Kirk, 52, was moved from Northwestern Memorial Hospital to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where doctors will assess his condition and tailor a treatment program for him, RIC said.

“The Senator has several pre-stroke factors in his favor that our research and experience demonstrate will foster a better recovery, including his relative youth, good general health and fitness, strong personal motivation, and high intelligence,” Dr. Richard L. Harvey, RIC medical director for stroke rehabilitation, said in a news release.

Kirk had the stroke the weekend of Jan. 21 and has undergone a series of surgeries, most recently this week to reattach part of his skull that had been removed to alleviate brain swelling. Doctors initially said the senator lost some physical abilities on the left side of his body.

Physicians have said Kirk suffered an ischemic stroke, the most common type. According to the American Stroke Association’s website, ischemic strokes are the most common form of stroke, accounting for about 87 percent of all cases. They are the result of an obstruction within a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain, caused by fatty deposits in the blood vessels.

Kirk, a North Shore Republican, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, winning the seat once held by President Barack Obama. Before that, he spent 10 years in the U.S. House.

“As Mark begins the next phase in his recovery, we want to thank the thousands of people around the state, the nation and the world who have called, written notes, sent flowers and offered their thoughts and prayers,” Kirk’s family said in a written statement Friday.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Supt. Garry McCarthy on Friday announced partnerships with federal law enforcement to reduce violent crime in police districts on the South and West sides.

Police in the Englewood and Harrison districts will partner with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct joint investigations, share information, and stiffen penalties related to federal prosecutions.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

“We’re putting partnerships, practices, and resources in place to make our communities stronger and more secure,” Mayor Emanuel said in a news release. “These partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies are another tool we will utilize to fight crime and reduce violence in our city.”

The Harrison District includes the East and West Garfield Park neighborhoods, as well as parts of Humboldt Park and North Lawndale. It is also poised to be combined with the Wood District, which includes Ukrainian Village and West Town just to the east.

The two districts combined account for nearly 25 percent of the murders and shootings citywide last year, and nearly a third of violent crimes in the first two weeks of 2012.

Under the new partnership, the U.S. Attorney’s office will partner with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office to review all gun cases in the two districts and identify which ones warrant federal prosecution.

The FBI will assist Chicago Police detectives in investigating shootings the districts, and the DEA has dedicated three teams to work alongside Chicago Police Gang Intelligence and Narcotics to help take down drug markets.

The U.S. Marshals Service will go after fugitives, the ATF will assist in shutting down the illegal gun trade in the districts, and the Internal Revenue Service will go after targets in the two districts for proof of their source of questionable income, the city said.

“Violence in our communities transcends neighborhood boundaries and must be confronted with every available resource,” McCarthy said in the release. “Alliances with our federal law enforcement partners will extend the reach of our crime-fighting plan and reinforce comprehensive efforts to realize and sustain results in violence reduction.”

Last month, Mayor Emanuel announced plans to saturate the Englewood and Harrison districts with uniformed police patrol officers, to beef up the Narcotics Division so they can investigate and eliminate violence-prone areas, and to allocate significant resources to gang enforcement.

McCarthy said the targeted enforcement program seems to have led to a drop in violent crime in the district, but it is too early to draw conclusions.

“These become benchmarks – you know, a day without shootings, 56 hours without a shooting like we did a couple of days ago, a week without a murder in this city – these are benchmarks that we build upon our successes,” he said. “That is not declaring victory.”

Police said they planned to target problematic licensed establishments and dismantle the most violent gangs in each district. Local churches and community groups are assisting the Police Department in its efforts.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Francis Cardinal George came out with guns blazing against a federal rule that would require employers to pay for contraception for their staff, but President Barack Obama has now announced changes to the rule.

Administration officials say religious employers will not have to pay for birth control for their employees after all, and instead, insurance companies will have to provide free contraception if a religious-based employer objects.

“No woman’s health should depend on who she is, or where she works, or how much money she makes,” President Obama said.

But he pointed out that he started out working with Catholic parishes in poor neighborhoods in Chicago and knows the important work they do, and acknowledged that churches might believe their religious freedom was being violated by the rule.

But he said the purpose of the change in the rule was to move ahead with providing health care to women in the face of “cynical” people who wanted to turn the issue into a “political football.”

On Thursday, the cardinal issued a letter, in which he said the rule that had been set to take effect next year “strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty and for all citizens of any faith.”

The rule would have required religious-based hospitals, schools and charities that employ non-Catholics to pay for “all FDA-approved forms of contraception” for employees. The rule never applied to churches or other explicitly religious-affiliated employers.

The since-modified rule was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on a recommendation by an arm of the arm of the National Academy of Sciences. The academy considers access to birth control improves maternal and infant mortality rates.

But the cardinal said the earlier rule presented Roman Catholics with the choice of either to “violate our consciences, or drop health care coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so.)”

Cardinal George went on to characterize the earlier rule as an attack on religious people.

“People of faith cannot be made second class citizens because of their religious beliefs,” George wrote. “We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights.”

He added that the earlier rule “reduces the church to a private club, destroying her public mission in society.”

The cardinal wrote that the earlier rule and its implications for religious liberty warranted “prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored.”

Cardinal George had not issued any new statements in the wake of the changes to the rule as of 11 a.m.

The teachings of the Catholic Church dictate that birth control is never acceptable under any circumstances.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the teaching thusly: “Every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil.”

But a poll by the Public Research Institute says a slim majority of Americans – including Roman Catholics – believe employers should be required to pay for contraception for their employees, CBS News reported.

Harris on Wednesday introduced the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, H.B. 5170, with co-sponsor Reps. Deborah Mell (D-Chicago) and Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) signing on.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Dahl reports

“I think it’s something that folks will have to work for, but they call the struggle for equal rights a struggle,” Harris told WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Dahl. “It took generations for women to become eligible to vote in this country. It took generations for the Civil Rights Act to pass in 1964. It’s going to take some time for this movement to come to fruition also.”

Harris said he believes Illinois residents are coming around toward understanding the need for marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

“People are learning more about the difference between what the government does in extending benefits to couples, and the religious institution of marriage, which ewe fully protect, so that certain faiths and denominations can consecrate a marriage if they recognize it, and not consecrate it if they don’t,” Harris said.

In addition, Harris said, a great deal more people have gotten to know their gay and lesbian neighbors.

“More and more people meet their neighbors, their friends, their co-worshippers in church who are gay or lesbian, they realize, ‘These families are just as deserving of protection as ours,’” Harris said.

Co-sponsor Cassidy added that Illinois residents have bigger issues on their minds today than whether someone is gay or lesbian.

“We are all operating in the same horrible economy, the same budget challenges, the same neighborhood crime and school challenges, and nobody is asking me who I sleep with. Nobody asks me who I love,“ Cassidy said. “They ask me how we’re going to solve the problems the state is facing.”

The proposed legislation declares that “all laws of this State applicable to marriage apply equally to marriages of same-sex and different-sex couples and their children; parties to a marriage and their children, regardless of whether the marriage is of a same-sex or different-sex couple, have the same benefits, protections, and responsibilities under law.”

Harris was a lead architect of bill that legalized civil unions in Illinois last year. He has introduced bills for full same-sex marriage rights previously, but has not been successful.

The bill came the day after a three-judge panel struck down Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California after it had been already been legal for five months.

But Harris told the Chicago Phoenix the bill for Illinois was introduced Wednesday because of deadlines for new legislation, and he has always been working toward marriage equality.

Currently, the State of Illinois still bans same-sex marriage by statute. But last year, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill granting civil unions to same-sex couples.

Full same-sex marriage rights are currently available in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Iowa and the District of Columbia.

On Thursday, lawmakers in Washington state also voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, and Washington Gov. Chris Gregiore is expected to sign the bill.

Same-sex marriage was also legal in California after a state Supreme Court decision in June 2008, but that decision was overturned by Prop 8 five months later.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Rahm Emanuel is looking to close a loophole that, he says, allows more illegal guns to find their way to the streets.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, the mayor is calling for state legislation that would require guns to be registered statewide, which would help police track the guns they seize.

The mayor chose the Kids off the Block Center, at 11621 S. Michigan Ave., as the venue to announce the proposed legislation.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, Emanuel and other gun control advocates want to be able to trace ownership of guns used to commit crimes.

Right now, the chain is broken when a dealer sells a gun. Where it goes after that is anybody’s guess. Although gun owners must register and be approved for a Firearm Owner’s Identification card, their actual guns are not registered by the state.

Chicago Public Radio reported the measure would require handgun owners to pay $65 for a registration to the state. While gun owners currently must be approved for a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card, the actual guns are not registered by the state, Chicago Public Radio reported.

Mayor Emanuel compared his proposed legislation to requiring a title for a vehicle.

“You already buy a title for a car. There are other things – you buy a title for a boat,” Emanuel said. “I’m not asking you to do anything you don’t do already.”

Police Supt. Garry McCarthy calls the proposed legislation common sense.

“This law is not a gun grab. It does not infringe upon anyone’s Second Amendment rights,” he said.

The idea came from the activist priest the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina parish.

“It’s not conservative issue, and it is not a progressive issue. It is not a Chicago or downstate issue,” Pfleger said. “It is a human life issue.”

Mayor Emanuel acknowledged that a statewide gun registry has been proposed before, and has failed. What is different now?

“I have a long history, both on the Brady Bill, assault weapon ban, and passing gun legislation,” Emanuel said.

Besides that, the proposed legislation already has bipartisan support in the Illinois General Assembly, Emanuel said.

The gun registration initiative is just one part of Emanuel’s and McCarthy’s crime reduction strategy.

Another involves following the CompStat program, a data-driven approach to fighting crime under a model started by New York City.

After starting the CompStat program, between 1990 and 2011, New York City saw homicides cut by 80%, robberies cut by 83%, and burglaries cut by 86%. Though, admittedly, crime everywhere dropped during that period.

Berkeley Law School criminal justice professor Franklin Zimring was the author of “The City That Became Safe,” a book about New York City’s crime fighting efforts.

“What happened in New York was a crime drop that was twice as big and it lasted twice as long,” Zimring said.

