Stories by Paris Schutz

The mayoral candidate field is finally set. Who's in? Who's out? We break it down.

Illinois has lost the first round in its attempt to uphold recently enacted changes to the state’s pension law. Sangamon County Court Judge John Belz has found that the pension reform law is unconstitutional and “void in its entirety.” 

A new report says the state is falling behind in funding its public schools. But with finances a mess, where will incoming governor Bruce Rauner find the money?

City of Chicago property taxes will not be going up next year, but a host of other fines and fees will as part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's 2015 budget. City Council approved the budget today by a 46-4 vote.

Lawmakers head back to Springfield for their fall veto session. But will anything happen on the hot button issues of minimum wage, education funding, and Uber ridesharing before Governor-elect Bruce Rauner takes over?

Dignitaries and politicians packed the church service for the funeral of former Mayor Jane Byrne.

A debate rages in City Council over whether or not Chicago Public Schools can recover millions lost in toxic bond deals, in light of the Chicago Tribune's investigation. Paris Schutz has the details.

The most expensive gubernatorial race in Illinois history is now officially in the books. Gov. Pat Quinn conceded the race that was called late last night for Republican Bruce Rauner. Both the governor and governor-elect have announced transition plans, as multiple probes are opening into the controversy that caused several election judges in Chicago to not show up to their polling places.

For the first time, Illinois voters can register and vote on the same day. Chicago Tonight takes a look behind the new law that allows Illinois voters to register to vote on Election Day.

Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is mulling whether or not to take on Rahm Emanuel and run for mayor, according to sources within the Democratic party, and within Chicago’s Latino and progressive communities.

A top Emanuel ally and chairman of the powerful Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics on City Council is in hot water with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office.   

Chicago Tonight takes an exclusive look inside the embattled Hines VA Hospital.

Saying that he was "well-prepared" for the responsibilities of leading a church of 2.2 million people, Cardinal Francis George introduced his successor, Blase Cupich.            

Is Chicago finally ready for reform? An ordinance to put aldermen under the watch of Inspector General Joe Ferguson gets introduced today.

Millions of passengers travel through O'Hare every year, but dozens of burros, goats, and llamas call the airport home. Why? Paris Schutz explains.

The city celebrates the U.S. Little League champs Jackie Robinson West All-Stars. Paris Schutz has the complete recap of the day's festivities.

The City Council’s watchdog says he will run out of money to investigate aldermen within the next two weeks. Paris Schutz has the latest in the ongoing heated debate over who polices aldermen.

40th Ward Alderman Pat O’Connor, the mayor’s City Council floor leader, lashed out today at claims that he passed a bill trying to weaken the city council watchdog’s power to police campaign finance. And he says the timing of the bill, first reported by Chicago Tonight, is not connected to a recently opened probe into possible campaign finance violations O’Connor may have committed. 

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says that he believes there is no indication that the department is ‘faking crime stats’ in an effort to artificially give off the perception that crime is lower than it is.

Hundreds of thousands of city residents have chosen to get their electricity through the municipal aggregation program. But now many of those might want to opt out because of higher rates. Paris Schutz has more.  

Illinois leaders are reacting today to a state Supreme Court ruling that could spell doom for state and city pension fixes. In a 6-1 decision, the court in a separate case deemed cuts to public retiree health benefits unconstitutional. 

The governor signs a bill relaxing voter restrictions, but Republicans say it's a backhanded ploy to elect more Democrats. Paris Schutz has the very latest.

Is the farm of the future indoors and multiple stories high? Paris Schutz takes us inside some of the area’s vertical farms to showcase the newest food growing technology, and shows us an indoor farm in a building millions of people travel through every day.

Should an independent commission – instead of political power brokers – decide how to redraw state legislative maps every year? That is the question a grassroots organization is attempting to put before voters on the November ballot. But their effort may be in peril due to some major roadblocks.

The public employees union AFSCME says it will sue to stop Chicago’s recently signed pension reform law. But not all unions agree with that stance. Paris Schutz has more on what’s behind the rift, and on how the city plans to pay for the new law.

After a long wait, the Governor today finally signed the bill into law that reforms two of the city's underfunded pension systems. The governor urged City Council to avoid using property tax hikes to fund the new law, and the mayor responded by taking property tax hikes off the table in the first year of the new law.