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. 14, 2011

• Daily Herald—Glenn Ellyn votes on ethics ordinance tonight, “The ordinance would establish rules to guard against gift giving, political activity on public time, conflicts of interest and undue influence by civil servants, defined as elected or appointed officials, or village employees.”

• Chicago Tribune—Pagano mismanaged Metra, reports say, “The former executive director used his authority to circumvent controls to approve certain transactions which benefitted himself and other employees…”

• State Journal Register—Editorial: First shot in benefits battle, “On Wednesday, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said he believes reducing benefits to current employees would be unconstitutional. But with Madigan openly discussing the concept and, on Wednesday, saying he will appoint a group of legislators to put the issue into bill form, it’s likely we’ll see debate on this topic during the current session.”

• (Gatehouse News Service) Rockford Register Star— Illinois secretary of state clarifies lobbyist rules, “Secretary of State Jesse White’s office will send a notice this week to lobbyists that they do not, in fact, have to disclose every conversation they have with state officials.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Risinger may step down early, “Risinger, who was first elected to the 37th Senate District seat in 2002, told the Journal Star on Friday he will not seek re-election in 2012 and that he ‘does not expect’ to fill out the remainder of his term. He did not say when he might step down.”

Statewide Update—Feb. 11, 2011

• State Journal Register—Senate moves to eliminate loophole in appointment process, “Without a dissenting vote, the Illinois Senate Thursday approved a bill to keep top state agency directors from serving without Senate approval.”

• (AP) Rockford Register Star—Gov. Quinn releases documents showing $3 billion in budget cuts made during his tenure, “Gov. Pat Quinn has released documents showing $3 billion in budget cuts made during his tenure. The documents were released Thursday night and have been requested by lawmakers for months.”

• Chicago Tribune—Park District taking over “Taste;” no ‘big musical acts’, “This year’s Taste of Chicago will be run by the Chicago Park District and will go without ‘big musical acts,’ instead incorporating music from four of the city’s smaller niche festivals, officials announced today.”

• Daily Herald—Cook Co. state’s attorney agrees to budget cuts, “Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and county board President Toni Preckwinkle made peace with a brokered budget compromise Thursday, as Alvarez agreed to a 10 percent cut for her office while taking on additional county business.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 31, 2011

• The Southern—Public takes advantage of changes to open government laws, “Instead of filing a lawsuit, members of the public can ask the Public Access Bureau in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to review withheld documents or meetings complaints, to make sure government bodies are not violating the Freedom of Information Act or the Open Meetings Act.”

• Chicago Tribune—Rules let educators cross state line for new jobs while collection pensions, “A Tribune investigation has found that crossing state lines is one of the most lucrative ways for retired superintendents to collect multiple government checks without breaking pension rules…”

• (AP) Rockford Register Star—Pat Quinn to sign historic civil unions legislation, “Five states already allow civil unions or their equivalent, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Five other states and Washington, D.C., let gay couples marry outright, as do countries including Canada, South Africa and the Netherlands.”

• State Journal-Register—Lawmakers seeking more money from state retirees for health care, “The legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability will meet Wednesday to talk with two Quinn administration officials about how the state can craft an income-based formula for how much retirees will have to pay.”

• Daily Herald—Law firm donates to DuPage board members, wins contract, “Nine of the 15 DuPage County Board members who approved a no-bid contract for an Itasca law firm to help redraw the county’s electoral boundaries have accepted campaign contributions from the group or its attorneys, a review by the Daily Herald and the Better Government Association shows.”

• Chicago Tribune—CTA puts brakes on talk of closing Red Line stations, “The agency is in the early stages of soliciting feedback for an overhaul of the north branch of the Red Line and the Purple Line, from about Belmont north through Evanston and to Linden in Wilmette.”

• Peoria Journal Star—TIF board going back to beginning on East Bluff proposal, “At-large City Councilman Gary Sandberg noted that the Joint Review Board ratified the TIF district with only five of 11 members attending a meeting, which he said lacked a quorum.”

• Rockford Register Star—Lawsuit for Harlem Township records nears its end, “The township also has called the Freedom of Information Act requests by Mullins unduly burdensome and argues that some of the records she requested simply are not on file at the township.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 27, 2011

• State Journal-Register—Illinois court throws out liquor taxes, video gaming, “If upheld by the state Supreme Court, the decision would wipe out video gaming, higher liquor and vehicle fees and increased sales taxes on some products.”

