Illinois’ top lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner met privately in Springfield on Tuesday in an attempt to do something they’ve thus far been unable to accomplish since Rauner took office in 2016 – brokering a full year’s budget deal.

The General Assembly has until May 31 to pass one. Leaders from both parties say they aim to get it done.

The sun came up Monday, the day after the deadline for putting constitutional amendments on the Nov. 6 ballot — and no, you won’t get to vote this year to end gerrymandering in Illinois. But you knew that.

With the deadline approaching and several versions of the amendment parked in committee, the only signs of life were a few last-minute lawmakers hopping on the bandwagon too late. A version pushed by the reform coalition Change Illinois ended up with 39 sponsors in the Senate — supposedly signaling that it would pass that chamber, if only Senate President John Cullerton would call it for a vote. Which of course wasn’t going to happen.

For the past four years as a state legislator, I have watched Democrats introduce bill after bill on the House floor that spends taxpayer money. In 2015, my first year as an Illinois representative, I repeatedly stood up and asked Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie why we don’t first determine how much taxpayer money we have to spend before we start spending it. My questions were brushed aside with flippant answers along the lines of “We’ll do that when we actually do a budget.”

Well, I’m still waiting.

Politicians usually run away from tax-hike proposals during election years as fast as their two legs and forked tongues will carry them.

But in a reversal of that political truism, Democratic gubernatorial nominee J.B. Pritzker, joined by powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, is embracing passage of a progressive-income-tax amendment to the Illinois Constitution that will generate billions of dollars in new revenue.

What gives?

For the first time ever, unionized teachers at Chicago charter schools on Tuesday took the controversial step of announcing plans to mount a unified push for raises and other noneconomic demands as they hash out new contracts.

The move is meant to leverage their bargaining power, a play the Illinois Network of Charter Schools calls a “political power grab.”

A state regulator has issued a scathing report calling Lincoln Towing Service “unfit” to hold a license to operate.

The Illinois Commerce Commission’s report on Lincoln Towing, released last week, follows a two-year investigation into the company, which has been cited numerous times by the state for allegedly hauling cars illegally.

While enrollment is dropping at suburban community colleges, the average amount spent by students on tuition and fees is on the rise.

That trend follows years of enrollment growth and steady tuition rates.

Aramark will continue to provide janitorial, maintenance, mail and grounds services for Indian Prairie District 204 schools, but the new three-year deal with the company means cutting the number of night custodians.

District 204 has had trouble filling positions because the hourly pay was less than neighboring districts. In order to raise wages, Indian Prairie next year is cutting the number workers hired under its new custodial contract with Aramark, officials said.

To move Andrew Gasser or not, that is the question.

Algonquin Township drama might not be as eloquent as Shakespeare, but bad blood continues to run through this tale.

The Woodstock School District 200 Board approved a five-year contract extension for Superintendent Mike Moan on Tuesday.

The board cited district improvement and the goal of continuity in leadership, according to a news release.

Lake County Board members voted to freeze salaries for the 14 seats up for election in November — representing two-thirds of the board — for four years, after a sometimes spirited debate Tuesday.

The other seven seats’ salaries will be frozen for at least two years, while the board chairman will receive 3.5 percent raises each of the next two years and countywide officials will get 2.5 percent salary bumps starting in 2021.

Signs of rampant confusion and frustration with Kane County’s ongoing union contract negotiations went on public display Tuesday. With some employees already on strike, county officials delayed a change to employee health insurance while also releasing the history of union contract offers made so far.

At the Kane County Board meeting, Matthew Lange, an organizer for AFSCME Local 3966, sparked lengthy debate on the health insurance change with a threat to file an unfair labor practice charge against the county. AFSCME represents workers in five unresolved union contracts.

Hundreds of Rockford Public Schools administrators, principals, assistant principals, administrative and program support employees, specialists, cafeteria workers and others got 2 percent raises Tuesday night.

The Rockford School Board voted unanimously to approve new salaries for 569 non-union employees. The base increase was 2 percent, Chief Human Resources Officer Matt Zediker said at Tuesday’s board meeting, but some employees received larger increases to ensure building leaders were being paid at higher rates than their subordinates and to maintain market competitiveness.

As the school year ends, Peoria Public Schools finances aren’t where they should be but they’re a “lot better” than they were, Comptroller Mike Mckenzie told board members.

The original 2017-18 budget adopted at the beginning of the school year estimated a $1.7 million deficit in the four main operating funds. But the amended budget Mckenzie presented Monday showed a deficit of about $169,000.

Wolf Branch School District 113’s sinking school is a topic of conversation in Springfield while work to stabilize it is underway in Swansea.

State legislators are considering a bill about Wolf Branch Middle School, which was damaged when a collapsing mine caused subsidence, or gradual sinking.