Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a bill that would have raised ComEd rates to pay for the company's infrastructure updates, while blocking government oversight. more ›

Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a pair of bills that would have established two synthetic natural gas plants in Illinois, and forced utility ratepayers to pick up the tab through their heating bills. In his veto message, Quinn said “Inadequate consumer protections and high energy costs will not create jobs in Illinois. Until I am satisfied that consumers are protected, burdens are shared and jobs are created, I will not affix my signature to this bill.” The plants, which were proposed to have been built in downstate Jefferson County and on Chicago's Southeast side, would have manufactured synthetic natural gas from Illinois coal. more ›

Yesterday, Cook County Board President Board president Todd Stroger once again promised to veto last week's half-percent sales tax roll back passed by commissioners. Asked about a possible veto override by the commissioners, Stroger told CBS 2, "I hope that what's good for the county is done by the commissioners." Unfortunately for Stroger and his supporters, there's a new law now in effect which means the Board only needs to provide 11 votes to override Strogers veto instead of the previous threshold of 14. Stroger plans to announce his veto at a noon press conference in front of the main entrance of Stroger Hospital, accompanied by nurses, doctors, clergy, and community members. more ›

With a new law in effect limiting the number of votes required to override a Stroger veto, the Cook County Commissioners took another crack at rolling back the sales tax increase by one percent has fallen short. According to a tweet from Com. Tony Peraica, the votes were 10 NOs, 6 YESes, and 1 absent. In another tweet, Peraica identified the YES votes as himself and Commissioners Claypool, Gorman, Goslin, Schneider, and Silvestri. more ›

The Cook County Board of Commissioners has tried, and failed, several times to roll back the 10.25 percent county-wide sales tax. Yesterday, the Illinois General Assembly took a swing at it, as well. The legislation, which would have cut the sales tax from 1.75 percent to .75 percent, fell six votes short of passage. "This is going to really devastate all aspects of our government," Todd Stroger, who personally went to Springfield to lobby for the tax hike told the Tribune . "I'm trying to make the case for the county." more ›

The Cook County Commission's bid to repeal President Todd Stroger's veto of the tax rollback has fallen short. Commissioner Tony Peraica, one of the most Stroger critics on the board, has come down hard on Commissioner Deborah Sims via his Twitter feed, indicating that her change of heart was the difference maker: more ›

Besides the controversial marijuana decriminalization, the Cook County Board also tackled another tax rollback but unlike last time they might succeed in getting it past President Storger thanks to a veto-proof majority. The measure rolls back the tax by half a percentage point, from 10.25 percent to 9.75 percent. The measure passed by a vote of 12-2 with one present vote and Commissioners Peraica and Claypool absent, but both of those commissioners have said they will vote to override Stroger's expected veto at the Board's September meeting. UPDATE: Per Peraica's twitter, the vote was 13-3 with 1 absent. The Sun-Times has more information including a full break down of the vote. more ›

33rd Ward Alderman Dick Mell announced late last Friday that Wal-Mart will get another shot at coming into Chicago, perhaps as early as by the end of this month. “We’ll see what the consensus is,” Mell who is chairman of the City Council's rules committee, said. Archon Group LP, the real estate firm that controls the South side retail center, has been ratcheting up pressure on the city, along with Wal-Mart, to allow the mega-retailer to develop a supercenter store at 83rd and Stewart. A clause in the development agreement of the Archon retail center prevents any store larger than 100,000 square feet from opening without prior approval by the city. Wal-Mart supercenters are typically 180,000 square feet, and sell groceries along with other retail goods. more ›

This afternoon, the Cook County Board upheld President Todd Stroger's veto of the tax repeal by a vote of 11 to override the veto, four to uphold, and two "present" votes; 14 votes are required to override the veto. Clout Street has how they voted: more ›

So you know Cook County Board President Todd Stroger decided to veto the Commission's one-percent sales tax repeal, claiming that such a repeal would force the closing of multiple hospitals. With his veto unpopular, the Toddler went on a PR blitz this morning, talking to WGN Radio's John Williams (part 1 and part 2) and then hanging up on WLS' Don Wade & Roma. more ›

As two more officials refused to jump into the tax repeal fray, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is finding himself more and more alone on the issue. So much so that he can't even make up his mind as to whether or not he'll make good on his threat to veto the Board's decision to repeal the one-percent tax increase. Aides to Stroger told the Tribune that a decision isn't likely until Monday which also happens to be the last day Stroger could use his veto. more ›

We've had a few hours to digest the hundreds of thousands of job-losses announced this morning, so now might be the perfect time to spring this on you: Wal-Mart would like to put as many as 5 new stores in Chicago. The Tribune is reporting that a new push is being put together to start out with a new store in the 21st ward, and take it from there. more ›

It's been a week since Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption and fraud charges. We aren't surprised so much with the what as with the why. Still, it's a week later and, besides becoming the laughing-stock of the country, not all that much has changed. Gov. Blagojevich is still in charge, he's still signing bills, and - yes - he even still has the power to appoint a senator to replace President-Elect Barack Obama. more ›

Who knows? Could anyone have predicted the mess that happened last spring? It seems that this time around Governor Blagojevich might not be as interested in strutting his testicular virility by getting into a huge pissing match with legislators. more ›

yesterday that if the General Assembly sent him a transit bill that included a sales tax increase, he wouldn't veto it. Blagojevich has vowed since the beginning of the budget debacle to veto any sale tax increase to fund mass transit. more ›