• (Gatehouse News Service) Peoria Journal Star—State AG says nominating petitions stay pending; Madigan says Senate has 60 sessions to confirm appointments, “Gubernatorial appointees who haven’t received Senate confirmation can continue to serve into the next General Assembly, according to Attorney General Lisa Madigan.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—Republicans outline redistricting plans, “Even though their party won’t have much say in this year’s redistricting process, state House Republican staff are looking at preliminary census figures to draw their own version of a proposed legislative map.”

• The Southern—More charges filed against former deputy, “Former Saline County chief sheriff deputy and Harrisburg school district board president Todd Fort, already jailed on sex and misconduct charges, has been indicted by a Saline County grand jury on two counts of theft of governmental property.”

• Chicago Tribune—Stickney Village President Daniel O’Reilly improperly claimed property tax benefit for six years, official says, “O’Reilly claimed homeowner exemptions on the two businesses since 2003, despite having claimed the exemption on his home in Stickney since 1999.”

• (AP) State Journal-Register—State Sen. Brad Burzynski plans to retire, “His district covers DeKalb, Ogle, Boone, La Salle and Winnebago counties.”

• Peoria Journal Star—Union, leaders react to proposal for consolidated police force, “Leaders with the city’s police union are prepared to “protect ourselves” regarding a proposed consolidated city-county police force, while other local officials say it’s something worth looking into.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 24, 2011

• Southtown Star—Worker’s compensation reform could delay borrowing, “Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) would consider it a “positive side benefit” if progress on worker’s comp makes Republicans more willing to consider borrowing money to pay bills, said spokesman John Patterson.”

• State Journal-Register—Illinois Democrats scoff at rival states’ tax claims, “Illinois Democrats are fighting back against Indiana’s effort to lure companies by portraying the Hoosier state as a better place to do business.”

• Chicago Tribune—Plan would charge state retirees more for health care, “The new push is a crackdown on the rising cost of health care for retired state workers. The program costs the state nearly $500 million a year, and more than 90 percent of the retirees and survivors pay no premiums.”

• State Journal-Register—Top aide leaving attorney general’s office, “Besides being deputy chief of staff for Madigan, Smith has served as the attorney general’s public access counselor for a year, since changes to the state Freedom of Information Act took effect that were aimed at increasing government transparency.”

• Chicago Tribune—Editorial: Curb free rides, “Free rides, of course, aren’t free. The Regional Transportation Authority estimates they cost the transit system $38.5 million in 2009.”

• Rockford Register Star—There’s ‘a lot of mistrust’ on Rockford School Board, “Board President David Kelley said he doesn’t think the board will make substantial progress regarding self-improvement before April 5, [election day].”

• State Journal-Register—Opinion: There’s a reason recall process is convoluted, “…it could be used to oust someone just because they made an unpopular decision. Trying to avoid that is one reason the recall process now part of the state constitution is as convoluted as it is.”

• Rockford Register Star—Rockford City Council to hear outsourcing report at meeting, “The city is hoping to trim some of its $5.5 million deficit by hiring outside agencies.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 21, 2011

• Bloomington Pantagraph—AG: Pontiac school board broke meeting law, “For the second time in less than a year, the Illinois attorney general’s office has notified the Pontiac Elementary District 429 that its board violated the terms of the state Open Meetings Act.”

• State Journal-Register—Opinion: Clean house in workers’ comp agency, “A study by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services ranked Illinois’ workers’ comp premiums third highest in the nation for 2010.”

• Chicago Tribune—Watchdog: Cook County employees were pressured for $100 Todd Stroger fundraiser, “A Cook County Bureau of Human Resources manager pressured employees to contribute at least $100 each to a fundraiser last fall for outgoing County Board President Todd Stroger, a county watchdog reported Thursday.”

• State Journal-Register—Not all roads get salt in bad weather, “State highways and county roads usually receive doses of salt to remove ice, but many township road commissioners use no salt. Most cite cost as the reason, and they add that the practice isn’t new.”

• Trib Local (Joliet)—Will County Sheriif’s Office to offer online report filings, “Residents can file reports for minor crimes and incidents via the Will County Sheriff’s Office website starting Monday.”

• Trib Local (Oak Park/River Forest)—Oak Park considers eliminating, replacing some commissions, “Oak Park officials are looking to reconfigure, and even scale back, some of their volunteer commissions as many struggle to keep the positions full.”

• Daily Herald—Fiscal woes widen between county board and circuit court clerk, “The number of employees in Seyller’s office is at the heart of the disagreement.”

