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Pritzker skips over public health option in inaugural speech

Gov. J.B. Pritzker campaigned on developing a public option for people in Illinois to buy less expensive health insurance at no cost to taxpayers, but he didn’t address that in his inaugural speech.

Pritzker calls for complete audit of Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs after Legionnaires' disease outbreak

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order Friday that requires a complete audit of procedures at the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs after more than a dozen deaths from Legionnaires' disease at a state-run facility in recent years.

Pritzker orders immediate jobs study for emerging industries in Illinois

Illinois' new governor wants to have a road map, by April, of where Illinois needs to invest to grow jobs in new industries, and maybe in new locations.

Chicago cop found guilty of second degree murder of Laquan McDonald sentenced to 81 months

The former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke who was found guilty of the 2014 murder of teenager Laquan McDonald was sentenced Friday

Hundreds of Central Americans arrested for tunneling under border barrier, Border Patrol says

A group of 376 Central Americans reportedly made their way into the U.S. at the Arizona border this week by using short holes that were dug beneath the barrier, according to Border Patrol.

Despite government shutdown, Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Park to open thanks to Delta donation

Despite the government shutdown, Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Park will be open Jan. 19 to Feb. 3 thanks to a $83,500 grant from the Delta Airlines Foundation.

2 in 5 Chicago city workers are paid $100K or more

Chicago had nearly 15,000 municipal employees paid at least six figures in 2017, up more than 1,000 from the previous year. That’s more than 40 percent of the city’s workforce.

Another Illinois lawmaker hits the pension lottery

There’s a lot of talk about renewed bipartisanship and a new day in Springfield. Dozens of state lawmakers have already opted out of the pension system. The General Assembly should take the lead and phase out their own defined-benefit system and get to work on a constitutional fix for the rest of Illinois’ pension mess.

Pritzker gives $100 million in pay raises to some of the nation’s highest paid state workers

On his first full day in office, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced he will grant costly automatic pay raises to Illinois’ state workers despite a current budget deficit of more than $1 billion.

If Illinois hikes gas tax, expect more drivers to buy across state lines

Illinois already taxes 20 cents more per gallon of gasoline than Missouri. If state lawmakers add another 30 cents per gallon, expect an exodus of southwestern Illinois drivers buying gas and more in St. Louis.