So, I finally got home from Detroit and discovered that the electricity was out. Big storms last night, eh?

Let’s see, what else is going on? Some guy named Ahnold is providing $150 million in California state loans for stem cell research, while Gov. Rod Blagojevich, never one to miss out on an opportunity, diverts $5 million in state funds for the research, bypassing the General Assembly again.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich today again used his executive power to spend millions of state dollars on stem-cell research despite repeated objections from state legislators.

The governor announced he’s directing $5 million to the research from within the current state budget. The money will come from a spending line used for administrative expenses within the state Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Blagojevich said. […]

State lawmakers have voted down stem-cell funding before over ideological differences and this spring did not take up the governor’s proposal for $100 million in funding over five years. Blagojevich says he won’t let a lack of legislative support stop him.

UPDATE: Apparently, nobody cares about this minor technicality.

The legislative, executive and judicial branches are separate. No branch shall exercise powers properly belonging to another. […]

The legislative power is vested in a General Assembly consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives,
elected by the electors from 59 Legislative Districts and 118 Representative Districts. […]

The General Assembly by law shall make appropriations for all expenditures of public funds by the State.