More Than 100 Protest State Budget Stalemate Outside Thompson Center
Many of those who marched are state employees, including DCFS worker Stephen Mittons, who said the neediest and most vulnerable are being put in the middle.
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Many of those who marched are state employees, including DCFS worker Stephen Mittons, who said the neediest and most vulnerable are being put in the middle.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson is asking Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic leaders to sit down and negotiate an end to the state's budget impasse.
The governor blamed House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton for sending him a spending plan that is nearly $4 billion short on revenue.
A standoff between Republican Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and majority Democrats is threatening to derail action on a long list of issues as lawmakers enter the final week of their spring session.
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.
The move, signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday, digs into some of the largest piles of money in the state, including one intended to pay for highway construction, and some lesser known funds, such as ones to promote renewable energy sources and oversee the disposal of used tires.
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.
Rauner's inauguration ceremony was scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. He was set to take the oath of office along with Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, and Comptroller Leslie Munger.
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.
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.
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 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.
Senate Republicans crying foul after Gov. Pat Quinn used a rare procedural maneuver to try to aid the confirmation of two appointees announced several efforts Thursday to close what they described as a constitutional loophole.
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.
Gov. Pat Quinn's appeal of a ruling that his veto of lawmakers' pay was unconstitutional will be heard by the Illinois Supreme Court.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The sprawling 20-acre campus in Jackson Park, just blocks from the lake, includes buildings, gardens, playgrounds, and a 225-foot museum tower.
Pope Leo addressed the crowd standing in the cold and rain at Saint Peter's Square ahead of celebrating the first Christmas mass of his papacy.
From his hospital room at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Gilkey talked about his recovery and his fear of getting back on the CTA again.
Police said they believe he might have been experiencing a medical issue at the time of the crash.
Police said an unknown man pushed a woman into her vehicle and attempted to pull her pants down.
Pope Leo XIV has revealed he privately urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign a bill legalizing medical assistance in dying in Illinois.
President Trump invoked a law called Title 10 to bring members of the Illinois National Guard under federal service over the objections of state and local leaders.
A host of new laws in Illinois will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying, protections for immigrants and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday declined to veto a $16.6 billion spending plan passed by his rivals on the City Council, allowing it to go into effect without his signature.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul over a state law restricting immigration arrests.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
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.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
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.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
The special features interviews with Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Albert Brooks, Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Jerry O'Connell and Mandy Patinkin.
The Oscars ceremony is moving to YouTube starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
They have 621 trees, filling their entire house, even the bathroom.
Areas of fog, with cloudy skies overnight and temperatures settling into the upper 30s to low 40s.
The world-renowned institution is expected to attract nearly 800,000 visitors a year.
Authorities are especially concerned about neighborhoods burned by wildfires last January and urged residents onTuesday to evacuate.
Chicago Catholics attending Christmas mass at Holy Name Cathedral downtown said they are filled with pride seeing Pope Leo XIV leading the church.
From his hospital room at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Gilkey talked about his recovery and his fear of getting back on the CTA again.
The sprawling 20-acre campus in Jackson Park, just blocks from the lake, includes buildings, gardens, playgrounds, and a 225-foot museum tower.
NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, tracks Santa's Christmas Eve flight around the world each year. Follow a live map of the tracker here.
Pope Leo addressed the crowd standing in the cold and rain at Saint Peter's Square ahead of celebrating the first Christmas mass of his papacy.
Police said they believe he might have been experiencing a medical issue at the time of the crash.
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
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
As the 11-4 Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday night matchup with the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers, one player earned an extra Christmas present from the league thanks to his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers.
Travis Konecny scored and added his 300th career assist, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Blackhawks 3-1 and handing depleted Chicago its sixth straight loss.
The Bulls trailed 117-107 but closed the game on a 19-6 run.
Three Chicago Bears players have been named to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman, and left guard Joe Thuney.
Murakami, or "Mune" as he likes to be called, was introduced on Monday on the South Side after signing a two-year, $34-million contract.
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Multiple cars were broken into this week in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Four women have been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing from a retail store in the west Chicago suburb of Villa Park.
A woman has been charged with attacking four people at a CTA bus stop in the Lawndale neighborhood, including a woman she allegedly slashed with a broken beer bottle after threatening that woman's mother.
Three teens have been charged with sexually assaulting a classmate this past summer at a graduation party for St. Viator High School students.
