Gov. Bruce Rauner is scheduled to deliver his budget message to the Illinois General Assembly this Wednesday. In advance of that, interest groups are lining up to plead their case for state funding. On Monday, representatives of the state’s colleges and universities made one such pitch.

Chicago State University trustees have declared a financial emergency that could lead to some big cuts during the current school year.

State Senator Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) a 20-year veteran of the Illinois General Assembly, talks about what it might take to reach a budget agreement in Springfield.

Layoff notices are going out to 200 non-instructional employees at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, while members of the union representing faculty and academic employees consider an administration request to take unpaid furlough days.

The Western Illinois University Board of Trustees voted Monday to authorize staff reductions for the the upcoming fiscal year. Meanwhile, the president of Eastern Illinois University announced a series of immediate cuts, including the possible imposition of unpaid furloughs and layoffs.