© 2026 NPR Illinois
For your right to be curious.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Join the NPR Illinois team!

Community Voices is seeking a co-host/editor to join Jeff Williams and Randy Eccles in getting to know our neighbors and more. Apply by May 25, 5 p.m.

The news department is seeking part-time fill-in anchor/reporters who are available either weekdays from 5:30 to 9 a.m. and/or 3:30 to 6 p.m. Apply by June 5, 5 p.m.

Groups That Called For Leaders Meeting Call Summit A "Good Start," But ...

flickr/borman18

Even with Illinois' ongoing budget stalemate, it wasn't until a coalition of good government groups called for a meeting between Gov. Bruce Rauner and all four legislative leaders that they agreed to get together.

Susan Garrett chairs one of those groups, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

She says she's pleased with the result of Tuesday's summit.

"Well, you know, getting them together in the same room, forcing a discussion on the budget crisis, no matter what the ultimate outcome was today, having them together, speaking to each other, face to face, making eye contract has to be good," she said Tuesday night.

But while she called it a "good start" Garrett acknowledges that for people desperate for a state budget, nothing is different after the meeting than it was before.

"We continue to go downhill. I mean it seems like every week, it seems like there's another setback," she said. "We have to stop that cycle."

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
Related Stories