Capitol Cast: Illinois

Michael Belsky, executive director of the Center for Municipal Finance at the University of Chicago, discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on state and local government revenues and what they should be doing to brace for it.

The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on the Illinois economy. Economist Kenneth Kriz of the University of Illinois - Springfield talks about how it could impact state revenues and services, while Frank Manzo of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute talks about one way the state might be able to blunt some of the impact.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the Illinois economy, forcing Gov. JB Pritzker and state lawmakers to completely rethink the budget plan for the next fiscal year. Sens. Andy Manar (D) and Dan McConchie (R), the chair and minority spokesman of a Senate budget committee, share their views.

University of Chicago economics professor Dan Black talks about the economic impact that the COVID-19 pandemic could haveafter more than 114,000 Illinoisans filed first-time unemployment claims.

The Illinois primary elections took place in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic. Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, discusses how it went.

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads in Illinois, the legislative session has been put on pause, along with many other ordinary things in life. Peter Hancock and Jerry Nowicki discuss how this could impact the rest of the session.

While Republicans complain Democratic leaders aren't moving forward on property taxes, Rep. Michael Zalewski, who chairs the House Revenue and Finance Committee, talks about how difficult the issue is to resolve.

Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot explain the state's response plan for the spreading coronavirus outbreak, dubbed COVID-19. Plus, the Capitol News Illinois team talks about some of the big Statehouse news of the past week.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is freed from prison during the same week a new study is released showing Chicago the most corrupt city in America, and Illinois the third-most corrupt state. University of Illinois at Chicago political science professor Dick Simpson discusses his research and the history behind the state's corrupt politics.

Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver his second budget address on Wednesday, Feb. 19. But lawmakers are also focusing on their own legislative agendas, including proposals to let college student athletes sign endorsement deals, and a proposed constitutional amendment to overhaul the state's redistricting process ahead of the 2020 census.