Springfield Illinois

Quinn Must Decide On Gambling Expansion, Tax Increases To Fund Public Works Program

AP | CHRISTOPHER WILLS | Posted 06.22.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois lawmakers approved a massive public works program Thursday, presenting Gov. Pat Quinn with the difficult decision o...

House Votes To Fire Employees Hired By Disgraced Governors Ryan And Blagojevich

AP | Posted 06.21.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The Illinois House is trying to get rid of political cronies who were given state jobs by two disgraced former governors. T...

Senate Approves $26 Billion Construction Program With Higher Liquor Taxes, Fees, Increased Gambling

AP | CHRISTOPHER WILLS | Posted 06.20.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The Illinois Senate voted Wednesday to raise liquor taxes, expand gambling and increase driver fees to help pay for a $26 bi...

Senate Rejects Taking Mandatory Felon DNA Samples

AP | Posted 06.20.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The state Senate has rejected a plan to start taking DNA samples from everyone arrested on felony charges in Illinois. The ...

Texting And Driving Ban Approved By Senate

AP | Posted 06.19.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The Illinois Senate has joined the campaign against motorists who send text messages while driving. Senators voted 45-6 to ...

Lawmakers Want To Fund Public Works Plan With Video Poker, Higher Liquor Taxes

AP | Posted 06.15.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Top Illinois lawmakers want to pay for a massive public works program by legalizing video poker, raising liquor taxes and m...

Film Industry Generated $141 Million, 5,400 Jobs For Illinois In 2008: State

AP | Posted 06.15.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- State economic officials say the film industry spent $141 million and created nearly 5,400 jobs in Illinois last year. Depa...

Quinn Taps Ohio Prison Official To Run Illinois Department Of Corrections

AP | Posted 06.14.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Gov. Pat Quinn turned Thursday to the assistant director of Ohio's prison system to run the Illinois Department of Correctio...

Legislators Mixed On Reform Commission's Proposals

AP | CHRISTOPHER WILLS | Posted 05.29.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- With one governor in prison and another under indictment, Illinois officials must choose between patching holes in current e...

Illinois Reform Commission: Term Limits For Powerful Politicians, Open Meetings, Cap Campaign Contributions (READ THE PROPOSALS)

AP | ANDREA ZELINSKI | Posted 05.29.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- After 100 days poring over stacks of data and testimony, a commission appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn has delivered a sweeping p...

Governor Quinn 'Sees No Reason Not To Run' In 2010

AP | Posted 05.28.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says he has raised about $250,000 with the intent of seeking a full term as chief executive in 2010....

Obama License Plate Sales Shatter Record

AP | Posted 05.23.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Special Illinois license plates featuring Barack Obama have set a record, and officials expect sales to keep going strong. ...

Quinn: No Apologies For Past Blagojevich Support

AP | Posted 05.23.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- New Gov. Pat Quinn says he doesn't owe any apologies for his past support of Rod Blagojevich, who wound up being arrested an...

Burris Subpoenaed By Funeral Directors

AP | Posted 05.12.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A group of funeral directors who say they have lost millions of dollars from mismanagement of a pre-need funeral trust fund have f...

GOP Senators: Cut State Medicaid By $2 Billion

AP | Posted 05.02.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois should consider cutting health care programs by more than $2 billion as part of a plan to help balance the budget w...

House Votes To Ban Texting While Driving

AP | Posted 05.02.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The Illinois House wants to bar people from sending or reading text messages while driving. The House approved the ban 89-2...

Unemployment Money To Increase For Illinois' Jobless

Associated Press | Posted 03.30.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- As jobless rates climb toward record highs, Illinois residents looking for work will see an extra $25 a week in unemployment...

Lisa Madigan OK's Early Senate Election That Could Remove Burris

Associated Press | Posted 03.29.2009 | Chicago


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the General Assembly can constitutionally pass a law that moves up the date of t...

Burris Special Election Blocked By Top Illinois Dems

AP | CHRISTOPHER WILLS | Posted 03.28.2009 | Politics


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A plan to change the way Illinois fills vacant U.S. Senate seats faces a tough road in the state Legislature, despite the ne...

Illinois Representatives: "Present" Votes More Than Simple "Gosh, Don't Know"

Lynn Voedisch | Posted 11.23.2008 | Home


Lynn Voedisch

"Maybe you have a budget, and you support that budget, but there are some line items in there that you don't like," Lang said. Rather than vote no and send the wrong impression back to your constituents, "you might vote present because the bill falls short of what you expect."

10 Obama/Biden Gaffes (So Far)

Scott Shrake | Posted 09.23.2008 | Politics


Scott Shrake

After Hillary dropped out, I lost my enthusiasm for this presidential campaign. But I'll tell you what. The fire in the belly that these two guys evinced on that stage today actually got me excited again.

Careful, Joe! "Smart Woman" Jokes a Dicey Game

Adele Stan | Posted 09.23.2008 | Politics


Adele Stan

It was obviously a failed attempt at humor -- or perhaps I'm just a humorless feminist. Either way, one can only hope this isn't a harbinger of gaffes to come.