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in the news

Glenn McGee
The former state superintendent of schools will be paid $125,000 by the Illinois State Board of Education for a study of the achievement gap between students in wealthy districts and those in poor districts. The contract will last six months.

Illinois Issues, December 20, 2001

Jim Watson
The Jacksonville businessman was selected to replace Tom Ryder in the Illinois House. Ryder resigned to take a job with the Illinois Community College Board. Watson will represent the 97th District in central Illinois.

Illinois Issues, December 20, 2001

Andrea Moore
The five-term Republican state representative from Libertyville was named by Gov. George Ryan as assistant director of the Department of Natural Resources, who cited her experience in conservation efforts.

Illinois Issues, December 20, 2001

 

News December 2001

Candidates file
Information on candidates for several statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller and treasurer, as well as the legislature, Congress and the U.S. Senate who filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections is available at www.elections.state.il.us. The deadline to file objections to those candidates? petitions is Dec. 24.

Illinois Issues, December 20, 2001

Ryan, Daley agree on O'Hare
The governor and Chicago mayor reached an agreement that would add a new south runway and keep Meigs Field open until 2026, unless the General Assembly steps in. The pact, which was forwarded to federal lawmakers for consideration, says the legislature can opt to close Meigs after 2006. Ryan, who had been opposed to the south runway at OHare, says the plan also gives the green light to an airport in Peotone between Chicago and Kankakee.

Illinois Issues, December 6, 2001

Ryan cuts $485 million
The state’s oldest prison will close, Medicaid costs will be pared and state employees under the governor’s control will take at least one day off without pay under the budget-cutting plan announced by Gov. George Ryan. The governor says his cuts will nearly cover a projected $500 million budget shortfall. Ryan made the announcements on those cuts, totaling more than $485 million, on three separate days. His plan also delays construction of the University of Illinois’ post-genomics institute and shuts down a portion of the Elgin Mental Health Center. The cuts were limited to those the governor could take without legislative approval because the General Assembly took no action on budget cuts before wrapping up its fall veto session.

Illinois Issues, December 3, 2001

Remap ruling
The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the legislative map drawn by Democrats. The court voted 5-2 along party lines to reject the argument that the design of some districts fails to meet the state Constitutions requirement for compactness. The plan is ?ot discernibly different in compactness than the Republican-drawn one the court upheld a decade ago, wrote Chief Justice Moses Harrison in the ruling in a suit filed by three central Illinois voters. "While some of the new districts are certainly more elongated than others, the same was true of districts drawn under the old map."

Illinois Issues, December 3, 2001