of dozens of decomposing bodies at a Chicago funeral home run by a couple with a history of mishandling human remains has raised questions about how Illinois regulates the funeral home and crematory industries.
An arrest at a Lululemon athletic wear store in the Gold Coast neighborhood in Chicago led investigators to a crew that was exploiting unhoused people and responsible for thefts totaling $100,000.
More violations at Chicago's Bohemian National Cemetery and Crematorium have surfaced, which is now under investigation for its role in mishandling bodies connected to the family that ran South Chicago Chapel.
José Urquidy pitched six innings of crisp, two-hit relief, rookie Braden Montgomery drove in two runs and the Chicago White Sox topped the crosstown Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.
Crow-Armstrong is the first player in MLB history with two leadoff home runs and a walk-off in a two-game span, and the 13th since 1900 to follow a walk-off homer with a leadoff shot.
NASCAR is calling off plans to bring its street race back to downtown Chicago in 2027, but is holding out hope for the event to return in the future.
A fight broke out in the stands at Wrigley Field during a Crosstown Classic game on Monday evening.
The Cubs snapped a two-game skid and ended the White Sox's three-game winning streak.
A man and woman were shot and killed in the middle of the day Wednesday on Chicago's West Side.
Federal officers found a moving pillowcase in a car that was seized at the U.S.-Mexico border. A collection of stolen exotic reptiles was inside.
A man was stabbed at the Chicago Transit Authority Green Line stop late Tuesday night.
Chicago police early Wednesday were looking for the person who stabbed a man and a woman in the Little Village neighborhood the night before, leaving the woman dead.
A man has been arrested and charged after authorities said he decided to make himself at home at the Macy's flagship store on State Street in downtown Chicago.
