Credit: Brian Bowen Smith

Just as fans plant themselves in front of their screens for a binge-watching session of the third season of the popular Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, the real life main character, Piper Kerman, is back in Chicago. She joins us on Chicago Tonight.

The newly seated City Council takes another stab at reform as aldermen select someone to lead the new independent budget office. Paris Schutz has the details on that and more on the heated relocation of Riot Fest.

President Obama is in town to promote his executive order on immigration. We take a deeper look at how it impacts Chicago.

Pension Reform

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

President Barack Obama addresses the nation on immigration reform. Chicago Tonight talks with local analysts about the president’s speech.

Rahm and Reform

The BGA assesses how many promises Mayor Rahm Emanuel kept during his first term.

It's a victory for Mayor Rahm Emanuel as Chicago pension reform passes the Illinois General Assembly and heads to Gov. Pat Quinn for approval. Paris Schutz has the very latest details. View our interactive vote graphics to see how House and Senate members voted on the bill.

The Illinois House passed Mayor Rahm Emanuel's revised pension reform bill today in Springfield. View an interactive vote graphic to see how House members voted.

How big a hit will homeowners and commercial property owners take if Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s pension reform proposal goes through? Read an article and view a chart.

Is Chicago pension reform primed for passage? And will unions try to scuttle it? Paris Schutz has the details from Mayor Rahm Emanuel's news conference where teachers union officials attempted to disrupt the presser to state their opposition to pension reform. Watch a web extra video and read the city's proposed solution to pension funds.

Just weeks before Gov. Pat Quinn is set to make his budget address, government watchdog group The Civic Federation releases a proposal it says will balance the state’s budget. The plan would pay down the state’s backlog, but would impose a tax on pension and social security income. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall and State Director for AARP Illinois Bob Gallo discuss how the proposal could affect retirees. Read the full report.

It turns out pension reform could save $15 billion less than legislative leaders initially anticipated. An actuarial analysis done by the pension systems affected by this bill say the real savings will be $145 billion, rather than the $160 billion originally advertised. Read an article.

After state lawmakers finally passed pension reform in December, Illinoisans could be forgiven for assuming the state is now on track to balance its budget. But a report out this week says the reforms don't do nearly enough to fix the state's budget gap. Two of the authors of the report join us to discuss their findings and the implications for the state.

Now that Gov. Pat Quinn has signed the bill to fix Illinois' underfunded pension system, will it be found unconstitutional? Carol Marin and her panel of experts explore the issue.

Carol Marin and her panel of guests look at Tuesday's historic pension vote in Springfield. View interactive graphics to see how Senate and House members voted on the bill, and read a Q&A with Republican Sen. Matt Murphy.

Known for holding their rank and file members’ feet to the fire, Illinois legislative leaders were on the hot seat early Tuesday morning. House Speaker Mike Madigan, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R), and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R) testified about the merits of their pension reform compromise before a panel of lawmakers in a prelude to today's big vote. Read an article.