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State lawmakers have begun a new effort to figure out strategies for heading off school shootings, like the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook in Connecticut, when a gunman killed 20 students and 6 staff.
Delivering his first budget address since winning office last fall, Gov. Bruce Rauner said his plan would end "the irresponsible and reckless practices of the past." He said lawmakers must be willing to make politically unpopular decisions to close a more than $6 billion budget hole 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.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan urged lawmakers Monday to let voters choose a replacement for the late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka in 2016 after outgoing Gov. Pat Quinn and Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner make separate appointments to fill the job in the interim.
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.
Republican Governor-elect Bruce Rauner has met with top Democratic legislative leaders House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton. The trio met for roughly two hours Thursday at the private Chicago Club.
Governor-elect Bruce Rauner remained mum Wednesday when it came to specifics for his short-term economic plans for Illinois, ahead of a meeting with the state's top lawmakers.
State lawmakers on Wednesday discussed the future of the Abraham Presidential Library and Museum, amid a proposal by House Speaker Michael Madigan to split it off from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
Illinois voters will get a chance in November to weigh in on whether millionaires should pay an additional income tax to help fund schools after Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Tuesday adding a nonbinding resolution to the ballot.
A key subcontractor working on the campaign to promote President Barack Obama's health care law in Illinois is a Chicago political strategy consulting firm owned by three former aides to some of the state's most-powerful Democrats.
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.
House Speaker Michael Madigan emerged from a Memorial Day caucus meeting and told reporters that he was dropping the idea of making the 5 percent income tax permanent -- and crafting a budget blueprint that holds the line on spending but is not the "doomsday" plan the House overwhelmingly rejected on Friday.
The proposal would place a non-binding resolution on the November ballot asking voters if the Illinois Constitution should be amended to add a 3 percent surcharge to incomes of more than $1 million.
Rep. Derrick Smith is a Chicago Democrat who's charged with accepting a $7,000 bribe. He is scheduled to go to trial May 28, but the Legislature isn't scheduled to adjourn until May 31.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn tried Monday to persuade House Democrats to extend the state's temporary income tax increase to avoid what he says would be "savage" budget cuts, but emerged from a roughly three-hour meeting with lawmakers still well short of the votes he needs for approval.
Weeks after it became clear Illinois Democrats were struggling to find the necessary votes for legislation to increase the state's minimum wage, House Speaker Michael Madigan began advancing the issue by another route, in a move laced with political calculation.
House Speaker Michael Madigan said Wednesday that his chamber's effort to pass a budget without first securing all the needed revenue would aid a push to make an income tax hike permanent, but his colleagues in the Senate were not happy with the unusual move.
The board of the State Universities Retirement System voted Thursday to accept an interpretation of last year's state-pension reform law that says the law won't inadvertently cut university retirees' pensions.
With the help of wealthy donors and a bipartisan group of politicians, a petition to end the gerrymandering of Illinois election districts was presented Thursday, but it faces a stiff constitutional challenge that could keep the question off the November ballot.
An Illinois House committee has voted a second time to approve $100 million in state funding to bring Barack Obama's presidential library and museum to Illinois.
Illinois voters will consider a constitutional amendment this fall aimed at scuttling attempts at voter suppression after Senate action Thursday.
The legislation sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan overcame earlier resistance after the Chicago Democrat removed language mentioning the tax increase. Opponents feared they'd be blamed for a Chicago tax increase.
A fast-tracked plan to overhaul two Chicago city-pension programs slowed in the Illinois House Thursday, as nervous lawmakers said they fear backlash for a massive property-tax increase even if they don't directly approve it.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to reform two underfunded employee pension systems quickly took its first step toward approval in the Illinois General Assembly on Wednesday.
A winter weather advisory will take effect overnight for the Chicago area overnight. Here's what you can expect.
A man was found shot to death in the Garfield Park neighborhood on Friday night.
The annual arrival of the Christmas Tree Ship is underway in Chicago on Saturday.
Treating rare neurological diseases in children is a difficult, sometimes gut-wrenching process with no guarantees, but a Chicago doctor is determined to extend and save lives.
Former Robbins Police Chief Carl Scott, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to beating a man in an interview room, apologized on Friday and took accountability for what happened.
The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.
President Trump has led the charge to create more GOP-friendly congressional districts in the 2026 midterm elections.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is set to retire in 2026, but before he leaves Congress he is making one last attempt to pass the DREAM Act.
