Illinois State Senator Larry Bomke (R-Springfield) really wants to see Bill Ayers fired from his job as a professor at UIC. Bomke has introduced a proposal that says anyone who has committed an act of violence against the governments of the United States or Illinois cannot work at a public university. more ›

Is Illinois heading towards legalized medical marijuana? State Senator John Cullerton (pretty website!) hopes so. He's sponsoring a bill that the Senate Public Health Committee approved 6-4 yesterday. A similar measure failed in the Senate last year, but try, try again. more ›

Probably not. But in the wake of a series of tax hikes levied around the Chicago area, it seems people are downright pissed. more ›

In the continuing soap opera that is our state's budget crisis, Governor Rod Blagojevich made a visit to Rev. James Meeks's south side mega-church, House of Hope Sunday to drum up support for his proposal of free rides for seniors on the region's mass transit system. Besides being pastor of the church, Meeks is also an Illinois State Senator, and is often allied with the governor. more ›

It seems like the press is finally catching on that Governor Blagojevich doesn't like to venture into the public eye very much (except for Blackhawks games), where reporters might have a chance to ask him some questions about the spate of federal investigations, the inaction of the state legislature, or the recent indictment of his former chief fundraiser. An Associated Press story from yesterday outlines several "feel good" photo ops that most politicians would flock to but that Blago readily avoids. more ›

Mike Madigan made it seem like he was ready to deal this week, with a letter to state legislators saying that he'd endorse a bill to expand gaming in the state in order to fund roads and schools. In announcing his "compromise", he said he is "willing to embrace compromise and offer a sincere, serious proposal that will receive my full support and backing." That expansion may not happen, though, as some lawmakers have enough... more ›

It was twenty years ago today that Mayor Harold Washington collapsed at his desk in City Hall. He died of a massive heart attack. In 1983, Washington surprised Chicago by winning the Democratic Primary for Mayor. He won with 36% of the vote, beating out incumbent Mayor Jane M. Byrne and Richard M. Daley. In the April 1983 general election, Washington received 52% of the vote to become Chicago’s first black mayor, trumping Bernard Epton... more ›

The Mississippi county where Emmet Till was murdered issued an official apology today. One of Till's relatives, who attended the ceremony, said, "Back in 1955, Tallahatchie County did nothing to help us. This is all they can do, and we appreciate it and accept." Mississippi State Senator Dave Jordan, who's trying to pass a bill getting the entire state to apologize, said "Mississippi once had a clean dress on, but her underclothes were dirty.... more ›

Yeah, we know that this should have been weighed on yesterday, but better late than never. But you have to love the smoking ban that Governor Blagojevich signed into law Monday. If you're a non-smoker, that is. If you're a slave to the P-Funk, red apples, Camels, Virginia Slims, Newports and all others, you're probably cursing the Governor through smoky breath and receding gums. Governor Blagojevich signed the bill into law at Northwestern Memorial in... more ›

All across the Ist-A-Verse (or at least the American parts thereof), writers and editors are in the midst of enjoying their three-day weekend. But after the week we've all had, we feel like the break is not only needed, but deserved. Just look at everything we've been doing! Gothamist headed into the Memorial Day weekend with a number of tasks accomplished. They worried about Long Islanders giving New Yorkers a bad name. They tried... more ›

We're not sure what to dedicate this week's round up to: Rudy Guiliani salivating as he was "asked" about a fictional terrorist attack in last night's debate, Tom Tancredo's vow to double the size of Guantanamo Bay if elected, or Tommy Thompson's large ears and no neck. Ah screw it, this one is dedicated to Rod Blagojevich's hair. Here we go: Mayor Daley Is a Funny Guy. No, really, he is. Go read Mick Dumke's... more ›

So much has happened in politics this week, all across our little city. From the ministers in the West Loop, to construction and development on the South Side, to Top Cops Downtown getting notice in DC, it's like Chicago is just one big happy village, people. Let's take a look: Blago's Budget Puts Him in Touch With God. Governor Rod Blagojevich is on a "crusade," bringing tax fairness, education and health care to all of... more ›

We here at the Chicagoist offices follow the news so you don't have to. Sometimes that means sifting through press releases, reading other news outlets, or keeping our ear to the ground. One thing we've been keeping an eye on here is the "education situation" in this state, with all its sick twists and turns. Tax "reform" and education have been quite the issue this winter, with Governor Blagojevich promising not to raise taxes, while... more ›

A New York State Senator is proposing a ban on people using their cell phones, BlackBerries or iPods when crossing the street. Holy mother of interfering. When asked about this possibility for Chicago, Mayor Daley wasn't having any of it. "Good luck to enforce that," he said. more ›

