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State Week: In the hands of the jury

State Week logo (capitol dome)
Brian Mackey
/
NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS

The bribery trial of three former Commonwealth Edison lobbyists and the former CEO has gone to the jury.

The defendants are accused of a scheme to give jobs and contracts to associates of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Prosecutors say the goal was to get favorable legislation approved. Defense attorneys have argued their clients only participated in legal lobbying.

We also look at some of the financial pressures facing the state as lawmakers work toward a budget for the next fiscal year.

Host Sean Crawford is joined by Professor Emeritus Charlie Wheeler and Capitol News Illinois' Hannah Meisel.

The former director of the Public Affairs Reporting (PAR) graduate program is Professor Charles N. Wheeler III, a veteran newsman who came to the University of Illinois at Springfield following a 24-year career at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Hannah covers state government and politics for Capitol News Illinois. She's been dedicated to the statehouse beat since interning at NPR Illinois in 2014, with subsequent stops at WILL-AM/FM, Law360, Capitol Fax and The Daily Line before returning to NPR Illinois in 2020 and moving to CNI in 2023.