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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
Alderman likes idea of Wrigley Field movie
The Chicago alderman whose ward includes Wrigley Field today praised the Cubs' plan to show a movie at the ballpark next month, saying it...
Get the full story >>Quinn jabs Chicago aldermen over parking meter lease
Gov. Pat Quinn took a little shot today at Chicago aldermen who passed a resolution urging him to sign into law a major gambling expansion...
Get the full story >>Chicago alderman wants ban on discrimination against jobless
A freshman Chicago alderman concerned about the potential for a new class of permanently unemployed workers wants to ban the rejection of...
Get the full story >>Want an ad on Chicago city sticker? Pony up
New City Clerk Susana Mendoza is asking sponsors who'd like to get their company name on Chicago city stickers to make an offer.
Get the full story >>Republicans sue to get Democrats' details on congressional map
A group representing most of the state’s Republican congressional delegation asked a federal judge today to compel the Democratic...
Get the full story >>Chicago police review board reforms pass
The City Council today approved a plan to shed more light on the largely secretive work of the city's police discipline review board.
Get the full story >>Aldermen back Emanuel push for Chicago casino
The City Council today backed Mayor Rahm Emanuel's push to get Gov. Pat Quinn to sign off on a major gambling expansion that would bring a...
Get the full story >>Chicago aldermen back longer class day as 4th school makes the change
The Chicago City Council overwhelmingly approved a resolution today in support of a longer school day for public school children -- the same...
Get the full story >>Latino aldermen want more Chicago City Council seats
Leaders of the City Council’s Latino Caucus today said they expect more majority-Hispanic wards to emerge from the ward remap...
Get the full story >>Chicago City Council settles drug-swallowing death lawsuit for $1.3 million
The Chicago City Council today voted to spend $1.3 million to settle a civil suit filed by the mother of a man who collapsed and died...
Get the full story >>Quinn wants to close seven state facilities, lay off 1,900
Gov. Pat Quinn today moved to lay off more than 1,900 state workers and close seven state facilities as part of a plan to cut the state...
Get the full story >>State worker union loses round in fight for raises
A federal judge has ruled that Gov. Pat Quinn does not have to pay raises for thousands of state workers, saying the state’s budget...
Get the full story >>Quinn to outline budget cuts today
Gov. Pat Quinn is expected today to present his plan to lay off thousands of state workers and close several facilities, a move he says is...
Get the full story >>Chicago City Council returns after month off
The Chicago City Council returns to action today after taking its traditional August break, with police and zoning issues on the agenda.
Get the full story >>City to pay $1.3 million to settle drug-swallowing wrongful death suit
A videotape of Chicago police not getting immediate medical help for a suspect who collapsed after swallowing drugs during an arrest last...
Get the full story >>City cuts vacation carryovers, adds new maternity leave
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced changes to the city's leave policies, including scaling back the amount of unused vacation time employees...
Get the full story >>Preckwinkle seeks to loosen Cook County purchasing rules
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is seeking greater control over how the county buys goods and services.
Get the full story >>Illinois Perry, Romney backers clash on Republican primary vote
In a contest that matched early Mitt Romney backers against Rick Perry supporters, Illinois’ top Republicans tonight voted to keep the...
Get the full story >>City Council tweaks Chicago gun range restrictions
The Chicago City Council isn’t done tinkering with gun-control measures it hastily approved last summer after the U.S. Supreme Court...
Get the full story >>Chicago police review board reforms gain steam
After years of resistance, a Chicago alderman's plan to shed more light on the largely secretive work of the city's police discipline review...
Get the full story >>Chicago wants car dealers to keep vehicles off sidewalks
Seeking to discourage car dealers from displaying vehicles on sidewalks and parkways, a City Council committee today doubled the maximum...
Get the full story >>Quinn defends breaking deal with state employee union
Gov. Pat Quinn today defended his decision to go against a no-layoff agreement he struck with the state’s largest employee union...
Get the full story >>Cook County homeowners can now appeal assessments online
Starting today, Cook County homeowners are able to file online appeals of their property tax assessments.
Get the full story >>Quinn grants 74 clemencies, denies 99
SPRINGFIELD — Michelle Gardner briefly appeared in the public eye in 1994, hailing Republican Gov. Jim Edgar’s welfare-to-work...
Get the full story >>Emanuel helps judge raise about $40,000
Mayor Rahm Emanuel dropped a couple jokes and met privately with donors for a few minutes at a Chinatown fundraiser that netted about $40,...
