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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.
Gun owners could carry concealed weapons in Illinois, the last state in the nation to prohibit it, under legislation that swept through the House Friday with the backing of the powerful Democratic speaker from Chicago, a city torn by violence despite what critics claim are the nation's toughest firearms restrictions.
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 longtime backer of a push to expand gambling in Illinois has dropped his name from a pending bill over "perceived conflict of interest" with a law firm where he's counsel.
Public school administrators told lawmakers Thursday that some local districts would have to raise property taxes if legislators vote to have them cover the cost of teacher pensions.
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.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan sought Tuesday to tackle the pension crisis through a single piece of legislation that would require government employees and teachers to contribute more toward their retirement but receive fewer benefits in return.
Illinois lawmakers from both parties celebrated a possible breakthrough Thursday in their struggle to solve the multibillion-dollar pension crisis after voting to reduce and delay cost-of-living increases in state employees' retirement pay — a step the House Republican leader heralded as "the meat and potatoes of pension reform."
A day after Gov. Pat Quinn upbraided lawmakers for inaction on the state's multibillion-dollar pension mess, House members found a proposal they could get behind, backing a measure to limit the salary on which a public employee's retirement benefits could be based.
Illinois lawmakers are trying to keep a lid on spending, but a drafting error in a budget plan they approved would allow only $35,000 to run the entire state government for a year.
The firestorm over concealed weapons moved to the Illinois House floor Tuesday, sparking Republican complaints that an extraordinary legislative process set up by majority Democrats would restrict the right to carry guns in public rather than allow it, as a federal court has ordered.
A breakthrough measure to address Illinois' $96 billion pension crisis progressed Monday in the Illinois House, but odds of a final deal before this week's deadline grew slimmer as lawmakers left the Capitol without taking a floor vote.
A downstate lawmaker screamed, yelled and threw papers Tuesday, as he expressed frustration about the Democrat-led plan to overhaul the state pension system.
A plan to cut government pensions and shift some retirement costs to schools has cleared its first hurdle in the Illinois Legislature.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Tuesday that he's not sure casino legislation will be going very far in Springfield this spring.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says local school districts haven't been paying into their teachers' retirement systems, and he thinks it may be high time that they did.
Illinois lawmakers rebuked Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday as senators took a step toward overriding his veto on high-profile electricity legislation and House Speaker Michael Madigan criticized his no-layoff agreement with a major union.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said he is open to reallocating state budget money to avoid numerous layoffs and facility closures proposed last week by Gov. Pat Quinn.
Gov. Pat Quinn flexed his veto power Wednesday by rewriting legislation in a way that would end the long practice of letting Illinois legislators hand out scholarships to state universities.
Local Democrats have tapped Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek to replace retiring state Sen. Lou Viverito, who just voted for a controversial state income tax hike.
After signing the third-richest contract in Chicago Cubs history and changing his jersey number to No. 3, third baseman Alex Bregman said his biggest priorities are his family and winning a third World Series championship.
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 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.
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."
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 in the divisional round, with linebacker TJ Edwards and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo done for the season after getting injured against the Packers in the first round of the playoffs.
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. A Chicago doctor saved another fan's life at Soldier Field this season after she suffered a medical emergency in the stands.
After signing the third-richest contract in Chicago Cubs history and changing his jersey number to No. 3, third baseman Alex Bregman said his biggest priorities are his family and winning a third World Series championship.
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.
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
After signing the third-richest contract in Chicago Cubs history and changing his jersey number to No. 3, third baseman Alex Bregman said his biggest priorities are his family and winning a third World Series championship.
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.
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.