Zimring, a former Chicagoan who now heads criminal justice research at Berkely, wrote the book on the New York model.

But McCarthy and Bob Tracy, the CPD’s chief of crime control strategies, were there to help direct the effort in New York City.

With McCarthy and Tracy bringing CompStat from New York to Chicago, Zimring predicted “that crime will go down and go down significantly.”

McCarthy and Tracy agreed that such significant drops in crime could happen in Chicago.

McCarthy’s CompStat meetings put district commanders on the hot spot, but he’s also given them more authority, and more manpower to target crime hotspots and trends identified by Tracy.

They recently experienced a setback, when January homicides in Englewood spiked during the first three weeks of the year. But since then, McCarthy said it’s been a different story.

On Friday, McCarthy plans to announce homicides dropped by more than 75 percent in the city from Jan. 24 through Thursday, Feb. 9.

“We’ve had four murders this year since Janurary 24th; last year we had 18 murders,” McCarthy said.

The superintendent will also announce other reductions in crime rates on Friday, but he knows the New York numbers set the bar awfully high.

“I’m perfectly willing to put it all on the line, so yeah, we’re gonna get it done,” he said.

McCarthy and Zimring will be together again Friday at a University of Chicago program on reducing Urban Crime and Violence.

While the trend might be positive and the predictions optimistic, the jury is still out on what the mayor and McCarthy are trying to do.

Not long after they announced the city had gone 24 hours without a single shooting or murder one day last month, there was a localized epidemic of murders, and then relative quiet again.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, Thursday is the first day Illinois residents can apply for a vote-by-mail ballot in Illinois.

“Like early voting, you don’t need a reason or excuse to absentee vote, so you can vote in your living room,” said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections. “With this past municipal election – the mayoral election – it went up to 24,000. That’s the highest number in seven years.”

Three Chicagoans have cast ballots already. They are in the military overseas.

Once you have applied, a ballot will be mailed to you. You must have it postmarked by March 19 in order for it to count.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

The city is settling lawsuits on behalf of more than 800 protesters who accused Chicago Police officers of arresting people in masse without cause.

Plaintiff attorney Joey Mogul says both sides announced the agreement Thursday in federal court in Chicago.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

The proposed settlement is still subject to City Council approval.

Last month, attorneys for the plaintiffs said the city had little choice but to settle after a harshly-worded federal appeals court ruling that Chicago Police made “mass arrests without justification” after changing the rules in the middle of the game.

In late March 2003, police allowed the anti-war demonstration without a permit to shut down Lake Shore Drive during the height of the evening rush, then trapped demonstrators at Chicago and Michigan avenues and arrested more than 500 of them – and detained 350 others — without giving them a notice to disperse or an opportunity to leave.

The city has spent $3.5 million to defend itself against the two cases, the plaintiffs’ attorneys contend.

“The city arrested people without probable cause and incarcerated them for 18 to 36 hours. They should have let everybody go home. All of them wanted to leave. Every one of them. We have them on videotape asking for permission to leave,” Greg Gorman, an attorney for the 16 of the demonstrators, said last month.

Corporation Counsel Steve Patton said last month that the controversial parade ordinance recently approved by the City Council in advance of the NATO/G8 summits was tailor-made to prevent a repeat of the 2003 fiasco.

“It specifically authorized police to accommodate a public assembly and march that turns, in effect, into a parade,” he said.

At a City Council hearing three months after the 2003 demonstration, protesters told horror stories and invoked comparisons to the ugly clash between Vietnam War protesters and police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

They demanded an apology from then-Mayor Richard M. Daley. They claimed that Daley personally ordered demonstrators held in police lock-ups until 2 p.m. the next day because he was livid the protest had shut down Lake Shore Drive.

The Associated Press and the Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

As WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports, the two students, ages 15 and 16, have been charged as juveniles with misdemeanor marijuana delivery and delivery conspiracy.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports

Lincolnshire police Detective Adam Hyde says one student’s cell phone was searched, and he says text messages described the drug dealing.

Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said if marijuana were legalized, it could be kept away from those who are underage.

“By keeping it illegal, there’s absolutely no control over who sells it, what the quality levels are, or who’s able to buy it,” he said.

Linn emphasizes that he does not support marijuana being available for absolutely anyone who wants to use it, regardless of age.

“In no way, as an organization, are we supporting people of that age using cannabis, or selling cannabis to others,” Linn said.

But he points out that because marijuana is illegal across the board, there are no safeguards in place for age restriction. Thus, he says, it is easier for teens to buy marijuana than to buy beer – which requires an ID.

Linn argues that Illinois is losing both the ability to control and tax marijuana under current law.

Proposals to for legalization of recreational marijuana are moving ahead in some states. In Washington state, activists gathered enough signatures for a ballot referendum on whether to allow the state to legalize marijuana for those over 21 and levy taxes on it, according to published reports.

A referendum on legalizing and taxing marijuana also appeared on ballots in California in 2010, but ended up being rejected by voters.

No proposal for full legalization of marijuana has advanced in Illinois, but a bill that would permit the use of medical marijuana is pending in the state House Rules Committee.

An earlier bill that would have legalized medical marijuana for a three-year pilot program in Illinois went up in smoke in the state House of Representatives in May of last year.

That bill would have allowed patients to possess a small amount of cannabis if they are suffering from cancer, HIV-AIDS, hepatitis C, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease or Alzheimer’s.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia currently allow medical marijuana in some form.

Meanwhile, Chicago aldermen have introduced an ordinance that would reduce the penalty for those who are caught with 10 grams or less of marijuana to a $200 fine and 10 hours of community service, instead of incarceration.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has also come out in favor of reducing the penalties for marijuana possession, saying cannabis defendants are contributing to overcrowding in the Cook County Jail.

Regardless of marijuana remains illegal under federal law, regardless of whether its purpose is medical or recreational.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, as it stands now, an illegal immigrant is let out of the Cook County Jail if he or she posts bond, or if an order is given by a judge.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

There are proposals to change the policy on releasing illegal immigrants, and County Board President Toni Preckwinkle says she is against them. She says all federal immigration agents have to do is their jobs.

“There’s nothing that precludes them from picking up people. They know. They’re in our courtrooms all the time. They know who is there who is undocumented,” Preckwinkle said.

She says treating illegal immigrants the same as everyone else under the law is not only a moral issue in court, but also a financial issue.

Prior to September of last year, federal authorities took illegal immigrants to the Cook County Jail upon arresting them, but it was up to the local government to pay for their detention.

“We were paying at least $15 million per year to hold these people for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office, and sometimes they picked them up and sometimes they didn’t,” Preckiwnkle said. “And they never reimbursed us.”

Since a new ordinance was passed in September, illegal immigrants being held on misdemeanor charges are have been released despite federal requests to the contrary. It followed a federal judge’s ruling in Indiana the federal detainers in local jails are voluntary rather than mandatory, according to published reports.

The changed policy was blamed last month for allowing an illegal immigrant to flee the country after he was released on bond in a fatal drunken driving case. Saul Chavez was allowed to bond out of jail on a DUI charge and flee the country, even though U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had issued a detainer request so agents could arrest him for possible deportation.

Among the new proposals is one by county Commissioner Timothy Schneinder (R-15th), under which illegal immigrants would be detained at federal officials’ request, but only in felony cases involving violence or drugs, according to published reports.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Dahl reports, currently, it is forbidden under state law to make an audio recording of police officers doing their jobs in public.

But new proposed legislation would change that.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Dave Dahl reports

HB 3944 would not eliminate the Illinois Eavesdropping Act altogether, but would eliminate the part of the law that now prohibits “the recording of a peace officer who is performing a public duty in a public place and speaking at a volume audible to the unassisted human ear.”

A House committee approved the bill 9-2 Wednesday, sending it to the House floor for further action.

Currently, someone who records a police officer, prosecutor or any other member of the law enforcement community without his or her permission can be charged with a Class 1 felony.

Robert Loeb, representing the Illinois State Bar Association, testified in favor of the new bill.
“When the eavesdropping law was originally passed decades ago, we had very limited means of communication compared to today, when we’ve got people carrying cell phones – cell phones with cameras, cell phones with video cameras, with sound capability, GPS capability,” he said.

State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook) is sponsoring the bill, saying it protects citizens who pull out cell phones or turn on a camera to record events they witness. She says it is important to update the law because international visitors and journalists are coming to Chicago for the NATO and G8 summits in May.

The upcoming summits sparked concern from both opponents and supporters. The events are guaranteed to attract throngs of journalists and protesters.

“Thousands of journalists and people are at risk for prosecution,” Nekritz said.

Police interests have come out against any amendment in the eavesdropping law, saying the changes will impede their investigative powers.

But Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy has come out in favor of changing the eavesdropping law. He said it is just as bad for the police as it is for citizens.

As a police official in New York and New Jersey, McCarthy found it helpful to record officers politely, but firmly, informing protesters that if they did not end their protest, they would be arrested. That prevented brutality suits against his officers, he said.

McCarthy last month that he planned to use the same approach with the Occupy Chicago protesters. But if Illinois still bans audio-recording of arrests, that complicates his plans.

“I actually am a person who endorses video and audio recording,” he said. “There’s no arguments when you can look at a videotape and see what happened.”

Multiple people have been arrested and have faced serious charges for recording officers.

In August of last year, Taiwanda Moore, 20, was acquitted of a felony violation of the act, after she secretly recorded two police Internal Affairs officers while filing a sexual harassment complaint against a third officer.

Moore had said she didn’t know about the Eavesdropping Act, but her attorney argued that she was protected under an exemption to the statute that allows such recordings if someone believes a crime is being committed or is about to be committed. She argued that the officers had been stalling and bullying her.

No action was ever taken against any of the officers.

Meanwhile, artist Chris Drew is awaiting trial on charges of violating the Eavesdropping Act when he was arrested in December 2009 for peddling his art without a permit on State Street downtown.

Drew was charged with videotaping his own arrest, and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

And in November of last year, Loyola journalism professor Ralph Braseth was taken into custody after videotaping the arrest of a teenage boy who jumped the turnstile at the Chicago Avenue Red Line subway stop. Breseth had been shooting for a documentary about youth from poor neighborhoods flooding the downtown area on weekends.

