Author: Newsdesk

Posted by Michelle Manchir at 7:20 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — A key Senate Democratic panel today approved legislation to allow public universities to borrow money to make payroll as the state struggles to pay its bills.

Republicans opposed the plan because of another provision that would let Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn to borrow $250 million without having to ask the state treasurer or comptroller for approval.

But the Democrats on the Senate Executive Committee today advanced the legislation, which allows public universities, many of which are struggling without millions of dollars in promised money from the state, to borrow up to 75 percent of their payroll. Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard said the college "just barely made payroll in December."

The Quinn borrowing authority comes after last fall’s dispute between the governor and Comptroller Dan Hynes, who was running against Quinn in the Democratic governor primary. Quinn wanted to borrow $500 million in the short term to pay down some of Illinois’ backlog of bills. Hynes refused.

Sponsoring Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, said the borrowing is essential because some health care providers in the state are on the brink of closure until they get payments from the state, adding that the state could miss out on a $400 million Medicaid repayment from the federal government if they don’t find the money.

Republicans said the move to streamline borrowing lacks oversight.

"It short circuits a protection that the Illinois taxpayers deserve," said Patty Schuh, a spokeswoman for Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont.



The full Senate still has to vote on the measure, which then would have to be approved by the House and signed by Quinn.

Posted by Michelle Manchir at 6:55 p.m.  



SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House today approved a measure that would require lawmakers to sign off on selling state property worth more than $1 million, potentially making it more difficult to unload the little-used Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government to house terrorist detainees.



The legislation, which won approval 81-31, faces an uncertain future, however. (See how they voted by clicking here.)



Not only must the state Senate pass it, but Gov. Pat Quinn must sign it into law. Quinn wants to sell the northwest Illinois prison to the Obama administration, which is eyeing Thomson as a place to transfer terrorist detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sponsoring state Rep. Michael Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, said the legislation is necessary to check the executive power of deciding which property can be sold.



"It’s not a Thomson prison bill, it’s a policy bill," he said. "I took it on because I was shocked (the governor) could just declare a very valuable piece of state property surplus and sell it off."



But House members on both sides of aisle critiqued the measure, saying it would put artificial limits on the public auction process of state property, and that it was drafted only in response to the potential sale of Thomson.



"It’s about one issue at one moment in time and that’s why we’re getting ready to change public policy," said Democratic Rep. Julie Hamos of Evanston.



Earlier this month, Obama administration officials discussed a possible mid-2011 opening of Thomson prison as a federal facility. But U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the president would have a fight on his hands to secure funding for the prison.



"I think the administration realizes that this is a difficult issue, and I think that they are assessing where they are and where they think we ought to be," Hoyer said two weeks ago.

Posted by Hal Dardick at 4:23 p.m.

The Chicago City Council is unlikely to go along with Mayor Richard Daley’s idea to allow the inspector general to investigate aldermen, but they might come up with an alternative to provide some measure of oversight, influential Ald. Ed Burke said today.

The longest serving aldermen, Burke, 14th, said he doesn’t think his colleagues will approve Daley’s proposal without changes.

"I haven’t taken a head count, but from what I’m hearing from comments, I would doubt it,” Burke told WLS-Radio reporter Bill Cameron.

Last week, Daley proposed that the current inspector general, who he appoints with City Council approval, be given the right to probe aldermen and their staffs. It was part of a broader plan to transfer the monitoring of City Hall hiring, promotions and firing from the beleaguered head of compliance to the inspector general.



Aldermen might be more open to oversight by an inspector general if that person is chosen by and reports to the council, Burke said. He noted that two decades ago aldermen rejected giving the inspector general the right to probe them when Daley created the post.



“As you know, in the past, the councils have not looked favorably on giving the executive branch so much authority over the legislative branch,” Burke said. “In many people’s opinions, it is a technique that would dilute the traditional separation of powers that’s the foundation of government in America.



“Many legislative bodies around the nation, including the Illinois General Assembly, have their own system of inspector general, which reports to the legislative branch, not the executive branch. So I think people are going to look at this and see what might be forged to represent a compromise to what the concerns of many members of the City Council are and the concerns of the mayor are.”



Burke said he expects Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), chairman of the Rules and Ethics Committee, to “have some meetings to allow the corporation counsel to explain exactly what the Law Department has in mind.”



Mell, who last week told the Tribune he would hold hearings on the issue, could not be reached for comment today.



Burke, who is chairman of the Finance Committee, said he had yet to take a stance on whether aldermen should name their own inspector general.



“I’m suggesting that some people have raised that issue,” he said. “Would it come to that? I don’t know. But I think that an inspector general that investigates a legislative branch that reports to the executive branch can create a clear problem in the minds of many members of the City Council.”



Two ordinances proposed last year by aldermen that went nowhere offered other approaches.



In one, proposed by independent Ald. Joe Moore (49th), the mayor would choose future inspectors general from recommendations by a committee that would include prosecutors, judges and outside watchdog group leaders would recommend potential inspector general appointments to the mayor.



In another — proposed by Ald. Patrick O’Connor (40th), who is Daley’s unofficial flood leader — that a review board picked by the mayor and aldermen would make recommendations to the mayor.

Update by Michelle Manchir at 3:34 p.m.

Democratic Senate President John Cullerton backed down today after facing criticism for closing the Senate doors for a private briefing for lawmakers, saying he wouldn’t do it again.

