A prominent bond-ratings agency doesn’t see much good on Illinois’ political and financial fronts.

As the heavily politicized state budget process goes forward in this election year, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly are setting rhetorical markers to establish ground rules for how matters proceed.

Recalling that his losing battle with Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan took two years and included a partial-year budget before a deficit budget and a state income-tax increase were passed over his vetoes, Rauner is urging legislators to limit expenditures to estimated revenues and decide in advance not to pass any partial budget.

With Democrat J.B. Pritzker saying a progressive state income tax is his top priority, House Republicans are uniting behind yet another resolution pledging their opposition to the idea.

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs and all but one of the other 50 House Republicans signed onto the resolution pledging to oppose a graduated state income tax.

Anti-Amazon protesters on Tuesday ripped Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s attempt to woo the company’s new headquarters to Chicago, saying it would line the pockets of billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos while leaving working-class residents with little to show for it.

The Grassroots Collaborative wants to know more about the city and state tax breaks Amazon would get to build its so-called HQ2 here and seeks assurances about living wages and other community benefits. The group’s executive director, Amisha Patel, said organizations in 19 other locations that remain in contention for the massive project also are joining in with lists of demands.

Half of Harvey’s police and fire department personnel will be laid off later this week after a court ruling blocked the long-struggling  south suburb from receiving $1.4 million in tax revenue, attorney Bob Fioretti said Tuesday.

City officials will officially make a decision this week on how to make up the shortfall, after a chancery court judge on Monday denied a request to release the money while the city fights its police pension board over millions in back payments, said Fioretti, who is representing Harvey.

Harvey police and fire department employees were hit with major layoffs Tuesday, one day after an adverse court ruling spurred city officials to convene an emergency meeting with workers.

Officials did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday but the lawyer who represents both Harvey’s police and fire unions said 18 rank-and-file firefighters and 13 patrolmen are believed to have been let go. Another nine police department employees who are not sworn officers — including five booking officers and traffic and records clerks — also had their positions cut, said Dominique Randle-El, the president of AFSCME Council 31 Local 2404.

A Toys R Us distribution center in Joliet is laying off 180 employees as the storied retailer shuts its U.S. stores.

The layoffs at the 671,040-square-foot distribution center are expected to occur May 14, according to a monthly mass layoff report from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

At the stroke of 3 p.m. on March 30, thousands of Chicago eighth graders learned whether they had landed a seat at one of the city’s elite test-in public high schools. More than 70 percent of the 16,500 applicants walked away disappointed.

But they could get a second chance. A controversial process that gives broad leeway to principals to admit a small number of extra students began this week.

Algonquin Township’s annual Town Meeting drew a roomful of residents Tuesday night – but many of them brought with them concerns from an unincorporated patch of Lake in the Hills.

“We need help,” said James Wilson, one of several unincorporated Lake in the Hills homeowners who showed up to the meeting of McHenry County’s most populous township looking for guidance in a battle they contend could lead to astronomical water bills.