Explore our content

All types | All dates | All authors
Kwame Raoul

Pages

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
7:02pm
Wed Feb 18
2 comments

Critics Slam Rauner's Budget Over 'Morally Reprehensible' Cuts

Illinois Budget

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is calling for massive cuts to health care, education and other vital services as part of his budget blueprint to "turnaround" Illinois. Progress Illinois rounds up some of the praise and outrage that has poured in following Rauner's first budget address.

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
6:56pm
Wed Feb 4

Rauner's First State Of The State Address Garners Mixed Reviews

Springfield

During his first State of the State address on Wednesday, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner proposed raising the state's minimum wage to $10 over seven years, pushed his plan for right-to-work zones and vowed to keep his campaign promise to increase education funding. Progress Illinois provides highlights from Rauner's speech and rounds up reaction to his agenda for the state.

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
3:58pm
Wed Apr 2, 2014
1 comment

Chicago City Council Roundup: Emanuel Defends Pension Plan, Aldermen Call Mental Health Service Hearings

Chicago City Council

Progress Illinois provides some highlights from Wednesday's Chicago City Council meeting.

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
6:19pm
Wed Mar 26, 2014
1 comment

Breaking Down Quinn's State Budget Address

Springfield

During his state budget address Wednesday, Gov. Pat Quinn said he wants to keep in place Illinois' temporary income tax hike that is set to expire in January. Progress Illinois takes a closer look at the governor's proposal and offers some expert reaction to Quinn's election-year budget speech.

Quick Hit
by Aricka Flowers
5:15pm
Tue Dec 3, 2013
3 comments

Illinois Lawmakers Ram Pension Reform Bill Through, Labor Preps For Legal Fight (UPDATED)

The Illinois General Assembly passed a controversial pension reform bill Tuesday, and labor is now prepping for a legal fight.

The House voted in favor of the bill 62-53 and the Senate barely passed the measure with a 30-24 vote. The bill needed 30 votes to pass through the Senate.

State Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), who was the lone member of the ten-person, bipartisan conference that didn't vote for the bill to move out of committee said the state's pension debt is the fault of the state legislature — not public employees and retirees. She also pushed back against House Speaker Michael Madigan's (D-Chicago) assertion earlier today that the pension system was "too rich" for what the state to afford.

“I believe this was actually more caused by the fact that we as a state did not make our pension payments as we should have even though the employees worked and their full payments were made,” Holmes said. “So I think a lot of this problem stems from the fact that we actually didn’t do what we were obligated and should have done.”

Pages