"But you know what, since everybody seems to be pretty upset about it – it’s not that big a deal – we just won’t do it anymore. We’ll go back to our separate ways of having our own separate party caucuses," Cullerton told reporters this afternoon.

 

UPDATE by Ray Long at 12:10 p.m. — meeting ended.

A highly unusual closed-door meeting of the state Senate lasted about an hour and a half today, and participants said many of the chamber’s 59 Democrats and Republicans attended to hear a presentation on budgeting and the economy from national experts.

Lawmakers barred reporters from the meeting, saying it was a joint gathering of the Democratic and Republican caucuses that was not required to be public under the state Constitution or open meetings law. Reporters were offered the opportunity to get the information from the budget experts at a post-meeting news conference, but Democratic and Republican leaders said they wanted the meeting private to encourage a frank exchange between public officials.

Donald Craven, a longtime attorney for the Illinois Press Association who also has represented the Chicago Tribune on open government issues, said the meeting should have been open no matter how big or small the topic.

"The topic is not important," Craven said. "If the Senate can go into a joint caucus to talk about this topic, what’s the logical extreme?

 "Can they also go into a joint caucus to debate the budget bill? Can they go into a joint caucus to debate the hundreds of other bills that go before the state Senate?" Craven asked.

State Senate President John Cullerton did not answer questions when he left the meeting, noting a news conference would follow, but he did not attend it.

UPDATE AT 10:42 a.m. by Ray Long — Senate president bars reporters from meeting; Republican leader endorses privacy to encourage bipartisan cooperation.

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, refused this morning to allow reporters into a meeting of the entire Senate to hear experts discuss budgets and the national economy.

"You know you’re not invited," Cullerton said before entering the second floor hearing room.

When a Tribune reporter tried to walk into the hearing room after Cullerton, the Senate sergeant at arms stood in front of the door and denied entry.

Cullerton told reporters he was "very disappointed" in the Tribune report about the closed meeting, saying the gathering was a "joint caucus" of Democratic and Republican senators that is allowed to be closed under the Constitution. That is a point disputed by government transparency advocates.

"You’re missing the whole point," Cullerton said.

"This is meant to be one where just the senators are there to get information, but where they can also feel they can ask questions and …have a free exchange of ideas without having to be worried about what the press might report," Cullerton said.

Cullerton dismissed the idea that allowing the entire Senate to hear a briefing from the National Conference of State Legislatures on state budgets and the economy should be open. He said he wanted reporters to see the information but that it would be presented in a press conference afterward.

"I know you guys are trying to show that we’re all bad down here and that (lawmakers are) secret and that we’re trying to do things in a bad way," Cullerton said.

"Yeah, you’re right. We’ve never had it before. I’m proud of it because we’re trying to bring people together socially and in the working atmosphere," Cullerton said. "So I’m not trying to keep the media out of our business. You can ask anybody what they want to afterward, what they think, what the materials were."

Cullerton said there would be no vote on Senate business and that the full Senate meeting behind closed doors does not represent a Committee of the Whole, which is required to be open to the public.

"I’m sorry that it doesn’t fit into your theme," Cullerton said.

Before he entered the room, Sen. Lou Viverito, D-Burbank, said, "If it were me, I’d let you right in there because I’d be anxious for you to hear the good things I’ve got to propose."

The Republicans’ Senate leader, Christine Radogno of Lemont, supported Cullerton’s plan to bar the public and media, saying it was part of an effort to promote more cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.

"It’s funny because I often hear from my constituents ‘I wish you guys would just get in a room and try to figure things out,’" Radogno said. "We want to be sure that people feel relaxed about asking any questions that they want to without feeling the pressure that it’s going to be reported."

Radogno said the session was aimed at being an informational presentation by budget experts.

"It’s legal and hopefully it will lead to some positive action," she said.

Posted by Ray Long at 6:00 a.m.

The Illinois Senate plans to meet behind closed doors this morning to hear a presentation by experts about state budgets and the national economy, a move that open government advocates called baffling.

The unusual secret gathering is being billed as a "joint caucus" of the majority Democrats and the minority Republicans, two groups that represent the entire 59 members of the Illinois Senate. The caucuses routinely meet separately to plot partisan strategy, and the public is not invited. But a joint meeting is very rare.

The spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said the event will be closed because the presentation to be given by the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures will not fall under the state Constitution’s requirements to be open.

But David Morrison, a top official with the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said the move doesn’t make sense.

"Setting aside the legal issues, I can’t imagine what the NCSL is going to say that’s so top secret that the general public will not be allowed to hear it," Morrison said.

The Constitution says, "Sessions of each house of the General Assembly and meetings of committees, joint committees and legislative commissions shall be open to the public.

Sessions and committee meetings of a house may be closed to the public if two-thirds of the members elected to that house determine that the public interest so requires; and meetings of joint committees and legislative commissions may be so closed if two-thirds of the members elected to each house so determine."

Cullerton’s spokeswoman, Rikeesha Phelon, said in an email, "Since a caucus is neither a legislative session or committee meeting, the public meeting and notice requirements of the constitution do not apply."

Patty Schuh, the spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said the event was an initiative of Cullerton’s majority Democrats and that "they want it closed." Schuh said she did not anticipate public business will be conducted.

Donald Craven, a longtime attorney for the Illinois Press Association who also has represented the Chicago Tribune on open government issues, disagreed with lawmakers’ interpretation.

"A joint caucus is a meeting of the Senate as a whole, either as the Senate or as a committee of the whole," Craven said. "This is not a social gathering. This is designed to discuss public business."

