Emanuel Pension Plan Clears First Hurdle In Springfield
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.
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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.
The day after Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn called for making Illinois' temporary income tax increase permanent, a proposal to impose an additional tax on millionaires was sent to the House floor Thursday.
The Illinois Legislature approved a historic plan Tuesday to eliminate the state's $100 billion pension shortfall, a vote that proponents described as critical to repairing the state's deeply troubled finances but that faces the immediate threat of a legal challenge from labor unions.
Illinois' legislative leaders briefed other lawmakers Friday on details of a breakthrough agreement for solving the state's $100 billion pension crisis, leaving them four days to study the plan before facing a vote that could be crucial for the state's financial condition and their own re-election plans.
After more than five months of work, Illinois' legislative leaders announced Wednesday they've reached a deal to help solve the state's $100 billion pension problem, considered the nation's worst.
Gov. Pat Quinn's appeal of a ruling that his veto of lawmakers' pay was unconstitutional will be heard by the Illinois Supreme Court.
A key figure in last summer's Metra transit scandal is now working for the state of Illinois in a recrafted job after a referral from Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton sued after Gov. Pat Quinn used his veto power earlier this summer to cut money for legislators' salaries from the state budget.
Regional Transportation Authority board member William Coulson said former Metra chair Brad O'Halloran and director Larry Huggins sparked a clash with former CEO Alex Clifford over political hires at the agency.
A leading state lawmaker said a bipartisan pension reform committee has been making progress toward a deal, though not as quickly as they'd like.
"This is going to be a landmark case," said Gov. Pat Quinn, who used his veto power last month to block lawmakers' salaries over their failure to reach an agreement on pension reform.
House Speaker Michael Madigan's request to be investigated by the Legislative Ethics Commission is being granted.
Former Metra CEO Alex Clifford said Wednesday he does not believe House Speaker Michael Madigan broke any laws by requesting a pay raise for a political supporter, but believes it was "an ethical and moral character flaw."
Ex-Metra CEO Alex Clifford will testify to the Regional Transportation Authority about how House Speaker Michael Madigan asked him to raise the pay of a Madigan campaign worker and to hire another friend of the powerful Southwest Side Democrat.
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.
David Axelrod, the architect behind President Barack Obama's political ascent, said if he were advising Lisa Madigan, he would tell her that her father's position is an "issue" she needs to resolve if she wants to be governor.
There's no question that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is personally popular statewide. However, while more than half of voters have a good opinion of her, her powerful father, Speaker Michael Madigan, could definitely be a campaign issue.
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.
A meeting between Gov. Pat Quinn and the state's four legislative leaders ended Friday afternoon without much progress towards pension reform, and it appears next week's special session won't bring a solution.
House Speaker Michael Madigan has taken steps to replace Senate President John Cullerton's pension reform plan with his own plan, even though the speaker's plan was soundly defeated in the Senate last month.
Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross said Wednesday that he believes there's an ulterior motive behind the ongoing pension reform standoff between House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.
Illinois' Attorney General says she hasn't made her mind up yet about running for the job now held by Pat Quinn, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
After meeting with Gov. Pat Quinn for more than an hour and a half, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton seemed friendly, but not much closer to resolving their differences over pension reform.
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.
Illinois State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka threw her support behind Senate President John Cullerton's pension plan on Tuesday, calling it the best bet for solving the state's $100 billion pension crisis.
The Bears will have backups in a couple of key spots on both sides of the ball on Sunday when they take on the Rams on Sunday, but other than that, it's a relatively clean playoff injury report.
This year's Bears team has earned a high-stakes nickname – the "Cardiac Bears" – thanks to seven 4th quarter comeback victories, and that moniker might be truer than you know.
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted to raise tuition, housing and student fees at both the Urbana-Champaign and Chicago campuses.
A Cook County judge ruled Thursday that key witness testimony from a firearms expert will be allowed in the trials of three men accused in the murder of Chicago police officer Areanah Preston.
Illinois has certainly never been referred to as the sunshine state – but why is Chicago so cloudy, especially during the wintertime?
The ICE agent involved in the fatal shooting could try to invoke immunity under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause to try to end state criminal prosecution.
President Trump threatened Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell anti-ICE protests in Minnesota. He previously threatened to do so in Chicago, but never followed through.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado previously said she wanted to "share" the prize for removing Nicolás Maduro from power.
The Trump administration reversed cuts to grants for mental health and addiction treatment programs that a CBS News source said were valued at around $1.9 billion.
