* Greg Hinz…

A proposal to begin a limited system of public financing of races for state office has quietly picked up some momentum in Springfield. It still faces some big potential roadblocks, but I wouldn’t sell its prospects short at a time when voters perhaps are getting tired of watching millionaires and billionaires snatch top slots. […]

Now, normally I’d say the idea is a nonstarter over in the House, where Speaker Mike Madigan likes to keep his members close by supplying much of their campaign money.

But these are odd times, and as lawmakers race toward a scheduled May 30 adjournment, the speaker—interestingly—has assigned the bill not to some burial-ground study panel but to the House Executive Committee.

“If it’s in exec, it’s not being held,” says Madigan spokesman Steve Brown. Pressed further, Brown says only, “I’ve not heard much discussion about it.”

Its sponsor, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, says she’s hopeful.

“I can see reasons why the speaker would lean either way,” Cassidy told me. “The opportunity to contrast small donors with (Madigan nemesis) Gov. (Bruce) Rauner is a good one.”

* Press release…

State Representative Will Guzzardi, the legislative leader of the Tuition Free Illinois campaign, joined fellow representatives Lou Lang (D-Skokie) and Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago) to announce plans for a new College Affordability Grant for Illinois students on Tuesday.

The grant will target students and families who can’t afford to pay for college out of pocket and who don’t receive enough federal or state aid to cover the costs of tuition. It will make tuition and fees completely free for most community college students and around half of university students. The remainder will see considerable cost reductions.

“No student should be denied a chance at a higher education because they can’t afford it,” said Rep. Guzzardi. “This new program is a vital first step to reducing the crushing burden of student debt on low- and middle-income families.”

The College Affordability Grant is part of a broader package aimed at revitalizing public higher education in Illinois. The legislation also creates a pilot program to help alumni with existing college debt. It will refinance high-interest private student loans, purchasing the debt and lending it back to students at 0% interest.

Additionally, the program will create a fund for the recruitment and retention of top faculty, and will double the amount of work-study funding currently available.

* Sun-Times editorial…

On the other end of the political spectrum, there are three bills in the Illinois Legislature that would tweak existing laws to help bolster the rights of LGBTQ folks. They are entirely sensible bills backed by the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Illinois that we hope will make it to the governor’s desk. He should sign them without hesitation.

A look at the bills:

Vital Records Act amendment: Proposed by Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago, it would allow transgender people to change their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity without going through sexual reassignment surgery. It would be enough if a health-care professional signed a declaration affirming the person has gone through “clinically appropriate” treatment, or a doctor identifies an intersex condition. […]

Elimination of the gay panic defense: This bill, sponsored by Sen. Dan Biss of Chicago, would explicitly prohibit defendants charged with first- or second-degree murder from using a “gay panic” or “trans panic” defense. These cases do not come along often but shock the senses when they do. Defendants will blame the victims, alleging that a flirtation by a gay or transgender person or the discovery of a person’s sexual orientation drove them to react violently. […]

Gubernatorial Boards and Commissions Act amendment: This bill, sponsored by Sen. Scott Bennett, a Democrat from Champaign, also has drawn support from Republicans. It would add a box that could be checked if LGBTQ people want to self-identify as such when applying to serve on boards and commissions under the governor. Providing the information would be voluntary.