The same conclusion was reached by Charles N. Wheeler III, who has followed Senate activities for four decades as a statehouse reporter and journalism professor at the University of Illinois Springfield.

"What prompts this idea for secrecy?" Wheeler asked, saying it sets a "bad precedent."

"This is not homeland security coming to brief the legislative leadership on plans to secure the capitol in the case of a terrorist attack," said Wheeler. He said he could not recall the two caucuses in the Senate ever meeting together behind closed doors for such a presentation.

Posted by Rick Pearson and Ray Long at 7:23 p.m.



As election officials across Illinois continued to tally the final trickle of uncounted ballots in the disputed Republican governor race today, state Sen. Kirk Dillard indicated he would not push for a recount unless he trailed rival state Sen. Bill Brady by 100 votes or less.



But Dillard could face difficulties getting that close. The Hinsdale lawmaker contended he had cut in half Brady’s 420-vote lead as election offices went through final absentee ballots and provisional ballots cast by voters who were not on registration lists, but claimed they met voting requirements.


“I want to do everything possible to avoid a recount,” Dillard said. “But if it’s around a hundred votes or less, then a recount is a possibility.”



Dampening talk of going through the expensive process, Dillard said the difference “would have to be very low before I’d put the state or my party through a recount.”



Brady, a veteran legislator from Bloomington, stopped short of claiming victory. But he said he is  confident that after the remaining uncounted votes are totaled, “we’ll be nearer the 400 (vote) margin than anything else.”



“We’re confident this will go without being contested. We don’t see any irregularities at this point,” Brady said. “If he’s using 100 (votes) as a benchmark, we’re confident we’ll be above that.”



Late unofficial vote counts from election authorities in the more-populous six-county Chicago region showed Dillard cutting into Brady’s lead by nearly 200 votes. Still, final tallying continues in downstate counties where, despite fewer votes being cast, Brady has held an advantage over Dillard.



Dillard maintained the differential could be made up in the Chicago suburbs by counting provisional ballots — most of which are routinely tossed. Dillard said he won’t make a decision on whether to concede the race until the State Board of Elections certifies the results March 5.



But a challenge based on provisional votes could become a messy one, and Dillard said he’s unsure he would press for more of them to be counted. Dillard’s low threshold for considering a recount reflects the advances in electronic vote-tabulation technology. Local election officials have until Feb. 23 to re-test their results and send them to the state.



“The local election authorities need to canvass and have time to double-check their math,” Dillard said. “And I’d like to see a preliminary tabulation by the actual election authority, the State Board of Elections…especially when you’re talking about 200 votes out of about three-quarters of a million cast. Mistakes do happen.”



While Republicans continued to sort out their state standard bearer for the November election, Scott Lee Cohen, the embattled pawnbroker who won the Democratic lieutenant governor contest, had papers submitted Tuesday formally resigning the nomination. Democratic leaders are expected to convene after the March 5 ballot certification to propose a replacement to team up with Gov. Pat Quinn on the ballot.

Posted by Michelle Manchir at 6:12 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — Police would be required to submit all DNA evidence from sex crimes to the state crime lab for testing under legislation the House passed 108-0 today.

But the lab won’t be required to analyze the evidence within six months as some proponents wanted. There’s not enough money in cash-strapped Illinois to make that happen, supporters acknowledged.

Instead, the legislation would only require the lab to meet that six month deadline if "sufficient funding and resources are available," according to the legislation.

Lab officials have said they could be forced to delay testing DNA from other violent crimes, including ones with impending court dates, if faced with a strict six-month mandate and no additional funding.



The bill’s author, Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, said the state can’t afford to provide additional resources to help with the six-month turnaround time, and that he wanted to provide the lab with some leeway.



The most important part of the bill, Franks said, is the new requirement that all rape kits be analyzed.



"We haven’t had that requirement before, and there were disastrous effects," Franks said.



Franks said he was prompted to take action after a Tribune review found that many rape kits were being placed in police storage untested, robbing the state of opportunities to solve crimes and exonerate the wrongfully convicted. The Tribune also found that even when rape kits are submitted, the lab sometimes refuses to analyze them.



"I don’t want people who’d been victimized once to be victimized again by the people who were supposed to be protecting them," Franks said. "I just think it’s a common sense solution into a problem I didn’t know existed until I saw that article."



With rape kits, those alleging sexual assault or abuse allow a nurse to secure semen, saliva and other potential DNA samples from their bodies. The exam is invasive, and the process can take up to eight hours, but the results have proved to be a powerful investigative tool. DNA has provided links between crimes and revealed the identity of attackers.

     

The bill now goes to the Senate.



Under a separate bill drafted by the attorney general’s office, and introduced last week, police would be required to submit every rape kit for testing, including those that have been gathering dust in storage, a number that could total more than 4,000 by one count.

Posted by John Chase and Rick Pearson at 10:13 a.m.

Scott Lee Cohen’s letter withdrawing his nomination as Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor was received today by state election officials.

Dan White, executive director for the Illinois State Board of Election, said the letter was dropped off this morning at the state offices.

Cohen had handed the letter to an attorney for state Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan on Friday with the intent that they would submit the resignation letter when government offices opened today.

White said with the withdrawal papers now in hand, Cohen will be officially removed as the Democratic nominee when the election results are certified, which is scheduled for March 5. Democratic Party leaders have yet to formalize their plans for picking a replacement for the November general election.

