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State of Illinois
Quick Hit
by Adam Doster
5:30pm
Thu Feb 4, 2010

What If Madigan Has It All Wrong?

The conventional wisdom in Illinois political circles is that House Speaker Michael Madigan -- ever-protective of his majority -- doesn't want to force his members to take a tough vote on a tax reform plan without adequate GOP cover. But take a look at the turnout figures from Tuesday's primary elections. While almost 30,000 more voters cast ballots in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary than in 2006, Democratic participation actually dropped by about 2,000 voters. The discrepancy was even more acute in the U.S. Senate primary. National political analysts are attributing the "enthusiasm gap" to Democratic ineptitude in Washington, specifically the Senate's handling of health care reform. There's probably some truth to that theory. But events closer to the ground matter, too.  Illinois is in horrible fiscal shape. The Democratic Party -- having botched a golden opportunity in 2009 to pass comprehensive campaign finance laws and begin closing the state's budget crisis -- isn't providing its base with a convincing reason to head to the polls and vote for any Democrat. Instead, the party leaders appears to be standing idly by as the state implodes on their watch. If he wants to protect the size of his majority come November, Speaker Madigan needs to address this disillusionment.  More inaction in Springfield will only exacerbate it.

PI Original
by Adam Doster
12:02pm
Thu Feb 4, 2010
7 comments

The Future Of FutureGen

Energy

With all the publicity it has generated over the years, it almost seems impossible that officials in Washington still have not approved the "clean coal" plant known as FutureGen. This month, however, the waiting games ends. We check in with some environmental advocates to get their thoughts on the potential project.

Quick Hit
by Adam Doster
5:57pm
Wed Feb 3, 2010
120 comments

Memo To IDES: Get On Facebook

Over the past year, we've spent a lot of energy trying to understand and explain the ins and outs of the unemployment insurance system here in Illinois. As a string of extensions have provided crucial income for the jobless, the overlapping state and federal deadlines and guidelines can be pretty confusing, especially for people who are new to the system. In our own comment threads on the subject, users consistently consult each other for clarifications about their specific cases. The New York Department of Labor, meanwhile, has been using social media to this end. Every day on the agency's Facebook page, a department official is answering questions about the process, in-depth and in real-time. Here in Illinois, the Department of Employment Security provides a lot of basic information about unemployment insurance on its website, but has no comparable social networking component. It's something they should consider.  (Also check out this Facebook campaign started by one of our commenters.)

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
1:36pm
Wed Feb 3, 2010
3 comments

Quinn Calls HB 174 A "Good Mechanism" For Tax Reform

State Budget

Gov. Pat Quinn sent another signal that he's warming up to Sen. James Meeks' tax reform proposal last night, calling HB 174 a "good mechanism" for both modernizing the tax structure and generating desperately-needed revenue.

Quick Hit
by Angela Caputo
1:53pm
Mon Feb 1, 2010

Civil Unions And Election Year Politics

Last week we learned that the state's largest gay-rights organization, Equality Illinois, has begun loading up on Springfield lobbyists in an effort to finally see Rep. Greg Harris' (D-Chicago) civil unions bill through the General Assembly. During the 2009 session, it seemed that the legislature was poised to take the giant leap forward on that front. But Harris struggled to corral the necessary 60 votes and the measure ultimately languished in committee.  In 2010, will election-year politics get in the way? In a new article on the subject, ChicagoPride explores the political calculations.