Braseth was released without charges, but the arresting officer erased the files on his Kodak flip camera. He later filed a complaint against the officer, claiming that videotaping an arrest from the distance was different from recording a conversation and thus did not violate the Eavesdropping Act.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) on Wednesday introduced the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, H.B. 5170, with co-sponsor Reps. Deborah Mell (D-Chicago) and Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) signing on.

The proposed legislation declares that “all laws of this State applicable to marriage apply equally to marriages of same-sex and different-sex couples and their children; parties to a marriage and their children, regardless of whether the marriage is of a same-sex or different-sex couple, have the same benefits, protections, and responsibilities under law.”

Harris was a lead architect of bill that legalized civil unions in Illinois last year. He has introduced bills for full same-sex marriage rights previously, but has not been successful.

Harris’ Facebook page was filled with messages of gratitude Wednesday afternoon.

“Greg, not sure if I tell you often enough. You ROCK!!!” one person wrote. “Thanks for introducing the bill today.”

Speaking to the Chicago Phoenix, Harris said a bill allowing same-sex marriage in Illinois “marks the next step in our journey toward full marriage equality in our state.”

The bill came the day after a three-judge panel struck down Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California after it had been already been legal for five months.

But Harris told the Phoenix the bill for Illinois was introduced Wednesday because of deadlines for new legislation, and he has always been working toward marriage equality.

“They call it a struggle for a reason,” Harris told the publication.

Currently, the State of Illinois still bans same-sex marriage by statute. But last year, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill granting civil unions to same-sex couples.

Full same-sex marriage rights are currently available in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Iowa and the District of Columbia.

Same-sex marriage was also approved in California after a state Supreme Court decision in June 2008, but that decision was overturned by Prop 8 five months later.

Members of the group Action Now brought the golden toilet to the CME Headquarters last month, after the company accepted the Tax Increment Financing funds. The CME Group deciding not to accept the $15 million it had received.

Two other corporations – the CNA Group and Bank of America — also returned TIF money in the amounts of $13 million and $5.4 million, respectively, Crain’s Chicago Business reported last month.

“We petitioned them, and we went there to them, and we had a (bake sale) right beside there and we went to their places, and we begged them, and we sent them letters to refund our money, and up above all things – something that they’ve never done – they refunded it, and that was a good thing. This has never been done before and we appreciate it,” said Action Now board member Charles Brown.

But now, Action Now is calling on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to spend the money on job creation – particularly in the public libraries and schools.

Brown also called for an end to the use of TIF money to benefit large and successful corporations.

In a TIF district, property tax dollars for schools, parks, and other taxing districts are frozen for at least 23 years, so that all property tax increases afterward to go into a fund to neighborhood improvements. But critics such as the Chicago Reader’s Ben Joravsky have complained that while TIF funds are supposed to be used to improve blighted neighborhoods, they are actually used as slush funds.

“We’re also ready to draw a line in the sand,” Brown said. “Our taxpayer dollars should never have gone to these corporate giants.”

Protesters added that the TIF funds could have created many jobs and rescued people in need.

“Let’s put a moratorium in that TIF money going to extras for whomever, and put that money into jobs. Put that money into the mental institutions. Where are those people going? They’re going on the streets, and we don’t need them on the streets,” said retired Chicago Public Schools teacher Lois Nelson.

The group asked Mayor Emanuel to come out of his office and meet with them personally. Mayor’s assistant press secretary Caroline Weisser came out and offered to hand the group’s documents to the mayor, but Emanuel himself did not speak to the group.

The CME Group had been threatening to leave Illinois after state lawmakers approved a 45 percent hike in the corporate income tax at the beginning of last year. But in December, lawmakers approved a substantial tax break for CME, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and Sears Holdings Corp., which also had been threatening to leave.

The Democrat said he wants to tackle restructuring the health care program that covers 2.7 million poor and disabled Illinoisans, but he didn’t provide specifics.

“We want to have better health care and wellness for those who are Medicaid recipients,” he said. “That may mean we step on some of the toes of some of those providers in the system. Some of those sacred cows may have to be challenged.”

Some options for restructuring the system are shrinking payments to hospital and doctors, cutting benefits and reducing how many people are eligible.

Reforming Medicaid won’t be easy, particularly in an election year. Last year, Quinn proposed cutting payment rates for providing care under the Medicaid program, which would have meant a reduction in what state government owes. But state legislators did not approve it.

The state’s Medicaid budget is about $14 billion, which includes federal money. The state contribution is around $8.6 billion.

However, the state has paid some costs out of future budgets, and there has been buildup of late payments. The backlog of unpaid Medicaid bills is expected to reach $1.8 billion by the end of the fiscal year.

Quinn said he also wants to reform public pensions system this year; the state’s five state-employee pension systems are underfunded by about $83 billion.

He said he will look at employer and employee contributions, cost of living adjustments and the retirement age. Previously, he has suggested making local school districts pick up the employers’ portion of teacher retirement benefits.

“If we want to have adequate resources for education and public safety and all the other important things in life, we’re going to have to deal with this very difficult issue,” he said Tuesday as he addressed the City Club of Chicago.

Quinn also said he wants to reform the state’s tax system, which he says has “too many loopholes.” He offered no details.

Quinn will unveil his state budget on Feb. 22 at a time when Illinois’s backlog of unpaid bills is at $9.2 billion and expected to continue growing.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

“The swelling in Sen. Kirk’s brain has subsided and this morning we were able to reattach the portion of his skull that had been removed following his stroke. This is an important milestone in his recovery and a step toward the next phase, rehabilitation. He remains in good condition,” said Dr. Richard Fessler, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The senator suffered an ischemic stroke the weekend of Jan. 21. He underwent surgery that weekend to remove a large section of his skull in order to reduce swelling on the right side of his brain.

A few days after the initial surgery, doctors performed another procedure to remove two small pieces of brain tissue that had been rendered non-functional by the stroke.

Fessler has said Kirk will have a long road to recovery and, although he is expected to make a full mental recovery, he’s likely to suffer long-term problems using his left arm and, possibly, his left leg. He might also suffer some partial facial paralysis.

Doctors said if the stroke had occurred on the left side of Kirk’s brain, the effects could have been more severe, because the left side of the brain controls most cognitive functions.

For Kirk, rehabilitation will mean restoring as much function as possible on the left side of his body and learning to live with whatever permanent limitations that might result from the stroke.

CBS San Francisco reports a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has declared Prop 8 unconstitutional. The court ruled 2-1 to uphold the decision of a lower court judge.

• READ THE COMPLETE CALIFORNIA RULING

“Although the Constitution permits communities to enact most laws they believe to be desirable, it requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different classes of people differently. There was no such reason that Proposition 8 could have been enacted,” the ruling stated.

But the ruling does not mean same-sex marriages will resume in California right away. Prop 8 supporters are expected to appeal to the full, 11-judge 9th Circuit Court, and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court, CBS San Francisco reported.

On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Phoenix published reactions to the ruling from some of the Chicago area’s leading LGBT leaders, many of whom expressed hope that full marriage equality would come to Illinois before too long.

Activist Rick Garcia, who was one of the leaders in the push for a Chicago ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation, said he was “thrilled” with the ruling, the Phoenix reported.

But he went on to say Illinois is “very chauvinistic” and does not follow the lead of other states when it comes to major changes in social policy. Still, Garcia said in the Phoenix, the overturning of Prop 8 will help Illinois residents understand the issue better.

“When people see another ruling in our favor, it will be another opportunity for discussion for people and it will help to continue to develop their understanding of the topic,” Garcia said in the Phoenix. “It is really symbolic and it adds to the movement towards equal marriage in Illinois.”

Illinois State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) said in the Phoenix that the ruling reaffirms that same-sex couples should have equal protection, and “this is just one more step that shows the momentum is in our direction.”

Bernard Cherkasov, chief executive officer of the gay rights group Equality Illinois, said the ruling will serve as important legal precedent.

“With this ruling, political leaders who support full equality will have important arguments to share with state legislators who will inevitably be asked to vote on full marriage rights in the future,” Cherkasov said in the Phoenix. “Lawmakers need not wait for the ultimate disposition of the California case and other legal rulings to do the right thing in Springfield and Washington, D.C. to end marriage discrimination.”

Cherkasov said in the Phoenix that while Equality Illinois supports civil unions, which are now legal in Illinois, they do not go far enough in guaranteeing equal rights.

Anthony Martinez, executive director of The Civil Rights Agenda, said in the publication that it was particularly important that the California decision was made on 14th Amendment grounds.

“Although this ruling does not affect our laws in Illinois, it is still very significant for Illinoisans, in that it will only aid our progress toward full and equal civil rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation,” Martinez said in the Phoenix.

ChicagoPride.com also published a statement by Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), who was the city’s first openly gay alderman when he was elected in 2003. He said he hopes “this sets some serious precedent nationwide.”

The State of Illinois still bans same-sex marriage by statute. But last year, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill granting civil unions to same-sex couples.

Full same-sex marriage rights are currently available in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Iowa and the District of Columbia. Same-sex marriage was also approved in California after a state Supreme Court decision in June 2008, but that decision was overturned by Prop 8 five months later.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, a Chicago Sun-Times story says the fundraiser was for Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), who heads the City Council Transportation Committee.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

The fundraiser at Doostan Restaurant, 2546 W. Peterson Ave., was put on by the Chicago Taxicab Operators’ Association, just days before Beale’s committee was to consider reforms of the taxi industry, the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman reported.

The industry publication the Chicago Dispatcher pointed out that Beale had favored tough restrictions on using wrecks as salvaged cabs. But the Dispatcher said after the fundraiser, he softened his view and pushed ahead lighter reforms, the Sun-Times reported.

The original plan had called for a $1 million bond and a maximum mileage 75,000 for cabs going into service for the first time, but the committee agreed to cut the bond to $200,000 and phase in the mileage cap over three years, the Sun-Times reported.

The mileage limit had been 150,000, and the bond only $100,000.

The Dispatcher ran the story on Beale titled, “How Much is that Alderman in the Window,” the newspaper reported.

But Beale tells the Sun-Times there was no connection between the fundraiser and his change of heart.

