* As I told subscribers earlier today, an agreement has been reached between House negotiators on the tax cut package…

House Republican Leader Tom Cross said today that he’s agreed to a tax breaks package that would include incentives intended to keep Sears Holdings Corp. in Illinois.

“We have come to an agreement on a jobs package that will give some relief to a broad base of businesses in our state,” Cross said in a statement released this afternoon. “This package will allow businesses to plan on longer term research and development and the ability to carry their losses forward in a tough economy. It will also lessen the tax burden on our family farmers and small businesses. We must continue this broad based approach to retaining and growing jobs in Illinois.”

Some of the details of the proposal remain unclear for now, but the Sears provisions of the larger tax deal have remained unchanged for weeks.

Actually, the agreement has already been filed as a set of two amendments. Click here to read them.

* Gov. Pat Quinn hasn’t been able to get many bills passed this year in Springfield, but he’s in Washington, DC today urging the state’s delegation to back the president…

Gov. Pat Quinn is lobbying the Illinois congressional delegation to approve a payroll tax cut and an extension of unemployment insurance benefits for the long-term jobless before adjourning for the year.

Quinn met Thursday morning with members of the Illinois delegation in Washington. He said the tax cut is essential for working people who live paycheck to paycheck.

The Obama administration is pushing to lower the payroll tax to 3.1 percent next year. Unless Congress acts, the tax would revert to 6.2 percent.

Democrats also are pushing to continue extended jobless benefits. In states with high unemployment rates, laid-off workers can collect benefits for up to 99 weeks.

…Adding… From the AP…

The leader of the Illinois State Rifle Association says he’s pleased a Peoria judge signed an order barring the state police from releasing the names of 1.3 million firearm owner identification cardholders.

Richard Pearson says the order signed this week is further protection for gun owners, who won a similar victory this year when the state Senate passed a bill prohibiting public disclosure of people with FOID cards.

The ruling is the latest chapter in a story that started when Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office ruled in response to a request from The Associated Press that the names are public under the state’s open records law and should be released.

* ComEd officials held a press conference today to announce that the company will comply with a new state law. Yes, that’s not completely snark…

Commonwealth Edison said Thursday it will meet the requirements of a new state law for which it lobbied by increasing the number of “smart” electric substations, providing new solar-power use incentives and spending more money with women- and minority-owned businesses.

The announcement came as the utility filed a “performance metrics” report Thursday with the Illinois Commerce Commission as the law requires. The Illinois Legislature on Oct. 26 overrode Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of the legislation that critics say guarantees ComEd and Ameren utilities yearly rate-hike increases for each of the next 10 years.

ComEd, which will invest $2.6 billion to upgrade its electric system in the next decade, contends that it is now the nation’s first utility to have its profits tied to performance, and that it will be penalized if it fails to live up to its agreements to operate an efficient and reliable power system.

* And check out this campaign e-mail…

Hello, my name is Kyle Kasperek and i am a candidate in the 34th District for Illinois State Representative. I reside in Calumet City and i put together a press release that i would like you to consider during your soonest conveience. Thanks and have a great day!

During my “soonest conveience”? Dude, you’re supposed to be running for the Illinois General Assembly, not junior high student council. Also, don’t send press releases as attachments. This isn’t 1997, OK?