In the first of three open budgeting meetings, U of I Urbana campus Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Edward Feser laid out a series of proposals in the event state funding continues to fall short for the next eight to ten years.  "The amount of labor going into the planning and budgeting process has dramatically increased," he says.

On the state's 113th day without a budget, Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner Thursday sloughed off critical comments made by his a pair of his predecessors, former GOP governors Jim Edgar and James Thompson.

Alderwoman Diane Marlin says the ordinance enables the city to commit its full $95,000 payment for 911 service, but Mayor Laurel Prussing still has the final say.  Marlin says it's just one area where local governments are suffering because of inaction by state lawmakers.

Speaking in Moline Tuesday, Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger said the total of Illinois' unpaid bills could reach $8.5 billion by the end of the year. 

AFSCME and other unions say Rauner's decision this month to stop payments for medical claims for about 146,000 state workers and retirees is an unconstitutional contract violation.