The newspaper says a city spokesman says Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Rosemary Krimbel actually came up with the changes, not Beale.

Last month, the City Council approved sweeping changes to regulations on taxis. Under the new regulations, on-the-road training is required before cab drivers are licensed and driving records will be reviewed more than once a year.

A new tiered lease system will also begin, which would allow for with discounts on medallion fees for companies that buy fuel-efficient and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. But some cabbies have complained that the savings would be obliterated if fares are not raised.

As WBBM Newsradio’s David Roe reports, Springfield U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough ruled Monday that the Second Amendment allows citizens to protect themselves in their homes, but not on the street.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s David Roe reports

Illinois is the only state, along with the District of Columbia, that does not have some kind of provision allowing people to carry of weapons.

Gun owners say that infringes on their right to keep and bear arms, and an interest group, the Second Amendment Foundation, is now appealing the decision to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb says citizens “don’t check our constitutional rights at the front door.”

A similar lawsuit filed in Illinois and backed by the National Rifle Association remains in federal court.

Separately, a downstate Republican Congressman has been pushing for a federal law that would guarantee the right to carry concealed weapons nationwide.

In December, downstate U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson (R-Ill.) introduced the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, HR 3543, which would permit anyone who obtains a permit to carry a concealed weapon in another state to carry weapons legally in Illinois.

In a news release on his Web site, Johnson characterizes carrying concealed weapons as a “constitutional right” that should be guaranteed to all citizens, saying “the Second Amendment could not be more clear on this issue.”
Johnson blames Cook County for the fact that concealed carry still is not permitted in Illinois.

Concealed carry legislation at the state level so far has failed.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Egypt has referred 19 Americans and 24 other employees of nonprofit groups to trial before a criminal court on accusations they illegally used foreign funds to promote unrest in the country. The U.S. citizens include Sam LaHood, son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Peoria.

The younger LaHood heads the Egypt office of the Illinois Republican Institute. He was not allowed to leave the country and is currently at the U.S. Embassy.

“It is an outrage that a country that receives more foreign aid than any other country in the world is arresting representatives of our government and threatening to throw them in jail for doing something that is very open, very public, and not inconsistent with their future,” Durbin, a Democrat, said at an appearance in Chicago Monday.

Sam LaHood was representing the Republican Party. Democrats also send representatives abroad to talk about the formation of democracy.

“These institutions have been there for a number of years. They’re all over the country promoting democracy, and the individuals have done nothing wrong,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

U.S. officials have warned that America’s $1.5 billion in foreign aid will be jeopardized, if LaHood and the other Americans are not allowed to leave. Egypt, which ousted President Hosni Mubarak last year, continues to be controlled by the military over the objection of civilian protests.

“Detaining Americans like Sam LaHood for no reason whatsoever is unacceptable,” Durbin said. “We’ve got to make it clear to the Egyptians that if they pursue this further it will be at the expense of our relationship with the country.”

CHICAGO (CBS) – More than two weeks after suffering a stroke and undergoing brain surgery, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) has been upgraded to good condition and doctors said he will soon begin rehabilitation.

Monday afternoon, Northwestern Memorial Hospital neurosurgeon Dr. Richard Fessler issued a statement that Kirk was “making good progress.”

Fessler said Kirk has been visiting with his family and watched the Super Bowl on Sunday.

“We are very pleased with his continued improvement,” Fessler said.

Kirk has been upgraded to good condition and Fessler said doctors expect he will be able to start rehabilitation soon.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin welcomed the good news about his colleague and said he and his staff are there for Kirk during his recovery.

Durbin said his office is reaching out to Kirk’s staff and working with them to continue Kirk’s work on Capitol Hill while he recovers from his stroke.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

And, no, Durbin said, he has not been to visit Kirk.

“He is in intensive care and improving. All the reports are positive. I’ve been through this in my own family. You’re not entertaining visitors after brain surgery. You’ve got some things to do: meet with your family, meet with your physician, get well,” Durbin said.

Durbin said he has sent Kirk a note, reassuring him that he can call Durbin for anything he needs.

“I’ll be there for him. I’ve sent a note to him several times, telling him ‘Call me when you need me’ and I’ve met with his staff. We’ve sat down and had a meeting with his entire Washington staff. I volunteered to do whatever I can do to meet his senatorial duties,” Durbin said.

He said Kirk is young and healthy and he expects the senator back on the Senate floor and fully productive.

The senator suffered an ischemic stroke the weekend of Jan. 21. He underwent surgery that weekend to remove a large section of his skull in order to reduce swelling on the right side of his brain.

A few days after the initial surgery, doctors performed another procedure to remove two small pieces of brain tissue that had been rendered non-functional by the stroke.

Fessler has said Kirk will have a long road to recovery and, although he is expected to make a full mental recovery, he’s likely to suffer long-term problems using his left arm and, possibly, his left leg. He might also suffer some partial facial paralysis.

Doctors said if the stroke had occurred on the left side of Kirk’s brain, the effects could have been more severe, because the left side of the brain controls most cognitive functions.

For Kirk, rehabilitation will mean restoring as much function as possible on the left side of his body and learning to live with whatever permanent limitations that might result from the stroke.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports, Naperville councilman Doug Krause believes the stabbing death of the schoolteacher Shaun Wild, 24, at a Naperville bar over the weekend, is just the latest and most tragic example of a situation that has gotten out of control.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger reports

“After 10 o’clock at night in downtown Naperville, it turns into a mini-Rush Street,” Krause said. “It turns from a family-friendly operation to a different animal altogether.”

Krause is worried about what will happen in three months, when a new law takes effect allowing restaurants to stop serving food, but continue to serve liquor, as of 9 p.m. – two hours earlier than the law currently permits.

Wild was stabbed to death at Frankie’s Blue Room, at 16 W. Chicago Ave. in Naperville. Krause says the violence still broke out even though the nightclub had a good reputation.

“Here’s an establishment that has a good record. I mean, he’s a very upstanding citizen, and he had a problem,” Krause said. “What happens to these places that have absentee owners and are more about the bottom line?”

Krause was the only city council member to vote against the more lenient liquor law. He now hopes more council members will side with him.

The stabbing that killed Wild was preceded by an argument between Wild’s friend, William Hayes III, and stabbing suspect Daniel Olaska, 27.

Authorities said another Hayes was making fun of Olaska drinking beer from a wine glass. In the ensuing argument, Olaska allegedly pulled out a 5-inch folding knife.

Wild, a friend of Hayes, rushed over to stop the fight, but Olaska allegedly stabbed him to death. Olaska also allegedly stabbed Hayes and a third man, bouncer Rafael Castenada.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said, “This is an utterly senseless act of violence, and there is literally no explanation for the actions that took place.”

Olaska is now being held on $3 million bond.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation allowing the City of Chicago to use cameras to catch speeders near schools and parks.

The governor waited until the last minute to approve a measure which could blanket half the city with the automated speed traps.

The bill, S.B. 965, will go into effect July 1. It allows the city to use speed enforcement cameras with 1/8 of a mile, or one city block, around schools between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. each weekday.

The bill also allows speed enforcement cameras to be used within 1/8 of a mile around parks from one hour before the parks open to one hour after they close. This means the cameras will only be shut off between midnight and 5 a.m.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

The legislation only applies to the city of Chicago.

Right now, the city has red light cameras in 79 locations within a 1/8 of a mile of a school or park. But a published report said the proposed legislation to allow speed cameras in the city showed the legislation would allow at least 47 percent of the city to be covered by the cameras – not including areas around colleges and universities.

Any motorist busted by a camera would be sent a ticket in the mail. Sponsors said the tickets would be sent to the owner of the car caught speeding. The cameras would only take photos of the speeding car’s license plate, not the driver.

The owner would be subject to a fine of up to $50 for being caught driving 6 to 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Drivers going 10 miles an hour or more over the limit would be fined up to $100. Fines would be doubled if they are not paid on time and five unpaid fines would result in the loss of the owner’s driver’s license.

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, public opinion seemed clearly against the measure, but Quinn signed it anyway, saying it was the right thing to do.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard also pushed hard to get the measure through the General Assembly

But Quinn repeatedly ducked the question of the public being firmly against the measure when he was questioned about the legislation on Monday.

“I felt that this particular legislation – as advocated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and limited to proximity of schools and parks – was in the best interest of the people of Chicago, and especially the children,” Quinn said.

Last month, The Expired Meter website issued a Freedom of Information request on all calls, emails and letters from the public to the governor’s office about the legislation and found that of 224 calls, letters and emails about the speed camera bill, 91 percent were opposed to it.

Both Quinn and Emanuel have downplayed those findings. Quinn has said the calls to his office were not the same as a scientific poll of Chicago residents.

Emanuel released a statement Monday morning thanking Quinn for signing the bill.

“Since day one as mayor, my top priority has been to ensure that Chicago’s children can focus on their studies, not worry about their safety,” the mayor’s statement said in part. “We have introduced stronger curfew laws, supported after-school and safe passage programs and put more cops and crossing guards closer to our schools. I am grateful to Governor Quinn for supporting one more step in our comprehensive strategy to keep Chicago’s children safe.”

Brizard says the reasoning behind the legislation has always been protecting children.

“Children shouldn’t have to risk their lives by crossing streets with speeding cars, but they do in our city every single day,” Brizard said Monday.

Before Emanuel began his push for speed cameras last fall, Chicago was already at or near the top of the list of cities with the most red light cameras. The proposal would allow the city to use existing red light cameras and mobile cameras to catch speeders in the act within 1/8 mile of schools and parks in Chicago.

The mayor cited accident and injury statistics to justify enabling red light and mobile cameras to catch speeders at intersections near schools and parks, but the city’s own study indicated more than 50 percent of all children struck by cars are hit in the middle of the block, not at an intersection.

One of the first red light cameras that will be upgraded to detect speeders is located at the intersection of Peterson and California avenues, near Mather High School. The speed limit there when kids are around is 20 miles an hour.

Using a radar gun, CBS 2 spotted drivers going as fast as 41 miles an hour through that intersection on Monday.

Barnet Fagel, a longtime red light camera critic who calls himself, “The Ticket Doctor,” said the legislation will mean, “a lot of people are gonna spend a lot of money for invented infractions.”

