Veto session enters home stretch

Nov. 10, 2011
Lawmakers were wrapping up the fall veto session in Springfield. Some of the issues they were considering were significant to Chicago--from gambling to red light cameras. Furthermore, owners of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange waited to see if legislatures will give them a tax break to stay put.

More money, but more fears for Chicago Gospel Fest

Nov. 10, 2011
The Chicago City Council is set to vote on a budget next Wednesday, and one of the proposals could make fans of a musical genre with deep, local history sing out loud.Video via Flickr/Tim WilsonMayor Rahm Emanuel wants to spend more money on the Chicago

Inside an 'underground library'

Nov. 9, 2011
Some Chicagoans are collecting a quirky collection of cookbooks, zines and poems for an unusual library. For starters, it accepts any printed material connected to the Chicago area and it’s not just for readers – it’s meant to get people creating work, too.

Empty places: It’s not squatting…it’s blotting

Nov. 9, 2011
The Changing Gears project is looking at the challenges of the region’s empty places this month. For many people, the most threatening emptiness isn’t a shuttered factory: It’s the abandoned property next door.

Budget negotiations continue at City Hall

Nov. 9, 2011
All week Eight Forty-Eight looked at some of the proposals in Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2012 budget, such as its potential impact on libraries and the city’s water system. Next week, the City Council will vote on the budget.

Labor faces tough battles in Illinois

Nov. 8, 2011
A major chunk of government deficits were derived from outstanding pension obligations; but the latest attempts to rethink Illinois’ pension system stalled. Both unions and politicians put up roadblocks to proposed legislation.

Preckwinkle and Dart hoping to cut costs, not safety services

Nov. 8, 2011
The proposed 2012 Cook County budget would help plug a projected $315 million dollar deficit but it also reflected lots of tough decisions by Board President Toni Preckwinkle. The budget involved layoffs, new taxes and new fees; and there were quite a few proposals that could affect public safety.

Analysis: Edwards & McQueary preview the Fall Veto session

Nov. 7, 2011
As Illinois lawmakers return to the state capitol Tuesday for the continuation of the fall veto session, key questions remain about what, if any, progress they'll make on key legislative items, including pension reform, corporate tax breaks, gambling legislation and the expansion of cameras to catch

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