Monthly Archives: May 2013
By Dave McKinney | Get In Touch: @@davemckinney123 | dmckinney@suntimes.com By Dave McKinney
Early & Often, Import, None, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:57 pm Quinn hits Madigan, Cullerton for playing pension ‘game’
SPRINGFIELD-Gov. Pat Quinn, who has beaten the drum for pension reform since taking office in 2009, lashed out at the state Legislature’s two Democratic leaders for engaging in a “game” that failed this spring to solve the state’s nearly $100 billion pension crisis. “The people of Illinois want the General Assembly to put comprehensive pension
By Dave McKinney | Get In Touch: @@davemckinney123 | dmckinney@suntimes.com By Dave McKinney
Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:56 pm Madigan: ‘This is a session where we have not enjoyed a great deal of success’
House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), pictured in this file photo from last week, acknowledged the Legislature’s spring-time failures before adjourning his legislative chamber Friday. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman) SPRINGFIELD-House Speaker Michael Madigan acknowledged Friday what was plain to see for virtually anyone watching the Statehouse the past few months: This vintage of lawmakers has been a
By Dave McKinney | Get In Touch: @@davemckinney123 | dmckinney@suntimes.com By Dave McKinney
Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:55 pm Cullerton issues statement on pension status, commits to ‘staying at the table’
SPRINGFIELD-Senate President John Cullerton issued the following statement on pensions as it looks less and less likely there will be any agreement on a pension-reform package before Friday night’s scheduled legislative adjournment: “When I became Senate President I took an oath to uphold the constitution and I made a promise to make the Senate an
By Dave McKinney | Get In Touch: @@davemckinney123 | dmckinney@suntimes.com By Dave McKinney
Early & Often, Politics, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:54 pm House, Senate send concealed-carry compromise to Quinn
SPRINGFIELD-After six months of debate, the question of whether Illinois gun owners should be allowed to carry their weapons in public places now rests with Gov. Pat Quinn. The state House Friday voted 89-28 to approve a compromise gun deal that preserves local gun laws, including Chicago and Cook County’s bans on assault weapons, and
By Zach Buchheit | Get In Touch: @zachbuchheit | zbuchheit@suntimes.com By Zach Buchheit
Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:16 pm TRANSCRIPT…Radogno on Quinn and pension mess: ‘He’s isolated himself, and I think that’s unfortunate’
SPRINGFIELD-Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) took questions after the Senate adjourned for the regular session and broke down the root of the pension debacle at the Capitol. Radogno also opined on Gov. Pat Quinn’s involvement, or lack thereof, in fixing the pension problem. The following is a transcript of most of the interview. Q:
By Zach Buchheit | Get In Touch: @zachbuchheit | zbuchheit@suntimes.com By Zach Buchheit
Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:15 pm TRANSCRIPT…Cullerton on how to fix the pension mess: ‘I don’t know, I’ve tried everything’
SPRINGFIELD-No major pension reform passed out of Springfield. But several Senate Democrats smiled as they left the Capitol, looking down at the William Crook Jr. paintings they held in their hands that depicted themselves collectively sitting in the Senate chamber. The paintings were a gift from Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) to his 40-member caucus.
By Zach Buchheit | Get In Touch: @zachbuchheit | zbuchheit@suntimes.com By Zach Buchheit
Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:14 pm Harmon says special session to fix pension mess not likely
SPRINGFIELD-A special session to solve Illinois’ $97 billion pension crisis looks unlikely with just hours remaining in the Legislature’s regular session, according to one top Senate Democrat. “We’ve been taken hostage before. It doesn’t ever work out terribly well,” said Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), a member of Senate President John Cullerton’s (D-Chicago) leadership team.
By Zach Buchheit | Get In Touch: @zachbuchheit | zbuchheit@suntimes.com By Zach Buchheit
Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:09 pm Legislature sends Quinn bill allowing schools to outfit buses with cameras
SPRINGFIELD-In a bid to improve school bus safety, the Illinois General Assembly sent Gov. Pat Quinn a bill allowing schools to equip buses with cameras over accusations that the idea was merely a ploy to profit the city of Chicago. In a 38-16 vote with two voting present, the Illinois Senate passed the bill, which
By Zach Buchheit | Get In Touch: @zachbuchheit | zbuchheit@suntimes.com By Zach Buchheit
Chicago, Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:08 pm House panel votes to allow CPS to short pension payments for next two years
SPRINGFIELD-Against the will of Gov. Pat Quinn, an Illinois House committee Friday approved a measure to authorize Chicago Public Schools to short payments for two years to its severely underfunded pension system in order to avoid classroom cuts. By a 6-4 vote along party lines, the House Personnel and Pensions Committee advanced a bill that
By Zach Buchheit | Get In Touch: @zachbuchheit | zbuchheit@suntimes.com By Zach Buchheit
Early & Often, Import, Politics, Springfield, Statehouse - May 31, 2013 7:07 pm Senate panel advances funding plan for DePaul basketball arena at McPier
With reporting from Dave McKinney SPRINGFIELD-A key Senate panel Friday approved a plan pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Pat Quinn to allow McPier to build a 10,000-seat, $173 million DePaul University basketball arena that would double as a venue for trade shows and conventions. By a 10-5 vote, the panel advanced to the
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