Meanwhile, the Republican contest for governor between state Sens. Bill Brady of Bloomington and Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale may also come down to that March 5 date with about 400 votes separating the two.

Several election boards and county election officials are counting the last absentee and some provisional ballots today, but have until next week to canvass the results before sending them on to Springfield to be certified by the State Board of Elections.

A decision on the first steps toward a potential recount isn’t likely until after the state certifies the election totals.

Posted by Rick Pearson at 5:55 p.m.

Several prominent African-Americans on the panel that will pick a replacement lieutenant governor nominee are criticizing House Speaker Michael Madigan as “authoritarian” for trying to do away with the office.

The letter from the Democratic State Central Committee members also seeks from Madigan, who is the state Democratic chairman, a “uniform, comprehensive and transparent criteria” for selecting a successor to Scott Lee Cohen, the embattled winner of the Feb. 2 Democratic lieutenant governor primary who is dropping out.



Among those signing today’s letter are the state central committeemen and committeewomen representing the state’s 1st, 2nd, and 7th Congressional Districts, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush, Jesse Jackson Jr. and Danny Davis, all of Chicago. The letter writers represent seven of the 38 committee members who will select Cohen’s replacement and they are a large voting bloc in the selection process.

The letter acknowledges Madigan’s right to propose a state Constitutional amendment to eliminate the lieutenant governor’s office in 2015 as a member of the legislature. At the same time, the committee members said, “advancing legislation that impacts the Democratic Party without a discussion or an endorsement from the Democratic Party leadership is premature.”

“There should be no divergent interests between you in your role as party chairman and us in our role as party committeemen and committeewomen. Therefore, prior to your public announcement about your support of the elimination of a constitutional office, the Democratic State Central Committee should have been consulted,” the letter said.

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown issued a statement in response late this afternoon:

"The speaker will take the vetting request under review, but he
disagrees with the notion that a legislator should  check with a
political committee before introducing legislation."

Madigan’s proposal, introduced in the wake of the Cohen debacle, would require approval of 60 percent of the House and the Senate, and would then be put before voters in the November general election. It would make the attorney general next in line for succession —a post now held by Madigan’s daughter, Lisa Madigan, though it is questionable that she would seek re-election to the job should she win another term in the fall.



The letter from committee members notes that a Democratic governor who steps down could be replaced by a Republican attorney general if Madigan’s plan were to be realized. “As party chairman, to offer this far-ranging plan without consultation and deliberation among members of the State Central Committee is un-democratic at best and authoritarian at worst,” the letter from the state central committee members said.



At the same time, the committee members used the letter to seek a strong vetting process for a Cohen replacement. “We believe that, among the criteria, our party leadership should be publicly advancing a

vetting process that considers a candidate’s experience; public record; electoral viability; ability to

strengthen the party’s overall ticket; and the candidate’s overall electability,” the letter said.



There are racial sensitivities surrounding the choice Democrats are facing as they mull a Cohen replacement — a decision to be made after March 5, when the State Board of Elections certifies the Feb. 2 ballot. The runner-up to Cohen was veteran state Rep. Art Turner of Chicago, who was endorsed by Madigan and is a member of Madigan’s House leadership team. Turner is African-American.



But even some black Democratic leaders have noted that among the six statewide nominees chosen so far for the Nov. 2 general election ticket, the Democratic Party already is offering three African-American nominees: Jesse White for secretary of state, state Rep. David Miller of Lynwood for comptroller and former state Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson for treasurer.



Some Democrats have contended the November slate could use more geographic balance than a statewide field all hailing from the immediate Chicago area. The letter does note that “a candidate’s ability to raise resources as well as geographic, racial and gender balance should also be considered” to fill the vacancy.



“We provide a sizable base of support for the Democratic Party,” the letter writers wrote to Madigan. “Conversely, the electorate is weary of political machinations and the press is watching with a jaundiced eye as we prepare to act. If we are to have both credibility and success; it is incumbent upon us to act in a transparent, open and a fair manner.”

Posted by Ray Long at 2:09 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — A major increase in the price to register as a state lobbyist has been halted by a federal judge who deemed the $1,000 annual fee too high.



U.S. District Judge Joan Gottschall issued a preliminary injunction late Friday that puts on hold the 2009 law that nearly tripled registration fees for most lobbyists.

More than 3,900 lobbyists and lobbying groups have been registered in recent years, but none was required to register or pay fees this year while the state awaited action in the lawsuit.



The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which brought the case, argued that the state law violates the constitutional right to freedom of speech because it requires an unreasonable fee to lobby before the Illinois General Assembly.



"Paying this excessive fee would (limit) our constitutionally protected right to address the General Assembly and to deploy staff and other resources effectively," said Colleen K. Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois.



The 2009 law boosted to $1,000 from $350 the annual registration fee for the lion’s share of lobbyists. It also raised to $1,000 the $150 annual fee for not-for-profit organizations, the group said.



The ACLU argued that the increase in fees exceeded the costs of administering them by more than $2.5 million, allowing the state to generate money that could be used elsewhere during its budget crisis.  The group said nine states don’t have any lobbyist fee at all and 14 others charge no more than $150.



The judge said the state would have to make more arguments before she would consider reinstating the lower $350 fee established in the prior law. She left open the door for the General Assembly to reinstate the previous fee or to approve a minor increase.



Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s office, following a prior temporary restraining order, decided not to collect any registration fees so far this year nor begin registrations with the court case pending, said Henry Haupt, a White spokesman.



