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An inside look at the politics practiced from Chicago's City Hall to
the Statehouse in Springfield, from Chicago Tribune reporters.
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the Statehouse in Springfield, from Chicago Tribune reporters.
Twitter | RSS | Older posts
Union wins round over Quinn in battle over raises
The state’s largest employee union won the first round in its battle with Gov. Pat Quinn over his decision to block pay raises for 30,...
Get the full story >>Quinn signs CPR law to protect good Samaritans
Gov. Pat Quinn today signed a new law aimed at giving legal protection to good Samaritans who perform CPR on victims of a heart attack or...
Get the full story >>Private haulers compete with city workers for Chicago recycling
City Hall has selected two private garbage companies to compete with city workers for the job of providing curbside recycling in Chicago,...
Get the full story >>Emanuel fundraising slows after election
The fierce pace of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's fundraising tapered to a trickle once he was elected, with only $91,000 in contributions since April...
Get the full story >>Judge sets $450,000 bail for Blagojevich, lower than feds sought
A federal judge today set bond at $450,000 for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and ordered him to post his North Side house and Washington...
Get the full story >>Group delivers protest signatures to Obama's Chicago campaign headquarters
A group of liberal voters who said they volunteered and donated to President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign are threatening to pull...
Get the full story >>Emanuel to send out layoff notices today
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said today he will send layoff notices to up to 625 city employees as he tries to close a hole in the budget he...
Get the full story >>Emanuel hits road for Obama
Mayor Rahm Emanuel will headline a New York City fundraiser next week for his former boss, President Barack Obama.
Get the full story >>Defeated Democrats do well under Quinn
While the political adage holds that to the winner go the spoils, under Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, even some losers have done very well.
Get the full story >>Some seniors to lose Illinois prescription drug help Sept. 1
About 43,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities will lose help paying for prescription medication starting Sept. 1 after...
Get the full story >>Chicago's ward remap begins with everyone on alert
As City Council heavyweights prepare to redraw ward boundaries in a once-a-decade exercise that will reshape Chicago's political landscape,...
Get the full story >>Report: Elgin-O'Hare bypass should be built as toll road
Building a superhighway around O’Hare International Airport’s western edge and extending the existing Elgin-O’Hare...
Get the full story >>Emanuel ducks gambling chairman's criticism of Chicago casino bill
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today did not directly respond to a state gambling regulator's contention that he would be "flabbergasted" if Gov. Pat...
Get the full story >>Top regulator predicts Quinn will reject gambling bill
The state’s top gambling regulator said today he would be “flabbergasted” if Gov. Pat Quinn signs off on a major expansion...
Get the full story >>Emanuel: Daley's security detail to be re-evaluated by summer's end
Former Mayor Richard Daley’s temporary security detail will be evaluated again this summer to see if he still needs Chicago police...
Get the full story >>Cook County Board wants more details on foreclosure program
At a time when more than 75,000 mortgage foreclosures are pending in Cook County, commissioners are asking for more scrutiny of a...
Get the full story >>Aldermen advance Little Village pawn shop over opposition
Plans for a new pawn shop in Little Village got a boost Tuesday despite opposition from City Clerk Susana Mendoza and community members...
Get the full story >>Judge stops state from dropping Catholic Charities from foster care
SPRINGFIELD --- A judge in Springfield today ordered that Catholic Charities can keep serving foster children despite the state’s...
Get the full story >>State worker unions protest blocked raises
Several dozen union workers gathered at a downtown state office building this afternoon to protest Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to block raises...
Get the full story >>Emanuel to cut city credit cards from 500+ to 30
Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to slash the number of credit cards used by city agencies and restrict how they're used.
Get the full story >>Illinois Supreme Court upholds construction plan, video poker law
SPRINGFIELD --- The Illinois Supreme Court today gave a thumbs up to Gov. Pat Quinn's showcase $31 billion public works program and the...
Get the full story >>Union sues governor to get pay raises
The state’s largest employee union filed a lawsuit today in an attempt to force Gov. Pat Quinn to dole out raises for 33,000 workers...
Get the full story >>Director of state's college tuition program ousted
The executive director of the agency that oversees the state's troubled prepaid college tuition program was ousted today by the newly...
Get the full story >>Quinn signs education bills
Illinois schoolchildren will get a lesson in peacekeeping as early as kindergarten starting this fall, under a suite of education bills that...
Get the full story >>Quinn predicts high court will OK law on video poker, liquor taxes
Gov. Pat Quinn said today he’s confident the Illinois Supreme Court will uphold a law that raised liquor taxes and legalized video...
