Update: The transit bill has landed on Blago's desk! The Senate approved the sales-tax plan, and now all we need is Blagojevich's signature to save 81 bus routes, 2,400 jobs and all of our sanity. [ABC 7, S-T] more ›

Is Mike Madigan ready to take a gamble? So it seems from a letter he wrote today to state legislators. He said today that he'd endorse a bill proposed by Democratic reps Lou Lang and Bob Molaro that expands gambling—gaming, sorry—and uses that money for roads and schools. From the AP: The new proposal includes many of the elements that already passed the Senate in September, including a huge, land-based casino in Chicago and... more ›

At the time of this writing, a budget had not cleared the Senate. This morning major news outlets are reporting that the Senate voted 52-5 to pass an operating budget late last night similar to what the House approved 99-9 earlier in the day. The Senate legislation will have to be voted on by the House before it can go to the governor's desk. The potential budget includes increases in spending for education, but not... more ›

"After today, I'm going to have to go home and take a shower," said Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria. This in response to Illinois Senate President Emil Jones orchestrated move to keep the Senate from adding ComEd to legislation that would have rolled back electric rates that went up in January. The Senate voted 33-24 to add ComEd to the bill, which currently includes Ameren Corp. from Southern Illinois. Once the vote was completed another Senator... more ›

With their hero capes waving behind them in the sparse Springfield wind, Illinois lawmakers made a startling move to trounce one form of evil-doage. It was the House that voted, in an extreme majority (85-6), to defy the U.S. Supreme Court’s lead and firmly censure the rights of municipalities to take land from the landowner and give it to developers in the name of eminent domain. The Senate will see this more sweeping legislation again,... more ›

This morning the Illinois House passed an amendment to the Illinois Human Rights Act (the Senate passed it yesterday) banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in matters of employment, housing, public accommodations (restaurants, hotels, etc.) or credit. The Senate passed the bill with a 30-27 vote and the house passed it 65-51. Activists have been trying to get a bill passed adding "sexual orientation' to the Human Rights Act for decades and the House passed... more ›