There's been some drama happening downstate the past day or so. Hell froze over, Michael Madigan blinked and the state may be close to a pension reform deal. more ›

The tough proposals did not go over well with either party. Gov. Quinn proposed adjustments to health-care eligibility that could affect more than 215,000 poor Illinoisans. Quinn also proposed a $1 per pack cigarette tax to help close the state’s $2.7 billion Medicaid budget gap. more ›

A Trib expose shows that nowhere in Chicago makes clearer pollution's local and global impact than Pilsen and Little Village, where the smokestacks for two of the nation’s oldest coal plants loom. more ›

Saving state taxpayers $12 million a year and eliminating redundancies in the Comptroller's and Treasurer's offices apparently isn't enough for Michael Madigan to support an amendment to the Illinois Constitution merging the two offices. more ›

With primaries quickly approaching, lawmakers may want to avoid a polarizing vote before their constituents head to the polls. Tyrone Fahner, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, said “This all comes from basic cowardice.” more ›

The news Democratic state House speaker Michael Madigan attended two fundraisers for Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner has politicians in both parties saying, "WTF?" more ›

We're still trying to wrap our heads around how the $52.7 billion budget Gov. Quinn proposed to the Illinois General Assembly yesterday can be called "lean" when one of the centerpieces of the budget is a record $8.75 billion borrowing plan that GOP leaders have adamantly opposed. Maybe that's why Quinn tried to focus on the spending cuts in his address. more ›

State lawmakers will begin their six day veto session before the Thanksgiving recess today. The Illinois Legislature will have its hands full for the next few days, with votes scheduled for some hot ticket items. more ›

In the spring, payday loan reform passed the Illinois legislature, capping high interest rates for consumers and expanding a tracking system to keep tabs on lenders. While the measures certainly benefited borrowers of high interest loans, the Sun Times reports that the Madigan family benefited from the loan as well. more ›

While the nightmare in the Gulf of Mexico drags on thousands of miles away, impacts and repercussions from the goopy mess have reached all the way into Chicagoland, making interesting theater of the reactions from a wide array of local figures tangentially touched by BP. more ›

State Democrats will try to put the Scott Lee Cohen affair behind them later this month when they officially convene to vote on their new Lt. Governor nominee. Party leader Michael Madigan announced today that hearings will be held in Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Bolingbrook and Springfield next Saturday, March 20th, and that the vote on Cohen's replacement will be March 27. Over 220 people have applied online for the job which may soon be a thing of the past if Madigan gets his way. more ›

• While Scott Lee Cohen may have let himself be muscled off the Democratic ticket for Lite Guv, he's clearly not going away anytime soon.
• Speaking of Lite Guv, Illnois House Speaker Michael Madigan has proposed an amendment to do away with the office entirely by 2015.
• CBS 2's Dave Savini put away the black light for a minute to reveal a "hidden epidemic" amongst area school children. Not obesity, not autism -- gym class injuries.

A tearful Democratic Lt. Governor nominee Scott Lee Cohen announced his withdrawal from the Democratic ticket last night amidst increasing calls for him to remove himself from the ticket. Last week's revelations of Cohen's use of anabolic steroids, allegations of domestic abuse, and owing nine months in back child support payments while he pumped $2 million of his pawnbroker's fortune into his successful primary victory had party leaders fearing Cohen's presence could jeopardize the election chances of Governor Pat Quinn and Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias. Cohen came to his decision after a Friday meeting with State House Michael Madigan, who's also state Democratic Party Chairman. According to the Tribune, Madigan told Cohen "very direct and very frank" way to step down from the ticket. Governor Quinn's office released a statement following Cohen's announcement which read Cohen "made the right decision for the Democratic Party and the people of Illinois. Now we can continue to focus our efforts on putting our economy back on track and working to bring good jobs to Illinois." more ›

• Carpwatch 2010: Not satisfied with the Supreme Court's ruling on the matter, a U.S. Representative from Michigan has introduced legislation to close the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal, named, appropriately, the CARP ACT.
• Former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen is learning to appreciate the small victories.
• Have you owned your Chicago condo for over 6 years? Congrats, you just broke even.

The impeachment charges against Gov. Rod Blagojevich could be deeply rooted in his past blunders rather than the recent allegations he tried selling, among other things, Barack Obama’s open senate seat. That’s because the impeachment panel most likely understands that they won’t receive cooperation from the FBI, so they’re digging deep in the reservoir of past screw-ups committed under Blagojevich’s watch. The committee, which will outline the rules for impeachment, began its work yesterday under the premise that the governor will receive a fair hearing despite the fact the panel is headed by House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, who is an ally to Blagojevich nemesis House Speaker Michael Madigan. Currie insists the committee will act in a professional manner. “Frontier justice will not prevail in this proceeding,” Currie told reporters yesterday. “A rush to judgment does not serve the people of the state well.” more ›

She's the woman who could have been Governor. But in 2006, Judy Baar Topinka, longtime Illinois politician and State Treasurer under Jim Edgar and the not-convicted-yet George Ryan, was defeated in the Gubernatorial race by incumbent Rod Blagojevich. And just look where that's gotten us. While most of our day-to-day political thoughts right now are focused on the presidential election, we're also in the beginning of the race for Illinois Governor in 2010. So what does Topinka think about how the state is being run? No surprise here - she isn't much of a fan of Blago - but what about beyond that? Who's going to step up for the Republican party in two years? Who's going to try to replace G-Rod in the Democratic party? And is there any shot at getting him removed before 2010? All these answers after the jump. more ›