Lawmakers Return To Springfield; 8 Days Before Budget Due
The Illinois General Assembly makes what has become its weekly return to Springfield with a state budget still unresolved and only eight days before it's due.
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The Illinois General Assembly makes what has become its weekly return to Springfield with a state budget still unresolved and only eight days before it's due.
The idea is to turn snow days – or days off school due to extreme cold, or heavy snow – into so-called "e-learning days," when school districts could provide online instruction to students.
Even though Democrats control the House and Senate, and approved a budget plan that is more than $3 billion in the red, state Sen. Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) wasn't prepared to say his party shares in the blame for the budget cuts.
The state has banned happy hour drink specials since 1989, in an effort to cut down on drunk driving, though bars and restaurants were still allowed to designate "happy days," when they could offer discounted drinks on a specific day of the week.
The Illinois House has approved a plan to make the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum its own agency but scuttled the governor's proposed privatization of business development in the state.
On Wednesday, an Illinois Senate committee voted down the governor's proposed changes to workers' compensation laws, and on Thursday the Judiciary Committee debated Rauner's plan to overhaul the state's civil court system – specifically, lawsuits seeking financial damages.
Chicago would get a city-owned casino and be allowed to keep all revenue for seven years to help make ballooning pension payments, and new casinos would be added throughout the state under legislation expected to be introduced Thursday in the Illinois Senate.
Illinois Democrats agreed to give some of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's priority reforms a platform Wednesday but still voted them down in an exercise that could further fuel a politically charged standoff that's expected to extend the summer.
Proposals addressing workers compensation, changes to the civil legal system and a freeze on property taxes are on the agenda Wednesday in Senate committees.
Victims of campus sex assaults in Illinois would have confidential university advisers to help guide them through the legal and medical systems under a legislative proposal that has passed the state House.
Hoping to lift any possible legal hurdles to building either Barack Obama's presidential library or filmmaker George Lucas' proposed museum on park property, Illinois lawmakers swiftly approved legislation to make sure the Emanuel administration has the authority critics claim it lacks.
In an early major test of Illinois' newly divided government, the Senate passed a compromise plan Thursday to plug a $1.6 billion hole in this year's budget and avert shutdowns of state programs and services.
Legislation proposed by Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and backed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner passed the House early Tuesday afternoon with bipartisan support, including 46 of the chamber's 47 Republicans.
Illinois residents could possess or grow a small amount of marijuana without fear of criminal charges, if a bill in the state Senate becomes law.
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.
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.
The Illinois Senate has passed legislation that would raise the state's 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.
State lawmakers who have predicted huge property tax hikes for suburban homeowners under a measure to overhaul funding for public schools have invited the public to provide input on the plan Tuesday night in Arlington Heights.
Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard, who made two attempts at Illinois governor, officially resigned from the Legislature after more than two decades in office to become chairman of the Chicago-area's Regional Transportation Authority, Senate Republican officials announced Monday.
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.
Illinois lawmakers have quickly advanced a plan to overhaul Cook County's pension system by increasing county payments and reducing some benefits for employees.
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.
House Speaker Michael Madigan said Friday that lawmakers will try again to draft a 2015 budget after the House overwhelmingly rejected a $34.5 billion budget that would have made deep cuts to schools and social services next year in a vote one Republican critic called "all theater."
The Pentagon announced Monday that a fourth American service member has been killed in Operation Epic Fury.
The time has come in suburban Cook County, as early voting opens in 55 locations on Monday. Polling also expands across all 50 Chicago wards.
A car was overturned on the sidewalk after a crash in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood early Monday morning.
A motorist was accused of driving under the influence early Monday after hitting an Illinois Department of Transportation truck on Interstate 57 in Chicago's south suburbs.
A fire broke out in a house on Chicago's West Side overnight Sunday into Monday.
The Pentagon announced Monday that a fourth American service member has been killed in Operation Epic Fury.
The time has come in suburban Cook County, as early voting opens in 55 locations on Monday. Polling also expands across all 50 Chicago wards.
President Trump posted on social media that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed after a massive U.S. and Israeli military operation Saturday.
Americans weighed in on how long a conflict with Iran might last and what Congress should do.
Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham said the operation would be "violent, extensive and I believe, at the end of the day, successful."
Palatine, Illinois-based Weber has issued a recall of more than 3.2 million metal wire bristle grill brushes because you could ingest the bristles.
This is after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an ordinance that would have banned most hemp-derived products this weekend.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Not one, but two hotels are now planned or proposed for Chicago's Northalsted LGBTQ+ nightlife district.
After the Double Door closed in Wicker Park, there was reassurance that the Double Door would return, at a new location in the city's Uptown neighborhood. Now that is not happening anymore.
Barnes & Noble was set to reopen in Skokie on Wednesday, just weeks after it closed.
Trader Joe's is opening a new location in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood.
The district laid out a $630 million plan to remake Soldier Field into a major concert venue and events space.
Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, known for his hits like "Laughter in the Rain," "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" and "Calendar Girl," has died.
A 19th-century George Méliès film, thought to be long lost, has been found among a box of brittle movie reels that a Michigan donor brought to the Library of Congress, officials said.
Streaming giant Netflix declined to match Paramount Skydance's $31 per share offer for Warner Bros. Discovery.
After the Double Door closed in Wicker Park, there was reassurance that the Double Door would return, at a new location in the city's Uptown neighborhood. Now that is not happening anymore.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2026 list of nominees, including Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, Wu-Tang Clan and more.
The time has come in suburban Cook County, as early voting opens in 55 locations on Monday. As Lauren Victory reports, polling also expands across all 50 Chicago wards.
A car was overturned on the sidewalk after a crash in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood early Monday morning.
A total of $1.2 million will go toward safety and accessibility improvements, including better walkways, parking lots, and lighting.
CBS News’ David Begnaud joins Dana Kozlov and Jackie Kostek live with the idea behind his new project, “The Do Good Crew.”
Shelley Paxton, author of “Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel's Guide to Finding Your Best Life,” says an "energy audit" can help you figure out what brings you energy, and what drains energy too. She joins Marie Saavedra.
One person is dead, and three others were hurt — including a 15-year-old boy — after three drive-by shootings across the city of Chicago within a three-hour window Sunday night.
A car was overturned on the sidewalk after a crash in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood early Monday morning.
The Pentagon announced Monday that a fourth American service member has been killed in Operation Epic Fury.
Day 3 of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran sees skies full of missiles as American allies take hits and deaths mount along with concern the conflict could spread.
The time has come in suburban Cook County, as early voting opens in 55 locations on Monday. Polling also expands across all 50 Chicago wards.
If you feel like you're drowning in a sea of text alerts and desperate email pleas for "just $5" this election season, you are far from alone.
A north suburban school bus driver became a victim of sophisticated scammers who are targeting more people and more vulnerable populations to make more money.
Both couples are still actively fighting for their kids, knowing it will be a long and complicated road.
The mother of an 8-year-old boy who was allegedly put in a chokehold and dragged by the neck by a Chicago Public Schools employee hopes her lawsuit and choice to speak out will help protect students in the future.
A jury on Wednesday awarded $5.74 million in damages to a Chicago family who accused police of violating their civil rights in a botched raid of their home in 2018.
The Tritons have already gone on a record-breaking win streak this season.
The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Utah Mammoth 4-0 on Sunday to end a three-game losing streak.
Collin Sexton added 22 points, and Matas Buzelis had 20, helping Chicago come out on top after matching the third-worst skid in franchise history.
The win extended Chicago's unbeaten streak against Canadian opponents to six matches dating to 2024.
Connor Bedard scored for Chicago, which has lost eight of nine and continues to struggle to score.
A car was overturned on the sidewalk after a crash in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood early Monday morning.
A man was in police custody on allegations that he stabbed his mother on Chicago's West Side Sunday night.
One person is dead, and three others were hurt — including a 15-year-old boy — after three drive-by shootings across the city of Chicago within a three-hour window Sunday night.
The man who killed two and wounded 14 also had photos of Iranian leaders in his home, a source said.
A judge has sentenced a Wisconsin man who forged threats against President Donald Trump as part of a deportation scheme to 16½ years in prison.