It seems that another battle is brewing with Rod Blagojevich. In a last-minute press release Friday evening, G-Rod announced he was suspending a program designed to stop predatory lending in the Chicago area, claiming that it hurt development in those areas. The five-month-old Illinois Predatory Lending Database Pilot Program set up rules for people that wanted to buy a home in 10 ZIP codes on Chicago's west and southwest sides. These rules required residents who... more ›

Daley has suddenly become the great scholar, spouting wisdom in public about public-school reform, not just in Chicago, but also in Illinois. Over the weekend, he fired another salvo in his crusade to save the children. Opening a community center in Avondale, Hizzoner used the opportunity to call on the governor to institute mandatory full-day kindergarten, which would have the added effect of lowering the mandatory age of enrollment to 5 (it's currently 7, but about 95% of Illinois 5- and 6-year-olds are enrolled in school). Education is always a hot topic, especially in an election year, and this isn't the first time that Daley has pushed for this kind of change. more ›

Whew! What a week it's been in politics, and it's only Wednesday! Chicagoist has lotsa political tidbits for you today, so saddle up little buckaroo, and let's ride out! more ›

Not much has been going on here on the local scene lately. Chicagoist has been hoping we could turn the page on the whole Foley thing, but it just won't go away. In fact, other than cheap shots and lost opportunities, the natives have been pretty quiet.
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While Congress wallows in its own self-loathing, the City that Works keeps plugging along. Mayor Daley announced yesterday that Miguel Del Valle would be replacing convicted former City Clerk James Laski. Del Valle, an Illinois State Senator since the late 1980's, has served a mostly Latino district on the Northwest Side of the city. Altogether this is a smart move by Da Mare, as it puts him in good graces with independents in the city,... more ›

After much speculation, State Senator James Meeks announced today that he will not run for governor as a third-party candidate this fall. Meeks was considering a run because he was disappointed with Governor Blagojevich's school funding, but after being briefed on Blago's new unreleased plan, the Reverend said, "I'm saying I'm off the ballot. Forget it." This is quite a change of heart as just last week Meeks announced he would begin collecting the 25,000... more ›

The latest Wall Street Journal/Zogby poll has Governor Rod Blagojevitch (which is apparently Zogby for Blagojevich) ahead of Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka, 43% to 37%, despite having a low approval rating. Of course, other recent polls by Rasmussen Reports and Glengariff Group show Topinka ahead by a slight margin, so take it for what it's worth. To Carol Marin, it's not worth much. Today she reminds us that November is still a long way away. more ›

So far this week Chicagoist had an argument with our siblings over baseball, endured a date with a guy who isn't even registered to vote, forgot to set our alarm clock, thus making us late for a big meeting at work, fell down some stairs, and accidentally threw our favorite cashmere sweater into the dryer. And it's only Wednesday! Sigh. Even with all of that, our week is still not going as poorly as Governor... more ›

As we’ve mentioned before, State Senator James Meeks is none too happy with Governor Blagojevich, and he is thinking of running for governor as a third-party candidate. Originally he wanted to run because he was disappointed with Blago’s educational funding, but Meeks also thinks Illinois needs a pro-life and anti-gay marriage candidate like himself. Didn’t we already have a couple of candidates like that in the Republican primary? And didn’t they both lose? Meeks has... more ›

Now that the primaries are over, we can all take a deep breath before we look ahead to the November election. However, there are still plenty of questions that need answering. Will Stroger be on the November ballot? We all know that he is currently recovering from a stroke, but what we don’t know is just how serious his condition is, and if he will recover well enough to stay on the ballot or serve... more ›

In our February review on local politics we casually mentioned that the Legislative Black Caucus, led by State Senator James Meeks, was considering backing a third-party candidate if Governor Blagojevich couldn’t find a better way to fund schools in light of his pledge to not increase sales and income taxes. We thought it was an empty threat to try to get Blago to reconsider his positions and remind him not to take the black vote... more ›

Earlier this week we told you that none of the five Republican contenders for governor were willing to give in just yet, but now that has changed. more ›

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is the state agency charged with ensuring citizens have reliable and affordable utilities, as well as regulating utility companies. This job seems more important than ever since energy energy prices are expected to soar this winter. more ›

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is hoping to make Illinois the first state to offer health insurance to all children. There are currently 250,000 children in the state without health insurance, and many of these kids’ parents either make too much to receive public aid insurance, or too little to afford private coverage. more ›

In May of 2005 Mayor Daley announced a partial hiring freeze when officials found that (brace yourself!) patronage was in full effect for certain positions within City Hall. more ›

Is there other news to discuss outside of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? If there is, we’re having a hard time paying attention to it. Despite occurring some 920 miles away, the tragedy in the Gulf Coast region has already become a local and state issue as the massive loss of life and property, the looming health and energy crises and the breakdown of the rule of law have a ripple effect across the nation.... more ›