Progress Illinois

The political arm of the Illinois AFL-CIO also endorsed Alexi Giannoulias for U.S. Senate, David Miller for state comptroller, and Robin Kelly for state treasurer.

The Republican Governors Association is running a new attack ad in Chicago blaming Gov. Quinn for the high unemployment rate and the state's massive deficit.

The Illinois Senate faces a deadline next week to consider Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of legislation reforming the state's troubled legislative scholarship program.  But the chamber has no plans to return to Springfield before then, according a spokesperson for Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago). Quinn vetoed the package, which created a series of restrictions on the scholarships, because he wants to see lawmakers ban the program outright.

Although the Senate President's office said the date has not been set, Gov. Pat Quinn said he thinks the Illinois Senate will vote on a pension borrowing plan before the end of the month.