Pat Quinn

Former governor Pat Quinn wants to limit Chicago mayors to two terms.Credit Flickr User Daniel X. O'Neil / (CC x 2.0)Edit | Remove

Organizers of a petition drive to impose term limits for Chicago mayors say they have enough signatures to put the question before voters.

Former Illinois governor Pat Quinn on Monday filed 86,481 signatures to get a binding referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot. That is 33,962 signatures above the legal requirement.

An Illinois House committee Monday discussed Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to reinstate the death penalty for mass shooters and for those who murder police officers. The proposal is part of a broader public safety plan put forth in an amendatory veto.  

It’s been more than three years since then-Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation creating the Secure Choice program. But the retirement savings program for workers whose employers don’t offer one is finally becoming a reality.

Under Secure Choice, Illinois employers with 25 or more workers must offer their own retirement savings program, or offer Secure Choice, which automatically channels five percent of workers’ paychecks into a Roth IRA.

How would contenders for the state's top legal office have handled the budget stalemate?

One of the limitations of modern political debates is that candidates are usually only asked what they'll do. But in this era of political dysfunction and governmental obstruction, it can be just as important to know what a candidate might choose not to do.

In 2010, lawmakers changed the rules for how the state picks its second-in-command. No longer would voters separately nominate candidates for lieutenant governor and governor in the primary, and hope for a successful match.

He tried to warn us. At the very least, he tried to be upfront about his past. That he'd been charged with domestic battery.

A new report by a court-appointed watchdog charged with looking into patronage hiring at the Illinois transportation department details how friends and relatives of top Democrats were hired under former Gov. Pat Quinn, even as many had little or no experience.

The Chicago Tribune reports the findings released Monday are the result of an inquiry that began in 2014 after a federal judge assigned a lawyer to dig into hiring at the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says a voter referendum aimed at imposing term limits on Chicago's mayor and creating a consumer advocacy position won't make the November ballot.

Quinn told The Associated Press he's short of the roughly 53,000 signatures required by a Monday deadline. The Democrat says his goal is to get 100,000 signatures, and he's got roughly 20,000.

He launched the petition drive in June but wouldn't say for which election. He tells AP he's aiming for the 2018 primary, when Illinois next elects a governor.

The Illinois coal industry is not happy with the federal government’s decision to stop funding a clean-coal project in Illinois. 

President Barack Obama's administration pulled the plug on the FutureGen 2.0 "clean-coal" power plant, which was slated to be built in central Illinois. 

Right before leaving the governorship, Pat Quinn quietly issued three executive orders on the minimum wage, tax returns and public access to data.

Quinn's office didn't publicly announce the orders yesterday, but they were posted online later.

One order requires state vendors and subcontractors to pay a $10 minimum wage, which is more than the state's $8.25 rate. Another requires governors to make income tax returns public on or before May every year. The third requires the state to make data from agencies publicly available through an online portal.

Illinois' gubernatorial candidates will debate for the second time tonight in Chicago.

Businessman and Illinois Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Rauner received major newspaper endorsements following Thursday's debate.

Bruce Rauner's campaign continues to point the finger at Gov. Pat Quinn for a prison early release program.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate ran ads slamming Quinn for the early release of inmates from state prisons. Some went on to commit violent crimes.

Governor Pat Quinn has signed a measure that affects tuition rates at Illinois community colleges. The move is being praised by officials at Rock Valley College.

An Illinois judge is citing "safety concerns" in his order keeping Governor Pat Quinn from moving forward with plans to close two Illinois prisons.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn wants to raise the state’s minimum wage. His support comes as new census figures show more Illinois residents are living in poverty.

Illinois will step up the government data it puts online under an executive order issued by Governor Pat Quinn. The move comes even as Quinn is keeping information generated by his office under wraps.

Illinois’ senior U.S. Senator is holding off backing Governor Pat Quinn for reelection. Dick Durbin says he’ll wait to make sure Quinn’s actually planning to run in 2014.

Governor Pat Quinn has vetoed a bill that would have required a plastic bag recycling program in Illinois. Quinn says the measure would have restricted municipalities from adopting their own rules regarding the use of plastic bags.

Governor Pat Quinn has until Tuesday to act on the measure that would add five casinos in Illinois, including one for Rockford. The city of Chicago would also get a casino. 

Gov. Pat Quinn issued a statement Friday evening regarding the General Assembly's inaction on comprehensive public pension reform.

Governor Pat Quinn toured Illinois Tuesday as he signed legislation that extends tax incentives for businesses within so-called enterprise zones. One of the stops was at the Chicago-Rockford International Airport.

Governor Pat Quinn has called members of the state legislature back to Springfield August 17th for a special session on government pensions. But it's not clear if they're prepared to vote on the issue.
                               
There's been a consensus among political leaders in Springfield that something has to be done about the state pension system. It's estimated to be $83-billion short of being able to meet its future obligations.