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* State medical malpractice caps unconstitutional

n an opinion filed Thursday, the court says such caps violate the principle of separation of powers. The court says the limits the Illinois General Assembly adopted in 2005 would infringe on the judicial branch’s power.

* A disastrous decision

The 2005 law eased the crisis. Malpractice premiums declined. The exodus of doctors stopped.

But now the law has been declared unconstitutional. Watch out for what happens now.

* Medical Malpractice Caps Unconstitutional, State Court Rules

* Ill. Supreme Court Tosses Medical Malpractice Caps

* Downstate lawmakers disappointed by court decision

* Constitutional change may be next avenue in medical malpractice debate

* Doctors against Court’s malpractice caps ruling

* Illinois Supreme Court: Sick days can’t be split in a divorce

* Not a lame duck, but Quinn still faces hurdles

* Grand jury tweaks Blago charges

The 113-page indictment brings to 24 the number of counts the former chief executive of Illinois faces. Of the eight new charges, Robert Blagojevich was charged in three counts.

* New Blago Indictment “Warmed Up Old Soup”

* Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s indictment revised

* New indictment filed against Blagojevich

* Statement from Rod Blagojevich’s Attorney on Federal Charges

“Prosecutors overreached and brought charges they can’t prove. So now they’re reworking the charges and back peddling. They’re more interested in saving face than doing justice.”

* Illinois congressmen seeks to limit coal ash regulation

* Michigan renews push to close Chicago ship locks

* Former secretary remembers Gov. Adlai Stevenson

* Daley makes last-ditch plea to avert CTA service cuts

* Daley pressures CTA unions for concessions as service cuts loom Sunday

* Union, CTA Blame Each Other as Service Cuts Loom

* How will CTA cuts affect you?

* Tolls are no sweat for tollway workers

Some get free I-PASS for work; others get cars

* High labor costs putting McCormick Place at disadvantage for convention shows

A confidential analysis of labor costs in the convention business shows McCormick Place at an extreme disadvantage compared with its primary competition in Las Vegas and Orlando.

* Chicago labor boss Dennis Gannon quits

Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon — who went toe-to-toe with Mayor Daley in the fight against Wal-Mart — has decided not to seek re-election to another four-year term….”I’m just tired. Between the politics and the labor stuff and trying to keep people together and making sure labor’s issues are front and center — it’s just time for somebody else to take the reins.”

* Labor boss Gannon calling it quits

* O’Hare Project company Azteca Supply accused of minority contract fraud

* O’Hare Project company accused of minority contract fraud

* Carl Hansen funeral set for Feb. 20

The visitation and funeral for longtime Cook County Commissioner Carl Hansen will be held Feb. 19 and 20, both in Mount Prospect.

* Opponents sound off against video poker in Chicago

* Housing Controversy Erupts In Joliet Over Remark

Federal Officials Say City Officials Are Insensitive Toward Subsidized Tenants With Councilman’s ‘Wolves’ Comment

* Evanston gives reprieve to branch libraries

City Council gives the libraries another 6 months to find alternative funding

* New Trier project put on hold

* Rich Township SD 227 board ignores questions on superintendent search

* Mayor: Tinley Irish parade will not be drunken bash

* Naperville candy-tossing ban floats through council

* Planners look at picking up the Pace on Oak Brook route

* [McHenry] County board approves plan for Valley Hi operating board

County board members voted 18-4 Tuesday to establish a semi-independent Valley Hi Operations Board to oversee the Woodstock-area nursing home that serves primarily indigent seniors.

* Des Plaines casino ethics ordinance languishes

Meanwhile, Mark Walsten, the 6th Ward alderman in whose ward the casino will be built, says the city should drop the casino ethics ordinance idea entirely.

* Why did Carol Stream tax hike succeed while others failed?

* Up to 130 Palatine postal employees to be reassigned

The postal service estimates $10 million in annual savings.

Representatives with the American Postal Workers Union have said the move will cause delivery delays because mail collected in the 600 ZIP code will be transported 18 miles to Carol Stream, sorted by town, and then transported back to Palatine for further sorting by individual ZIP code and mail route.

However, postal service officials reiterated local mail service will not be affected by the move, which will be completed by July.

* UI union cries foul over new furlough, pay-cut policies

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 9:30 am

Comments

Here’s an idea for the medical community:

If you want to control your medical malpractice premiums, maybe you should try reducing the amount of medical malpractice. Just sayin’.

The medical community is currently organized to protect doctors who screw up. If the medical community opened the books and took action action screw-up physicians, there would be less medical malpractice.

What physicians in hospitals want is a world where they can make mistakes, big mistakes, and limited the consequences for their mistakes.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 9:53 am
Re: hurdles

Why is Lou Lang suggesting that there may not be enough votes House for Quinn’s 50 % tax increase?
Quinn cannot have anymore stopgap budgets. The dems control the GA and gov’s office, and do not need any republicans to secure safe passage of Quinn’s tax increase.

While fools are focused on Scott Lee Cohen, who’s minding the state’s most pressing business? Quinn has no room for error this year and he has to get everything right. What’s up with his “hoping” to get his tax increase in the first quarter? He wasn’t talking tentative like that a few weeks ago.

Quinn needs to stop being selfish and worried about himself and his political career, and worry about the state’s unfinished business leftover from his first year in office. He can stop the SLC stuff by taking command and control of that situation by leaving the dem party and running under some other party name. it’s as simple as that–takes a few seconds to announce his split from the dems and then split leaving that distraction behind. But, most importantly he must focus on state business from here on out and treat it as the priority that it is.

While he is holed-up and hiding out in his office I hope his thoughts about Illinois, rather than HIS political career! Illinois spent the entirety of his first year as governor playing second fiddle to his political career aspirations. Let’s have no more of that.

Comment by Will County Woman Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 9:57 am
make that

While he is holed-up and hiding out in his Chicago office today I hope his thoughts are about Illinois, rather than HIS political career! Illinois spent the entirety of his first year as governor playing second fiddle to his political career aspirations. Let’s have no more of that.

Comment by Will County Woman Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 10:00 am
Re: * Tolls are no sweat for tollway workers - Some get free I-PASS for work; others get cars.There all small time perks for the well connected.
Oh lets not forget the absolutely FREE HEALTH Care Medical-Dental-Optical at ZERO cost to all Illinois Tollway employees.
Paula Wolff needs to roll up her sleeves and start exposing to the public what has transpired under Blagojevich’s watch.
Paula Wolff needs to hire an entirely new executive staff (individuals she can trust) to clean and disinfect the entire agency. Blagojevich said he’d do it seven years ago and did nothing but double the amount of employees for the agency.
Can’t wait to see Jack Hartman, Brian McPartlin and Jeff Dailey on the witness stand come June 2010. “The Blago Enablers”

Comment by Wacker Drive Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 10:31 am
Wacker -

Actually, the tollway issue raises an important issue: Are the CTA and Metra employees getting screwed? How come they don’t get to ride for free when the tollway employees are? Where’s theirs?!?!

Comment by D.E.N.N.I.S Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 12:05 pm
So, the O’Hare indictments have finally started. Talk about being lost in the shuffle.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 12:43 pm
Wacker Drive,

But, the governor has recently stated that he cut all the frills last year. I guess not. nevermind.

Comment by Will County Woman Friday, Feb 5, 10 @ 1:35 pm