Under the Dome: Minimum wage passes, but bleak budget ahead

Illinois House members Thursday voted to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.The House voted 69-47-1 to pass Senate Bill 1.

Springfield business owners joined colleagues from around downstate Monday to warn that a big increase could hurt downstate businesses.

The Pritzker administration said the state's budget deficit next year will hit $3.2 billion unless steps are taken to bring it under control.The administration said the deficit is 16 percent higher than what former Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration projected.

As the fight over Illinois' tax structure heats up, a couple of new groups hoping to impress the public with their arguments have been formed.

CHICAGO — A second public policy organization is calling for Illinois to tax retirement income and expand the sales tax to some consumer services as part of a sweeping plan to fix the state's fiscal woes.

SPRINGFIELD — Attention at the Statehouse is expected to begin focusing on one of Democratic Gov.

Was Gov. J.B. PRITZKER trying to lower expectations for his first budget proposal or start setting the stage for a graduated income tax? Or both?