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—Jan. 11, 2011

• State Journal-Register—Quinn sworn in as governor amid budget crisis, “In a 30-minute inaugural speech, Quinn said he would fix the state’s broken finances, improve education and revive the state’s economy during his term.”

• Chicago Tribune—Lawmakers vote to roll back free transit rides for seniors, “A household of two senior citizens with an income of less than $34,000 a year still would be eligible for free rides, said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago.”

• State Journal-Register—House OKs bill to limit unionization of some state workers, “The Illinois House pushed through a bill on Monday that would limit certain state workers’ rights to join a collective bargaining unit.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Opinion: Taxing businesses out of Illinois, “In a time when we need to encourage investment and attract jobs to Illinois, current tax proposals threaten to do just the opposite.”

• Daily Herald—District 300 looks to trim budget by $8.3 million, “With the state lagging millions of dollars behind in payments, and contract negotiations under way with the teachers union and other employment groups, Community Unit District 300 school administrators presented a plan to ensure the ‘economic survivability of the school district.’”

• Champaign News-Gazette—Vermillion agency to cut some services to seniors, “The changes are roughly the same as last year at this time and for the same reason: The state owes the agency $436,144, which dates back to July.”

• Daily Herald/BGA—Oak Brook mayor, wife collect $142k from 4 pensions, “Oak Brook Village President John Craig portrays himself as a fiscal conservative who favors privatizing more of the fire department and laying off firefighters to scale back costs for salaries and for pensions ”we just can’t afford.”

• Southtown Star—Some Oak Lawn officials question referendum drive, “A group of Oak Lawn officials is working to remove from the April ballot a binding referendum that asks voters if the village should change its form of government.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 10, 2011

• Rockford Register Star—Area legislators to continue public appearances despite Arizona shooting, “Six people were killed and 14 wounded when a gunman opened fire Saturday morning outside a Safeway grocery store in Tucson as Giffords met with constituents.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—State tax-hike plan fails to win over Dems, “…House members also moved to scale back the Blagojevich-era program that lets all senior citizens ride for free on public trains and buses.”

• State Journal-Register—No vote yet on taxes; bill would limit workers’ bargaining rights, “Taking aim at the increasing number of state workers joining unions, an Illinois House committee approved legislation Sunday designed to strip collective bargaining rights from certain workers and stop others from getting them.”

• The Southern—State budget crisis fueled Medicaid reform efforts, “A long-awaited state Medicaid reform proposal, approved Friday in the Illinois Legislature with a House vote of 111-4, was likely fueled by the state’s financial crisis, said a local state lawmaker.”

• Southtown Star—Rich Miller: Illinois Democrats get chance to draw own district maps, “The new maps probably are the least interesting aspect of politics to voters, but incumbents and wannabes watch this as close as they can for obvious reasons. So, you should, too.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—The Watchdogs: Convicted but still on city payroll, “Nine former city employees were paid a total of $383,205 after they pleaded guilty or were found guilty in corruption cases, records show.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Word on the Street: Very little opposition to new TIF proposal, “A public hearing on the East Village Growth Cell is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.”