As Gov. Pat Quinn's aides sought to pump up an anti-violence program ahead of his November 2010 election bid, they decided to add to the pot $3.76 million in federal disaster recovery funds from Hurricane Ike to make loans to small businesses.

In the rush to get the program launched, the Quinn administration hired a financially troubled West Side business development group to dole out loans, despite concluding the organization had recently misspent state grant funds.

The group, Chicago Community Ventures did not make a single loan, but was allowed to keep more than $150,000 when the contract was nixed, the Tribune has found.

Rep. Tom Demmer, sponsor of "Rita's Law"

When out-of-staters are asked what comes to mind when they think about Illinois, government corruption is right up there near the top of the list.

Illinoisans would ruefully agree.

And who can blame them?

Illinois’ last two governors, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, ended up in prison on corruption charges, and before them, ex-governors Otto Kerner and Dan Walker did time for their crimes.  Read the rest of the opinion piece in the Morris Daily Herald

Today marks the 407th day since the Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act was signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn. However, hydraulic fracturing still has not begun in Illinois because the necessary rules have not been implemented by the Quinn administration.

Despite the urgency felt by most, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has failed to issue final rules and has reportedly hired only a few of the dozens of employees they need to complete their rulemaking assignment, thus causing this enormous resource to sit untapped. "The Quinn administration has failed to implement the law that passed overwhelmingly by a bipartisan group of lawmakers,” said Mark Denzler, vice president and COO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Illinois’ hydraulic fracturing law has the strongest set of regulations in the nation, backed by environmental organizations, business community and agricultural interests. Additionally, Illinois has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, yet Governor Quinn is allowing politics to derail the creation of thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenue."

It's been five years since the Great Recession ended, but you'd never guess it by looking at Illinois' bleak economic statistics.

The state's unemployment rate sits at 7.1 percent. More telling is the fact that Illinois suffered its largest monthly workforce loss in recorded history in June. And a recent report shows that while the nation as a whole has recovered the nine million jobs lost in the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, Illinois has yet to come close to recouping its job losses.

Illinois has 184,000 fewer jobs than it did before the 2007 financial crisis, and the state's collective non-farm payroll is 3.1 percent below what it was in December 2007.

For the second time in a week, a coalition of business and labor organizations called on Gov. Pat Quinn's administration to move faster in getting hydraulic fracturing rules in place.

The group, called "Growing Resources and Opportunity for the Workforce in Illinois," gathered in the Capitol to say the state is losing out on jobs and investment that go along with the controversial oil and gas extraction process.

Read the story by Kurt Erickson in the Herald & Review.

Newly released emails from Gov. Pat Quinn’s office show politics appeared to trump credentials when deciding how big a serving some nonprofits should get from his now-tarnished $54.5 million Neighborhood Recovery Initiative anti-violence grant program.

Emails from Quinn’s former top aides recount how Cook County Recorder of Deeds Karen Yarbrough, a Maywood Democrat who had been the suburb’s state representative, approached Quinn’s administration in January 2011 to oppose giving NRI funding to a longtime social service provider in Maywood. Dave McKinney and Frank Main have the story in the Chicago SunTimes.

Illinois has become the first state in the nation to enact a comprehensive set of standards to ensure transparency in the management and oversight of state grant funds.

The Grant Accountability and Transparency Act, signed into law by the Governor on Wednesday, strengthens and streamlines requirements for all state grants across all state agencies. The reforms include stronger state grant procedures to bring them in line with federal standards; improved conflict of interest disclosure requirements; and strict, real-time auditing of all state grants.

The new law is in response to a report by the Illinois Single Audit Commission, created last year by legislation spearheaded by Leader Patti Bellock, which found that, currently, the Illinois grant process has no common application, no common grant agreement, a lack of transparency, no uniform administrative rules, and a lack of a State-wide non-compliance list.  Many of these issues are what result in the ability to misuse grant funds.  The legislation co-sponsored by Leader Bellock and signed by the Governor remedies all those current failures. Read more.

Representatives John Cabello (left)  & Joe Sosnowski

Two area lawmakers have been selected for a new panel addressing illegal gun trafficking in Illinois.

State Reps. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, and Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, were appointed by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, to serve on the new bipartisan task force charged with developing a comprehensive plan, including legislative proposals, to disrupt the flow of illegal guns into the state.