When pressed on whether those infractions would be truly “invented” if the drivers are speeding, Fagel said, “that assumes that the cameras and the speed sensors are accurate, which they haven’t proven to be.”

Fagel said he’s found such systems’ measurements are off by 20 percent, which might be the legislation does not allow tickets to be issued unless drivers are going at least 6 miles per hour over the limit.

The debate over speed cameras has been raging all over the nation; from Washington, D.C., where they contributed $12 million to city coffers, to Arizona, where officials did away with them altogether.

The mayor, who has said he doesn’t care if the cameras don’t provide a dime of revenue for the city, said in a written statement Monday that, “all this requires is that drivers obey the laws near schools and parks to ensure the safety of our kids.”

State Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) agreed.

“How many children have to die before you think it’s important?” Davis asked reporters.

Asked if her constituents support the legislation, Davis said, “as far as I know, it represents the will of our people, because we don’t want people in Chicago speeding around parks, we don’t want them speeding around the schools.”

Even so, many still suspect the speed cameras are simply cash cows for a cash-starved city; and projections of revenue from these cameras of more than $100 million a year don’t exactly argue otherwise.

Before enforcement with speed cameras begins, the city will conduct a 30-day public education campaign to inform drivers of the new speed cameras. Intersections with the cameras will also have signage informing drivers that the speed cameras are there.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Friday that branch locations of the Chicago Public Library will be open between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. every Monday during the school year. The libraries will also be open for eight hours on Mondays during the spring and summer when school is not in session.

“By opening branch libraries on Monday afternoons, we are providing students with a comfortable, safe place to study after school, while also making resources available to other patrons six days a week,” Mayor Emanuel said in a news release. “As mayor, I’ve put children and education first and I will continue to ensure libraries are available to students after school.”

In a cost-cutting move last month, Emanuel closed all the branch libraries on Monday and laid off 172 staff.

The mayor had said previously that he only planned to close the libraries on Monday and Friday mornings when kids were in school. But he said the deal depended on an agreement with the union on more flexible hours, and because the union did not agree, the city had to close the libraries all day on Monday to save money.

But a couple of weeks later, the mayor backed off on the move to close the libraries on Mondays, despite the library union’s refusal to make concessions.

The mayor said he would not restore all the cuts in library hours and jobs.

The restoration of Monday offers comes from a shift of more than $2 million, which will allow 90 positions to be placed in branch libraries. Among them are 25 Harold Washington Library Center staff that are being moved to branches, the Mayor’s office said.

Mayor Emanuel late last month also announced the departure of libraries commissioner Mary Dempsey, who had been appointed by retired Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1994. She has been replaced by Brian Bannon, who had been chief technology officer at the San Francisco Public Library.

In the address earlier this week the governor outlined a number of noble goals, but gave no clear indication of how the state would pay for his ideas. Among the ideas were investments to upgrade school infrastructure and maintain clean water, and a $6 million competition to build ultra-high-speed broadband in neighborhoods across the state.

But in an editorial Thursday, the Chicago Tribune mocked Quinn’s plans by comparing them to Eliza Doolittle’s dreamy and unrealistic vision for a room with “one enormous chair,” and “lots of choc’late for me to eat,” in the song “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” from Lerner and Loewe’s “My Fair Lady.”

“Wouldn’t it be loverly, too, if Illinois could afford the lavish wish list that the governor crooned during his State of the State address — a fabulous treasure of new spending notions and tax breaks. If only, that is, history didn’t exist,” the Tribune said.

But in reality, the Tribune editorial went on, the state is in such poor financial condition that Moody’s Investors Service has rated it the least creditworthy of any state. The state now has nearly $200 billion in debts, pension obligations and unpaid bills, the Tribune said.

But speaking on the CBS 2 Morning News Friday, Quinn took a Keynesian view of the state’s economic situation, and argued that government spending in the form of “investment” will actually help close the budget gap in the long run.

“You have to invest in job creation,” Quinn said. “The best way to get out of our budget mess – a better budget – is to have more jobs; more revenue from those jobs. And so we have to invest in housing, clean water, and fixing up our schools. This puts people to work today, and they have revenue in their pocket and it will help us with our better budget. So I really believe in a tough time, you have to invest in your state.”

Quinn said budget cuts are necessary too, but cutting the budget in a vacuum will not solve the state’s fiscal problems.

“You have to invest. In tough times, you can’t just cut,” Quinn said. “We’ve got to cut – no question about it – but you’ve got to build and grow your economy. It’s very important.”

He argued that the state’s long-term fiscal health is dependent on job creation, and also suggested tax cuts for working families.

“We have to get more employment in Illinois; more job growth. We’ve created 100,000 jobs in Illinois in the past two years. Twenty thousand of them are manufacturing jobs,” Quinn said. “We must stay on this pace. We cannot relent. We have to go forward. I do believe in tax cuts; giving a family a $50 per child tax cut is a god way to get more consumer spending, and that’s another way to get more jobs.”

Quinn also touted an announcement Thursday that Chrysler is bringing 1,800 new jobs to the Belvidere Assembly Plant. The new workers will build the Dodge Dart at the plant, which had only 200 employees when Quinn took office, but will have 4,200 by this summer.

““We invested about $60 million a couple of years ago, and Chrysler invested $700 million, and they’re going to do even do more with these 1,800 new manufacturing jobs,” Quinn said.

The governor added that even more job opportunities are coming in Illinois.

““If you’re able-bodied and you’re breathing, I want you working in Illinois, and I think everybody feels that way,” Quinn said. “The best way to keep families together, the best way to fight crime and fight poverty, is a J-O-B.”

Quinn said job opportunities will soon be coming in south suburban Harvey once crews finish the demolition of the Dixie Square Mall – a facility famous for its appearance in “The Blues Brothers,” but infamous for being shuttered and left to decay for 33 years. New retail will be constructed on the site, bringing new employment opportunities for south suburban residents, Quinn said.

Other job opportunities will arise from the construction of a high-speed rail line from Chicago to St. Louis, and investment in construction, housing and clean water, Quinn said.

At 2 p.m. Friday, Quinn will join Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in Berwyn to announce a plan to return vacant properties to productive use and increase affordable housing options. The plan is part of Quinn’s 2012 Illinois Jobs Agenda.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Alex Degman reports, hundreds of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 members demanded their promised pay raises during a rally in a mostly empty capitol building. Henry Bayer, Council 31’s executive director, says the governor is being disingenuous by cancelling raises for front line workers due to lack of funds, yet finding money for corporate tax breaks.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Alex Degman reports

“Labor comes before capital,” Bayer said. “This governor gave $300 million to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Frontline workers… he can pay them what they’re owed. They certainly deserve it, and they certainly need it a lot more than the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.”

The union delivered a “collection notice” of sorts to the governor’s office. It read:

“This is an attempt to collect a debt. On behalf of 30,000 Illinois state employees who care for the most vulnerable, keep prisons safe and much more, we are seeking to uphold and enforce our legally binding collective bargaining agreement with the State of Illinois and you, Gov. Quinn. You say you ‘believe in the right of working people to organize’ and that unions exist to ‘make sure people get a decent wage.’ Yet you have failed to comply with our union contract and the law with respect to the pay schedule of the men and women who do the real work of state government. Instead you have chosen to provoke a costly court battle. Please immediately remit the amount you owe in full.”

AFSCME members left the capitol after they said the governor’s staff refused to meet with them. A spokeswoman for the governor says she tried, but she wanted to meet with director Bayer and a small group – not hundreds of protestors, as she says AFSCME demanded. She says a “meeting” with a sea of protestors wouldn’t have been productive.

WASHINGTON (CBS) — U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is expressing extreme disappointment with the decision by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to stop funding cancer screening provided by Planned Parenthood.

As WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports, CBS News says the breast cancer charity has been angrily criticized since this past Tuesday, when Planned Parenthood announced the foundation had elected to pull hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of funding that went toward breast cancer screenings and preventative education.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports

A published report Friday said the Komen Foundation had reversed its decision and issued an apology, but the charity insisted that its reasons for cutting funding to Planned Parenthood were not political.

“Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation,” the Komen Foundation said in a statement published in the Dallas Morning News. “We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political.”

But Schakowsky says the Komen Foundation clearly bowed to political pressure.

“Planned Parenthood has certainly done something about it. In 24 hours, they have now raised $650,000, which is nearly enough to fill in where Susan G. Komen left them,” she said.

Schakowsky says she was not proposing of predicting any Congressional action about the Komen Foundation decision, but ads she believes, on balance, that Planned Parenthood may be the winner.

Prior to the reversal of the decision, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged up to $250,000 from his personal fortune to Planned Parenthoood. Bloomberg says politics have no place in health care.

Until Friady, the Komen Foundation defended the decision, pointing, as it did in its apology statement, to a new standard in its grant allocation process as the motivation. The standard prohibits Komen from giving to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities, CBS News reported.

Planned Parenthood has been targeted by Republicans in Congress for several years because it provides abortion services in addition to other women’s health procedures while receiving government support, CBS News reported. But the government support cannot be used to fund abortions; only other procedures.

Shakowsky says she is on the oversight committee supposedly investigating Planned Parenthood, and knows personally that the investigations against the organziation are a witch hunt. She says they have found nothing wrong, and will never find anything wrong, with use of federal dollars by Planned Parenthood .

Shcakowsky asserts Planned Parenthood is scrupulous about making sure that federal dollars never go to support abortion services which it does provide.

So far, three top Komen officials have resigned over the issue.

The Komen Foundation is the world’s leading breast cancer charity, and raises millions of dollars each year in its “Race for the Cure.”

CHICAGO (CBS) – In what her office is calling a “shift in philosophy,” Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez has announced the formation of a new unit that will actively review criminal cases involving questionable or wrongful convictions.

“My job’s not just about racking up convictions, it’s about always seeking justice; even if that measure of justice means that we must acknowledge mistakes of the past,” Alvarez said in a speech to the City Club of Chicago at a luncheon on Thursday. “My office is demonstrating our commitment, and our duty to bring our very best efforts to ensure that only guilty people are convicted here in Cook County.”

