Credit: Amanda Vinicky

Illinois House lawmakers are back in session in Springfield a week after representatives failed to pass a one-month spending plan. The Democrat-controlled House led by Speaker Michael Madigan is scheduled to take up the temporary spending plan again despite opposition from Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republican lawmakers. We talk with Chicago Tonight's Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky about the status of the budget and more.

We’ll talk about the latest developments in Springfield with veteran reporter Carol Marin and Springfield correspondent Amanda Vinicky. It’ll be a whooper of day as a state government shutdown appears increasingly likely because Tuesday is the final day in the state’s current budget. Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools managed to pay its $634 million pension payment Tuesday afternoon. 

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.

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.

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton joins Carol Marin to talk about the Springfield summer session's budget showdown.

With no budget and only weeks before the new fiscal year starts, the state is careening toward a government shutdown. Who would that impact? 

The battle over the state’s budget continues to heat up. We’ll talk with Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky about the latest news coming out of the state’s Capitol. 

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.

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.

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.

It’s the final stretch of the legislative session. Will lawmakers be able to approve a budget by Sunday or will a special session be necessary? Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky updates us on that and more.

During his first in a planned series of interviews with Chicago Tonight, Mayor Emanuel asserted he balanced the city’s budget in each of the last four years. But while the budgets may have been balanced on paper, budget analysts and journalists say the record is far muddier.

“Unachievable.” That's what fiscal watchdog group The Civic Federation calls Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed 2016 fiscal budget in a new report released today. And the report comes a day after Rauner gave an unprecedented speech to the Chicago City Council, saying city officials shouldn't expect a bail out from the state. Tonight we talk with a panel of experts about what this means for the city and the state.

Legislators have begun meeting in working groups to work on the budget and a compromise to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s turnaround agenda. And budget cuts remain a concern, as the Responsible Budget Coalition discusses all revenue options available. We discuss these issues and more with Chicago Tonight Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky.

Citing the district's $1.1 billion deficit, Interim CEO Jesse Ruiz announced that the district is proposing a $160 million capital budget for fiscal year 2016 -- a significant decline compared to FY2015's approved budget of $509 million.