Illinois Briefs - 3/15/13

Obama Visits Argonne Today

President Obama returns to Illinois tomorrow to visit the Argonne National Laboratory in the western suburbs of Chicago.  The facility is maintained by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy, and the president's trip will include remarks that focus on the nation's energy policies.  It's the second trip to the Chicago area in a month for the president.  He was in Chicago last month to talk about the economy and about gun violence in Chicago.

Pension Bills Pass In House

Two pension bills have cleared the House and are headed to the Senate.  One bill would cap pension salaries at 113-thousand for workers who don't already make more than that.  The other would up the retirement age on a sliding scale, between one and five years based on how close a person is to retirement now.  It's too soon to know if those proposals will be a part of the final pension reform package, though.  At least five pension bills have seen movement in the past couple of days.

Higher Ethanol Blend Could Reduce Gas Prices

Illinois drivers are always looking for ways to find relief from rising gas prices.  Gary Hudson, with the Illinois Corn Growers Association, says upping the ethanol blend in gas from ten-percent to 15-percent could be the answer.  He says a higher blend could drop the price of gas by up to 80-cents per gallon.  On top of that, Hudson says using more ethanol will

create more jobs in Illinois, help vehicles run smoother, reduce air pollution, and reduce the nation's dependency on foreign oil.  Lawmakers are considering several proposals that would up the ethanol blend.

Quinn Disappointed After Brother Fired From Coaching

Governor Pat Quinn is disappointed that Fenwick High School canned his brother as head basketball coach.  John Quinn was fired Wednesday, just one week after losing a sectional game.  He had nearly 500 wins in his 28 seasons of coaching the team.  Governor Quinn says he believes the school administration has lost its soul and let down current students and alumni.

Students Want Return Of Chief Illiniwek

Students at the U of I want to see a return of their famed Chief Illiniwek mascot.  Nearly 80-percent of the students who voted in a referendum want university officials to reinstate the Chief.  The university stopped using the mascot in 2007 after repeated calls by the NCAA, which said the mascot was offensive to American Indians.  Despite the widespread student support to bring Chief Illinwek back, university officials have maintained that isn't very likely.