Brady Burden, a member of the Illinois Legislative Staff Association organizing committee, is pictured with House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch in an October 2023 committee hearing. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Seven months after Democratic Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch advanced a measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, members of his own staff on Tuesday blasted the speaker for allowing the bill to languish.

Karen Conn, president of Conn’s Hospitality Group in Springfield, speaks at a news conference April 3, 2024, at the Capitol. She said she will have to raise prices and cut employees’ hours and benefits if the state eliminates a tipped wage credit. (Cole Longcor / Capitol News Illinois)
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Current Illinois law allows employers to pay their tipped workers 60% of the state’s minimum wage. That amounts to $8.40 hourly, compared to the minimum wage of $14 per hour. If their wages plus tips do not equal minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.

Former Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat from Chicago, is pictured at a state Capitol news conference Tuesday, March 5, 2024, to promote ethics reforms. He and Republican Rep. Ryan Spain, of Peoria, spoke in favor of a constitutional amendment that would allow citizens to propose ethics-related constitutional amendments on the ballot through petitions. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois)

A Republican proposal that would give citizens the ability to propose ethics-related constitutional amendments on the ballot received a bipartisan boost Tuesday when former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn endorsed it.

Democratic state Reps. Maurice West, of Rockford, and Carol Ammons, of Urbana, discuss Ammons’ proposal to expand voting by mail in Illinois during a meeting Jan. 10, 2024, of the House Ethics and Elections Committee. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois)

As the 2024 election season draws near, voters will once again choose whether to cast their ballots in person or by mail. One Illinois lawmaker is proposing a bill that would make voting by mail the default option for people in counties and cities that choose to go that route.

Illinois State Capitol. (WTTW News)

Members of the Illinois legislature will reunite on Tuesday to take care of any unfinished business before the year’s end, including deciding the ultimate fate of measures rejected in whole or in part by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

(WTTW News)

Illinois’ leadership has shifted, with a fresh group of 177 lawmakers sworn in to office on Wednesday.

(WTTW News)

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the law Tuesday night , hours after it passed the legislature on the final day of the General Assembly’s session, and roughly six months since the July 4 mass shooting at the Highland Park Independence Day parade.

(WTTW News)

Legislation authorizing funds to be added for spending needs halfway through the state's fiscal year includes an $11,655 raise in base pay, to $85,000.

Gov. Bruce Rauner is coming up empty in his bid to influence several General Assembly primary races, despite he and allies spending millions of dollars. If tonight’s races are indicative of a wider proxy war with House Speaker Mike Madigan, Madigan appears to be the runaway winner. 

We share what you had to say about some of our recent stories when we read viewer feedback from the Chicago Tonight website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Illinois House of Representatives passed a stopgap budget fix to plug a $1.6 billion deficit and avoid running out of money for day care programs and prison guards. Our panel analyzes this rare display of bipartisan cooperation. 

Legislative Term Limits & 39th District Winner

We share what you had to say about our discussion on the pros and cons of legislative term limits and how they work and our conversation with Illinois House of Representatives' 39th District challenger Will Guzzardi when we read some of our viewer feedback.

The Illinois House approved an expansion to gambling in the state, including casinos in Chicago and four other cities, despite objections from Gov. Pat Quinn.