Illinois Public Media News

City of Champaign Township wants to explore selling its two office buildings and buying new ones, but they need voter approval at Tuesday's annual town meeting to move ahead.

Last year, Illinois was one of a handful of states that lost population. More than 90,000 people moved elsewhere.  It became a campaign issue for Governor when then candidate Bruce Rauner criticized the state's lack of friendliness to business, but the numbers don't mean mean there is a crisis, or even a real clamor, to leave the state.                    

Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration says it has agreed to allow government agencies to reinstate mandatory fair share fees for non-union members in return for union agreement to a faster timeline for resolving their dispute over the payments.

The Champaign County Drug Court will soon offer a new option for some trying to break their addiction to heroin. The pilot program launches later this month and will eventually provide medication and therapy to up to 30 people who qualify and consent to the treatment.

State Sen. Chapin Rose says procurement rules enacted in response to the corrupt Blagojevich administration went too far, imposing a burden that turns away qualified low bidders.