Illinois Public Media News

Some faculty aren't happy with the appointment of former Republican Senate candidate and Champaign Unit 4 School Board member John Bambenek to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.  Members of the Urbana campus Senate Executive Committee are drafting a letter protesting the nomination to the Rauner administration.

On The 21st: We looked into the state of medical marijuana in Illinois and how it compares to other states. Critics say it's been too slow to ramp up especially because the state's pilot program is set to expire at end of 2017. Plus, we talked about what is going on with the really long lines at airport security checkpoints.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton talk with Amanda Vinicky about the prospects for a long-delayed state budget deal.

Governor Bruce Rauner has vetoed legislation to allow an arbitrator to settle state-employee wages and working conditions if union negotiations stall.  In his veto message Monday, the Republican governor called the bill "dangerous," adding it would replace his bargaining power with a union-friendly arbitrator.

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing says the proposed fiscal 2017 budget released Monday holds the line on the city's property tax rate, and has no new hires.  But she says the $49.5 million spending plan also includes investments like road repairs, including the partially grant-funded MCORE project, reconstructing a section of Green Street.