Durkin Supports Tougher Gun Penalties, But Warns Of Cost
The new leader of Illinois House Republicans said Mayor Rahm Emanuel's push for tougher penalties for gun crimes could be a good thing, but also expensive.
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The new leader of Illinois House Republicans said Mayor Rahm Emanuel's push for tougher penalties for gun crimes could be a good thing, but also expensive.
His predecessor, state Rep. Tom Cross of Oswego, stepped down to run for state treasurer. Cross held the position for a decade.
Powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Thursday he asked senior staff at Metra to consider a pay raise for an associate who was employed at the commuter rail agency, but withdrew the recommendation after Metra's then-CEO expressed discomfort over it.
Illinois lawmakers have voted to reject a set of changes Gov. Pat Quinn made to legislation allowing the carrying of concealed firearms in Illinois.
All 11 Metra Board members — as well as former Metra CEO Alex Clifford — are being asked to appear July 11 before a legislative committee delving into a hefty severance package that could reap Clifford nearly $750,000 over more than two years, lawmakers said Wednesday.
As the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act and opened the door for California to resume same-sex marriages, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) called on the state legislature to "get its act together" and approve gay marriage in Illinois.
Gov. Pat Quinn and lawmakers are working on a new plan to solve the state's $97 billion pension crisis that involves forming a bipartisan committee and reconvening the Legislature again in July.
The House Republicans' plan would create a new tax credit for families who earn less than $150,000 a year and send their kids to accredited Illinois schools, as well as a new tax deduction for using college savings programs.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan might not be in touch with Gov. Pat Quinn, but there might be some behind-the-scenes work ahead to resolve the state's pension reform impasse before a special session of the General Assembly on June 19.
A study by the We Are One Illinois coalition shows that if half of employees and retirees choose to forgo post-career health insurance as part of Senate President John Cullerton's proposal, the state's debt to two health insurance programs would be cut in half, by $26 billion.
The Democrat-controlled Legislature began piecing together a new state budget Tuesday that avoids the steep cuts of recent years and also gave final approval to a historic expansion of Medicaid, as Republicans accused their colleagues across the aisle of having "an insatiable appetite to spend money we don't have."
Majority Democrats on the committee drove the 10-6 vote in favor of the bill by Sen. Kwame Raoul Raoul said he doesn't know how many votes he has on the floor or when he'll call it.
The proposal says drivers must use hands-free devices or speakerphone features.
A concealed-carry gun deal brokered by House Speaker Michael Madigan cleared a House committee Thursday, but its prospects were unclear across the Capitol in the Senate because of the way it would curb existing local gun laws.
The Illinois Senate has passed a measure that would require parents to send their kids to school before their 7th birthday, in a vote that broke down along party lines.
A proposal that aims to create thousands of jobs in southern Illinois by kick-starting high-volume oil and gas drilling cleared a top committee Tuesday, sending it on to the House floor.
About 200 ministers and others gathered in the south suburbs on Tuesday, day calling on the Illinois House to say "no" to legislation to legalize same-sex marriages.
The state's top transportation official would like to slow momentum for a move to increase the top speed limit in Illinois.
The Illinois Senate voted Thursday to send a union-supported pension reform bill to the House, leaving lawmakers with two competing proposals for dealing with the nation's worst state pension crisis just weeks before the Legislature is scheduled to adjourn.
The Illinois House has approved a comprehensive pension-reform plan for the first time after years of talks.
Labor leaders threatened a lawsuit Wednesday over House Speaker Michael Madigan's pension-reform proposal to lower the retirement benefits of public employees in Illinois, but a committee advanced the plan anyway.
The difficulty over how lawmakers will craft a law allowing public possession of guns in Illinois has been clearly demonstrated on the House floor.
The Illinois House Wednesday approved a measure to allow physicians to prescribe marijuana to patients with specific terminal illnesses or debilitating medical conditions.
Illinois lawmakers could vote on legislation to legalize medical marijuana this week, and a group of 250 doctors has urged them to support the measure.
The sponsor of legislation that would allow medical marijuana use in Illinois said Tuesday he'll push for a vote on the measure when lawmakers return to Springfield early next month.
When someone falls into the Chicago River, jumps from a bridge, overturns a kayak, or becomes trapped beneath the surface, the Chicago Fire Department's Marine Unit is often among the first crews called to respond.
The movies have gone to the dogs. As part of a multi-city screening, ChiTown Drive-In hosted a dog-friendly screening of Air Bud with a sneak peek at the upcoming sequel Air Bud Returns.
Chicago area officials are taking extra precautions following a wave of cyberattacks on water and wastewater facilities in multiple states, including Michigan.
The family of the man killed in a double homicide last week in south suburban Harvey said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, helping a neighbor with a violent ex.
