Quinn
* Crestwood well water: Mayor tells residents, ‘Your drinking water is safe’
* Governor Quinn Blames Suburban Officials for Water Problem
* Monken, governor’s office review rejected FOIA request
* Gov: Dr. Young Could ‘Rearrange’ Finances, Serve on Health Board
* Young withdraws from hospital planning board
* Quinn Defends Decision to Keep Tax Returns Off Internet
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is defending his decision not to post his income tax returns online. The returns are available only to people who make appointments to see them at Quinn’s offices in Chicago and Springfield.
QUINN: I’ve done it this way for many years. I did this when I was state treasurer. I did it when I worked across the street at the board of tax appeals. And I found that this is the most orderly way to do it.
* Gov. Quinn to visit edit board
Gov. Pat Quinn will be in Rockford at 4:30 p.m. Thursday to talk to the Rockford Register Star Editorial Board.
We plan to Web stream the meeting live on rrstar.com.
Constitutional Officers
* State Rep. Miller mulls statewide run
The lieutenant governor’s seat is vacant. And if Attorney General Lisa Madigan decides to run for governor, Comptroller Dan Hynes could set his sights on replacing her, creating another vacancy.
But those are two big “ifs,” and Miller said he hasn’t made a decision yet “on what my future will be.”
“Once you start talking about it, it becomes a feeding frenzy,” he said.
* Hines raises red flag on Manteno vets home
GA
* State Capitol Q&A: Lawmakers facing big tasks before end of session
* Long Agenda for State Lawmakers Returning to Springfield
* Forty days and 40 nights
That cliché of the day indicates the number of days state legislators have to negotiate major spending and revenue proposals before they’re scheduled to adjourn their spring session May 31. With ethics reforms, health care negotiations and construction projects in the mix today, alone, lawmakers have a ton of work to do in the next five and a half weeks.
* Opponents to mandatory Illinois pollution fee bill face down success elsewhere
* Alternative transportation
* Group renew push to legalize medical marijuana
* Pro-Medical Marijuana Group Tries To Sway State
* Organization airs commercials promoting medicinal marijuana
* Answer for pot legalization? “Just regulate it more like alcohol”
* Knee hurt? Smoke a joint
Congress
* Quigley Takes House Oath, Noting That He’s No Emanuel
* WASHINGTON, D.C.: Quigley takes office as Chicago congressman
* Mike Quigley sworn in, gives Nuts on Clark popcorn to Illinois congressional delegation
* Hare remains sole state, federal official to visit Gulfport
Budget
* Taxing opportunities
* Short-seated in Chicago: Overcrowded schools limit Latino potential
Chavez and other members of the Hispanic community are preparing to go to Springfield to fight for more school construction money to ease the overcrowding. They will ask Gov. Pat Quinn and legislative leaders to alleviate the shortage by including the construction of 28 new schools in Chicago in the state’s next budget.
“We’re not going to shout and scream, we’re not there to sabotage anybody,” Chavez said. “We just want to let them know that we need the financial support.”
* Health care scare
According to the legislative Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, state employees collectively would be on the hook for $200 million more for their health insurance plans. The commission met with medical providers today to determine whether existing contracts should be renewed for next fiscal year, which starts July 1.
* Breakdown of health-care costs for state workers
* State workers, retirees’ health costs could soar
Thousands of state employees could see health insurance costs skyrocket, and some retirees could be hit with a 4,000 percent-plus increase under Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget plan for next year, a legislative analysis has found.
* State workers, retirees could see big health insurance increases
* State prisons consider telemedicine options to save money
Economy
* Federal Stimulus Money Helps Feed Illinois Residents
Food programs to benefit from the stimulus package include schools in the state to buy supplies to help prepare meals for students ($3-million), $6.3 million for soup kitchens and food pantries, $3.7 million for senior meal programs, and $4-million for nonprofit and faith-based organizations to help provide emergency food and shelter.
* CHA, Sinai strike development deal
* Area steel mills gird for more layoffs
Area steel workers are facing layoffs, as a slumping demand for steel has ArcelorMittal officials contemplating shutdowns at their East Chicago plant and U.S. Steel’s Gary Works this weekend idled its largest blast furnace after a major equipment failure, the Gary Post-Tribune is reporting.
It likely will take months to repair the damage to the furnace, which also was the newest at Gary Works. As many as 320 steel workers stationed around the plant could be idled during the repairs.
* First Midwest misses earnings expectations
* Caterpillar Announces First Quarterly Loss Since 1992
* CAT Calls U.S. Stimulus “Disappointing”
* For Cat and other firms, how do you stay calm during a boss-napping?
* McDonald’s profit tops estimates
* Boeing reports drop in profit, cuts 2009 forecast
* RC2 shares rise on earnings, outlook
* Slot maker WMS hits earnings jackpot
* Playboy warned of NYSE delisting
* Ticket report: Bulls, Hawks success good for brokers
* Credit scam makes for a blue holiday
* Streetwise stays alive
* Exelon plans to build solar power plant on Chicago’s South Side
Exelon Corp. will unveil on Wednesday plans to build a $60 million solar power plant on Chicago’s South Side, a small step to fighting climate change that leans heavily on government funding due to the high cost of turning sunlight into electricity.
“It’s a way to start participating in renewable energy,” said Tom O’Neill, Exelon’s senior vice president of generation development. “Ultimately, we are putting 10 megawatts of electricity on the grid. It’s not much. But you’ve got to start somewhere.”
City Hall and Other Interesting Stories
* Daley: City Employees May Get Pay Cuts
* Aldermen want 30-day review before Mayor Daley can sell city assets worth over $100 million
* Chicago City Council Is Supposed to Vote on Olympics Community Agreement
* Who taps TIFs? Put it online
Good government fans could score a small but important victory today if the Chicago City Council approves a modest measure to shine some light on a dark corner of Mayor Daley’s spending.
We’re talking about a proposal by Aldermen Manny Flores (1st) and Scott Waguespack (32nd) to make information about the city’s tax-increment financing districts accessible by putting all of it in one spot online.
* Time for TIF sunshine
* Chicago now booting cars with two long-term unpaid tickets, 65,000 seizure notices mailed
* Alderman Plans to Withdraw Car-Towing Bill
* Maggie Daley, wife of Mayor Richard M. Daley, to undergo surgery today
* Federal fraud charges: 2 executives indicted over city contract
* Men accused of rigging garbage contract
* Chicago State faculty want trustees removed
* Rally planned at CSU as anger grows over search for president
* All-year grade schools to triple in Chicago
* Sex ed: Abstinence-only programs under review
* Financial classes added to Chicago curriculum
* U.S. marshal on trial: Phone call to eatery owned by friend with reputed mob ties highlights final day of prosecution testimony
* Illinois traffic deaths dropped 16% last year
* Meth showing a comeback in ‘09
* Colleges, groups celebrate Earth Week
* Sightings show cougars expanding into central U.S.
* Ballpark food on steroids
* Bulls call news conference for 2 p.m.
The Bulls have some news to announce later today and no doubt it’s what we’ve all been expecting since last October — Derrick Rose will be named NBA rookie of the year.
Rose averaged 16.8 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds this season. Just as impressive were his elevated shooting percentage (.475) and low turnover rate (2.5 per game).