“Secretary White understands the importance of lobbyist registration, which is why our office is working to implement a program that will register lobbyists without violating the court’s ruling,” Haupt said. “We expect to be able to do something very shortly, probably the next few weeks, if not the next couple of weeks.”



One option that White’s office is “definitely looking at” is registering lobbyists without charging a fee initially and then collecting fees when a level is worked out in accordance with the wishes of the federal judge and state lawmakers, Haupt said.

Posted by Monique Garcia at 5:50 p.m.

Former Republican presidential nominee John McCain visited Chicago today, where he attended a closed-door fundraiser in support of Congressman Mark Kirk’s bid for the Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama.

McCain said he’s supporting Kirk not only because of his record in Washington, but because of Kirk’s experience as a Naval Reserve intelligence officer.

“I understand that the key issue in Illinois and Arizona is jobs and jobs and jobs and the economy,” said the Arizona senator. “But we are in two wars, and Mark Kirk brings a degree of knowledge and background on military and national security that is badly needed in the leadership of this country.”

McCain would not speculate on the outcome of Kirk’s race against Democrat Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, but he cautioned Illinois Republicans against assuming GOP victories in other Democratic stronghold states would mean an easy win for the ticket here.

“People all over this country are angry, they’re upset, they’re frustrated,” McCain said. “So, obviously the Scott Brown election in Massachusetts invigorated all of us, but we Republicans, including … Kirk, including me as I run for re-election, have to convince the American people we’re worthy of their support. We haven’t closed the deal yet.”

McCain also defended former running mate Sarah Palin over criticism for writing notes on her hand at a recent appearance, while also taking a jab at Obama in the process.

“I was of course entertained by the attacks that the media and the liberal media and the liberals in this country make on her,” McCain said. “Which is more egregious? Reading from a word on your hand or a teleprompter? I mean, I continue to be entertained now by the continuous hysterical attacks on Sarah Palin who is very, very popular with a significant segment of the American people.”

McCain added that he would “absolutely” choose Palin as a running mate again, though he noted he’s moved on from the 2008 election.

“I’ve put it behind me, I really have,” McCain said. “It’s not a good intellectual exercise to think of what might have been. But thanks for reminding me.”

He also thanked the Chicago Cubs for keeping their spring training facility in his home state, and invited Chicagoans to take a trip west this spring.

“I want to say again to the citizens of Chicago, please come and join us this spring,” McCain said. “ We need the money.”

Posted by John Chase and Monique Garcia at 5:15 p.m.

Scott Lee Cohen, the Chicago pawnbroker and onetime Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, submitted a letter today to state Democratic Party officials withdrawing his candidacy.

The letter, given to a representative for state party chairman Michael Madigan, will be handed over to the Illinois State Board of Elections when state offices open Tuesday following the Presidents Day holiday, a Cohen spokesman said.

“We didn’t want this to continue through the weekend,” Cohen’s spokesman, Baxter Swilley, said. “We gave it to the state party and they will file it. We consider the matter closed.”

Swilley declined to provide a copy of the letter until it was accepted by the state board of elections. He said the letter is one page and simply states Cohen is relinquishing all rights to the nomination.

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the resignation papers were given today to Mike Kasper, an attorney for the state party.

 

"We will be filing those for him Tuesday with the State Board of Elections," Brown said.

 

Brown said he did not know if Madigan and Cohen had a discussion about how Cohen would resign.

Madigan is the only leading Democratic official who spoke to Cohen about resigning in the days after his surprise win in the Feb. 2 primary.

It was only after the election that details came out about Cohen’s business and domestic problems, including allegations he held a knife to a girlfriend who later pleaded guilty to prostitution. He denied the allegations and initially said he would remain in the race as the running mate to Gov. Pat Quinn.

But after days of pressure from Democratic leaders calling for him to withdraw, a tearful Cohen held a news conference Sunday during halftime of the Super Bowl to say he would quit the race rather than endanger the Democratic ticket.

Posted by Michelle Manchir at 4:03 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — An attempt today to get a vote on a measure to expand campaign finance limits on powerful legislative leaders and state political parties failed amid partisan bickering in the House.

Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan blocked the Republican effort to force action on legislation that would apply the money-giving restrictions on legislative leaders to the general election as well as the primary election.

House Republicans today aimed their criticism largely at Madigan,
who maintains his power partly by contributing heavily to Democratic
candidates during elections.

"When one person dictates whether or not a bill or a concept, an idea,
a new thought, can be debated or not – it’s not a democracy," said House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego. "That doesn’t work."

Madigan argued that last year’s campaign finance bill was a compromise. It applied the limits on how much leaders and parties could give to candidates to only the primary campaign, and takes effect next year.

"My position throughout the negotiations was that in terms of a general
election, the purpose of a political party committee is to support the
candidates of its party," Madigan said today.





But Republicans charged they were cut out of negotiations. "The people
of the state of Illinois know we didn’t get the job done," Cross said.





Cross pointed out that even Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has said the campaign finance reform bill is "not a whole loaf."




When it came time to vote, House Democrats today supported Madigan. They voted 64-46 to keep Cross’ bill in an obscure committee where legislation typically goes to die.

The Republican attempt comes during an election year when the GOP is trying to take away House seats from Democrats and Madigan. The vote could end up in Republican attack ads.

Posted by Michelle Manchir at 2:24 p.m.; updated at 4:10 p.m.



SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn today received official permission from state lawmakers to delay his budget address until March 10 and give the public a chance to weigh in on state spending.

House Democrats led the 65-44 vote pushing back Quinn’s speech by three weeks. Quinn quickly signed the legislation this afternoon.

The governor, who narrowly won a brutal primary election last week, has said he wants to promote "interaction
and transparency" by asking lawmakers and interested citizens to give
written recommendations about how the state should spend taxpayer
money. He wants to post information about the state’s financial status
on a state Web site near the end of this month, seeking the input for the
budget year that begins July 1.

House Republicans today said the move is a useless delay in passing a working budget.

"The governor can be transparent anytime he wants to. He doesn’t need a law to do that," said Sara Wojcicki, a spokeswoman for Republican House leader Tom Cross of Oswego.

The Illinois Senate approved Quinn’s request on Wednesday after a similar partisan debate.

Posted by Michelle Manchir at 2:05 p.m.; last updated at 3:11 p.m.

 

SPRINGFIELD — Free local bus and train rides would be restricted to low-income senior citizens under a measure a House panel approved today to help bring in more money for transit agencies reeling from financial woes.



Applying means testing to the free ride program would generate between $37 million and $50 million, said sponsoring Rep. Suzanne Bassi, R-Palatine.



"The bottom line is that there’s no free ride if there’s no bus," said Bassi, who lost her re-election bid in the primary last week.

Under the bill, senior citizens 65 and older would keep riding for free if they qualify for the state’s circuit breaker program. A one-person household with an income of $27,610 would be eligible
under the guidelines. A two-person household could have
a maximum income of $34,635. The circuit breaker program is used to set
income guidelines to give seniors property tax relief and aid to buy
prescription drugs.

State Rep. Julie Hamos, who chairs the House Mass Transit Committee, said she does not know if the measure has enough support to pass the full House, but she vowed to work on getting it through both chambers.



"To me, this is about fiscal responsibility," said Hamos, D-Wilmette.



Hamos added that the measure represents a "fair fare policy."

Seniors with higher incomes would ride at half price on the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace. That’s the same discount seniors got before then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich demanded the free ride program in return for signing off on a sales tax increase to bail out the bus and rail agencies two years ago.

The proposal is a "well-balanced solution to reform" the free ride program, said Jim Reilly, who chairs the board of the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the transit agencies.

The Chicago Transit Authority estimates that the free rides will cost the agency well in excess of $30 million this year in lost revenue. The CTA provided about 73 million free rides in 2009, the agency said, although the total included seniors, active military personnel, disabled veterans and people covered under the state’s low-income Circuit Breaker Program. The CTA provided about 22 million total free rides in 2008.



More than 402,000 senior citizens are registered to ride for free, according to the Regional Transportation Authority. That’s up from about 150,000 seniors enrolled before the free-ride program.

The proposal, approved by the House Mass Transit Committee 19-4, now goes before the full House.

Posted by John Byrne and Hal Dardick at 10:27 a.m.; last updated at 11:39 a.m.

Mayor Richard Daley today ordered a review of Chicago Police Department management that he said is designed to ensure more officers are returned to street duty.

"There’s a variety of things we’re looking at in terms of management, but the key is police officers on the street," the mayor said at City Hall news conference.

The police review came as the mayor announced a 6 percent budget cut for city departments, except for those dealing with “critical safety operations.” The cuts also will not affect “service delivery,” Daley said.

When pressed, however, Daley did not explain exactly what would be cut. “Everything, a variety of things we will look at,” he said. “Each department will have to look at that and figure that out.”

"As part of my commitment to get more for every taxpayer dollar, I have ordered a comprehensive management review of Chicago Police Department headquarters to assure that we are using every possible dollar to prevent and fight crime in our streets and in our neighborhoods,” Daley said. “This will include returning as many police officers as possible to street duty." 

"This builds on our efforts last year to re-tune our crime fighting efforts and return 154 officers to neighborhood street duty," Daley said.

While Daley’s cost-cutting mandate will hit non-personnel expenses in the city budget, the mayor also said the city will need to rein in spending on employee pension obligations in order to cut its budget deficit going forward.

 

"How can we better control personnel spending, including the growing cost of pensions? Remember, the growing cost of personnel drives our structural budget deficit. Every year we spend more than 80 percent — I want to underline that, 80 percent — of the operation budget on personnel costs," Daley said.

 

"Pensions have to be — everybody knows this. We have been sitting with the unions and telling them the problem will not go away. You wish it could go away. It will not go away," he said. "The Civic Committee has issued reports on this. This will not go away. You’re better off to deal with it as immediately as possible, because every day, every month, every year, it’s going to get worse. And you can see what the state is going through, unfortunately. And all pension funds in the country are in the same position. Local, county, state pension funds are in the same position."

 

The mayor would not discuss specifics, but said pension payments have to be retooled.

 

"There’s a number of items they have talked about — I can’t go into them — dealing, sitting down with all the contractual employees, and telling them that otherwise these pension funds are going to be in jeopardy. They cannot earn their earnings off their pension investments. People are living longer, so it’s undo costs for pension funds, so that’s what you have to look at," he said.

The 6 percent cuts, which won’t include personnel reductions, will save about $11 million, the administration estimates. The latest cost-cutting measures come on top of unpaid days off and other concessions faced by both union and non-union city workers.

Daley said there’s no sign that “conservative revenue projections” for the 2010 budget are not on target, but added, “We know that we continue to face large deficits this year and the next few years as the economy slowly, slowly recovers.”