“Most gun violence throughout Illinois and the City of Chicago isn’t caused by law-abiding gun owners, rather it comes from criminals who possessed firearms illegally,” said Cabello. “As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I look forward to serving on this committee to put more tools in the hands of law enforcement to keep guns out of the hands of criminals while continuing to protect the rights of upstanding gun owners.”  Read the entire story in the Rock River Times.

Rebuilding businesses hit by the November tornado just got a little easier. It's thanks to a new law. It says small business owners can catch a break on property taxes if they rebuild after a disaster.

It is protection similar to what homeowners already have. A few years ago, when a tornado hit Harrisburg, a law was signed. It makes sure homeowners rebuilding after a disaster aren't hit with higher property taxes right away. After disaster hit Gifford, a small business owner realized he needed that protection for himself. Read the rest of the story on Central Illinois Proud.

Rep. Dwight Kay

A metro-east lawmaker says investigators might not have received all of the emails they sought in connection with Gov. Pat Quinn's scandal-tainted Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, an anti-violence program that critics say was used as a political slush fund.

The grant program is the subject of a federal investigation and also came under fire from the state's auditor general. The auditor general, in a blistering report issued in February, found there were "pervasive deficiencies" in how the program was operated.

But some emails from Quinn subordinates involved with the program might have been hidden from the auditor, according to Rep. Dwight Kay, R-Glen Carbon. The News-Democrat has the story by Brian Brueggemann.

Last week Sheri Jesiel was appointed to fill the vacancy left by retiring State Rep. JoAnn Osmond, following her twelve years of distinguished service to the 61st District. Subsequently, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin has appointed Rep. Jesiel to a number of committees previously held by Osmond. Those committees include Appropriations Public Safety, Insurance, Human Services, Public Safety – Police and Fire, Tourism and Veterans Affairs.

Health Care – Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid expansion bill signed by Governor. Many health care advocates have expressed concerns to the State about various payments made and not made, and treatments offered and not offered, within Medicaid under current law. SB 741 contains a complex package of changes to the Medicaid system negotiated by the State, hospitals, nursing homes and other medical care provider organizations. Some of these revisions are designed to draw in matching funds from the federal government, but the State and its taxpayers will also have to put up a stream of money. The annual cost of the changes contained within SB 741 is estimated as at least $221 million per year. Persons concerned about this bill believe the cost could be more accurately estimated at $275 million per year.

Rep. David Reis

The former head of the now-disbanded state agency put in charge of Gov. Pat Quinn’s discredited Neighborhood Recovery Initiative may be compelled to testify in front of a legislative panel next month.

A four-member subcommittee of the Legislative Audit Commission posted notice Tuesday that it intends to meet next Monday in Chicago to vote on whether to subpoena Barbara Shaw to appear before the commission. 

Dave McKinney with the SunTimes has the story.

Rep. Darlene Senger calls for investigation of costs
associated with Get Covered Illinois

A Republican lawmaker has called for investigations into spending costs associated with promoting President Barack Obama's health care law in Illinois.

The Associated Press reported that a key subcontractor working on the "Get Covered Illinois" campaign was owned by three former aides to powerful Democrats.

They were among consultants whose hourly billing rate of $282 is raising questions about whether Illinois did enough to rein in taxpayer costs. Their firm could take assignments directly from Gov. Pat Quinn's administration under a provision of its subcontract. The Southern reports the AP story.

House Republicans make a motion to have bills designed to improve the business climate in Illinois heard on the House floor.


The infographic below illustrates the negative impact state policies have had on the business climate in Illinois, resulting in the loss of jobs.

State Representatives Bill Mitchell, Mike Bost and David Reis address the recent findings of audit released on Illinois’ Road Fund during Wednesday's session.

 

Rep. Norine Hammond

Follow live coverage of the Illinois House of Representatives here starting at noon.

Disaster assistance requested for 16 additional counties - 2 p.m. 5/17

Governor Quinn today requested that the federal disaster declaration for April flooding in Illinois be expanded to include an additional 16 counties.

Today's request asks President Obama to add Bureau, Crawford, Henderson, Knox, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, Warren and Woodford counties.

President Obama will make a determination, and, if approved, individuals in the approved counties will be able to apply for federal assistance.

Rep. Brad Halbrook

Today is the deadline for passing Senate Bills out of House committees. Session begins at 9:30 AM today and we'll be live blogging the highlights here so be sure to check back.

How a bill becomes a law in Illinois.

Rep. Mike Unes

Check back here at 3 PM for live blog coverage of today's session.

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