Statewide update—Feb. 18, 2011

Peoria Journal Star—Federal panel says workers were fired by Blagojevich reps for being Republicans, “A federal jury found Thursday that 16 former workers with the Illinois Department of Transportation were fired seven years ago by representatives of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich because they were Republicans.”

• State Journal Register—Quinn plan targets more than 500 school districts for merger, “The state offers financial assistance to districts that consolidate, including guarantees of no loss in state aid, help in covering disparities in teacher salaries between the merging districts and an extra $4,000 for each certified staff member for three years.”

• (AP) Bloomington Pantagraph—Quinn’s budget calls for 950 new state workers, “The administration said adding some jobs will actually save money because some state agencies, particularly the Corrections Department, are spending huge amounts on overtime as guards work long hours to make up for a staff shortage.”

• SouthtownStar—Sheriff ‘appalled’ at cemetery’s treatment of bodies, “Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart called for a review of its contract with the cemetery at a news conference in which he criticized the operation for haphazard practices and restated his belief the state needs legislation requiring DNA collection on all unidentified bodies.”

• Chicago Tribune—State crime lab reports more than 4,000 untested rape kits in Illinois, “The new law came after a Tribune investigation found that Chicago-area police and prosecutors had placed many unexamined kits in storage, robbing the state of the ability to solve crimes, exonerate the wrongfully convicted and bring closure to victims.

• Chicago Sun-Times— Feds: Company gave phony physicals to police, fire applicants and workers, “The company’s contract with the city required that board-certified specialists review the tests.  But the firm simply used signature stamps of specialists to sign letters indicating they had reviewed the tests…”

• The Southern—Poverty hits children hard, “The child poverty rate in Illinois jumped from 17 percent in 2008 to 19 percent in 2009, which was the highest level since 1993…”

Statewide update—Feb. 15, 2011

• (AP) State Journal Register—Quinn signs bill limiting free mass transit access, “Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Monday that ends a policy of letting all senior citizens ride free on mass transit systems. Now, elderly people above a certain income level will have to pay.”

• (Gatehouse News Service) Peoria Journal Star—Expect Quinn to seek more cuts, new taxes, “Even with higher income taxes, Illinois won’t have enough money to pay all its expenses for the coming year, let alone cover the billions in old bills that have been allowed to pile up.”

• State Journal Register—IDOT hiring case in hands of federal jury, “Either 16 Republicans were fired from their former jobs at the Illinois Department of Transportation early in the reign of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich because of their party affiliation, or IDOT leaders at the time were just trying to follow budget office orders to reduce headcount – and didn’t even know which party label fit some of the 16.”

• Rockford Register Star—Late state funds mean school cuts in South Beloit, “The South Beloit School District is preparing to cut between $350,000 and $500,000 from next year’s budget on account of delinquent state money.”

• SouthtownStar—Preckwinkle donor gets job, big pay, “Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is recommending that the board approve a huge pay raise — more than $43,000 — for one of her newest hires, a high-ranking staffer who’s been a regular contributor to her campaigns.”

• SouthtownStar—Judge orders new hearing in Oak Lawn election case, “A Cook County judge on Monday ruled that a challenge to the nominating petitions of an Oak Lawn trustee candidate should return to the village’s election board for an evidence hearing.”

Statewide Update—Feb. 1, 2011

• (AP) State Journal Register—BGA gets $1 million for its good-government fight, “A watchdog group that fights government corruption in Illinois has received a $1 million gift to continue its advocacy efforts.”

• (AP) State Journal Register—Inspector: IDOT supervisor traded jobs for favors, “A state inspector says a supervisor at the Illinois Transportation Department pressured employees to give him gifts if they wanted good work assignments.”

• (AP) State Journal Register—Illinois minorities more likely to do time for drugs, “Minorities in Illinois face stiffer and more frequent punishment for low-level drug offenses than whites, a government commission reported Monday, and some experts question whether prison is the proper place for such offenders.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Citizen picked to serve on Joint Review Board, “The board will provide communication and suggestions for the East Village Growth Cell’s tax increment financing (TIF) district.”

• Trib Local (Downers Grove)—Dist. 58 board member says complaint shouldn’t exclude him from tax talks, “A closed door meeting of the Downers Grove Dist. 58 school board ground to a halt after board member Scott O’Connell declined to recuse himself from discussions about property tax complaints filed against the district…”

Statewide Update—Jan. 25, 2011

• Southtown Star—3 area men charged in ‘Cookie Jar’ probe, “A Tinley Park man, an Oak Forest man and a Burbank man, all of whom allegedly took part in a scheme to steal road salt from IDOT, were among seven people charged Monday in an ongoing crackdown on local public corruption.”

• Trib Local (Evanston)—CTA considers chopping two Evanston stations, “As the Chicago Transit Authority seeks community input on potential improvements to the aging Purple and Red lines, three of the agency’s six options include eliminating the South Boulevard and Foster Street stations in Evanston — losses that city officials said would be a blow to commuters.”