Posted by Ray Long and Monique Garcia at 9:12 a.m.; last updated with Madigan WGN radio interview at 11:22 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD—Facing criticism from some fellow Democrats over the Scott Lee Cohen primary election debacle, House Speaker Michael Madigan introduced a measure that would eliminate the office of lieutenant governor five years from now.

"I have thought for quite a while that the office could be eliminated, should be eliminated. And I think we have an opportunity now, with the events coming out of the primary, where we ought to be able to adopt this resolution and going forward provide that we should be without that office anymore," Madigan told WGN 720-AM’s John Williams this morning.

Cohen won the lieutenant governor primary last week but on Sunday said he would drop out of the race. That followed days of reports that Cohen has been accused of abusing women,
injecting illegal steroids and failing to pay $54,000 in child support. Madigan has said he called Cohen and advised him to step down. Many top Democrats publicly called for Cohen to quit.

The proposal by Madigan, who doubles as Illinois Democratic Party chairman, faces long odds because it’s a constitutional amendment. That means 60 percent of lawmakers in the House and Senate would have to approve putting the question to voters in the November election. Lawmakers would have to agree to do so by early May. Then a majority of voters in the election or 60 percent of voters weighing on the lieutenant governor’s question would have to approve it.

Given that, the proposal seems designed more to help Madigan answer critics, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, that Madigan did not do enough to prevent Cohen, a pawnbroker with a troubled past, from winning the lieutenant governor nomination. In last week’s Democratic primary, Cohen spent more than $2 million of his own money to defeat five
other candidates, many of whom were state lawmakers.

Even if Madigan’s measure passed, voters this November would still elect a lieutenant governor — it’s too late to stop that from taking place. You can read the Madigan proposal by clicking here.

Under the speaker’s plan, the state attorney general would be next in line if the governor is no longer able to serve or removed from office. Currently, the attorney general is Lisa Madigan, the daughter of the House speaker. That’s more a product of eliminating the lieutenant governor from the line of succession — the attorney general has always been third in line under the present Illinois Constitution.

"Now don’t forget, she had an opportunity to run for governor and
she made a conscious decision not to be a candidate for governor, she
decided she wanted to remain as state attorney general," Madigan said when Williams asked him about the proposal’s impact on the speaker’s daughter.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul, a South Side Democrat who replaced President Barack Obama in the Illinois Senate, has introduced legislation asking voters to eliminate not only the lieutenant governor’s office, but also the comptroller’s office. The state treasurer would take over the comptroller’s check-writing duties under such a scenario, which has been discussed at the Capitol for decades but never put to voters.

Top Democrats Madigan, Gov. Pat Quinn and Senate President John Cullerton are now working to come up with a replacement for Cohen. During the radio interview, Madigan downplayed a suggestion that he could wield great influence with the 38-member Democratic State Central Committee that will choose a new lieutenant governor candidate, perhaps as early as next month.

“They will clearly give a lot of weight to what the governor will want to do," said Madigan, who added that he met with Quinn on Wednesday and discussed names of potential candidates to be Quinn’s running mate.

Posted by Todd Lighty and Hal Dardick at 7:42 a.m.; last updated at 4:31 p.m.

Mayor Richard Daley has suspended his top ethics aide for his role in allegedly bumbling a student intern’s sexual harassment complaint.

Anthony Boswell, the $161,856-a-year executive director of the Office of Compliance, was suspended for 30 days without pay.

Daley acknowledged the suspension at a City Hall news conference to announce cost-cutting measures. The mayor made no further comment on the issue.



Meanwhile, Victoria Daniels, the city’s hiring compliance officer who worked with Boswell, has accepted a new position as a deputy commissioner in human resources, Daley spokeswoman Jodi Kawada said today. Earlier, City Hall officials said Daniels resigned.



In a recent report, Noelle Brennan, a hiring monitor appointed by the federal courts to keep tabs on city personnel practices, singled out both Boswell and Daniels for criticism. The report said the city had failed to fully comply with court orders relating to reporting potential hiring violations.

Boswell’s lawyer, Jamie Wareham, said today that Daley has been “given very poor advice” and should immediately reinstate Boswell. He said Boswell is an “apolitical outsider” who came to Chicago to help the mayor clean up City Hall.



But Boswell got caught in a power grab by the inspector general, Wareham said, and was the victim of “attempts by senior staffers in the mayor’s office to retaliate against Tony and the compliance office” for reporting hiring abuses.

Daley plucked Boswell from the private sector two years ago to head the compliance office, which the mayor created in 2007 amid hiring and contracting scandals in his administration. Daley touted the new compliance office as evidence of his commitment to run a clean, efficient city government. But this week he moved to weaken the office by shifting its oversight duties for city hiring to the Office of Inspector General.

Boswell’s tenure became rocky after the inspector general issued a scathing report Jan. 12  accusing Boswell and a top deputy of mishandling the female intern’s complaint against a 911 center boss.

The inspector general found that Boswell and Mark Meaney used poor judgment and showed favoritism toward the boss by trying to find him another city job and a new intern. Inspector General Joseph Ferguson said the two men’s conduct was particularly egregious because their duties involve judging the conduct of other city workers.

Ferguson told Daley he should suspend them for at least 30 days. Meaney, whom Boswell had brought to Chicago, resigned Jan. 29.

