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Amazon is no fan of collecting state sales taxes, and it's ready to play hardball once again in its attempt to avoid the levy. An e-mail sent from the company to all of its Illinois affiliates this morning warns that, should Illinois Governor Pat Quinn sign a just-passed tax bill, Amazon is cutting off every affiliate in Illinois.

On Thursday, Governor Quinn signed a measure he called the "Mainstreet Fairness Act," levying a new set of taxes on online retailers. Depending on who you ask, the law, known colloquially as the "Amazon Tax," will be a massive windfall in state revenues, or a set of empty promises that will cause companies to flee the state and revenues to drop.

“The ISRA has learned from a credible source that Illinois Senate President John Cullerton [above] will introduce a so called ‘assault weapons’ ban on Wednesday when the legislature returns for its ‘lame duck’ session. Cullerton hopes to ramrod the bill through and get it to Governor Quinn for signature by Friday. If he is successful at doing so, nearly every gun you currently own will be banned and will be subject to confiscation by the Illinois State Police..."

Gov. Patrick Calls For Income Tax Hike

BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick has asked the Legislature to hike the state’s income tax from the current 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent, while also calling for a reduction in the state sales tax.

Memos distributed to state employees Tuesday say Gov. Pat Quinn has made a “final decision” to close prisons in Dwight and Tamms, a youth facility in Murphysboro and inmate transition centers in Carbondale and Decatur. The one-page letter distributed to workers at the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice say the facilities will be shuttered by Aug. 31. Speaking Tuesday night, Dwight Mayor Bill Wilkey said the closures appear to target downstate facilities. “As you can see, there’s no Chicago facilities that are in that (announcement),” Wilkey said.

Illinois lawmakers say violence has become so rampant in Chicago that the National Guard must be called in to help.

McLEAN COUNTY -- The state's attorneys office is going public with a bold, new policy. It's no longer prosecuting offenders of some gun laws in Illinois.

The interim state's attorney says he's tired of Illinois not having "concealed-carry." So, now, prosecutors are considering several questions when deciding if they'll press charges.

They consider a person's intent, criminal history and whether the weapon was used recklessly. It only applies to those with a valid FOID card.

The state's attorney hopes his actions send a message to the state. The policy could be reversed this fall.

A judge scolded former Perkasie Councilman Joseph P. Schiaffino, who was held for trial after a hearing on charges he did not pay state income taxes in 2005 and 2006.

Charged with tax evasion, Joseph P. Schiaffino admits he has not paid personal income tax since 1996, but the former Perkasie Borough councilman says he is confident that he will not go to prison.

Illinois state lawmakers are advancing a new proposal that could force people convicted on marijuana and meth charges to pay fines to cover the police's cost to bust them.