Statewide update—March 10, 2011

Peoria Journal Star—FOIA access could be curbed; Committee Oks measure giving officials discretion on ‘vexatious’ requests, “Local government officials said it is intended to deal with members of the public who file excessive requests under the Freedom of Information Act as a form of harassment.”

Trib Local (Tinley Park)— Tinley Park to begin posting public records requests, names online, “We’re hoping through publication, and not just the citizens, but the individuals in their mind’s eye, rethink, and not stop asking for FOIAs, but limit them to what they think are important to them.”

• Daily Herald—Island lake mayor to sue trustees over ‘power grabs’, “The lawsuit also will seek an injunction to stop the four trustees, who represent a majority of the six-member board, from dismissing its long-standing law firm, [Ancel Glink] and hiring a suburban law firm to represent the town.”

• State Journal Register—Quinn ends death penalty, commutes prisoners’ death sentences, “We have tried over and over again to come up with a perfect system that makes no mistakes with respect to carrying out the death penalty, and we have found over and over again mistakes have been made and innocent people have been freed,’ Quinn said.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—Ex-Todd Stroger aide gets jobless pay despite corruption charge, “A former top Cook County official awaiting trial on public corruption charges has been collecting unemployment benefits despite her arrest, county officials confirmed Wednesday.”

 

Statewide update—Feb. 25, 2011

Byron, Illinois nuclear power plant PhotoDu.de/Flickr

Peoria Journal Star—Audit: Illinois EPA missed some nuclear inspections, “The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency failed to conduct some of its quarterly inspections of nuclear power plants. They were Braidwood, Dresden, Byron and LaSalle.  The EPA is supposed to check for radioactive substances that may leak into water supplies. That has happened at two Illinois nuclear plants. They were Braidwood, Dresden, Byron and LaSalle.”

• (AP) The Southern—State’s accounting in chaos, “Illinois officials who promise to keep an eye on every tax dollar are trying to do it with 263 different systems for tracking money, including many that are old and incompatible, according to a report Thursday.”

• (AP) State Journal Register—Gov. Quinn getting input on death penalty decision, “The Chicago Democrat said it’s important for him to listen to a variety of groups on the matter as he makes his decision.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—Majority of City College presidents must reapply for jobs, “The top jobs have been redesigned with specific performance measurements tied to student achievement.”

• Daily Herald—Gurnee trustee kicked off ballot of owning political fines, “Pagano said the clerk’s office acted after receiving word last month Citizens for Michael Jacobs owes the state $2,550 for being late in filing two campaign disclosure reports when he ran for Lake County’s top law-enforcement job.”

Statewide update—Feb. 16, 2011

• SouthtownStar—Quinn plays it close to vest, “Quinn is scheduled to lay out his budget proposal at noon today before a joint session of the General Assembly. The governor has guarded specifics on his budget plan, but he’s expected to propose a mix of painful spending cuts and ways to raise money for the state coffers.”

• (AP) Daily Herald—State police director to go to another agency, “Quinn announced that Jonathon Monken, acting director of the state police for nearly two years, will take over as chief of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. The Senate was poised to block his appointment as permanent police chief Wednesday.”

• (Gatehouse News Service) Rockford Register Star—GOP seeks to reinstate death penalty if Quinn signs repeal, “Two Republicans have introduced bills that would reinstate and further reform the death penalty if Gov. Pat Quinn signs a bill abolishing it.”

• Naperville Sun—U.S. Census shows Naperville still growing, “The census is one way to ensure counties and municipalities receive their fair share of state and federal funding. These numbers also are used to redraw federal, state and local legislative districts taking into account population shifts since the 2000 census.”

• Park Ridge Herald Advocate—City Budget: Uptown TIF debt going nowhere soon, “So far the TIF District has not generated the amount of revenue needed to pay debts the city incurred. As a result, money from the city’s general fund has been used to pay TIF expenditures, including annual bond payments. In 2011-12, the city expects to make $2.9 million in bond payments.”

