Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law today a bill to abolish the widely
derided legislative scholarship program for which Illinois General
Assembly members give college tuition waivers to people in their
district. Quinn’s signing ceremony coincides with the Chicago Sun-Times’
revealing that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald started a criminal
probe into State Sen. Annazette Collin’s (D-Chicago) use of the
scholarships.
Quinn, who entered the governor’s mansion in 2009 as
a reputed government reformer, noted in a statement that that
“abolishing the century-old political scholarship program” was an
“ethics reform goal since taking office.” Read more »
Cook County Commissioner William Beavers pleaded not guilty Friday to
federal tax charges alleging he failed to pay taxes and used campaign
dollars for personal use.