Get the full story >>Quinn revamps board of troubled college tuition program
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Pat Quinn today overhauled the board overseeing the prepaid college tuition program that is under fire for slow sales,...
Get the full story >>Supreme Court to rule Monday on video poker, liquor taxes
The Illinois Supreme Court will release a decision Monday on the legality of a 2009 law that raised liquor taxes and legalized video poker...
Get the full story >>Quinn: Lawmakers should reconsider cutting state writing test
Gov. Pat Quinn said today lawmakers should “revisit” their decision to eliminate standardized writing test for Illinois...
Get the full story >>Emanuel wants O'Hare concessions deal approved
Weeks after he slowed down City Council consideration of a long-term lease to run concessions at O’Hare Airport’s...
Get the full story >>Duckworth to file for congressional race
Democrat  Tammy Duckworth, defeated in a high-profile 2006 bid for Congress, will file papers to run in a newly drawn northwest...
Get the full story >>Cook County targeting employee sick day reduction
Cook County government employees took an average of 6.7 hours a month in sick time last year, amounting to nearly 10 extra days of paid time...
Get the full story >>City population loss, race issue make council remap tricky
Veteran Ald. Richard Mell laid out the basics of redrawing the lines of Chicago’s 50 wards on Wednesday, saying this go-around will be...
Get the full story >>Durbin recommends 4 for federal bench
WASHINGTON—Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois has given the White House the names of four Chicago area lawyers he would like to see...
Get the full story >>Chicago City Council to consider ban on crib bumpers
Chicago could become the first city in the country to ban the sale of crib bumper pads if the City Council approves an ordinance...
Get the full story >>Quinn meets with foes, supporters of gambling expansion
Gov. Pat Quinn said today that he’s still weighing what to do with a major gambling expansion passed by lawmakers, saying he’s...
Get the full story >>Chicago aldermen approve O'Hare land deal
The City Council today approved a land-swap deal with Schiller Park that could generate additional tax revenue for both Chicago and the...
Get the full story >>City Council approves gun ranges in Chicago
The Chicago City Council today voted to legalize firing ranges inside city limits as Mayor Rahm Emanuel tries to head off a federal...
Get the full story >>Mayor Emanuel fills CHA vacancies
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today made three appointments to the Chicago Housing Authority board, which is being overseen by an interim CEO while the...
Get the full story >>Downtown rooftop patios can stay open later
Downtown rooftop gardens and outdoor patios will be able to stay open an hour later on weekdays under a trial program the Chicago City...
Get the full story >>Vacant building upkeep measure to be unveiled at City Council today
Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to support a measure that would require banks to secure and maintain vacant buildings.
Get the full story >>Emanuel, aldermen moving quickly to legalize firing ranges in Chicago
Firing ranges could soon be legal inside Chicago limits as Mayor Rahm Emanuel is fast-tracking a plan designed to head off a federal court...
Get the full story >>Kirk: Talk of 'mini deal' on debt ceiling, deficit reduction
Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk today said a comprehensive package to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and cut the federal deficit may...
Get the full story >>Quinn says he's ready to meet employee unions in court
Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday that he’s ready for a possible lawsuit from the state’s largest employee union after he moved to...
Get the full story >>Aldermen start to mull how to mark Chicago's 175th anniversary
The recent controversy over Ald. Edward Burke’s bodyguard detail has focused attention on Chicago’s politically rancorous...
Get the full story >>Ald. Burke backs off Adler fee increase opposition
A powerful alderman has dropped his opposition to a bump in entrance fees at the Adler Planetarium in light of the museum’s decision...
Get the full story >>City Council moves to get large truck inspectors back on streets
A legal issue left the city with no inspectors checking the size and weight of large trucks for nearly a month, so aldermen took steps...
Get the full story >>Emanuel wants $100 a year limit on lobbyist gifts to city employees
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today said he will introduce an ethics ordinance at Wednesday’s City Council meeting to limit the cost of gifts...
Get the full story >>Kirk recommends former prosecutor for federal bench
Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk today is recommending former federal prosecutor John Tharp for a seat on the federal bench in Chicago.
Get the full story >>Quinn signs law to prevent release of gun owner names
The names of licensed gun owners in Illinois will remain private under a measure Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law today.
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Clout has a special meaning in Chicago, where it can be a noun, a verb or an adjective. This exercise of political influence in a uniquely Chicago style was chronicled in the Tribune cartoon "Clout Street" in the early 1980s. Clout Street, the blog, offers an inside look at the politics practiced from Chicago's City Hall to the Statehouse in Springfield, through the eyes of the Tribune's political and government reporters.