On The 21st: Gun control has been a hotly contested issue in 2018, and candidates in Illinois disagree on whether the solution is to make it easier or harder to buy a firearm. Plus, there’s a lawsuit dealing with digital copyright that could change how textbooks get used in university classrooms. But first, the comptroller is in charge of paying the state’s bills on time—a tall order given Illinois’ fiscal situation. We’ll hear from the three women are running for this position.

Voters this fall are choosing who will occupy the state’s two financial offices: treasurer and comptroller. Even during campaigns, these positions rarely get much attention. In fact, their very existence usually comes into question in proposals to merge the offices into one. Years ago, one person was in charge.

The Illinois Senate passed a measure Thursday that would require the governor to disclose his total office staff and pay them all from his own payroll. The bill now heads to Governor Bruce Rauner's desk. 

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza met with physicians and administrators at the Orthopaedic Institute of Southern Illinois, in Herrin. 

Comptroller Susana Mendoza says she’s not sure when school districts will receive state money owed to them for the rest of this school year. The state of Illinois still owes local school districts nearly $1 billion to cover the current school year. But Mendoza, a Democrat, says she’s not sure when they’ll actually get the money.