• Southtown Star—SD 225 strips principal of his duties, “A Rich Township High School District 227 administrator—who is suing the district and who was at the center of a monthslong controversy after a photo of him was burned at a party attended by Rich Central staff—has been stripped of his duties as principal.”

• State Journal-Register—Coroner’s jury rules Davlin death a suicide, “But inquest proceedings shed no light on why Davlin, 53, shot himself. Police investigators and the Sangamon County coroner’s office have not released records that could answer whether the mayor’s apparent financial difficulties prompted the suicide.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 20, 2011

• (AP) State Journal-Register—Illinois service providers say state bond sale needed, “Leaders of Illinois social services agencies urged lawmakers on Wednesday to let the state sell billions of dollars in bonds to help catch up on a backlog of unpaid bills.”

• Chicago Tribune—Cook County ethics official quits after news report reveals political ties to assessor, “An appointed Cook County ethics official resigned in the wake of a news report revealing his political ties to Assessor Joseph Berrios, who is under an ethics spotlight for hiring his son and sister, officials confirmed Wednesday.”

• Trib Local—Would-be OTB in Hoffman Estates gets another extension, “Construction of the Saddle Room restaurant and off-track betting parlor in the Hoffman Estates entertainment district should start in February or March and be open about six months later, said the developer’s president, Parker Grabowski.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—County OKs pay hikes for hospital bosses, “Cook County commissioners on Wednesday reluctantly signed off on controversial pay raises given to a half-dozen top administrators in the county’s health and hospital system serving the poor and uninsured.”

• Trib Local—District 97 [Oak Park] changes course, seeks permanent tax hike, “Just two hours before the state deadline, the Oak Park Elementary District 97 board drastically changed its referendum, both in size and in structure.”

• Southtown Star—Big shake up of administrators at Oak Lawn SD 229, “Seven of Oak Lawn High School District 229’s administrators, including Principal Patrick Keeley, will not have their contracts renewed for the 2011-2012 school year, the school board decided Wednesday night.”

• Chicago Tribune—Editorial: The Monique Davis file, “…the standoff between the Far South Side Democrat and her landlords at CPS shows how even minor disputes can grow into hefty bills that might land in the laps of taxpayers.”

• Daily Herald—McHenry County pays another bill, “McHenry County Board members say they are increasingly concerned and disheartened over the rising costs associated with the investigation of State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi, particularly the appointment of a special prosecutor.”

• Southtown Star—Village reaches pact with public works employees, “Under a four-year contract approved by the Tinley Park Village Board on Tuesday, public works employees will get a 1 percent pay raise in the next fiscal year.”

• Daily Herald—COD candidate booted off ballot by technicality, “Impellizzeri, of Elmhurst, submitted his papers to board secretary Kay Neely one by one, when election law requires that pages be bound and submitted together, according to COD board attorney Ken Florey.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 19, 2011

• Chicago Sun-Times—Preckwinkle warns: Cut Cook County budget—or I will, “Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle issued a warning Tuesday to Sheriff Tom Dart and State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez — and anyone else balking at the looming budget cuts: help her swing the budget ax, or she’ll propose the cuts herself.”

• Daily Herald—RTA awaits word on end of free rides for seniors, “The Regional Transportation Authority has had no word on whether Gov. Pat Quinn will sign a bill to limit free rides for senior citizens, but nevertheless is trying to calculate the revenue boost the agency would get if it does become law.”

• State Journal-Register—Private managers to take over Illinois Lottery in July, state says,  “The state has rejected two protests over the awarding of a private management contract for the Illinois Lottery, opening the way for the new manager to take control of the lottery this summer.”

• Bloomington Pantagraph—Nuckolls getting paid for being in county board while in jail, “Nuckolls has not attended a county board meeting since his September arrest and has been stripped of his committee assignments. He continues to receive his board salary of $4,460 a year.”

• Daily Herald—Des Plaines may update water meters, resulting in rate hike, “Des Plaines residents may see a rise in water rates starting next year if officials decide to eventually replace the city’s roughly 13,000 analog water meters with a new digital automated meter reading system.”

• Southtown Star—Kaupas names cousin deputy police chief, “Kaupas, who is the second cousin of Sheriff Paul Kaupas, was hired as the spokesman in December at a salary of $75,000. He said he will perform the duties of both positions, replacing two people who retired, at a net savings to the sheriff’s department.”

• Daily Herald—Pension reform tops Naperville’s state agenda, “For the second consecutive year, pension reform tops the list of fights the city wants its legislative leaders to tackle.”

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.”