>> It's crunch time for state lawmakers.

The Illinois General Assembly returned from the long weekend break for its final week of the spring session.

In addition to tackling the state budget, some big issues are still unresolved, including possible reforms to the state pension system and Chicagoland public transit.

Our Nic Bloomberg joins us now live from Springfield.

Nick, we know you've been covering that 770 million dollar cliff that is facing transit.

Doesn't look like there is a fix in sight.

That's right.

Grant U.S. lawmakers and other stakeholders have been hard at work negotiating legislation.

>> That would make some changes to the way transit is.

Ron lawmakers have been pretty consistent that they're not going to come up with that needed money to tackle the fiscal cliff without reform.

Now, a person who's a close to the negotiations told me they have been hurrying to finalize the language so that members can actually, you know, read it.

The idea would be better coordination of things like a fair policy, your capital projects at a regional level and that the existing transit systems would be left to do operations, running buses and trains.

There also have been conversations about coming up with money to fill in that massive budget gap.

Those talks are still under way.

They've been getting some more attention in recent days.

You know, folks have floated lots of ideas over the last year and a half things like using some of the state's money for roads, things you know, expanding the sales tax base to cover services.

But this is a big budget gap to tackle with.

Not a lot of time left, which is making some transit advocates worried that we might just see reform in this session and no money stuff until veto session.

But people are still hopeful there can be a deal getting done.

And Nic, will Governor Pritzker has proposed extra funding for the state's pension system.

What we know about that.

>> That's right.

The governor says he would like to see an extra 78 million dollars go toward tear to pensions.

Now those are for state employees.

>> Who started after 2011?

They later retirement date and more modest pay out.

Now, the concern is that the benefits have to meet the standards of the federal safe harbor Law, which says that those pensions have to be equal to Social Security benefits.

Now, this is not a new issue for lawmakers.

It's something unions have been raising the alarm about in particular in a letter to the governor just today, it is still to be determined what the final number looks like there and where that money comes from, as well as if there any other reforms.

In addition to some more funding, perhaps >> and we heard late last week that the Bears are once again focusing on a move to Arlington Heights.

Could lawmakers be interested in helping them out?

Well, lawmakers, legislative leaders, they've been pretty clear the bare should not expect a big tranche of public funding.

>> But there could be some action on an idea to let a so-called mega project like that potential Arlington Heights Stadium and Entertainment District negotiate with local governments over the property tax.

They pay their been multiple proposals on that subject.

So lawmakers will need to reach a compromise deal by the end of an already very busy week.

And lastly, what else can we expect to see in the final days of session?

>> Well, as you said, right at the top, its budget crunch time lawmakers have until Saturday to pass a budget with a simple majority.

If they believe the deadline, can do it with 3 fifths vote, a super majority.

But they really don't want to do that.

There are some of the proposals as well that we've been telling folks about things like banning cell phones in classrooms that passed the Senate last month.

And it's currently in the house where it's gotten some amendments to make sure there are exceptions where appropriate also been fall following that pitch to allow community colleges to offer certain four-year degrees that made it out of the House committee last week.

But the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus has reportedly voiced its opposition to the bill.

So it's unclear where that plan is headed.

But yes,