Ill. Leaders Meet to Hammer Out Funding SPRINGFIELD, IL (wqub) - A last minute deal last week prevented Chicago's mass transit system from cutting routes and laying off employees this week. Now the leaders of Illinois' General Assembly and the governor are working towards a long-term solution. They met about it for the first time TUESDAY. Amanda Vinicky has more:

The pressure to solve the supposed mass transit crisis is off a bit. The Chicago Transit Authority says it has enough money to operate through next month.

Instead of focusing on transit ... the governor and legislative leaders talked about expanding gambling in Illinois. The current proposal puts a casino in Chicago, another elsewhere, and allow slots at racetracks. That would pay for education and billions of dollars worth of construction projects ... and make way for a funding stream for mass transit systems.

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan came out of the meeting saying there are still unresolved differences ... but they made progress.

"As they used to say on the south side of Chicago, 'things are okay. Things are okay.'"

The House's Republican Leader Tom Cross says there was a "willingness" to come together that he hasn't seen in awhile.
But he warned it will take time.

"I think there's so many issues, it's very complicated. And it's just going to take some time. It's going to take some give and take."

The leaders and governor will talk again Thursday.
The governor had aimed to settle transit, gambling and infrastructure woes by next Monday.
I'm Amanda Vinicky.

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