Hynes: Illinois Owes Vendors $5.1 Billion
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes reported yesterday that the state now owes a whopping $5.1 billion in unpaid bills.

Lawsuit Over State Layoffs On Hold
Instead of going back to court yesterday, the AFSCME and state officials sat down in an effort to negotiate a resolution to a lawsuit challenging plans to lay off some 2,600 state workers.

Quinn Appoints Cop To Probe Early Prisoner Release
One day after suspending a second early prisoner release program, Gov. Pat Quinn appointed Michael McCotter -- a veteran of the Chicago Police Department -- to investigate the programs.

State Panel Favors Closing Thomson
By a 7-4 vote, the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability accepted Gov. Quinn's recommendation to close the largely-vacant Thomson Correctional Center so it can be sold to the federal government to house Guantanamo detainees. The panel's decision is merely advisory.

IL Swine Flu Vaccines Top 1 Million
Since October, more than 1 million doses of the vaccine for swine flu have been administered across Illinois, according to the state's public health department.

Lawsuit: Transit Funding Favors White Riders
A team of plaintiffs filed a class action civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Chicago yesterday alleging that the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Regional Transportation Authority, and Metra have "grossly and disparately favored white mass transit riders ... by overfunding Metra" over the past 26 years.

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