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Illinois

* ACLU: Illinois courts unprepared for girls seeking abortions

* Illinois Civil Service Commission ignores judge’s advice for 14 day suspension for Casey/Defraties

* Decision on fired Blagojevich workers delayed

* Commission wants more evidence in civil service firings

* Vrdolyak lawyer rips key witness

* Vrdolyak denies U.S. charges

* Editorial: An average state with average voters

* State backs HIV test change

* U of I tuition, fees soar:

Over the last decade, the state’s flagship university system has raised the cost of an education by more than 250 percent — five times the rate at which Americans’ incomes grew during that period and eight times the rate of inflation.

* U o f I freshman will be paying $18,900 per year

* Illinois higher education funding dwindles

* U of I will sell stock in firms tied to Sudan

* Law may sanction mixed martial arts

* Cardinals trophy gets mostly warm reception in Capitol

* Case of troubled Metro East hotel goes to federal prosecutors

* City to get other ‘Block 37′

* Ministers call on state lawmakers for tax cap

The expiring cap law allows homeowners to deduct up to $20,000 from the taxable value of their home, which is used to compute their annual property tax bill. Houlihan backs a version that would increase that maximum deduction to $60,000 per year.
Madigan wants the “cap on the cap” to stay at $20,000

* Stroger camp faces heat over budget questions

* Daley orders thousands of city managers to take unpaid furlough day

* City moves to tighten its belt on spending

* CTA chief warns of fare hikes, service cuts; more here

* Friday Beer Blogging: Nightmare Edition

posted by Paul Richardson
Friday, May 18, 07 @ 8:37 am

Comments

The gov’s buddies, I mean Civil Service Commission, are stalling to delay his indictment. Once he’s gone, they’re gone.

Comment by is anyone really surprised? Friday, May 18, 07 @ 9:30 am
Florida legislature force restaurant to remove ‘joke’ restroom signs:

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/5298

It is high time we had a law like this in Illinois. What are our legislators thinking?

Why is Illinois trailing instead of leading the way on restroom sign legislation?

Comment by Leroy Friday, May 18, 07 @ 11:06 am
So…the difference between Ron Huberman and Frank Kruesi is…..? The threat of service cuts on the CTA is as reliable as spring and Ron seems to be emulating his predecessor to the nth. After laying off (well, sort of, a lot of them maybe didn’t actually leave the CTA) 18 people and eliminating an additional 31 vacant positions (well, sort of, they aren’t really gone, just hibernating) Ron is saying that the next step is CTA meltdown unless Illinois taxpayers cough up $110 million stat.

For a zippy, ambitious young person, Ron appears to have caved really fast. I guess Daley thought his fresh young face would sway us. Given our feckless legislators, maybe it has.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, May 18, 07 @ 12:19 pm