* Todd Stroger will veto the sales tax rollback…

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said he would issue a veto Friday opposing a resolution passed Tuesday by county commissioners to partially roll back the 1.75 percent sales tax, a penny of which went into effect last summer.

“I plan to veto this measure because it is no longer feasible for the county to rollback any portion of the sales tax,” Stroger told the Defender. “For example, next year we have $104 million in pension obligations to meet.”

Stroger said that the state’s budget problems have compounded the county’s fiscal challenges.

“About $13 million may be held back from the state due to its budget shortfalls, so now is not the time to be cutting revenue,” he said.

* But he will not veto the marijuana decriminalization ordinance..

.”I’m fine with it. It’s just another tool a law enforcement office can use,” Stroger said. “It’s also like anything else; (officers) can also check and see the background of a person, and if (the person has) been fined twice, (police) can say, ‘OK, you’re going in.’ It doesn’t take their ability away from doing that.” […]

Asked whether he has smoked pot, Stroger said, “No, not my kind of thing.”

No comment.

* Gov. Pat Quinn is also OK with the pot ordinance…

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn says he’s open to local efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

The Cook County Board voted Tuesday to decriminalize small amounts of the drug in unincorporated parts of the county. But Quinn stopped short of endorsing the plan.

QUINN: I think it’s important that counties assess what their law enforcement priorities are. Crimes that are not grievous crimes against persons need to be looked at.

Good for him.

* And speaking of stuff people want to ban…

The legalization of online horse betting in Illinois could boost a company with ties to former Gov. Jim Edgar.

The two-term Republican is a member of the board of directors of Youbet.com, which could be among the companies vying to provide an online horse betting platform in Illinois.

The proposal was approved by the House and Senate this spring and is awaiting action from Gov. Pat Quinn.