A plan to provide nearly $500 million in relief to the cash-starved CPS is locked up in an ideological battle over collective bargaining. Paris Schutz joins us with more on the story.

Two leaders in the Illinois House of Representatives join Phil Ponce on Chicago Tonight to discuss the budget stalemate in Springfield and a possible property tax freeze.

A new proposal from state lawmakers to help out Chicago Public Schools with a $200 million windfall, as the CEO announces an end to the pension pickup for non-union employees. Paris Schutz explains.

The House today passed a bill freeing up nearly $5 billion in federal money. But Democrats failed to get enough support for an amendment to spend state dollars on some human services. After the vote, House Speaker Michael Madigan expressed frustration over the failed effort, but Republicans weren't buying it. We'll get the latest from Springfield with Chicago Tonight's Amanda Vinicky.

An Illinois House committee voted Tuesday on a bill already passed by the state Senate that will allow the state to start spending $5 billion in available federal money. We have the latest from Springfield with Chicago Tonight's Amanda Vinicky.

The state has been without a budget for 41 days. Is there a compromise on the horizon? Carol Marin talks with four members of the Illinois House of Representatives about what's happening this week in Springfield.

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said Friday that the Chicago Public Schools’ latest contract move could force teachers into another strike.

Illinois Senate President Cullerton's plan to have the state bailout $500 million in Chicago teacher pension costs moves to the House. What will Speaker Michael Madigan and Gov. Bruce Rauner do? We get the latest from Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky.

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is a key player in the state budget standoff. Yesterday, Gov. Rauner told reporters that the state would have a budget if it was up to him, Sen. Cullerton, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Today, what remained of the goodwill between Rauner and Democratic leaders seems to have evaporated. Paris Schutz has more.

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday held a press conference to lay blame for the weeks-long partial state government shutdown at the feet of House Speaker Mike Madigan, and to decry lawmakers for taking a pay raise when there's no budget in place. We'll get the latest Springfield news from Chicago Tonight's Amanda Vinicky.

The Illinois Senate is back in session Tuesday. This week’s showdown is centered on who will keep state workers paid: the Democrat-controlled General Assembly or Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Lawmakers in the Illinois House on Thursday approved an emergency one-month budget which passed on July 1 in the Senate with no Republican support. But a pass in the House may not resolve the budget impasse, as Gov. Bruce Rauner has vowed to veto the temporary spending plan.

Is Gov. Bruce Rauner's newest pension proposal constitutional? How will it impact city and state employees? John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, and Ralph Martire, executive director for the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, analyze the plan.

State lawmakers are expected to meet this week to consider a temporary, one-month budget in an effort to stave off the devastating effects of a government shutdown. But as the budget stalemate between Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled General Assembly continues with no clear resolution in sight, who wins and who loses? 

The Illinois State Board of Education has identified $450 million to fund CPS' pension contribution. Meanwhile, budget talks continue as Illinois faces a potential shutdown. Amanda Vinicky joins us tonight from Springfield while Paris Schutz has reaction from local lawmakers.

Lawmakers and the governor are now back to square one on the state budget, just five days before a potential state government shutdown. Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed all but the education portion of the budget sent to him by the General Assembly, saying it was $4 billion out of whack. But the governor also offered to compromise on big ticket items. Can a deal be saved?