Statewide Update—Jan. 6, 2011

• Chicago Sun-Times—Better Government Association sues Chicago Police Department, “The BGA, a not-for-profit corporation, claims the Chicago police refuses to release documents about the protection and transportation of Burke (14th) as requested in an Aug. 24, 2010, Freedom of Information Act request, according to the complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court.”

• State Journal-Register—2 percentage point income tax hike on table for state leaders, “Legislative leaders and Gov. Pat Quinn will meet today to discuss boosting Illinois’ income tax rate from the current 3 percent to 5 percent as part of a package that also could include pension borrowing, a moratorium on new state programs, no new spending and property tax relief.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—Illinois Senate approves Medicaid reform, “With the clock ticking on the lame-duck legislative session, the Illinois Senate unanimously approved a plan Wednesday to overhaul the state’s Medicaid program.”

• State Journal-Register—Tenaska bill falls short in Senate, “A bill authorizing construction of a $3.5 billion clean coal technology plant in Taylorville failed in a vote in the Illinois Senate Wednesday.”

• Belleville News Democrat—Insurance fraud investigators begin probe into workers’ comp claims at Menard, “State insurance fraud investigators have opened an official probe of the Menard Correctional Center, where hundreds of guards and others have filed for or received taxpayer-funded settlements for “repetitive trauma” they say was mainly caused by operating heavy cell locking mechanisms.”

• Southtown Star—U.S. House welcomes five from Illinois, “The Illinois congressional delegation has the biggest freshman class in more than a decade — five new House members and U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk were sworn in to full terms on Wednesday, all Republicans.”

• Daily Herald, Editorial—Kane County ethics laws, for the most part, require a do-over, “An opinion on the county’s ethics law from former State’s Attorney John Barsanti before he left office to become a circuit judge Dec. 1 deems several sections of the law unclear, not applicable and unenforceable.”

• Southtown Star, Editorial—Unfair election process taints suburban hearings, “Whenever suburban elections approach, dozens of poor slobs find themselves caught up in a process designed to stop outsiders from threatening the people in power.”

• Chicago Tribune, Editorial: Reform—or eyewash? “Springfield is buzzing with reform talk in the final frantic days of this brief, few-days conclusion to a 2010 legislative session.”

Statewide Update—Dec. 30, 2010

• Daily Herald—Glen Ellyn park director gets retirement pay bump: “Glen Ellyn Park District’s executive director will retire five days before the close of a one-year window that allows him to collect on an early retirement package he helped create.”

• Southtown Star—Muslim family sues Cook County: “The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) filed two complaints in Cook County Circuit Court on Wednesday, claiming employees at a park district pool discriminated against a Muslim family from Lyons based on their attire.”

• The News Gazette—Plan approved for 105^th district, including legislator for one day: “Residents of the 105th District are going to need a scorecard – and a calendar – to know who their state representative is in the coming days.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—No applicants yet for Bloomington council seat: “So far the city of Bloomington has not received any applications for the Ward 3 alderman seat on the City Council.”

• Trib Local (Des Plaines)—City seeks energy upgrades: ”Des Plaines is looking for energy-efficient upgrades on various buildings that would save money and reduce its carbon footprint.”