State Sen. Mike Simmons appears on “Chicago Tonight” via Zoom on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (WTTW News)

Neighbors in Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown and Ravenswood have a new state senator representing them in Springfield, and he says he plans to tackle the health and economic disparities his constituents experience.

(Meagan Davis / Wikimedia Commons)

The Illinois legislature is not coming back this year. What does that mean for the Black Lives Matter movement and the state budget?

(WTTW News)

Public schools in Illinois are now required to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history in their lesson plans. The Inclusion Curriculum Law is one of only five such laws across the country.

Should House Speaker Michael Madigan step aside? The latest on the fallout from allegations of sexual harassment in his political offices.

(Chuck Grimmett / Flickr)

Will the attorney general’s reversal of an Obama-era policy give prosecutors free rein to aggressively enforce pot prohibition?

(Meagan Davis / Wikimedia Commons)

How Republican lawmakers are trying to stop publicly funded abortions in Illinois—and what the bill’s backers say.

Lawmakers who signed an open letter describing a culture of sexual harassment and misconduct in Springfield discuss the problem.

After a bruising two-year battle, Illinois may be on the brink of a budget. Lawmakers from either side of the budget divide join us with insights.

“We in the Senate did do our jobs. We stood up, we passed a balanced budget. We now need everyone to step up and do their jobs,” said state Sen. Heather Steans.

The Illinois General Assembly has blown a May 31 spring session deadline. So now what? We discuss the Springfield budget battle with state Sens. Heather Steans and Chris Nybo.

What progress have state senators made on negotiating a budget deal, and how will Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan react if it passes?

Illinois legislators talk about the upcoming Fall Veto Session and look ahead to working with Bruce Rauner's administration.

Illinois State Capitol Building

Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield next week. Can they make any headway in reducing the state's huge fiscal problems in this election year? We hear from four lawmakers.