Illinois Issues blog
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich attempted to execute another power play to make House Speaker Michael Madigan seem like the problem in state government. The governor charges the speaker and his staff with violating the state constitution for delaying action on the g...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
The Illinois House failed to approve a regional sales tax increase to help fund the mass transit systems in and around Chicago today, leaving little time for the House to gain the 10 votes needed to prevent the Regional Transportation Authority from layin...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
The governor unveiled the first of five health care initiatives that are replacing his gigantic proposal to extend state-sponsored health care to all uninsured adults in the state, which failed to win any legislative support. The newer scaled-back version...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
The already strained relationship between Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his fellow Democrat House Speaker Michael Madigan took another hit Monday. The governor officially filed a lawsuit against the speaker alleging Madigan blatantly disregarded constitutiona...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
You scratch my back, Ill scratch yours might not work in Gov. Rod Blagojevichs budget game. If his budget vetoes announced Thursday are a political ploy to try to buy support from friends and to punish enemies, then he might lose in the long run.He s...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
I'm nice and refreshed from our honeymoon in Germany and expect to blog as regularly as possible again. Thanks for understanding while I took a break from state budget reporting. Now, back to work.Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday signed a state budget, al...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
State Comptroller Daniel Hynes says he only feels comfortable keeping his office in operation until August 8 if the state legislators and the governor cant agree on a state budget by then. He said in a Statehouse news conference Monday that August 8 is t...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich called a special session for Saturday morning to discuss another one-month budget, which would prevent the state from shutting down in the politically important month of August. But Senate President Emil Jones Jr. told reporters hes ...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
BY DEANESE WILLIAMS-HARRISThe Senate moved a 12-month budget out of committee by an 8 to 4 vote along party lines. The budget proposes a 9 percent increase from fiscal year 2007 and relies on the creation of four additional riverboats, the closure of some...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
The House and Senate advanced different pieces of legislation a cigarette tax and a health care plan in the Senate and an electricity rate relief plan in the House but theres no clear indication that these individual pieces could actually converge in...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
A long awaited plan for electricity rate relief was announced Tuesday by Illinois two major utilities. Its expected to be discussed and possibly voted on in the House Wednesday. The package is the result of months of public hearings and closed-door meet...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
Mondays events could set the tone for an action-packed but odd week at the Capitol. Strange bedfellows flew around the state to announce an electricity rate relief package that took months to unfold, and the governor spent the day in Chicago while busloa...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
BY BETHANY CARSONDonald Snyder Jr., former director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, was indicted on federal charges of receiving about $50,000 in illegal kickbacks from two lobbyists who represented health-care companies holding large contracts...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
BY DEANESE WILLIAMS-HARRISAs the clock ticks toward a possible government shutdown, Sen. Martin Sandoval said Thursday he wouldnt support a state budget that lacks funding for education and transportation. Once again, there needs to be a recognition the...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
Its almost like weve come full circle. The spring session started with momentum behind talk of state tax increases to address funding for education, public employee pensions and health care. But the Statehouse chatter fizzled by the time the General Ass...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
The Capitol is buzzing about a potential deal on electricity rate relief for Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison customers, who have been paying between an average of 25 percent to 55 percent higher electricity rates since a state law expired January ...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
On Tuesday we learned that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was willing to delay his plan to provide health insurance for adults. That would help lawmakers break the deadlock and approve a state budget, he said. On Thursday we learned state lawmakers were considering...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
The Senate is expected to recast its gaming bill that it originally approved May 31, the last day of the regular session. Now both Democrats and Republicans in that chamber are willing to expand gaming with one new riverboat in Chicago and up to three oth...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
BY DEANESE WILLIAMS-HARRISBethany Carson contributed to this reportSeveral legislators are asking Gov. Rod Blagojevich to convene a special session specifically for ethics reform. Today, Sen. Christine Radogno, a Lemont Republican, led the group in an att...
Posted by Illinois Issues blog 1 year ago.
Despite more lawmakers comments that budget talks arent getting anywhere, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced an idea Tuesday night that he thinks could potentially break the nagging budget impasse. But his ideas still require major revenue enhancements, whi...
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