WILL-AM | Illinois Public Media

Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan — (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

News Local/State

February 20, 2015

Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan Says Budget Deal Is Days Away

Illinois' new governor and legislative leaders are figuring out how to deal with shortfalls in this year's budget.

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A teamsters truck is parked outside the Warren County, Kentucky courthouse when right to work ordinance was approved, — (Lisa Autry/WKU Public Radio)

News Local/State

February 19, 2015

Kentucky Provides Model For Rauner’s ‘Empowerment’ Zones

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner wants to create 'right-to-work zones' in Illinois. Kentucky recently began a similar experiment to allow workers to opt-out of union dues, and could offer some clues as to what to expect in Illinois.

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cast of To Kill A Mockingbird on stage — Devyn Tammons/WILL

News Local/State

February 19, 2015

Central High Adds Twist To ‘Mockingbird’

If you've read the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, you know it's a story that centers largely on issues of race and justice. Those are themes that continue to resonate today. So, when Champaign's Central High School decided to stage a performance of Harper Lee's novel, they added a modern twist. This weekend, students will perform two versions of the play; one with a traditional cast, the other with the races of the major characters reversed.

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Caterpillar, University of Illinois and Champaign officials cut a ceremonial ribbon to open the Caterpillar Data Innovation Lab. — (Jim Meadows/Illinois Public Media)

News Local/State

February 19, 2015

Caterpillar Opens New Data Analysis Lab At U Of I Research Park

University of Illinois students will make up much of the staff at Caterpillar's new Data Innovation Lab, devoted to analyzing data collected by sensors in Cat equipment.

Statues outside the Illinois Supreme Court building — (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

News Local/State

February 19, 2015

Oral Arguments Scheduled In Pension Lawsuit

The high court agreed in December to fast-track the state's appeal of a lower-court ruling in November that the measure is unconstitutional.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner delivers his State of the Budget address to a joint session of the General Assembly in the House chambers, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Springfield Ill. — (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

News Local/State

February 19, 2015

Reaction To Rauner Budget Sets Stage For Negotations

Rauner began his first budget negotiations with a call for deep spending cuts to Medicaid, pensions and other programs to fix the state’s budget mess without raising taxes. In a preview of what's likely to come, Democrats and Republicans sparred over many details and the need for tax hikes to fill the budget hole.

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Governor Bruce Rauner before his budget address Wednesday. — (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

News Local/State

February 18, 2015

Rauner Calls For Billions In Cuts, UI Says ‘Everything’ Is On The Table

Gov. Bruce Rauner says his budget is a responsible path after years of "financial recklessness.'' Deep cuts include those to Medicaid and higher education. A University of Illinois official says all three campuses must find ways to save money and that "everything is on the table."

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News Local/State

February 18, 2015

Kids Behind Bars

A WBEZ investigation found that over a three year span, there were 344 instances when kids spent a week or more in the Cook County juvenile jail waiting for the Department of Children and Family Services to find them a place to live.

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