Alvarez said the new 6-person “conviction integrity unit” will look into criminal cases in which questions about the integrity of convictions have been raised.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

“Based on what we’ve been dealing with in these last couple of years, and also because of DNA and the fact that 30 years ago we could not do what we do today … we should be able to work up these cases and look at these cases and reevaluate them,” Alvarez said.

The unit will provide a more proactive approach to re-investigating cases where there might have been a wrongful conviction, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

Alvarez said it’s not unusual for prosecutors to, in effect, investigate their own prosecutions.

Aside from DNA evidence, Alvarez said police investigations have changed and include videotaping of interrogations in murder cases.

“We’re going to be looking at, number one, you know, particularly in cases where you have confessions; you can’t just have a statement, you must look at what other evidence corroborates what that offender is stating,” Alvarez said. “We’re looking at that, looking at DNA and the ability to work up pieces of evidence that 30 years ago could not be worked up.”

She said the state’s attorney’s office has about 35 cases that are getting a closer look.

The Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University said that, in Cook County, there have been 25 documented cases involving false confessions that led to wrongful convictions.

As WBBM’s Bernie Tafoya reports, Joliet Bishop Daniel Conlon will have a letter read at masses throughout his diocese this weekend. It criticizes an Obama administration rule that takes effect next year.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports

The rule requires religious-based hospitals, schools and charities that employ non-Catholics to pay for “all FDA-approved forms of contraception” for employees.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requirement was issued on a recommendation by an arm of the arm of the National Academy of Sciences. The academy considers access to birth control improves maternal and infant mortality rates.

Conlon says he knows that many Catholics ignore Church teaching on the subject, which states that birth control is never acceptable under any circumstances.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the teaching thusly: “Every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil.”

But regardless, Conlon says, the federal rule breaches the wall of separation between church and state.

Conlon’s letter will be read before all masses on Saturday and Sunday.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, the Web site for the Vancouver-based magazine and activist organization has listed the call under “Tactical Briefing #25: A Showdown in Chicago.”

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

The notice calling on “redeemers, rebels and radicals” features a black and white picture of a Chicago Police officer going after a protester with a nightstick during the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots.

Adbusters suggests a showdown “in the tradition of the Chicago eight,” referring to the eight men who were charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot during the convention – including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale.

“On May 1, 50,000 people from all over the world will flock to Chicago, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and #OCCUPYCHICAGO for a month,” the notice said. “With a bit of luck, we’ll pull off the biggest multinational occupation of a summit meeting the world has ever seen.”

The group has specific political demands, including a “Robin Hood Tax” on the wealthy, a ban on high-frequency “flash” trading, a binding climate change accord, a three-strikes-and-you’re-out law for corporate criminal defendants, and an initiative for a nuclear-free Middle East.

“And if they don’t listen … if they ignore us and put our demands on the back burner like they’ve done so many times before … then, with Gandhian ferocity, we’ll flashmob the streets, shut down stock exchanges, campuses, corporate headquarters and cities across the globe … we’ll make the price of doing business as usual too much to bear,” the notice says.

Last month, the City Council overwhelmingly approved a plan to approve tighter security rules for protests against the summits.

But before that, Mayor Rahm Emanuel eliminated some proposals that would have increased fines on demonstrators for resisting arrest or obstructing a police officer. He also agreed to remove the measure protesters found most objectionable – significantly higher fines for resisting arrest.

City Hall also modified the mayor’s proposals to tighten restrictions on parades and public demonstrations.

Adbusters addresses the restrictions, and compares them to the clashes with police in 1968.

“And this time around we’re not going to put up with the kind of police repression that happened during the Democratic National Convention protests in Chicago, 1968 … nor will we abide by any phony restrictions the City of Chicago may want to impose on our first amendment rights,” the notice says.

WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports the board decided not to vote right away on a measure sponsored by Commissioner John Fritchey (D-12th) that would have allowed the board to have the medical examiner removed by a simple majority vote.

As it stands now, Dr. Nancy Jones’ term as the county’s chief medical examiner lasts until she steps down or is removed for cause.

Fritchey said he didn’t see the move coming when Finance Committee Chairman John Daley (D-11th) had the measure sent to committee, rather than bringing it to a vote on Wednesday.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

The ordinance was introduced in the wake of reports of bodies piling up at the county morgue and complaints of unsanitary conditions as a result of the overcrowding.

Fritchey wasn’t pleased that Daley delayed a vote on his measure to end what essentially amounts to a life term for anyone appointed as the county’s chief medical examiner.

“I’m not going to contest his motion, I am not happy about it, though,” Fritchey said. With that he left the chambers, but reporters caught up with him at the elevators.

He claimed he had a commitment to have the proposal called for a vote on Wednesday, only to see it sent to committee instead.

“It took me by surprise to say the least,” Fritchey said.“It would have sent a proper and necessary signal to the public that we’re taking whatever steps we can as soon as we can.”

Daley said it needed more discussion.

“I believe there’s a number of issues that have to be addressed,” Daley said.

Commissioner Peter Silvestri (R-9th) spoke in favor of Fritchey’s proposal.

“This is really about a process by how someone is appointed and remains in office and I think everybody here can agree that a term of office that continues until someone resigns or is removed for cause is a pretty good term. I mean, that’s just short of being a Supreme Court justice.”

Commissioner Liz Gorman (R-17th) said the issue needs to be carefully considered before the board votes.

“I just don’t want the perception to be a witch hunt,” she said, noting that Fritchey’s measure deals only with Jones’ job status, not directly with the problems at the morgue.

Commissioner Bridgett Gainer (D-10th) said the pictures of bodies piled up at the medical examiner’s office could be misleading.

“I think it should be important to know, while a picture can tell a story, it doesn’t always tell the true story,” Gainer said.

So, before voting on Fritchey’s measure, commissioners will call in Jones to testify before the board to discuss the problems at the morgue.

Meantime, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has outlined plans for big changes at the medical examiner’s office to address the problems at the morgue.

Preckwinkle has said she expects some employees would lose their jobs over the problems at the medical examiner’s office, but Jones will stay on the job, for now.

Meantime, both her office and the county’s inspector general will conduct a top-to-bottom review of operations at the morgue.

Preckwinkle said county administrators have found that, two weeks ago, there were 363 bodies stored in a cooler designed to hold 300. Recent burials have brought the number down to around 300.

Among other measures Preckwinkle announced last week, she said the morgue would have daily inspections of the cooler from now on and new technology will be used to help track down relatives of the dead who are brought to the office in order to speed up the burial process.

Senior management at the morgue will be reorganized and new management positions will be created, according to Preckwinkle.

She also said the morgue will place time limits on how long the bodies of indigent people can be stored in the cooler, as well as how long the morgue will keep remains for families trying to collect enough money for a burial. The county will also put in place new training standards for the staff, as well as a new disciplinary process.

A performance review will be conducted for current employees, which could lead to some firings.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Cook County commissioners have approved a measure that will give them the final say in whether major entertainment events like Lollapalooza will get an exemption from the county’s amusement tax.

The popular and profitable Lollapalooza summer music event in Grant Park has never paid the county’s amusement tax.

But as WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, a measure sponsored by Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer (D-10th), that could soon change.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports

Currently, Lollapalooza does not pay Cook County or the City of Chicago any amusement taxes on its tickets.

A measure approved by the County Board on Wednesday gives the board final authority to vote on any amusement tax exemption that would cost the county $150,000 or more in revenue. Until now, the county’s revenue director had the final say on such tax breaks.

Gainer said, when Lollapalooza first came to town, it made sense to give the festival a tax break because nothing like it had been tried here. But now, the event brings in $20 million. The tax break cost the county $350,000 last year.

“The county needs the money,” Gainer said. “I mean, when we look at what just the $350,000 could do from this amusement tax, that could hire 150 kids this summer to have a summer job – maybe their first experience with working. So this isn’t just some philosophical change. These are real things that have impacts on people’s lives.”

It is not as if Lollapalooza would be singled out in having to pay the tax, she said.

“When Dave Matthews came and he went down to the U.S. Steel site, which has zero amenities, he paid the full tax. When the Restaurant Association does their Chicago Gourmet in Millennium Park, they pay all the tax,” Gainer said. “So this is kind of an anomaly.”

Such events as the concert series at Wrigley Field and the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park also pay amusement taxes.

The tax break for Lollapalooza also costs the City of Chicago $1 million per year. WBEZ.org critic Jim DeRogatis said last year that Mayor Rahm Emanuel has also been considering a change that could send some money back to the city.

The original contract gave the tax exemption to Lollapalooza in exchange for the guarantee that it would stay in Chicago through the year 2018.

Lollapalooza is co-owned by Austin, Texas-based C3 Presents and William Morris Endeavor, the talent agency owned by the mayor’s brother, Ari Emanuel.

Lollapalooza began as an itinerant festival, but has been held only in Chicago since 2005.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and the Office of Tourism and Culture are being combined.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports

The Office of Tourism and Culture is a department within city government. The Convention and Tourism Bureau is a nonprofit dedicated to selling Chicago as a destination for vacations and business travel, the Chicago Tribune explained.

The Tribune reports the aim of the merger is to reduce costs and use the savings to help pay for a more extensive marketing campaign on the city’s behalf.

The new entity starts operations July 1, with the goals being to increase the number of visitors by 10 million over the next few years.

The city is also hoping to lure more tourists from overseas.

Despite being the nation’s third largest city, Chicago currently ranks 10th in the nation in the number of foreign visitors.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Romney won 46 percent of the vote. Newt Gingrich followed with 32 percent, Rick Santorum with 13 percent, and Ron Paul with 7 percent.

But the split between Romney and Gingrich voters showed the divide in values among GOP voters, Caliendo said.

“It reinforced what I was thinking about already, which is that there’s a pretty deep divide amongst self-identified Republicans. If you look at the demographics of folks who voted for Gingrich last night – the people who identified as very conservative, or as born-again Christians, or said abortion is the most important issue and it should never be legal – I mean, there’s a significant ideological rift among these voters. It’s not just that they prefer one person over another,” he said. “There’s something going on. Tea Party supporters, for instance, went with Gingrich last night.”

