Gov. Quinn is expected to propose a state budget to a joint session of the General Assembly this afternoon that calls for $1 billion in budget cuts and no increases of additional taxes of fees, which may soothe the savage beasts still railing at the state income tax hike. Quinn's spokeswoman Mica Matsoff told reporters, “I’d say it’s a lean budget that focuses the burden upon all areas of state government." But the budget could still be dead in the water if Quinn moves forward with his proposal to borrow $8.75 billion to help pay off the state's bills. more ›

State legislators are back at work in Springfield, trying to hammer out a budget that they failed to approve before they adjourned earlier this month. But state Dems are facing a May 31 deadline after which a budget will require a super-majority to pass. Which is probably why Gov. Quinn is pressing for a Friday deadline to cobble together and approve the new budget. more ›

• Chauvet Stiggers was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm and aggravated criminal sexual assault committed with a threat to life in connection to last week's Southwest Side rapes.
• As many as 50 people have been sickened this week by a Shigella outbreak traced back to a Subway in Lombard.
• Cook County Sheriffs have busted up another prostitution ring resulting in 14 arrests.

After a lot of hootin' and hollerin', it's finally done: we have a state budget. And one without an income tax hike. But with the state facing somewhere in the neighborhood of a $9 billion budget gap, how will the state actually manage to make ends meet? In a word: borrowing. The $26 billion spending plan depends on borrowing $3.5 billion to pay state worker pensions and around $3.2 billion in bills is pushed off to next year's budget, but the move means that most of the state services that were on the brink of getting cut will now remain. For now, anyway, as Gov. Quinn has the option to cut any additional money as he sees fit. Still, Quinn said the budget still puts the state between $4 billion and $5 billion down. more ›