* House Speaker Michael Madigan basically told reporters yesterday that if his proposal to all but eliminate the requirement that the state pay retiree health insurance premiums doesn’t pass, then major budget woes will follow…
Illinois’ …

* OK, it’s a little fuzzy looking because I had to increase the size so you could see it, but this is from the decennial Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies survey of predominant religions by county. First up, mainline Prot…

* A whole lot of state employees comment here. I have no objections to that. In fact, I welcome their input and even encourage it.
But ever since Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled his pension reform plan I’ve found myself deleting more of their comments …

* From an e-mail to his supporters…
It has been an honor serving as your Secretary of State for over twelve years promoting positive change, improving services and restoring integrity to an office once plagued by corruption.
Our work is not done….

* My Chicago Sun-Times column…
Gov. Pat Quinn’s job-approval ratings have at times fallen as low as 23 percent. And polls taken so far this year have pegged his rating at between 30 and 36 percent.
He barely won his 2010 election, beating a wea…

* Heh…
The Illinois House today gave final passage to a bill that will prevent schools from conducting those brief first and last school days of the year and counting them as full days.
A short time later, the House adjourned for the week, having…

* Subscribers were told about this earlier today…
Though he supports the move, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Wednesday he believes a plan to jack the state’s cigarette tax will have trouble passing.
“I would support an i…

* From George Will’s latest column, which is kinda sorta about Illinois’ many problems…
Peterson, a professor of government at Harvard, and Nadler, a doctoral candidate also at Harvard, say collective-bargaining rights for government …

[UPDATE: Quinn aides deny he’s backing away]
* This probably couldn’t have passed anyway, and it could’ve just been a ruse to get more money for Chicago’s teacher pension fund, but the governor has apparently stepped away&#8230…

* DuPage County Republicans elected their first ever woman chair yesterday…
Darlene Ruscitti made DuPage County GOP history on Wednesday night by becoming its first female leader.
Nearly 300 Republican precinct committeemen broke out in applause …