The plan to merge the Illinois treasurer and comptroller's office is stuck in the state House of Representatives. Treasurer Dan Rutherford and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, both Republicans, say combining their offices will save millions of dollars. Topinka blamed Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for stalling the plan.
Jonah Edelman, CEO of the well-funded Stand for Children organization, is in the hot seat for boasting about outmaneuvering teachers unions to secure passage of the recently passed education reform bill.
Meanwhile, Illinois Education Association President Ken Swanson suggests Edelman might have been embellishing his role to lure potential donors for Stand for Children: Read more...
Chicago may not have seen a sports champion since the White Sox won the World Series in 2005, but that hasn’t dampened local politicians’ enthusiasm for spending big bucks on our local teams.
The Chicago Current analyzed campaign expenditures from 2009 and found that politicians’ campaign committees spent nearly $360,000 on tickets to see the city’s major league teams. Read more...
Republican nominee for County Board President Roger Keats today announced he would embrace a number of reform proposals supported by anti-corruption watchdogs, and said he hopes lawmakers in Cook County and Springfield will put such reforms into law.
Keats says he has support from some county commissioners and state lawmakers to make some of the reforms outlined in a February report from the University of Illinois at Chicago law. Read more...
Gov. Pat Quinn says he won't back down from attempting to raise state taxes, even if Democratic leaders urge him not to for the sake of his candidacy.
"No," Quinn said last night before an event at The Drake hotel. "My job is, when you take an oath of office, is to do what you think is, as governor, is right for the people of Illinois. I will not shirk down from that fundamental duty." Read more...
