Shortly after declaring 12 Illinois counties state disaster areas, Gov. Bruce Rauner surveyed the damage first hand, making several stops in Central and Southern Illinois. He made his final stop in Villa Grove on Sunday, calling the state disaster declaration a 'first step' in seeking federal help.
A new governor. A long-time House speaker. Court-ordered state spending. It all adds up to a year unlike any other in the state of Illinois' history. Illinois Public Media's Brian Moline talks about 2015 in state politics with Statehouse Bureau Chief Amanda Vinicky.
Illinois’ top leaders have put off discussing how to resolve the state’s budget impasse until January. But given the state's growing deficit, they'll eventually confront the problem, including the need to find new revenue sources for state government. The leading group for retirees is on the offensive over one particular tax break.
A stopgap spending plan will keep the lights on at motor services facilities in Illinois. The bipartisan measure passed the House on Wednesday, and the Senate's headed to Springfield on Monday to vote on it.
Squeezed by four months with no state spending plan, University of Illinois trustees approved a resolution urging Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislators to pass a budget for the current fiscal year.
