Progress Illinois

When we expressed some concern that the Sun-Times' piece earlier this week on the Madigan family and the recently passed payday loan reform bill didn't include enough context about the substance of the legislation, this is the exact problem we had in mind. In his column this morning, the Tribune's John Kass talks to GOP chairman Pat Brady, who says it's "time for a clean break" from the Democratic Party in Illinois because House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) "uses his position ... to help out his new son-in-law." To recap: while Madigan should be forced to disclose his familial relationship with lobbyist Jordan Matyas, whose business will benefit from the passage of HB 537, this bill was a very good bill! There's a reason that only two members in the entire General Assembly voted against it. Attorney General Lisa Madigan, her dad, and the consumer advocates who lobbied vigorously for it should be applauded, not criticized. We know it's rare, but this is a great example of state government working in the interest of its citizens.

If the GOP is serious about reducing the Speaker's power in the General Assembly, there are serious ways to approach that problem. Tossing around uninformed political talking points doesn't help.

Tom Green, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Human Services, confirmed yesterday afternoon that state health officials did not apply for federal abstinence-only sex education funds made available through the federal health care reform package. Considering that Illinois would have had to fork over scarce state resources to qualify for the discredited Title V grants, it's welcome news. As we wrote last week, the Quinn administration did seek out less restrictive and less costly Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grants.

That doesn't mean teachers across the state will stop pushing the merits of abstinence during sex ed classes. Indeed, Illinois’ school code requires that health education covers the "social responsibilities of family life, including sexual abstinence until marriage." The Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health -- which is critical of abstinence-only education -- suggests that the state establish (PDF) an oversight body to monitor sexual health education policies and practices. If elected governor, it's hard to imagine GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Brady, a firm social conservative, supporting such efforts.