(Illinois) Legislature lurches to wild finish

[baby_bear]

Partisan spat may force city layoffs; tax relief stalls

By Ray Long and John Chase
Tribune staff reporters
Published November 22, 2003

<snip>
Illinois lawmakers adjourned their fall veto session in chaos Friday amid a convoluted partisan standoff that killed legislation Mayor Richard Daley was counting on to help him avoid laying off 800 city workers.

Daley had asked lawmakers to give him authority to sweeten pensions to lure veteran city workers into early retirement, a move designed to erase a budget deficit without wholesale firings. The Chicago Park District also was counting on passage of the measure to help it reduce its payroll without layoffs.

But the pension measure got caught up in a vortex of other divisive issues, including a Republican push to fix a quirk in state election law that could keep President Bush off next year's Illinois election ballot.
...
Adding to the last minute confusion, the House suspended business for about a half hour after Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville) suffered extreme back pain, causing him to fall and be wheeled out of the Capitol on a stretcher. Only moments after resuming action, as they debated a resolution honoring former Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, a fire alarm sounded and the statehouse was evacuated.
</snip>

The story reads like a soap opera. What a mess!

s_m

[bluestateguy]

1. Now get to work on redistricting

Illinois is a Democratic state, yet Republicans hold a majority of US House seats from the state. It's time to redistrict the state so that the people the state elects to go to Washington accurately reflect the political makeup of the state.

[madrchsod]

2. i love il politics

ya just never know what the hell is going to happen.well we got by this session without to much damage. can`t wait till the next session!!!