In 2023, life expectancy in the Loop was 87.3 years, while in West Garfield Park, life expectancy was just 66.6 years, according to the city's Health Department.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
As this holiday season nears its end, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias issued a warning Tuesday about text scams.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
Roughly 1.4 million fewer Americans have signed up for an Affordable Care Act plan as expiring tax breaks drive up premiums.
January is Radon Action Month, and the Cook County Department of Public Health is urging residents to test their homes for radon.
Severe flu season is sending many people to hospital emergency rooms across the country, including in the Chicago area.
Unionized health care workers this week took aim at Northwestern Medicine, saying the health care system needs to hire more people before expanding the emergency room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that its recommendations for childhood vaccines will not be affected by a change in federal guidelines.
United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside Chicago's Willis Tower Thursday morning as they fought for a new contract.
WSCR-AM, 670 The Score, will begin a simulcast on 104.3 FM next month.
Does the Chicago Bears' dramatic improvement this season, culminating in their first playoff run in five years, change the discussion about where they will build a new stadium?
The Piggery, a popular barbecue restaurant and bar in the northwest corner of Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, announced Thursday that it is going out of business.
The Lincolnwood Town Center mall in the north Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood has been sold to a developer, the village announced Wednesday.
Scott Adams, the cartoonist who created the "Dilbert" comic strip, has died at the age of 68, his first ex-wife revealed on Tuesday.
Here is everything you need to know about how to watch and stream the 2026 Golden Globes.
Bob Weir wrote or co-wrote and sang lead vocals on Grateful Dead classics including "Sugar Magnolia," "One More Saturday Night" and "Mexicali Blues."
Chicago Theatre Week brings value-priced tickets for shows from Feb. 5 until Feb. 15 at Chicago's stage venues. Tickets can sell for $30, $15, or even less.
Isiah Whitlock Jr. is perhaps best known for his role as state Sen. R. Clayton "Clay" Davis on HBO's "The Wire."
Bears fans have been through a lot of losses in the past years, but this year is different, and one well-known fan has gone viral for his reactions to the Bears' winning ways.
The latest seven day forecast from our First Alert Weather team.
Spotify is raising prices for its monthly ad-free subscribers in February.
Verizon is giving those impacted by Wednesday's outage a $20 account credit through Verizon's app, which on average “covers multiple days of service,."
Kristen Pierce-Sherrod, the CEO of Harold's Chicken and the daughter of founder Harold Pierce, has died, according to her family.
Three former DePaul University basketball players are among 26 players charged in an NCAA men's basketball game fixing scheme.
President Trump threatened Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell anti-ICE protests in Minnesota. He previously threatened to do so in Chicago, but never followed through.
Chicago police have issued a community alert on a string of burglaries this week targeting businesses from the north lakefront to the Southwest Side.
A driver was killed in a crash involving a car and a school bus was just outside Manhattan, Illinois, southwest of Chicago on Thursday morning.
A Cook County judge ruled Thursday that key witness testimony from a firearms expert will be allowed in the trials of three men accused in the murder of Chicago police officer Areanah Preston.
Lead-based paint was banned for serious health reasons in 1978, but most homes built before then remain covered in it.
Fire department officials in Chicago's western suburbs said drone technology has been helping keep firefighters safe and make a major impact on public safety.
With the stores becoming a common target for thieves, some of the stores in the Chicago area are taking new steps to fight back.
As thousands of people are expected downtown for New Year's Eve celebrations, Mayor Johnson, the Chicago police, and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications are trying to get out ahead of any safety concerns.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
The Bears will have backups in a couple of key spots on both sides of the ball on Sunday when they take on the Rams on Sunday, but other than that, it's a relatively clean playoff injury report.
The Chicago Cubs introduced third baseman Alex Bregman at Wrigley Field on Thursday, after signing him to a $175 million, five-year contract.
Authorities said the alleged scheme involved 39 players, 17 different NCAA Division I men's basketball teams and 29 games.
Kylan Boswell had 13 points and six assists for Illinois, which used its superior size to outscore Northwestern 34-18 in the paint.
The Chicago Bulls overcame Brice Sensabaugh's career-high 43 points to beat the Utah Jazz 128-126 on Wednesday night.
Chicago police have issued a community alert on a string of burglaries this week targeting businesses from the north lakefront to the Southwest Side.
Burglars broke into a bar in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood early Thursday morning.
A teen stood charged Thursday with shooting a young woman in the mouth in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood earlier this week.
A man is dead, and two others were injured after a shooting in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood.
Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that they have charged a registered nurse to giving counterfeit Ozempic to patients in Chicago.
