Illinois Summary - 11/8/11

Lawmakers Suggest Wage Freeze For State Workers

(Springfield, IL)  --  Illinois' House Republicans say everyone has to step up to the plate and help the state get out of debt, including state employees.  Minority Leader Tom Cross is suggesting a wage freeze until the state is out of the red for at least two years in a row but that idea isn't sitting well with labor unions.  Henry Bayer, with AFSCME, calls the wage freeze an attack on union members.  Hearings are being held to gain the public's input on the proposal.  It's unlikely that this proposal will clear during this week's veto session.

Businesses To Get Big Tax Breaks

(Springfield, IL)  --  Big businesses in Illinois are threatening to leave the state but lawmakers are moving quickly to keep them here.  They're expected to pass a bill this week that will cut business taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars.  The plan will allow companies to write off 100 percent of the cost of

equipment, increase the estate tax deduction, and extend the research and development tax credit.  Governor Quinn says the tax relief is critical because it will improve the state's business climate and keep tens of thousands of jobs in the state.

Governor Prepared To Shut Down State Facilities

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Quinn says he's prepared to shut down seven state facilities if lawmakers don't give him more money this week.  He says it's not easy to make the difficult decisions but claims it's impossible to keep the facilities open without more funding.  Lawmakers have not unveiled any specific plans to avert the closures.  More than 19-hundred people are slated to lose their jobs if the closure plan moves forward.

U of I Dean Of Admissions Resigns

(Champaign, IL)  --  The University of Illinois is looking for a new dean of admissions for its Law School.  Officials with the university say Paul Pless, the previous dean, single-handedly manipulated student performance data to attract students to the program.  Pless allegedly changed the median LSAT scores for the incoming class from 163 to 168.  Student grade point averages were also changed to reflect better performance.  Pless resigned on Friday.

Blagojevich To Testify At Sentencing

(Chicago, IL)  --  Former Governor Rod Blagojevich is going to address the court when he is sentenced next month.  Juries in two separate trials found him guilty on 18 counts of corruption, including lying to the feds and trying to sell President Barack Obama's US Senate seat to the highest bidder.  Blagojevich has maintained his innocence.  He's facing up to 30 years behind bars.  

New, Faster Transportation Option For Chicago Commuters

(Chicago, IL)  --  Commuters in the Chicago area have a transportation option that may get them to work faster.  Busses are now allowed to ride on the shoulder when traffic is stalled. The busses are equipped with Wi-Fi so commuters can surf the Internet on the road.  The bus can ride the shoulder from as far away as Plainfield all the way in to the Loop.  Quinn says other enhanced transportation plans are in the works, including a bus only lane on the Jane Addams expressway.