Listen to State Week - February 27, 2015

Gov. Bruce Rauner proposed a large budget cut for higher education, including the University of Illinois.

Illinois Sen. Scott Bennett is trying to stop the governor from slashing the U of I's budget, and he's beginning to fight that battle with a stack of paper and a list of names. Bennett, who is from Champaign, where the University of Illinois' main campus is located, has started a petition in opposition to Rauner's plan.

Bennett says the names he collects signify more than a line on a budget.

Parents and child care providers continue to worry about when-- or if-- the state is going to come through with money to keep a subsidized daycare program running.

The state and federal government provide assistance for working parents who can't afford the cost of child care, but Illinois hasn't put aside enough money to pay.

Jacqueline Cervantes owns Pica Boo Day Care in Cicero. She watches eight children, and all of their families receive financial help from the state.