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With the dysfunction in Illinois politics, state government this year is projected to spend as much as $13 billion more than it will collect in taxes. And the situation could be getting worse.
The state still doesn’t have a budget. A stopgap spending plan, which was approved over the summer, will end on January 1, leaving social service agencies, institutions of higher education and others in the lurch. But, in the past year, legislators did approve hundreds of pieces of legislation, which the governor signed. Nearly 200 laws will go into effect at the start of the new year — close to the number that went into effect at the start of each of the past three years.
On this encore edition of The 21st: Pulitzer Prize winning writer Margo Jefferson’s new memoir is about growing up in Chicago’s black elite in the 1950s and 1960s. Plus, we talked with writer and anti-war activist Bill Ayers about this political moment.
Illinois is 1-1 in the Big Ten after a 75-70 win over Ohio State at State Farm Center in Champaign. The Illini lost a 15-point lead before recovering to get the win on New Year's Day.
A published report details problems during former Gov. Pat Quinn's administration as Illinois closed an institution for adults withdevelopmental disabilities. The Chicago Tribune reports state officials required
group home operators to promise not to undermine the closure plans - or risk getting no referrals to fill beds. The Tribune reports 67 businesses signed a loyalty pledge to avoid being shut out of referrals in what amounted to an auction.