Meanwhile, as the primaries go on, attack ads will continue regardless of how the public claims to feel about them, Caliendo said.

“It’s partly because so much money is going into the race that isn’t controlled by the candidates,” Caliendo said. “And so a couple of things can happen. Number one, there’s more money going in, so the amount of money to win Florida was astronomical – think of how much Romney and his supporters (spent with $16 million), unbelievable, right? And the candidates themselves can distance themselves from the negative messages if it’s the PACs.”

If a political action committee puts out a negative ad, a candidate can come out and reject the message, but still benefit from the ad, Caliendo said.

Meanwhile, Santorum and Paul are showing no indication of slowing down. But while Caliendo expects Paul to stay in the race until the convention in Tampa so he can make a speech, he says Santorum has little momentum left.

“I don’t take that much from his speech last night that suggested that he was staying in, because you have to give that speech. I mean, who wants to kill a party, right? You don’t stand up in front of all those supporter and say, ‘I’m suspending my campaign tonight,’ but none of these candidates have any indication whatsoever that they’re going to slow down,” he said.

And the hostility and vitriol between Romney and Gingrich continues.

“I think if we go back and focus on how some of these contests worked in 2008, even – the Republicans and the Democrats – there was a lot of hostility there too,” Caliendo said. “This does seem to be taken to another level, and I think partly because it’s not just the candidates themselves with the messages, it’s the outside groups that are sort of putting the messages out.”

More about Stephen Caliendo.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — Gov. Pat Quinn called for a comprehensive job creation program in his State of the State Address Wednesday.

Quinn said the state has come a long way since the dark time three years ago when he took office

“We are back on course, and Illinois is moving forward,” he said.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

But Quinn said much more still needs to be done to keep the state moving forward, particularly when it comes to jobs. With that in mind, he is launching a comprehensive program called the Illinois Jobs Initiative.

In announcing the plan, Quinn said cuts to the state budget would not be enough to get the economy going again.

“Cuts alone will not resolve the situation. We must build and grow our economy. Now is not the time to pull back; to abandon our children, to abandon our parents, and to abandon the unemployed among us,” Quinn said.

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, the governor outlined a number of noble goals, but gave no clear indication of how the state would pay for his ideas.

Quinn was very specific about how he wants to spend money, but virtually silent on where the state would find the money to pay for that spending.

“I look forward to working with you to find the proper funding to meet these urgent needs,” Quinn told lawmakers after laying out a number of plans, such as ending a state tax on natural gas and creating a new $100 tax credit for Illinois residents with children.

That was as specific as he got to dealing with what some called the elephant in the room.

“There were two elephants in the room,” State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) said. “One is how do we deal with the cost of our pension programs. The other one is how are we gonna deal with the $5 billion in Medicaid liabilities and there’s a third one of $8 billion of unpaid bills that we have to deal with.”

When told his comments sounded more like a Republican than a North Side Democrat, Harris said, “I’m a North Side Democrat, but we all have to deal with all of these problems.”

The governor also called for expanding an existing tax credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans and for boosting spending on a cash-strapped program to provide grants of up to $4,968 to low-income college students.

“Veterans are committed, disciplined and experienced. They know leadership, and they know how to accomplish a mission,” Quinn said.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Alex Degman reports

House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) asked how the governor planned to pay for his initiatives.

“They all look and sound good, but to come in and say I want you to spend another $500 million, and in another three weeks he’s going to come in and say I want you to borrow four to five billion dollars to pay bills,” Cross said. “How does that jive? It doesn’t jive. They all sound good, but can you afford them? I think we all know the answer to that.”

The governor outlined what he calls a robust jobs agenda that seeks tax cuts for low income working families and businesses alike, after approving an income tax increase last January. Cross said that’s akin to a business owner raising prices, and then having sales to appear sympathetic to certain groups.

Republican Illinois State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, who is responsible for managing the state’s finances, said the governor’s plan “is like a chicken in every pot; lots of pots, no chickens.”

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) said the governor barely touched on what Republicans believe is the state’s biggest problem: Medicaid and pension reform. Radogno said her party has crafted reform plans to no avail.

“[The ideas] were frankly ridiculed last year by the Senate president and yet they were exactly on target in terms of laying out what the problem was, things we’re willing to talk about in terms of solutions including major pension and Medicaid reform,” she said. “The Democrats, to date, have not chosen to engage.”

The governor said the state must focus on controlling the costs of pensions for state employees, but again offered few specifics how to do so.

“Fixing the pension problem will not be easy, but we have no choice,” Quinn said.

In recent days, unpaid bills, and not investment, have dominated discussions about state finances.

The Civic Federation has warned that the pension debt will balloon to gargantuan proportions if the governor and state lawmakers do not take immediate action. Medicaid costs are also spinning out of control, the Civic Federation said.

Quinn says details about pension reform plans will come in his budget address in a few weeks.

State Rep. Darlene Senger (R-Naperville) said, “It’s one of the largest problems we have and I haven’t heard anybody yet talk about what we’re gonna do to really reform pensions and get rid of that $84 billion liability, which keeps squeezing everything else.”

Controversial issues, such as cuts to Medicaid spending and adjusting benefits for state workers, aren’t often addressed during election years.

Tom Cross says that’s no longer an excuse.

But the governor insisted that there’s a bright side; and pointed to successes in his first three years as Governor.

“From major export growth, and the largest public works construction program in state history, to solid gains in education, we’re back on course and Illinois is moving forward,” Quinn said.

Quinn also called for greater investment in technology and high-tech jobs in Illinois. To that end, the state is investing $2.3 million in 1871, a new technology center at the Merchandise Mart that will foster and launch digital startups.

The state is also launching a $6 million competition to build ultra-high-speed broadband in neighborhoods across the state, Quinn said.

Quinn also called for investment in early childhood education, a bill that would raise to 18 the age at which students can drop out of school, and an investment in classroom infrastructure – including modern laboratories, digital books, high-speed Internet access, and “21st century efficiency.”

Quinn also said the exports are up 30 percent in Illinois this year, and he wants that number to go higher. To that end, the chief executive officer of Navistar will chair a new council charged with doubling the number of exports by 2014, Quinn said.

Quinn also called for investments in upgrades to ensure the entire state has clean water, which would create jobs.

He also announced the creation of an Illinois Foreclosure Prevention network, which will give homeowners the resources they need to stay in their homes.

The governor also launched a lob at states that have scaled back the power of organized labor. The Indiana State Senate approved a controversial right-to-work bill Wednesday, and Gov. Mitch Daniels is expected to sign it.

“Here in Illinois, unlike other states in the Midwest, we believe in the right of working people to organize,” Quinn said. “The hard work of our men and women is why Illinois is moving forward.”

State Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) “I think that the governor’s become a prisoner of his own fantasyland.”

The Governor will return to Springfield next month to present his budget address, which allies hope will deal with the reality of the state’s financial problems.

State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) said, “There’s more to come, clearly, in the budget address. The budget address is going to, I think, hopefully lay out how we’re going to pay for the priorities which he set.”

Even fellow Democrat and Senate President John Cullerton gently chided the governor, saying “I look forward to hearing how we can fund these important priorities within a balanced budget.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel steered clear of criticizing the governor, applauding the commitment he shares with Quinn, for, in his words, “creating the conditions that allow companies to grow and families to thrive.”

Emanuel also vowed to join with Quinn to confront those challenges together.

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, officials said it was President Barack Obama’s decision to host the two summits in his hometown of Chicago. That decision was made around the same time Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff, was elected mayor.

Several other U.S. cities were considered, but apparently not seriously.

From the briefing provided for reporters on Tuesday, it seemed clear that the fact that those summits are being held in Chicago, is a personal decision for the president.

The briefing was held behind closed doors, on the record, but without cameras. The presentation was made by a deputy assistant and a special assistant to the president. They immediately credited both Emanuel and former Mayor Richard M. Daley with striving to elevate Chicago’s image worldwide.

They said the reason Chicago got the summits boiled down to Obama’s pride in his hometown and confidence Chicago was capable of hosting the two meetings of international leaders; Chicago’s connection to the global economy; and the international presence and diversity of the city itself.

They said that protests at past summits reflect the inevitable security challenges but they felt Chicago was more than capable of handling them.

Gov. Pat Quinn agreed.

“I think we’re going to work together to make sure that we have a welcoming, hospitable environment here in Chicago for this gathering and a safe one,” Quinn said at an unrelated event.

The president’s aides also revealed more of what will go on inside the meetings, citing major NATO topics as:

–The transition in Afghanistan from U.S. and NATO forces to Afghan security;
–the NATO community’s joint defense capability, including missile defense systems;
–and global partnerships with other non-NATO nations, like the Persian Gulf nations that joined in the blockade of Libya during last year’s revolution there.

Asked directly who’s footing the bill for the summits, the two White House aides said that between the federal funding, the Department of Homeland Security, and money raised in Chicago by the privately-run host committee, they believe the summit can go forward without being a burden on Chicago taxpayers.

While the summits themselves will be held at McCormick Place, organizers also envision the foreign leaders who attend the meetings will criss-cross the city to visit the various ethnic neighborhoods, be they Polish, Lithuanian, Greek, Italian or any other number of ethnicities.

That would mean dozens foreign dignitaries and their security details and motorcades fanning out over the city.

WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports the governor said he expects to announce action on the proposal in about a week, shortly before the deadline for him to act before it goes into law automatically.

Quinn said he first had to work on his State of the State address, which he will deliver in Springfield on Wednesday.

He also said he had to “put the finishing touches on that particular piece of legislation,” referring to the speed cameras measure. The mayor said Tuesday that he’s made his case to Quinn to sign the measure, which lawmakers approved late last year.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

The legislation would allow red light cameras near schools and parks to be used to ticket people who speed through those areas.

The Illinois House and Senate approved the measure last fall.

The governor downplayed reports that the vast majority of public input on the measure has been negative.

The Expired Meter website issued a Freedom of Information request on all calls, emails and letters from the public to the governor’s office about the legislation and found that of 224 calls, letters and emails about the speed camera bill, 91 percent were opposed to it.

