WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

After a five-week layoff, the Indiana House is racing to approve bills --- including the state budget --- to make up for lost time.With Republicans firmly in control, the Indiana House approved a $28 billion two-year spending plan this week.  The Indiana Senate, also controlled by Republicans,

No sooner did Air Force One land at Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington, returning President Obama from his Latin American trip, than did Speaker John Boehner make public a letter to Obama demanding clarification on many aspects of the U.S.

Indiana lawmakers are scheduled to begin public hearings on a new state budget Monday. But Democrats continue to boycott budget talks and remain in Illinois.Indiana Republicans are beginning the process of working around the boycotting Democrats. State senators are holding public hearings Monday.

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House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the White House appear to agree on two things at least: the federal government shouldn't be shut down and funding the government via stopgap spending bills is no way to run a government.Aside from that, they don't agree on much else.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, is criticizing Wisconsin Republicans. Wisconsin's governor says he'll sign legislation to limit collective bargaining rights for some public workers.

 Wisconsin’s public workers no longer have collective bargaining rights. Lawmakers stripped them away Thursday, and the move’s causing a firestorm in pro-labor circles. But Illinois’ neighbor to the north isn’t the only one seeing an epic battle over workers rights.