Friday’s back and forth between Governor Bruce Rauner and the state’s largest public employees union could be the first step in a government shutdown.  An impasse hasn’t been declared but the governor’s office says they’re looking into the dispute resolution process while saying negotiations have stopped. AFSCME says the governor walked away from the table and they still want to negotiate. Kent Redfield, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, Springfield, says this could quickly take things to the next level.

Redfield notes state police and corrections would continue operating to keep up public safety, but says that it’s getting pretty close to what would typically be thought as a government shutdown. Any declared impasse must be reviewed by the Illinois Labor Relations Board. The Rauner administration and AFSMCE are on a tolling agreement after the contract expired over the summer

In other State news, the Department of Homeland Security provided an update today on the REAL ID Act, announcing that there will be no security changes at airports for at least two years, with any changes beginning no sooner than January 22, 2018.

As a result, Illinois driver’s licenses and ID cards will continue to be accepted as primary forms of identification to board commercial airplanes for domestic travel.

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office will continue to work with DHS and the Illinois General Assembly on the REAL ID Act.