Gov. Pat Quinn vigorously denied charges by Republican legislators that he is engaging in scare tactics in order to win passage of an income tax hike.

Calling for a tax hike is never a popular move, and it's even less so in the middle of a historic recession and an election year. Nonetheless, Gov. Pat Quinn called on lawmakers Wednesday to do just that. In a brief speech, Quinn also called for cutting state aid to cities, revamping state pensions and giving small businesses a tax break for creating jobs. 

With an ugly budget situation facing him, Gov. Pat Quinn will propose a new spending plan for next year heavy on borrowing and pushing off old debts to break even.

Springfield lawmakers said Tuesday they will take steps to try and block the Department on Aging from renting new office space at a cost of more than $530,000 a year.

Gov. Pat Quinn gives his long-awaited speech to lawmakers today at noon in the House chamber outlining how he wants to deal with major budget problems next year. The situation, obviously, isn't pretty. But it's how Quinn handles the speech itself that could provide good insight to the future. This week's State Capitol Q&A takes a closer look at what Quinn faces with this speech and what's next.

The House voted 111-1 today for House Bill 5818, which would strip state pension benefits from any statewide constitutional officer impeached and removed from office.

The Illinois Department on Aging plans to move from two state-owned locations in Springfield where it pays no rent into a private office building where it will lease space for more than $530,000 a year. The department said the move was in the works before the state's financial problems hit and that it will enable all department employees to be in one location.

State government's head of schools sent a stark message Thursday about the fallout from his agency's budget: Schools will have to cut at least 13,000 employees, and it could be much worse.

Republicans and Democrats are taking on each other in another important area - how best to create jobs and rebuild the state's economy.

Just a year after seeing boosted speeds for trucks, all drivers on rural Illinois interstates could go a little faster under a measure advancing at the state Capitol.

Hours after House Republicans floated their ideas, Senate Democrats fired back with their own package for improving the state's economy.

On the second try in as many days, state senators have approved borrowing millions of dollars to help pay down a massive backlog of bills owed to health care providers.

House Republicans are pushing a plan they say would help spur job creation and open up the legislative process.

Senators used the first review of the state's serious budget woes Wednesday to spar along political lines and produce no signs of any progress. Republicans then thwarted Democratic efforts to borrow more money for overdue health care bills.

Facing growing financial problems, local leaders from across the state hope coming together will pressure state lawmakers to make significant changes on pension funds slated for police and firefighters.