Progress Illinois

Durbin Leads Sauerberg By 30+ Points
A Rasmussen poll released yesterday has Sen. Dick Durbin leading GOP challenger Steve Sauerberg, 61-to-27 percent. The poll also found that only 13 percent of respondents said Gov. Blagojevich is doing a good or excellent job, making him the "Least Popular Governor" according to Rasmussen rankings.

Madigan Says Tax Increase Possible Next Year
House Speaker Michael Madigan said yesterday that he opposes a tax hike to fund the state budget this year, but that he may be in favor of increasing taxes after November's election. The statement came as the House again rejected Gov. Blagojevich's proposal to expand gambling as a way to pay for his capital infrastructure plan. In response to the vote, Blagojevich told GateHouse News Service that the House had won a "skirmish" but not the "war."

Blagojevich Hits Critics with Cuts
A analysis of Gov. Blagojevich's cuts to the state budget indicate that he spared his own office by taking major funding from some of his political critics and their allies. The governor cut 25 percent funding for the office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan and 17 percent from Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn who said "this was done in a petty and vindictive way."

House Allows Construction Projects to Continue
While the budget standoff continued, House lawmakers did manage to fix a problem yesterday with legislation that had halted thirty-nine ongoing construction projects across the state. Once the measure is approved by the Senate, the construction can continue.

Mayor Daley Reassigns Top Brass
In a shake-up at the of top of Chicago's emergency services ranks, Mayor Daley announced that he was reassigning Fire Commissioner Ray Orozco to the top spot in the City's Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Orozco will be replaced in the Fire Department by his deputy John Brooks. The move could be seen as a demotion of sorts for Police Supt. Jody Weis, who had been in charge of the OEMC as well as the Police Department. Weis has come under fire from the mayor for his handling of increased city violence.

County to Investigate "Pothole Holiday"
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger has ordered an audit of a highway department policy that keeps employees indoors two days a month. The stated purpose of the policy is to save gas, but county board commissioners have pointed out that "it doesn't make sense to save money on gas by not repairing highways."

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user Jazzzi.