Get the full story >>Nearly a quarter of Illinois' boards and commissions inactive
Nearly a quarter of the state’s more than 300 boards and commissions have been inactive in recent years, according to an audit...
Get the full story >>State lawmakers head to Cuba next week on trade mission
About a dozen state lawmakers are headed for Cuba next week for a trip they hope will boost Illinois exports.
Get the full story >>Push for blues, jazz showcase on old Motor Row gains steam
It will take some time and a good amount of money, but city planners hope the historic Motor Row stretch of South Michigan Avenue will one...
Get the full story >>Chicago could raise fines for breaking into abandoned buildings
People breaking into abandoned buildings in Chicago would face stiffer fines under a proposal headed to the City Council.
Get the full story >>Emanuel wants 'ideas, not insults' at second town hall meeting
Mayor Rahm Emanuel tried to set the tone tonight for his second budget town hall meeting at the outset, saying he wanted to hear “...
Get the full story >>Quinn sends Illinois National Guard troops to Vermont
About 100 Illinois National Guard troops that were dispatched to New York ahead of Hurricane Irene are being sent to Vermont to help deliver...
Get the full story >>Federal grant targets Woodlawn renovation
A $30.5 million federal grant will be used to renovate a Woodlawn affordable housing complex in a move city leaders hope makes the...
Get the full story >>Quinn announces state funding for health centers
Gov. Pat Quinn continued his ribbon-cutting spree today, announcing the state will spend $30.5 million to build and renovate 14 health...
Get the full story >>Black, Latino aldermen press Quinn to sign casino bill
Latino and African American aldermen today prodded Gov. Pat Quinn to sign legislation that would allow Chicago to get a casino.
Get the full story >>Emanuel police cuts push draws criticism
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is looking for ways to slash tens of millions of dollars from the Chicago Police Department and already is running into...
Get the full story >>Roskam: Days when government could just write disaster relief check are over
Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam today defended comments from House leadership contending that government funds for disaster relief from...
Get the full story >>Cheney name checks Emanuel twice in new book
Just before Rahm Emanuel became President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, he got some unsolicited advice from the men who held the...
Get the full story >>DuPage County Republican chairman Ramey apologizes for DUI stop
The new DuPage County Republican chairman failed four field sobriety tests and a breath test found twice the legal limit of alcohol in his...
Get the full story >>Emanuel gets a few pointed questions at town hall meeting
Venturing outside his typically tightly-scripted settings, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday night found himself having to answer a few pointed...
Get the full story >>Anti-tea party e-mail leads to slap on wrist for human rights investigator
An investigator for Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn’s human rights agency got a slap on the wrist for forwarding an e-mail before last...
Get the full story >>Emanuel offers Chicago Triathlon quip
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today joked today about his weekend participation in the shorter "sprint” portion of the Chicago Triathlon.
Get the full story >>Emanuel wants new standards for special taxing districts
Mayor Rahm Emanuel made it clear Monday that the city will continue to rely on special taxing districts as an economic development tool,...
Get the full story >>Quinn wants motorcyclists to take two minutes at stuck red lights
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn is calling for a two-minute timeout before a motorcycle driver or bicyclist can proceed through a...
Get the full story >>Judge rules Illinois congressional candidates can gather signatures
A federal judge in Chicago today ruled that candidates for Congress in next year’s election can go ahead and collect candidacy...
Get the full story >>Illinois DCFS chief steps down
The chief of Illinois’ child welfare agency for the last five years is stepping down at the end of next month, saying that the state...
Get the full story >>Emanuel to hold two budget hearings next week
Mayor Rahm Emanuel will host two meetings next week where Chicagoans will get a chance to tell him how to close the city's $635.7 million...
Get the full story >>Tollway board approves toll hike
The Illinois Tollway board today approved a plan that would nearly double tolls to pay for an ambitious $12.1 billion program of expanding...
Get the full story >>Mayor backs longer school day for extra pay plan
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday he supported Chicago Public Schools' latest offer to teachers for a 2 percent raise in return for a...
Get the full story >>Quinn defends need for toll increase on eve of vote
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn today defended a major toll increase on the eve of the tollway board's vote on the issue.
Get the full story >>Quinn 'disappointed' Madigan attended Boehner fundraiser
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn said today he was “disappointed” that veteran House Speaker Michael Madigan, the state’s...
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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.