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Vaught’s New Role Confirmed By IL Senate
Lawmakers have signed off on Governor Pat Quinn‘s choice to head the state’s economic development agency. The Senate used a one day special session last week to confirm David Vaught as the Director...
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Illinois officials push for illegal immigrant licenses
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton says he wants to pass a bill out of the Senate next week to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. And Gov. Pat Quinn says he’ll sign the legislation, if...
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First Week Of Veto Session Recap
Illinois legislators have so far overruled Governor Pat Quinn on issues related to prisons and assault weapons, but they’ve been working on other matters too, including measures designed to address the...
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Senate President Urges House To Pass Pension Plan For State Employees
Negotiations for a complete overhaul of Illinois’ underfunded pension systems continue. But the president of the state Senate continues to push for a measure his chamber approved months ago. In May,...
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Springfield Bishop To IL Senate: Focus On “Authentic” Love This Valentine’s Day
Springfield’s Catholic Bishop says he “strenuously” objects to proposed legislation in the State Senate that would legalize marriage for same sex couples in Illinois. Earlier this month Senate...
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(Spring) Break From Pensions
Pension proposals darted across the statehouse last week. But teachers, as well as state and university workers, worried about what legislators will do to their retirement benefits can rest easy that...
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In Legislative First, Illinois House Passes Pension Overhaul
The Illinois House of Representatives on Thursday approved a massive overhaul of state pensions. It’s the first time the House has passed such a plan after more than a year of negotiating and many...
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Public Pensions’ Fate Rests Largely With Divided Democratic Leaders
A plan that will leave state employees and teachers with reduced retirement benefits made it out of the Illinois House Thursday, potentially paving the way for the pension overhaul that has thus far...
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Unions’ Deal With Cullerton On Pensions: A Summary
Senate President John Cullerton’s office has released the first official outline of the pension proposal he negotiated with unions. Having unions on board with lawmakers’ efforts to cut the state’s...
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Labor’s Pension Deal: Best Bet or Too Good To Be True?
The Illinois Senate is expected to vote Thursday on the latest proposal to fix the state’s drastically underfunded pension systems. In what’s become a multi-year pension debate, many aspects of the...
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Justice? No Pension Cuts For Illinois Judges
Illinois lawmakers remain at odds over how to handle the state’s 100 billion dollars of pension debt. But there’s a chance that this spring the General Assembly may finally do something about it....
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Quinn Vows To Stop House Concealed-Carry Plan
The Illinois House on Friday approved legislation that would let Illinoisans carry concealed firearms. But Gov. Pat Quinn says he’ll work to “stop it in its tracks.” The measure is being touted as a...
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Senate Democrats Prepare For Action On Concealed Carry
The president of the Illinois Senate said he’ll fight the concealed-carry measure approved by the House on Friday. He said the first step is meeting with his members on Monday to plot their next move....
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A Full Agenda With Only Five More Days Of Session
There are five days left in the Illinois General Assembly’s spring session. Legislators have a lot of work ahead of them. Typically, fighting over the budget carries into the waning hours of a...
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Four More Days, And Pension, Budget, Gambling, Guns Unresolved
The legislative countdown continues, as Illinois’ General Assembly is set to adjourn Friday. Lawmakers spent their Memorial Day at the capitol, where little apparent progress was made on many of the...
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With Days To Go, Crunch Time In Capitol
While many people across Illinois had Monday off from work for Memorial Day, the members of the Illinois General Assembly were meeting in Springfield. Just four days remain until lawmakers are...
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Pension Solution Continues To Elude Legislators
A solution for dealing with Illinois’ 100 billion dollars of pension debt continues to elude legislators, even as the spring session rapidly approaches its end. The General Assembly is scheduled to...
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Pension Standoff Remains Heading Into Last Day Of Session
The Illinois Senate overwhelmingly rejected legislation on Thursday that would curtail government employees’ and teachers’ retirement benefits. It raises the question of whether lawmakers will do...
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The Clock Ticks Both Ways: A Long To Do List On Legislature’s Final Day
Illinois has the worst funded pension system in the nation … and lawmakers have until today to do something about it. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn by midnight. After that, it requires...
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After No Pension Deal, Fitch Lowers Illinois’ Credit Rating
Illinois’ credit rating has suffered another downgrade. It follows the General Assembly’s adjournment Friday without any agreement on what to do about the state’s pension systems. A string of previous...
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