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State lawmakers seek to cover budget shortfall, avoid doomsday deadline for mass transportation

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State lawmakers seek to cover budget shortfall, avoid doomsday deadline for mass transportation


CHICAGO (WLS) — State lawmakers are now down to the final week of this legislative session, grappling with how to cover a budget shortfall and also, how to avoid a doomsday deadline for mass transportation.

Transit officials have been stressing the need for hundreds of millions of dollars for the CTA, Metra and Pace to avoid massive layoffs. Lawmakers in Springfield have been feeling the sense of urgency to get things done with time running out.

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With the legislative session on track to wrap up by May 31, the pressure is on to find a way to fund mass transit.

“We’re going to have to have a fully funded, well-supported transit system, safe, affordable and reliable, you know. And you know, again, there’s no secret that we have to move with some expediency to ensure that the funding is there,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson.

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Lawmakers in Springfield have been working down to the wire to pass a balanced budget in a very challenging year with revenue shortfalls and pending cuts in federal funding.

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“We’re not trying to just close the books on a budget for the state of Illinois, but we’re trying to close gaps in access and equity and accountability. And that’s not easy in a very tough fiscal environment,” said Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago.

But before addressing any transit funding bills, lawmakers are working to revamp the governance for the transit agencies under a new entity replacing the Regional Transportation Authority.

The RTA says mass transit needs $771 million next year to avoid layoffs and cuts to service.

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“We know, once again, that we find ourselves in a precarious budget situation, but we also know that doing nothing is not an option, and so, we’ve got some long days and nights ahead here in this last week in Springfield,” Buckner said.

Johnson is also optimistic that the city’s requests, which include a 911 surcharge tax and school funding for special education and transportation, will come through.

“You know, there’s nothing that’s guaranteed, and our work continues there to ensure that the ask that we have for the people of Chicago, that those asks become realized. Now, there’s always room to negotiate, and there’s different forms in which these asks can be delivered,” Johnson said.

Lawmakers are discussing various new revenue sources, but while negotiators talk through them, they are keeping those ideas private.

Lawmakers have until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. to pass a balanced budget. And once again, they are expecting to work right up until the end to get the budget passed.

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Shooting leaves man dead, woman wounded in Mundelein, Illinois, apartment

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Shooting leaves man dead, woman wounded in Mundelein, Illinois, apartment


Two people were shot, and one of them died, in an apartment in the north Chicago suburb of Mundelein on Tuesday morning.

At 11:40 am., Mundelein police were called to a building in the 500 block of Deepwoods Drive following the shooting.

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They found two victims who had been shot. A woman was taken to an area hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, while a man died at the hospital, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.

Mundelein police obtained a description of a suspect vehicle and broadcast it to other law enforcement agencies. Illinois State Police traced a car all the way to the Illinois-Indiana state line, where they pulled over the car and took a man and woman into custody.

Police believe the shooting was targeted and domestic in nature, the sheriff’s office said.

The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and Mundelein police continued to investigate Tuesday afternoon.

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Motorcyclist killed in Mundelein crash, police say

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Motorcyclist killed in Mundelein crash, police say


ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 1:19AM

ABC7 Chicago 24/7 Stream

MUNDELEIN, Ill. (WLS) — A motorcyclist was killed in a north suburban crash on Monday evening, police said.

Mundelein police said officers and members of the fire department responded to a crash involving a Suzuki motorcycle and a Honda SUV near Route 45 and Route 83 around 5:25 p.m.

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The motorcyclist, a 34-year-old man, was ejected, police said. He was pronounced dead on the scene, and his name was not immediately released.

Police said the intersection was shut down but is expected to reopen around 8:30 p.m.

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The Mundelein Police Department, the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, and the Lake County Coroner’s Office are investigating.

Authorities did not immediately provide further information.

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Severed arm in Illinois lake: Court records say body parts found in freezer, half-brother claimed self-defense

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Severed arm in Illinois lake: Court records say body parts found in freezer, half-brother claimed self-defense


Editor’s note: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.

New details have emerged in the case of a severed arm bearing a distinctive Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers tattoo that was recovered from an Illinois lake, leading investigators to identify the victim.

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James Adams, 26, and Robin Turner, 62, have been charged in connection with the death of 38-year-old Dalewayne Turner. Both face charges of concealment of a homicidal death, a Class 3 felony, and dismembering a human body, a Class X felony.

The backstory:

Two charged after severed arm with Packers tattoo found in Illinois lake, police say

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Will County court documents released Monday identify Adams as Dalewayne Turner’s half-brother and Robin Turner as his wife.

According to the documents, Adams admitted to fatally stabbing Dalewayne Turner, while Robin Turner did not contact law enforcement after the killing.

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Investigators allege the two took extensive steps to conceal the crime, including using bleach to clean the home and mask odors, repainting portions of the house, removing and burning wood paneling in a fire pit, and disposing of rugs.

Court records describe a large amount of blood at the scene and state that Dalewayne Turner’s body was dismembered. Some of his remains were placed in a freezer that investigators say was purchased specifically for that purpose.

Authorities allege the remains were placed in trash bags, weighted down, sealed with duct tape and transported to Lake Mattoon, where they were dumped in an effort to prevent the victim from being found and identified.

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Prosecutors said one weighted bag came apart, allowing Dalewayne Turner’s tattooed arm to surface. Boaters discovered the arm on the evening of June 28.

Pictured is an arm tattoo of a skeleton holding a Green Bay Packers helmet. (Illinois State Police)

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A dive team later recovered additional weighted bags containing human remains from the lake.

What they’re saying:

After Adams was taken into custody June 30, court documents say he confessed to the killing but claimed he acted in self-defense.

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“The one thing I will say is that I did it, but I did it out of self-defense. I will tell you guys that,” James said. 

During an interview with investigators June 30, Robin Turner said Adams and Dalewayne Turner argued in the living room before Adams stabbed him multiple times.

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According to court documents, Adams later told Robin Turner that Dalewayne Turner either fell or was pushed down a staircase after the stabbing and that he placed the body in a freezer.

Robin Turner told investigators she believed the body was still in the freezer, which she said she purchased from Best Buy on June 19 after her previous freezer broke.

She also told investigators that the repainting and remodeling inside the home were part of renovation work completed between June 21 and June 30.

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On July 1, Illinois State Police agents searched the home and found a downstairs freezer with what appeared to be a bloodstain dripping from a drain hole, according to court records.

Investigators opened the freezer and found a partial body consisting of a torso, neck and head, but no limbs, court documents state.

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What’s next:

Both Robin Turner and Adams are scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Thursday for a detention hearing.

The Source: The information in this article was provided by Will County court documents and previous FOX Chicago reporting.

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