By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — llinois’ 12 percent increase in higher education spending this year isn’t going to benefit students. Instead, the additional funding for fiscal 2012 is going into the State Universities Retirement System, or SURS, to address its underfunded pension program.

By Stephanie Fryer | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Cynthia Colletti headed to her local hardware store this week after the handle on her toilet broke.  While shopping at Ace Hardware here, she noticed signs in the plumbing aisle that read “Illinois Caustic/Corrosive Substances Act: Effective January 1st  2012” along with a description of the information customers would have to provide [...]

  By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News   SPRINGFIELD — A debate over the usefulness of smart meters versus potential security and privacy in the Illinois city of Naperville has spilled into the courts.

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — A central Illinois county has been deemed a “judicial hellhole” for its practice of handing out large settlements to plaintiffs in civil cases, according to a nonprofit that focuses on judicial reform.

By Benjamin Yount | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Illinois taxpayers may be on the hook for the retirement costs of a handful union bosses who are in line to collect publicly backed pensions after all.

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News   SPRINGFIELD —The federal government is trying to crack down on abuse of food stamp benefits, as the cost of the nationwide program continues to climb toward record heights.