Illinois Summary - 11/2/11

Cellini Guilty On Two Counts

(Chicago, IL)  --  Former Springfield political insider Bill Cellini is facing up to thirty years behind bars for his role in a Blagojevich-related shakedown conspiracy.  A jury ruled yesterday that Cellini is guilty of two of the four charges against him, including extortion and aiding and abetting bribery.  Brian Gladstein with the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform says the verdict should put politicians and political insiders on notice that they aren't above the law when it comes to taking advantage of the system for personal gain.

Poll Shows Voters Would Support Cigarette Tax Hike

(Springfield, IL)  --  Raising taxes on cigarettes and retail purchases is one way for the state to shore up its bank account but Mattoon Senator Dale Righter says that's a sure fire way to drive economic commerce out of Illinois.  A poll conducted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute reveals voters may be open

to the idea.  Director David Yepsen says people understand the state must do something to deal with its budget problems.  He says if lawmakers guaranteed that the revenues would pay bills and reduce the deficit, they could sell the idea to voters.

Exotic Animals Confiscated From Farm Near Quincy

(Quincy, IL)  --  Authorities in Adams County say they've confiscated a black bear, a monkey, and a fox from a farm near Quincy.  They say the owner purchased the animals across state lines and had not registered them.  Adams County Sheriff Brent Fischer says exotic animals have special needs and local authorities should know where the animals are in case of emergency.  The animals will be placed in a wildlife sanctuary.

Lieutenant Governor Wants Federal Support For Schools

(Springfield, IL)  --  Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon is calling on Illinois' Congressional delegation to maximize financial assistance to the five public school districts serving the Naval Station Great Lakes.  Pending legislation would allow the districts to continue pooling their students to qualify for a higher rate of Impact Aid.  The aid helps cover the cost of educating students whose families live or work on the tax-exempt military base.  Both Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk support the legislation.

Gas Prices Continue To Rise And Fall

(Springfield, IL)  --  Economic uncertainty is to blame for the rise and fall trend of gas prices in Illinois.  Patrick DeHaan with GasBuddy.com says drivers can expect to see much of the same for at least a few months.  He says unrest in foreign countries like Greece plays a major role in what's happening on the home front and as long as the economy struggles, gas prices will remain unstable.

New Wind Turbine In Brown County

(Mount Sterling, IL)  --  A second wind turbine is up and running in Brown County.  The utility scale turbine stands more than 400 feet in the air and is expected to power up to 400 homes.  Bill Stalder with Adams Electric Cooperative says they aren't required to use renewable energy but the two turbines combined will supply about three or four percent of the total electricity needs in the area.

Governor Quinn May Need To Be Pals With Lawmakers

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Quinn says it's not his job to pal around with members of the general assembly but David Yepsen with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute says it might help him to build relationships with lawmakers.  Yepsen says there are bad feelings on both sides but they need to work together and sort out their disagreements.  He says it isn't healthy for the governor and the legislature to be at odds because it emboldens the legislature to confront Quinn and overrule him on major issues, like Smart Grid.

New Lottery Ticket Designed To Help Veterans

(Springfield, IL)  --  A new lottery scratch-off ticket is designed to help homeless veterans in Illinois.  Governor Quinn unveiled the three-dollar ticket yesterday.  It has a top prize of 40-thousand dollars.  All proceeds will go toward veterans group homes to help cover medical expenses and deal with post traumatic stress disorder.