Boswell hired a lawyer to fight the accusations and to help negotiate an exit from Daley’s administration but the talks apparently broke down. Wareham has said his client acted appropriately at all times, adding that Boswell was caught up in a power struggle between his office and the inspector general.

The future role of the compliance office, which has a budget of $3.5 million and 39 employees, is unknown. City Council plans to hold hearings on the mayor’s proposal to realign the powers between compliance and the inspector general, including giving the IG office the authority to investigate aldermen.

The city is operating under a decades-long consent decree aimed at keeping politics out of most personnel decisions. Daley has said that he wants to end federal court involvement in hiring and took a step toward that by taking the hiring duties from Boswell, who has come under criticism in federal court for his office’s actions.

Brennan, the court-appointed monitor, has accused Boswell’s office of violating hiring regulations and misleading her about efforts to deal with hiring abuses.

Posted by Michelle Manchir and Monique Garcia at 6:05 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn convinced the Democratic-led Senate today to go along with a proposal to push back his budget address until March 10, but Republicans charged the three-week delay puts off serious debate about the state’s financial crisis.

In a letter to legislators, Quinn said he wants to promote "interaction
and transparency" by asking lawmakers and interested citizens to give
written recommendations about how the state should spend taxpayer
money. He wants to post information about the state’s financial status
on a state Web site near the end of this month, seeking the input for the
budget year that begins July 1.

"The whole point here is that the public will be able to submit
comments, he’s looking to get feedback from the public at large,
interest groups, lawmakers," said Quinn spokesman Robert Reed. "We
think that having more open dialogue is going to produce a better
budget.”

The legislation passed the Senate 31-21 on a partisan roll call and now
goes to the Democrat-controlled House, where it is expected to come up
for a vote Thursday.

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said the measure would let Quinn take a historic step toward making the closely held budget process more transparent and provide a sharp contrast from the prior years under now-indicted Democratic ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

During Senate debate, Cullerton maintained the public would be able to review the various budget proposals "in writing" rather than "secret phone calls," referring to longtime practices.



But Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont said the move is "nothing more than window dressing to justify putting off the budget address."



Radogno said the delay would "further compress the budget cycle" that is already under pressure because Cullerton has called for lawmakers to adjourn the spring session in early May rather than closer to the May 31 legislative deadline. It’s an election year and lawmakers want to get back home to campaign.

Sen. Pamela Althoff, R-McHenry, said the legislation could give citizens a false sense of participation in government.

"As much as it may feel good to people to be able to comment, I think they do it in somewhat of a void because they don’t understand what the process is or how the budget is actually divided up," Althoff said.

Posted by John Byrne at 2:29 p.m.; updated at 4:40 p.m. with community group comments



Wrigley Field will host three concerts for the second summer in a row if the local alderman gets his way.

 

Ald. Tom Tunney, who 44th ward includes the Wrigleyville neighborhood, introduced an ordinance at today’s City Council meeting to allow concerts on July 7 and Sept. 17-18 at the ballpark at the corner of Clark and Addison streets.

 

Though the ordinance does not mention bands, a source with knowledge of the situation said the July 7 date likely will be a return engagement by Elton John and Billy Joel, while the Dave Matthews Band, Paul McCartney and Phish are potential acts to play the two September dates. Just one of the acts will take the stage both nights in September, the source said.

Tunney said he decided to pursue another trio of concerts on the heels of two concerts last year by Joel and John and one by country act Rascal Flatts because most of his constituents enjoyed that experience.

"First of all, they are a significant economic development tool, bringing a lot of people into our neighborhood, spending a lot of money, and our residents actually like it. The majority of them like them," Tunney said.

Neighborhood groups were unhappy with last year’s decision to allow three concerts instead of two. Diann Marsalek, president of Central Lake View Neighbors, a community group based just south of the ballpark, said today she’s convinced Tunney and Cubs officials will work to make sure residents’ concerns are addressed prior to the shows.

 

"As long as there’s plenty of notice in advance, so people who want to get out of the area on those nights are able to do so, I think it will work out," Marsalek said.

 

Concerts at Wrigley Field in recent years have gone off without major problems, she said, so residents are less concerned about the possibilities now.

 

"Rascal Flatts had a little bit younger, drinking crowd, a little bit more rambunctious," Marsalek said. "But they aren’t on the list this time, I see."

Tunney said he would negotiate the specifics of the concert deals with Chicago Cubs officials, and said he is still considering whether to request that the team give back one of its scheduled night games in exchange for one of the shows.

 

"We’re still negotiating, it’s very early in the season," Tunney said. "So one of the things to get out in front of the community about whether night games is on the table. There’s also financial considerations, including givebacks to the schools and some other things."

 

Tunney’s proposal will go to the council’s License Committee for consideration.

Posted by Tribune staff at 1:20 p.m.

Drivers will be able to get one parking meter ticket a year thrown out, provided they held onto their pay box receipt and the violation was issued within five minutes of the expiration.

The City Council approved Mayor Richard Daley’s plan today, a few weeks after he first proposed it.

"The change will assist motorists who are occasionally ticketed for accidentally overstaying the time on their pay box receipt by a few minutes, despite trying to comply with parking requirements by purchasing adequate parking time," Daley said in a statement.

The revision also allows drivers with unexpired receipts who move their cars to another metered spot to use the same pay receipt, provided the new parking spot is at the same or lesser hourly rate.

Daley administration officials have said City Hall
always has instructed employees issuing parking tickets not to cite
cars when the meter has just expired.
The new ordinance codifies that.