• Rockford Register Star—Harlem Township supervisor proposes raise for employees, “Supervisor Doug Aurand proposes a 2 percent wage increase for all township employees this year as part of the 2011-12 township budget, which was presented today. The board is scheduled to approve the new financial plan March 14.”

• St. Louis Post Dispatch—Drug tests for Illinois lawmakers up for debate, “Part of the Republican attempt to crack down on drug abuse during this legislative session is a bill requiring candidates for state Representative or state Senator to submit a drug test with their nominating papers.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 18, 2011

• Southtown Star (AP)—Tax credit is incentive to hire temporary workers, “Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation providing a $2,500 tax credit to employers hiring trainees from the Put Illinois to Work temporary jobs program.”

• State Journal-Register—Thousands hired in Illinois ahead of new pension system, “Thanks to the eight-month span between Gov. Pat Quinn’s approval of a pension reform bill last spring and its implementation Jan. 1, any public worker hired in Illinois as late as Dec. 31 was enrolled in a far more lucrative pension plan than those hired after that date.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—Black wards adding more voters, while Hispanic wards lag behind, “In just 10 weeks since the November midterm elections, every ward in the city showed a jump in the number of registered voters, indicating a high level of interest in the upcoming mayoral contest.”

• WBEZ—Cook County commissioner wants family hiring ban, “The county government has long had a reputation for nepotism. Recently  Assessor Joe Berrios hired two relatives soon after he took over the office.”

• (Gatehouse News Service) Peoria Journal Star—State Comptroller informed that 38 appointees not confirmed, “The Senate of the 96th General Assembly did not confirm any of the listed persons… With their nominations no longer valid, I am unaware of any legal authority permitting the formal nominees to continue to draw a salary or receive expense reimbursements.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Durbin changes stance on death penalty, “U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking member of the U.S. Senate, said Monday he has come to believe that states should not impose the death penalty.”

• Chicago Tribune—State Sen. Lou Viverito of Burbank resigns, “Sen. Lou Viverito’s resignation was effective Saturday, though the 78-year-old from Burbank remains the Stickney Township supervisor, a job he has held for about 35 years.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—Quinn, former state rep. say job not traded for tax-hike vote, “During her final days in office, former state Rep. Careen Gordon scored a lucrative state job after casting an important vote that helped pass Gov. Quinn’s controversial 67 percent income tax increase.”

• Daily Herald—LeBlanc off ballot in Campton Hills but still in race, “Kristin LeBlanc plans to run as a write-in candidate for Campton Hills village president after the village clerk declined to put her on the April ballot because her nominating petitions were incomplete.”

• Center Square Journal—Ald. Schulter drops reelection bid; aims for County Board of Review, “Schulter has served as alderman since 1975. Rumors of his retirement have swirled since November, when a political ally of Schulter filed to run for alderman.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 5, 2011

• Chicago Tribune, Editorial—Legislators should look at cutting state spending first, “If you cut deeply and still don’t have enough revenue to balance the budget, then you can talk with the people of Illinois about more taxing and borrowing. But only then.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—Death penalty vote near for lawmakers, “Lawmakers could vote to abolish the death penalty in Illinois as soon as Wednesday.”

• Southtown Star—State democrats nearing vote on tax increase, “Illinois Democrats are edging closer to a possible vote on raising income taxes during a lame-duck session of the state Legislature.”

• State Journal-Register—Plan to limit pension sweeteners advances in Illinois House, “A state constitutional amendment aimed at making it harder to sweeten public employee pensions moved to the floor of the Illinois House Tuesday, but its sponsor, House Speaker Michael Madigan, couldn’t answer key questions about the measure.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—State lawmakers sign off on redistricting roadmap, “The proposal, approved on a 67-46 vote, requires lawmakers to hold a minimum of four public hearings about new legislative districts.”

• Herald-Review—City primary puzzle shows need to reform law, “The Illinois General Assembly has plenty on its plate right now, but it might be time to update municipal election laws.”

• Daily Herald—Lake County Laborers agree to concessions, “Laborers working for the Lake County Forest Preserve District have agreed to shave raises under a proposed two-year contract extension.”