Representatives from the state’s five pension systems testified to lawmakers over the past few weeks with updates on their unfunded liabilities, leaving lawmakers to come up with a fix.

The state’s unfunded public pension liability reached more than $140 billion in 2022 by the state’s estimate, though others say it is significantly higher.

Before joining the City Council, Roderick Sawyer did legal work for a business that bought distressed properties from people, some of them behind on their property taxes — paying at times tens of thousands of dollars less than they were worth — an Illinois Answers Project investigation has found.

One sale — for a home in Beverly for $32,000 — was later invalidated by a judge after the homeowner was diagnosed with dementia.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot won’t rule out using public funds to keep the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field as the NFL team continues to pursue a new stadium in Arlington Heights.

Lightfoot made the comment at an unrelated news conference a day after the Bears paid $197 million for the 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse site, which they hope to transform into a modern stadium that can host marquee events including Super Bowls and NCAA Final Fours.

With the threat of a possible recession on the horizon, some are worried that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget is trending toward future tax hikes.

Pritzker’s $49.6 billion spending request is an increase of nearly $3 billion from last year’s proposal. It includes a nearly billion dollar boost for education. That includes allotting $250 million toward early childhood education, with increased pay for child care workers and added preschool slots.

Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board members voted 3-2 Thursday to postpone joining two neighboring districts in hiring a lobbyist for a proposed state bill offering a tax break to the Chicago Bears’ stadium project, until a specific individual is recommended.

Board members in Palatine Township Elementary District 15 and Northwest Suburban High School District 214 authorized their superintendents to jointly hire a lobbyist once a field of candidates has been narrowed to a finalist.