• Chicago Tribune—Editorial: Judicial arrogance, “With startling arrogance and audaciously twisted reasoning, two appellate judges ignored more than 100 years of legal precedent, invented a new definition of “residency” and ordered Rahm Emanuel off the Feb. 22 mayoral ballot.”

• Rockford Register Star—Which School(s) could be closed? “Consolidating schools could help the district slash part of its $50 million budget shortfall for fiscal 2012.”

• Trib Local (Wilmette/Kenilworth)—Group formed to push D39 (tax increase) referendum, “If residents of the elementary school district approve the referendum, it would mean an increase of $58.80 for each $1,000 of taxes paid.”

• Daily Herald—East Dundee trustees discuss merits of PD merger, “Citing upcoming police contracts, a loss of autonomy, potential coverage issues and other reasons, several East Dundee trustees are balking at the idea of consolidating their police force with the ones in West Dundee and Sleepy Hollow.”

• Rockford Register Star—Vehicles, EMS among Rockford outsourcing possibilities, “According to a report from Chicago-based Baker Tilly, the consulting firm hired last fall to assist in an outsourcing study, the city could realize up to $10.5 million is savings if it moved forward on five outsourcing and four service delivery suggestions.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statewide Update—Jan. 13, 2011

• Southtown Star—Will lawmakers pay for tax hike? No way. “Voting in favor of the state’s largest income tax increase won’t make outgoing state Rep. Mike Carberry popular on his Oak Lawn block. But the vote was needed, he and other Southland Democrats said Wednesday, to avoid state insolvency.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—Central Illinois debates income tax increases, “It was a debate taking place across Central Illinois on Wednesday after the General Assembly worked into the early morning to send Gov. Pat Quinn a controversial tax increase bill.”

• (AP) State Journal-Register—Cook County medical examiner double-bunked bodies, “The head of the Cook County medical examiner’s office says it was forced to store bodies two to a cooler tray for a short time.”

• State Journal-Register—Quinn: Will ‘follow my conscience’ on death penalty abolition, “Gov. Pat Quinn won’t say whether he will sign legislation abolishing the death penalty, but even if he does, it won’t empty death row, as then-Gov. George Ryan did before he left office in 2003.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Trial starts in IDOT suit; former state workers say they were laid off because of politics, “The trial got under way Wednesday in the federal lawsuit filed by 16 former state workers who claim they were sacked seven years ago because they were Republicans.”

• Daily Herald—West Chicago, Warrenville chambers merge, “The two chambers merged, effective Jan. 1, into the Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce. The new chamber will serve more than 400 members in the two communities.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 3, 2011

• State Journal-Register—Tax hike among issues looming for General Assembly: “A tax increase, Medicaid reforms, education reforms and workers’ compensation reforms.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Fired IDOT workers get day in court: “16 ex-employees allege their dismissals were politically motivated.”

• Southtown Star—Dump cleanup more than $1 million: “Illinois taxpayers shelled out more than $1 million in 2010 to rid the state of a huge illegal dump that state environmentalists say was the largest in Illinois history.”

• Chicago Sun-Times, Editorial—Reform bill doesn’t fix pension disaster: “On Thursday, Gov. Quinn signed a bill that would reduce benefits for new hires while putting new requirements on local governments to put in enough money to ensure the pension funds will be healthy. The legislation covers Chicago’s police and fire funds as well as those in Downstate communities — all those outside Chicago — that are governed by different rules.”

Statewide Update—Dec. 23, 2010

• Daily Herald—Preckwinkle gets support for 21% budget cuts: “Preckwinkle has estimated that the county budget deficit is $487 million against last year’s spending figure of $3.5 billion. The 21 percent cuts reflect a 16 percent cut annually…”

• Chicago Tribune—Hearing officer recommends Rahm stay on Chicago mayoral ballot: “You can read the (Morris) report by clicking here: Download Morrisrecommendation.  The three-member elections board doesn’t have to abide by Morris’ recommendation, but can consider it along with testimony from last week’s hearing and legal arguments made by lawyers from both sides.”

• State Journal Register—IDOT, railroads reach $1.1 billion deal on high-speed rail: “The Illinois Department of Transportation has reached agreement with Amtrak and the Union Pacific Railroad to allow $1.1 billion in improvements for high-speed passenger rail between St. Louis and Chicago.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—Prosecutors: No problems with DNA testing in Beason case: “Prosecutors and defense lawyers have been in constant contact with officials with the crime lab to ensure there are no problems with the evidence…”

• Rockford Register Star—South Beloit to limit public comment time: “The city has never before limited how much time a resident may take to address the City Council during its meetings.”

• Southtown Star—District 227 concludes party probe: “Those interviewed denied that a noose or an effigy of the principal was present, and no one could remember how the poster got into the fire.”

• Daily Herald—Six to compete for three Roselle board seats: “Seven candidates filed petitions to run for three open seats, including incumbents Barbara Rendall Hochstadt, Richard Rhode and Ron Sass.”