Wilyer Abreu homered for the fourth time in three games and the surging Red Sox beat the White Sox 4-0 on Wednesday night.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch is apologizing for his interactions with a former staff member who brought a sexual harassment complaint against ex-Rep. Harry Benton to his office.
In a CBS News Chicago exclusive, Willie Wilson said he is making another run for mayor in 2027, becoming the 10th candidate to enter the race.
A Dane County judge ruled Tuesday that Wisconsin's paper-only absentee ballot system denies disabled voters the equal opportunity to vote privately and independently, though a trial on electronic voting as a remedy is still ahead.
The Milwaukee mosque leader's former Israeli attorney testified in immigration court that Sarsour was coerced into confessions and was never convicted of any charge linking him to a terrorist organization.
Former state health official Abdul El-Sayed faced Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan in a closely watched contest that represented the latest test of the party's divisions.
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.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
With the cyclosporiasis linked to iceberg lettuce growing and consumers wary of the products on grocery shelves, many in Chicago are turning to local farmers market for fresh and safe greens.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
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.
Chicago's Wishbone Restaurant will soon be closing after 36 years in business.
The Old Town Pour House isn't in its namesake neighborhood anymore, but it's returning to the central area of Chicago — specifically in the Loop.
Stella's Diner in Chicago's East Lakeview community has gone out of business.
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.
Vincent Pastore played Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on all six seasons of "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007.
If weather forces an evacuation, shelter sites are located at Grant Park North, Grant Park South, and Millennium Lakeside Garages, accessible through the vehicle entrance on Michigan Avenue.
Grant Park was filled with tens of thousands of people Thursday for the start of Lollapalooza, as warm weather greeted festivalgoers on day one of the four-day music festival.
Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
When someone falls into the Chicago River, jumps from a bridge, overturns a kayak, or becomes trapped beneath the surface, the Chicago Fire Department's Marine Unit is often among the first crews called to respond.
The movies have gone to the dogs. As part of a multi-city screening, ChiTown Drive-In hosted a dog-friendly screening of Air Bud with a sneak peek at the upcoming sequel Air Bud Returns.
Chicago area officials are taking extra precautions following a wave of cyberattacks on water and wastewater facilities in multiple states, including Michigan. Utility leaders explained what they're watching for here at home.
The family of the man killed in a double homicide last week in south suburban Harvey said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, helping a neighbor with a violent ex.
The family of the man killed in a double homicide last week in south suburban Harvey said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, helping a neighbor with a violent ex.
Chicago area officials are taking extra precautions following a wave of cyberattacks on water and wastewater facilities in multiple states, including Michigan.
When someone falls into the Chicago River, jumps from a bridge, overturns a kayak, or becomes trapped beneath the surface, the Chicago Fire Department's Marine Unit is often among the first crews called to respond.
The movies have gone to the dogs. As part of a multi-city screening, ChiTown Drive-In hosted a dog-friendly screening of Air Bud with a sneak peek at the upcoming sequel Air Bud Returns.
One person was killed in a fiery three-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck on Wednesday in far northwest suburban Genoa Township.
An Illinois Tollway glitch that left thousands of drivers with unexpected warnings about unpaid tolls stemmed from an extra digit in codes within the system's computers, according to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
A South Holland woman said she was left high and dry after paying thousands of dollars to have her swimming pool fixed, only for the contractor to vanish.
An Elgin man has seen what he thought was the deal of a lifetime turn into weeks of frustration after a fake tracking number scam left him without goods or a refund after buying a game system on eBay.
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.
A clean energy initiative on the South Side of Chicago is increasing access to solar energy and electric vehicle charging stations, and community members say it's making a difference.
Wilyer Abreu homered for the fourth time in three games and the surging Red Sox beat the White Sox 4-0 on Wednesday night.
Chicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright is very grateful for his historic four-year, $116 million contract extension. Wright thanked general manager Ryan Poles, who used his first 1st round draft pick to pick Wright 10th overall in 2023.
Chicago State University's new football team is just a couple weeks away from the first game of the Cougars' inaugural season.
Pete Crow-Armstrong homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Chicago Cubs swept Shohei Ohtani and the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers with a wild 7-6 victory.
The Chicago Bears held a short and light practice Wednesday without pads, but it marked the return of linebacker T.J. Edwards.
The Milwaukee mosque leader's former Israeli attorney testified in immigration court that Sarsour was coerced into confessions and was never convicted of any charge linking him to a terrorist organization.
A woman stood charged Tuesday with stabbing a man during a fight in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood this past weekend.
An Illinois State Police trooper who has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a bartender in southwest suburban Tinley Park will remain behind bars as he awaits trial.
Thieves stole an ATM from a gas station in Chicago's Roseland community early Monday.
Two young men and a teenage boy were shot and wounded early Monday in Chicago's Park Manor community.