Former Chicago Tribune publisher and editor-in-chief R. Bruce Dold passed away this week.
Authorities say the FBI has arrested a man suspected of placing pipe bombs outside RNC and DNC headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
The Food and Drug Administration is warning about additional cookware brands that could be leaching lead into your food.
Walgreens said it will close its office space in Chicago's Old Post Office building.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
Two pregnant Black women recently faced alarming neglect at hospitals in Indiana and Texas, highlighting racial disparities in maternal care.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed a bill aimed at protecting vaccine access in Illinois.
Roseland Community Hospital on Monday celebrated the opening of a new sickle cell treatment clinic.
Consumers with the imported pans should throw them away due to the severe health risks posed by lead, the agency warns.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
Small Business Saturday was disrupted by the winter storm for many business owners in Chicago, but in the Rogers Park neighborhood, a group of business owners came together to draw customers.
Three different times over the past year, popular and longstanding Chicago stage theater spaces have made headlines for their demise. But it's not all bad news by any stretch.
A federal judge has called out an immigration enforcement agent for using artificial intelligence to write the narrative of a use-of-force report as just a small part of a scathing opinion that rebutted federal officials' narratives about appropriate force used against protesters and others during an ongoing immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Frank Gehry was known for designing the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Netflix on Friday said it will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
Starting Wednesday, riders on the Chicago Transit Authority system will hear a recognizable Chicago voice during their commutes.
Three different times over the past year, popular and longstanding Chicago stage theater spaces have made headlines for their demise. But it's not all bad news by any stretch.
Joe Colborn, better known as Joe "JoBo" Bohannon on Chicago radio, died this week.
Dress up in your favorite elf costumes or other holiday attire for “Elfin’ Around the Depot” in Berwyn’s Depot.
The annual arrival of the Christmas Tree Ship is underway in Chicago on Saturday.
A man was found shot to death in the Garfield Park neighborhood.
Meet Paisley, the PAWS pet of the week! The 8-year-old is easy going and is looking for a quiet home.
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the extended forecast.
A winter weather advisory will take effect overnight for the Chicago area overnight. Here's what you can expect.
A U.S. Coast Guard ship carrying 1,200 Christmas trees from Michigan made its way Navy Pier.
A man was found shot to death in the Garfield Park neighborhood on Friday night.
Chicago firefighters were called to a two-alarm building fire near a school on the city's Northwest Side Friday afternoon.
It was supposed to be a memorable day at the Bears game for a Chicago family, but they said not only did they not get into Soldier Field, they believe they were scammed out of about $15,000.
A Chicago woman battling ALS said she's been struggling just to get a disabled parking space in front of her Bridgeport home.
Days after new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach ordered an urgent review of the county's electronic monitoring program, Sheriff Tom Dart said this crisis isn't new, and that he's been warning lawmakers of problems for years.
Charles Beach was sworn in on Monday as Cook County's first new chief judge in 24 years, and takes over amid a political firestorm over what appears to be systemic issues with how accused criminals are being monitored before trial.
Some Chicagoans found out the hard way on Monday that the overnight winter parking ban is in effect.
The electronic monitoring system in Cook County has come under increased scrutiny, after a woman was set on fire in a horrific arson attack on the Blue Line, with critics demanding answers as to why the suspect wasn't already behind bars.
Pascal Siakam scored a season-high 36 points, Bennedict Mathurin added 28 and the Indiana Pacers beat the struggling Chicago Bulls 120-105 on Friday night.
Sitting in 1st-place in the NFC standings isn't the only feel-good story for the Bears, as cornerback Nahshon Wright was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Month.
The Bulls dropped to 9-12 with their fifth loss in a row.
Braeden Bowman forced overtime for the Golden Knights when he put in his own rebound with 2:28 left in the third period.
Caleb Williams plans on picking up right where he left off the last time he faced the Packers.
The special edition locket was inspired by the James Bond film "Octopussy," which revolves around a plot to steal a rare Faberge egg.
Authorities say the FBI has arrested a man suspected of placing pipe bombs outside RNC and DNC headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A woman from Chicago's northwest suburbs appeared in court Thursday for a shooting that killed another woman in the South Loop in September.
The man charged with pushing a CTA passenger onto the tracks at a Blue Line station in Chicago's western suburbs on Monday was ordered held in jail, after repeatedly interrupting the judge and prosecutors during his first court appearance on Wednesday.
A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to take a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of an immigrant rights group.
