Illinois Public Media News

Donald Trump’s presidency has Illinois lawmakers weighing an issue not usually given as much attention in the General Assembly: abortion. Since the 1970s, Illinois’ abortion laws have stayed mostly the same. Brigid Leahy, legislative director of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, says legal-abortion advocates are now moving to stem the tide they see coming from Washington.

A state budget without a state income tax hike is possible, says the Illinois Policy Institute. The conservative think-tank has released its own budget plan, which balances the budget, in part, by cutting off state subsidies for school districts and other local governments. But it’s not a plan that school administrators seem to appreciate.

On the 21st: As Illinois celebrates President  Abraham Lincoln’s 208th birthday, we talked to people who have made it their life’s work to present Abraham Lincoln in classrooms, at libraries, on stage, even at birthday parties. Plus, we spoke with food historian Rae Eighmey about her book, “Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen: A Culinary View of Lincoln’s Life and Times.”

Governor Bruce Rauner is scheduled to make his third annual budget speech to the Illinois General Assembly this Wednesday. The speech comes as credit rating agencies say the state’s fiscal condition is going from worst-in-the-nation to … whatever comes below that.

Artists and producers with Champaign-Urbana ties walked away from Sunday's Grammy Awards empty-handed. Nominees included Champaign-based Archeophone Records (in two categories), renowned bariton U of I Lyric Theatre Director Nathan Gunn, and Urbana native Molly Netter, who was featured in a recording by the New York-based Clarion Choir.