“You may get letters, perhaps emails. You know, you study each communication, but … I’m not sure that’s a scientific sampling of all the people of Illinois,” Quinn said. “I think there are some people who are for the bill and some aren’t for it and, you know, that happens in a lot of situations.”

The governor also noted he signed legislation legalizing civil unions for same sex couples in Illinois, despite vocal opposition from opponents of gay marriage.

The mayor also has brushed off reports that most of the public is opposed to the push for speed cameras, insisting he’s concerned only about improving safety, not that he’s seeking another major revenue source for the city by issuing speeding tickets through automated cameras.

“If popularity or perception were my only issue, I’d be sitting in my office, just doing a lot of nothing,” Emanuel said. “That’s not what I’m worried about. I’ll let people take care of that and I understand why people are questioning and they’ll an ability to see how we implement it. My goal is the safety of our children.”

Before Emanuel began his push for speed cameras last fall, Chicago was already at or near the top of the list of cities with the most red light cameras. The proposal would allow the city to use existing red light cameras and mobile cameras to catch speeders in the act within 1/8 mile of schools and parks in Chicago.

The cameras would ticket cars going more than five miles per hour over the speed limit.

On Tuesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, “If it wasn’t for the fact that both the police chief and the heads of schools came to me and said, ‘We have a problem distinct from other cities,’ I would not have pushed something forward, just because I’m looking for another unpopular issue to tackle.”

The mayor cited accident and injury statistics to justify enabling 79 red light cameras to clock speeds at intersections within 1/8 of a mile of city schools and parks from just before to just after their hours of operation.

But the city’s own study indicated more than 50 percent of all children struck by cars are hit in the middle of the block, not at an intersection.

Before enforcement with speed cameras could begin, the city would conduct a 30-day public education campaign to inform drivers of the new speed cameras. Intersections with the cameras would also have signage informing drivers that the speed cameras are there.

The mayor has called the speed cameras just one part of a strategy to increase safety near schools, in addition to deploying more crossing guards, increasing safe passage funds, enforcing a curfew and new cameras inside schools.

Right now, the city has red light cameras in 79 locations within a 1/8 of a mile of a school or park. Those are the cameras Emanuel has said he wants to modify to catch speeders and they cover about 3 percent of the city.

But a published report said the proposed legislation to allow speed cameras in the city showed the legislation would allow at least 47 percent of the city to be covered by the cameras – not including areas around colleges and universities.

Any motorist busted by a camera would be sent a ticket in the mail. Sponsors said the tickets would be sent to the owner of the car caught speeding. The cameras would only take photos of the speeding car’s license plate, not the driver.

The owner would be subject to a fine of up to $100 and five unpaid fines would result in the loss of the owner’s driver’s license.

Mocking the legislation as the “right to work for less” bill, Quinn joined opponents who have called such laws an assault on organized labor.

As WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports, the legislation was approved by the Indiana House earlier this month and is headed for a final vote before the Indiana Senate on Wednesday. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has said he will sign it.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

The measure would prohibit union contracts that require workers to pay union dues.

Proponents have said it will make Indiana more attractive to businesses, but opponents say such laws are an attack on labor unions and will drive down workers’ salaries.

Quinn said it is bad legislation and he said he doesn’t think it will start attracting companies to Indiana. The governor said companies do quite well in Illinois with union labor.

“Having a good union work force like Caterpillar and John Deere and Ford and Mitsubishi and Chrysler; they all have – Navistar as well – they’re all organized by the UAW and the UAW believes in making sure that people get a decent wage, get a decent health care plan and a decent retirement,” Quinn said.

Quinn said major companies like those are thriving in Illinois with union labor.

“Take a look at Caterpillar. They had their best year in 2011 since, I think, 1947 was the last year they were as good as they were last year. They sold a lot of machinery all over the world; 90 percent of what they make in Illinois, they export to the world,” Quinn said.

The governor also said he’s not worried about losing Illinois businesses to Indiana.

“That ain’t gonna happen, I’ll tell you that. I think that’s a bad bill and I’m very sorry that Mitch Daniels is gonna sign the ‘right to work for less’ bill. That’s a bad bill for the incomes of hard-working people,” Quinn said.

Survivor co-founder Frankie Sullivan, whose legal name is Frank M. Sullivan III, filed the lawsuit on Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Sullivan owns Rude Music, a Palatine-based corporation which publishes his musical compositions.

Guitarist Sullivan and keyboardist-vocalist Jim Peterik wrote “Eye of the Tiger,” which was released on May 29, 1982, and topped the charts around the world. It also became the theme song for the movie “Rocky III.”

The song has been copyrighted since June 7, 1982, the lawsuit said.

Gingrich began using the song as early as 2009 during political conferences and public events such as the Conservative Political Action Conferences from 2009-11 and the Southern Republic Leadership Conference in 2010, the suit claims.

Gingrich has also used the song publicly during campaign appearances in Pennsylvania and a “pre-caucus swing” through Iowa before its Republican caucuses, the suit said. A video on the Newt 2012 Inc. website features Gingrich entering a packed Moose Lodge in Doylestown, Pa., for a speech as the song “pulsed,” the suit claims.

Gingrich’s campaign bus “blared” the song during a stop at an excavation business in Walford, Iowa, and “Eye of the Tiger” was also played when he entered and exited an event in Des Moines, the suit claims.

The suit claims Gingrich is “sophisticated and knowledgeable” about copyrights, both as a former elected official and a business owner.

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, Gingrich is author or co-author of 40 copyrighted works. While he served as a congressman, the Copyright Act was extensively amended.

Gingrich is also chief executive officer of Gingrich Productions Inc., a Washington-based multimedia production company that features works from Gingrich and his wife, Callista, the suit said. They have produced historical and public policy documentaries, photographic essays, and written and audio books.

During a recent debate in South Carolina, Gingrich criticized the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act, stating, “We have a patent office, we have copyright law. If a company finds that it has genuinely been infringed upon, it has the right to sue …,” the suit said.

The suit also names the American Conservative Union for posting internet video recordings of its 2010 and 2011 conferences that featured Gingrich and the “Eye of the Tiger” song, which was unlicensed, unauthorized and infringed upon Rude Music’s copyright.

The suit claims copyright infringement and seeks that Gingrich and the American Conservative Union stop using unauthorized performances of the song. It also seeks damages, any profits gained from using the song, attorney fees and court costs.

Kristy Campbell, an American Conservative Union spokeswoman, said she hadn’t seen the lawsuit as of late Monday afternoon, but would be reviewing past music licensing agreements. A spokesman for Gingrich was not immediately available for comment Monday.

This is not the first time in recent years that a politician has gotten into legal trouble for using a popular song without permission.

When he was running for office two years ago, U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) was slapped with a lawsuit by the other Joe Walsh – the guitarist from the Eagles.

The Eagles’ Walsh alleged candidate Walsh took his 1970 hit with the James Gang “Walk Away” and changed the lyrics to turn it into a campaign song called “Lead the Way.”

Candidate Walsh went on to win the election, and has gained notoriety in his freshman term as a Tea Party firebrand. He has also come out against SOPA and its companion act, the Protect IP Act (PIPA.)

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

“I think there are a lot of Republican voters who are not sold on Mitt Romney’s authenticity,” said Caliendo, a political science professor at North Central College.

Besides that, Caliendo says, there are many other states where residents have yet to cast their votes – and not all of them have primaries.

“We’ve got some caucus states coming up – caucuses work a little bit differently than primaries – and some of these other candidates might be able to pull some surprises there,” Caliendo said. “The problem is going to be money – who’s going to be able to raise enough money to keep going.”

In particular, Caliendo says, Newt Gingrich needs to spend a lot of money to remain competitive in the primaries and caucuses that are left.

“He needs to stay on message, but he also needs to spend a lot of money. He’s got a couple of big investors – a couple of folks who are sort of giving him big money – not directly to him, but to PACs that support him. He’s going to need more of that,” Caliendo said.

Funding will be needed especially for Gingrich to be competitive when Super Tuesday comes around in March, Caliendo said.

“He has to stay on the airwaves. Florida is a huge state with lots of media markets, so it’s very expensive to run campaigns there. That’s not going to be the case in February. Missouri, I think, is the largest state. Colorado has a selection contest in February. There’s just a handful,” Caliendo said. “But then we get to Super Tuesday – the first Tuesday in March – lots of southern states, especially larger states – you need money if you’re going to compete on Super Tuesday.”

On CBS This Morning on Monday, Charlie Rose asked Gingrich about all of the powers that be in the Republican Party who have come out against him. Gingrich responded that he is taking on the establishment in both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Caliendo says some might doubt the credibility of Gingrich’s comments, and his alignment with the anti-establishment forces of the Tea Party.

“It’s a winning argument. It’s just a tough one for somebody who was Speaker of the House to make. I mean, he’s clearly a Washington insider, but he’s running as an outsider because the establishment is firmly behind Mitt Romney,” Caliendo said. “I think if you ask those folks who are in the inside of Republican politics, they wanted this thing to be over by now. They wanted Romney to be the nominee. Gingrich is sort of pushing against that.”

As for Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, Caliendo says it’s unlikely that they stand a chance of getting the nomination now.

“I don’t think that either one has a chance to come back and get the nomination, but they do have a chance to make the noise at the convention – particularly Ron Paul. I mean, he’s got a message that’s so different from the other candidates, and he has a core group of supporters that have been behind him all along,” Caliendo said. “Rick Santorum is having a tough time competing for attention with Newt Gingrich, because they’re not that dissimilar – even though he’s trying to make it seem like they are – and of course, with that sick daughter, it makes it very difficult for him just to stay focused.”

More about Stephen Caliendo.

As WBBM Newsradio’s David Roe reports, some of the organizations have received contracts to operate after school programs, others to make sure children get to and from school safely.

The Chicago Tribune reports all of the groups have come under scrutiny following complaints they paid people to testify in favor of Emanuel’s plans to lengthen the school day and close underperforming schools.

The Tribune says Mayor Emanuel was asked on Monday whether the contracts awarded to the companies amounted to patronage, and did not directly answer the question. He said the focus needed to be on fixing the city’s public education system.

But the mayor did say that the city Inspector General is going to look into the complaints.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s David Roe reports