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* Editorial: Sign teen driving safeguards

* AT&Ts foray into TV clears House

* Border war brewing over IPASS

But Illinois tollway officials don’t like the strings attached to the offer and are threatening to retaliate. They’re balking at a requirement that I-PASS users register with the state of Indiana to receive the toll discount — something that Illinois does not ask of Hoosiers who participate in electronic tolling and receive a 50 percent discount compared with cash tolls.

* Judge upholds decision to yank Ryan pension; more here

* Illinois lawmakers approve stem cell research

Blagojevich has used his executive powers to provide $15 million in grants over the past two years without approval from lawmakers. The new legislation would make the grants a formal part of state law. It would ban cloning for the purpose of creating a new human being — a process known as “reproductive cloning.” But it would allow “therapeutic cloning” to create a batch of cells for research purposes.

* Lawmakers endorse stem cell research

* House passes measure to fund stem cell research

* Required moment of school silence sent to governor

* Moment of silence moves forward

At present, the law permits, but does not require, teachers to “observe a brief period of silence with the participation of all the pupils therein assembled at the opening of every school day.” The law specifies that the period of silence “shall not be conducted as a religious exercise but shall be an opportunity for silent prayer or for silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day.”

* Lawmakers OK school start with chance to pray

* Editorial: Veto moment of silence

* Civil unions not on agenda

* Governor gets bill allowing earlier commitment; more here

* Horse-slaughter plant ruling is promised

* Krol: Odds say that Duckworth will not seek a rematch

* Judge Oks $12 million Shakman settlement

* Federal judge approves plan to end Chicago patronage hiring; more here

* Who’s in charge in case of emergency; more here

* Dick Simpson: City council heard new voices

posted by Paul Richardson
Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 7:59 am

Comments

Hopefully Hoosiers read CapitolFax,
Good for Indiana, don’t get bulied by the BIG BAD ILLINOIS TOLLWAY.
Don’t get involved or pulled down with this current corrupt administration. As time passes you’ll regret it.
Illinois will empty your pockets.

Comment by Lesson in corruption. Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 8:27 am
A required moment of school silence sent to governor????
What are these guys smoking in Springfield? We’re always told to leave the kids out of the dialogue.
Now Governor wants to brainwash our children into thinking he’s some short of deity.
What outright crap!

Comment by Gone to far Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 8:35 am
What ? No Ali Ata leads? Or is there a bigger story? Can’t for the spin on this one.

Comment by Opie Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 8:42 am
Now our Tollway folks are telling other states what to do? Fix your own house first.

Comment by Mr. Ethics Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 9:48 am
FYI your Shackman settlement accidentaly Links to the Ryan story

On a side note….Ryans total contribution to the pension was only 235k (not including the employer portion) and the pension would be paying him almost 200k a year!!! Nice return on investment.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 10:04 am
Ghost,

I believe most state pensioners put far less into their pension than they get back. Another reason
to take another look at the viability of lavish government pensions in general in this 21st century of longer livespans and disappearing
private sector defined benefit plans. Because we taxpayers pay for it.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 10:49 am
I’m confused.

if ryan’s conviction is on appeal and the appeals court has allowed him to remain free pending the appeal should not the issues of his pension be placed on hold until the appellate court issues a ruling?

should not the u.s appellate court now issue its ruling on the appeal as it has been over two months since oral arguments?

what is taking the appeallate court so long to rule on ryan’s appeal, sorich and other appeals? is it that the appeals favor the appellants and the courts will send a strong message to the prosecutions by issuing rules on all of the appeals simultaneously?

shouldn’t all matters relevant to the prosecutions be placed on hold pending rulings from the appellate court?

there is too much disaray in some of the recent prosecutions and contraversy that surrounds them. the federal gov’t is not doing enough to dot all o its i’s and cross all of it t’s.

Mr. Fitzgerald……………………..

Comment by CONFUSED Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 1:01 pm
“Blagojevich has used his executive powers to provide $15 million in grants over the past two years without approval from lawmakers”.

You know I don’t know where the 15 million dollars came from. It just dropped out the sky.

Did you say why I did’t get approval from the legislature to spend 15 million of the states’ money on stem cell research?

Well I didn’t think that it was necessary and besides it was extra money taken from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Serices. The budget for Healthcare and Family Services had extra money over the past two years.

Comment by Governor Blagojevich Friday, Jun 1, 07 @ 1:15 pm