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*** 2:28 pm *** The essential repeal of last year’s law to require a moment of silence in schools passed the House today 72-31 with 6 abstentions.
The sponsor, Rep. John Fritchey, does not consider the bill to be a full repeal, but his legislation changes the statute back from schools “shall” have a moment of silence to “may” - where it was before the General Assembly changed it last year. That bill was vetoed by Gov. Blagojevich and then overridden in both changes. The title of the statute was also changed from the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act to the Student Silent Reflection Act. A federal judge has been holding up last year’s law until its constitutionality can be determined.
Its fate in the Senate is uncertain.
* 2:38 pm - Mayor Daley dumped on the idea of relaxing landmark restrictions at Wrigley Field today, but didn’t flatly come out against it…
Without flatly ruling out easing landmark restrictions to make way for a Wrigley rehab, Daley said the park is “historical” and added that its special status came a few years ago because “people wanted it.”
“There were concessions on both sides, both the city…and the Chicago Tribune,” the mayor said. “All of a sudden they want to change that…Why do they want to change it? What happened?”
* Daley also criticized the idea of razing NIU’s Cole Hall…
“You can’t tear every building down…Unfortunately, there have been a number of killings — both in and around high schools or elementary schools” as well as colleges, Daley said.
“It wasn’t the building that did it. It was the opportunity of someone getting a gun in Illinois….The access is so easy. That’s what we should be looking at. We should be in Springfield putting $40 million into education. That’s different. Not into tearing a building down because someone was killed in there. If that takes place, that would be a terrible precedent for us to have in Illinois.”
* And Dick Kay is going back to broadcasting. Well, part-time…
Retired WMAQ-Ch. 5 political reporter Dick Kay will begin hosting a weekly, two-hour radio talk show starting Saturday at 2 p.m. on WCPT AM 820.
Kay, 71, retired in 2006 and last year worked briefly as Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s “special advocate for health care.”
*** 3:03 pm *** Is NIU’s president backing away from the Cole Hall demolition idea? Here’s his latest letter to the campus…
We now face the question of what to do with this facility in the future. Our answer should represent a consensus opinion formulated by all members of our campus community. We must decide whether to remove the building or keep it; to reopen it in its present form or change its purpose or configuration. Any decision carries emotional and financial costs. I have expressed my own view that we should decommission Cole Hall as a classroom building. I made that judgment after talking with scores of students, parents, faculty and alumni who told me they could not fathom returning to Cole Hall to teach or study. In the days that have followed that tragic event, different voices and opinions have emerged, and we must take in all those viewpoints before moving forward. In the spirit of shared governance, I pledge to do all I can to facilitate the expression of all opinions.
* 3:05 pm - As I told you below, Dem congressional candidate Bill Foster was planning to unveil a new TV ad today featuring Sen. Barack Obama. The ad debuts just days before Saturday’s special election against Jim Oberweis. Here it is…
* 3:08 pm - Is Illinois holding off a recession?
The University of Illinois flash economic index in February rose for the second straight month after six months of decline.
“It appears the recession hasn’t arrived in Illinois,” said economist J. Fred Giertz, who compiles the index for the UI’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. […]
“We’re still moving along at a modest pace, but that doesn’t mean a recession in the state might not be around the corner,” Giertz said.
* 4:14 pm - Steve Stone is one of the smartest broadcasters in baseball, and he’s now with the White Sox…
A former American Major League Baseball player and current sportscaster, Steve Stone, signed Monday night a deal with the White Sox. He is now the team’s full-time radio color analyst for the 2008 season.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 2:30 pm
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Interesting Daley wasn’t brought on board with the Wrigley deal. He and Thompson used to be pretty tight.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 2:50 pm
Are you sure Thompson hasn’t got Daley on board? Daley did not reject it outright. He may be floating trial ballons feigning oposition.
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 2:57 pm
Just listening to WOC radio in the Quad Cities.
Heard a very negative radio spot against Foster paid for by the RCCC in D.C. FYI
Comment by There He Goes Again Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 3:09 pm
Based on the Da Mare’s commentary, his primary concern is that Cub fans (bigger voting bloc) will lash out at his preference to the White Sox (smaller voting bloc).
No doubt the lost sales tax revenue is foremost in his mind - his FY08 budget was challenged more than any other, and Stroger’s cash grab is still fresh in the minds of Chicagoans. That’s a fairly large chunk of green to cede.
Comment by The Doc Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 3:11 pm
“It wasn’t the building that did it. It was the opportunity of someone getting a gun in Illinois.”
Without raising the second amendment debate, Mayor Daley appeared to be one of the first in line to push a political agenda over the tragic shooting, and he’s still pushing the point.
Comment by Pothole Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 3:38 pm
On the school prayer bill, most of the African American legislators voted no or present, which has the same effect. Are they really that frightened of the black ministers?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 4:12 pm
I don’t buy Peters for a second when he said he made his original bid for the $40 reconstruction after talking to scores of students, families, & faculty. That ain’t how NIU’s administartion works.
Comment by Some Guy Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 4:22 pm
[…] (Hat Tip: Capitol Fax Blog) […]
Pingback by Silence Law Repealed by IL House « kjuvers.wordpress.com Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 4:35 pm
…and raise you one.
How about the psychiatry industry who got this mope addicted to drugs, only to create a monster when he stopped using them?
Tom Cruise isn’t wrong about everything, everytime.
Comment by I Second Pothole Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 5:29 pm
congrats on getting steve stone, sox fans. that about evens it up from when the cubs poached harry from the south side. the man is a genius.
Comment by a cub fan Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 5:58 pm
I enjoy watching White Sox broadcasts even though I don’t consider myself a Sox fan. I might take a listen just to hear Steve Stone again. The Cubs shouldn’t have let him go although I could understand if Stone was ready to move on.
Comment by Levois Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 6:04 pm
I heard Stone is already working on growing a mullet so that he can easily assimilate on the South Side.
Comment by Ryno Tuesday, Mar 4, 08 @ 8:57 pm