On Friday, May 8, the Illinois Supreme Court found the state’s 2013 pension reform law unconstitutional, affirming the ruling made six months earlier by a lower court. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said “crisis is not an excuse to abandon the rule of the law.” We discuss the decision with a panel of lawmakers.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will discuss what last week's Illinois Supreme Court ruling means for her plan to change the county's pension system. 

We share what you had to say about the Illinois Supreme Court's ruling on the state's 2013 pension reform law. 

The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the state’s 2013 pension reform law. Chicago Tonight hosts a special 30-minute edition on the ruling.

The Illinois Supreme Court has struck down the state's landmark 2013 pension reform law, upholding a lower court ruling that it violated the state constitution. In the ruling, the court rejected the state's defense that its contractual obligations were not absolute, because it reserved "emergency powers" in a time of crisis.

The Illinois Supreme Court heard the first round of oral arguments today over the constitutionality of a pension law that cuts state employees' benefits.

We share what you had to say about the great pension debate and schools closing due to cold weather in tonight's viewer feedback.

Illinois still has one of the worst funded pension systems in the nation. But reform efforts seem to be at a standstill until the Illinois Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of a pension bill passed last year. The court is scheduled to hear arguments in March.

We have your thoughts on Illinois' first attempts at pension reform in tonight's viewer feedback.

A Sangamon County judge tossed lawmakers' much touted pension reform law saying it's unconstitutional. Now it heads to the Illinois Supreme Court. What does this mean for pensioners and for Illinois, which has the worst bond rating in the nation and faces a $105 billion unfunded public employee pension liability? 

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.” 

Pension reform is one of the biggest issues facing the state. Our panel discusses what pension reform looks like under Gov. Pat Quinn and GOP challenger Bruce Rauner, and what voters need to know.

The state continues to struggle financially as a result of many obligations - pensions being one of the most immediate. As constitutionality of Senate Bill 1 becomes more uncertain, some lawmakers are looking to amend the constitution in order to move forward. But how will this affect state workers and who will ultimately pay the price?

On Thursday, July 3, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that subsidized health care benefits of retired state employees are protected by the state. We discuss the decision and its implications with a panel of experts.

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 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.