Gov. Bruce Rauner has launched attack ads against House Speaker Michael Madigan and Democrats, which have started circulating on the Internet. Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky discusses what that could mean for budget talks.

The political game of chicken between Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic lawmakers got even more heated this week as the two sides went toe-to-toe over the issue of freezing property taxes. Chicago Tonight analyzes the pros and cons of a property tax freeze with experts. 

Some have described the atmosphere in Springfield as toxic. Will lawmakers and Gov. Rauner move beyond the ugliness to get a deal done on the budget? Two lawmakers join us to talk about what's ahead.

As Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled General Assembly continue to battle over the state’s budget, we talk with former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar (1991-1999) about the state’s pension-funding plan he signed into law, how he worked with Democrats in Springfield, and what advice he has for the governor. 

Speaker Michael Madigan and the House return to work today as the overtime session begins. Is it political theater or is this a sign of a compromise with Gov. Bruce Rauner?

Gov. Bruce Rauner wants a freeze on all property taxes in Illinois. He says that’s what he needs before he’ll agree on new revenue in a budget. Will it work? Paris Schutz has the latest.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan plans to bring a workers’ compensation reform measure to the floor Thursday when the House returns to session. It’s the latest move in an ongoing fight over workers’ comp reform between Democrats and Gov. Bruce Rauner. We take a look at what Rauner's proposing, whether it has any chance of passage, and how workers’ comp has already been reformed in Illinois.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Rauner administration released a statement outlining steps it’s prepared to take in response to the budget passed by House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and their caucuses. The Democratic budget is nearly $4 billion short for fiscal year 2016 which begins July 1.

Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin joins Chicago Tonight to talk about the general assembly's recently wrapped-up spring legislative session. The session, which saw sometimes tense battles between the Democratic majority in the legislature and rookie Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, ended without a budget deal.

Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic lawmakers were unable to agree on a budget plan for the state on Sunday, the deadline for the spring legislative session. Powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan said his chamber plans to be in “continuous session” this summer to address the state’s $6 billion budget shortfall. We’ll talk with Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky about the public relations battle between the governor and Democratic leaders.

The showdown between Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan continues as state lawmakers stare down a May 31 deadline to approve a budget plan. On Wednesday, lawmakers will continue to vote on a series of measures that make up the spending plan, backed by Madigan, that’s about $3 billion short. At the same time, lawmakers will hold hearings on items that make up Rauner’s Turnaround Illinois agenda.

The Illinois General Assembly has sent a bill to Gov. Bruce Rauner that will allow terminally ill patients to try experimental medication that hasn't yet been approved by the FDA. We'll hear more on the debate over whether the bill gives families a lifeline or puts already sick people at risk.

It’s crunch time as state lawmakers have less than a week to pass a budget and close a $6 billion deficit before the end of the current legislative session. We talk with Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky about the likelihood of a budget being passed before the Sunday deadline. 

One way Gov. Bruce Rauner has proposed cutting spending is to repeal the so-called “prevailing wage” law. So what is the prevailing wage and why is it on the books? Our experts debate the pros and cons of eliminating the prevailing wage the state pays for public construction projects. 

As Illinois' Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan pushes for a three percent millionaire's tax to raise fresh revenue for the cash-strapped state, Republican lawmakers respond with a proposal for term limits to limit the power of long-time legislative leaders like Madigan. Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky rounds up all the latest news.

For the first time, Gov. Bruce Rauner discussed his concerns over the constitutionality of his and Senate President John Cullerton’s pension proposals. The governor also spoke about taking several of his turnaround agenda items “off the table,” but he wouldn’t say what those items were.