07 Dec 2004

Get Ready for the 2006 Illinois Campaign

By Rich Miller
The dust isn't even settled yet from the 2004 campaign, but candidates are already lining up for the 2006 race. You and I might be sick of campaign news, but to these people the game is just beginning. Joe Birkett, the DuPage County state's attorney who narrowly lost the 2002 attorney general's race to Democrat Lisa Madigan, sent a letter to Republican leaders late last month telling them he is looking forward to being on the statewide ticket.
30 Nov 2004

Is the Illinois Legislature Gearing Up for a January Surprise?

By Rich Miller
After the Republicans lost complete control of the state legislature in the 1996 election, they rushed through several bills the following January, before handing the House gavel back to the Democrats. The state Constitution requires a three-fifths majority to pass any bills with immediate effective dates after May 31.
23 Nov 2004

Illinois Governor Wants to Leave Few Fingerprints

By Rich Miller
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is becoming way too predictable. Twice now, the governor has told a legislator that he's for a gaming-expansion deal, then his staff denies that the governor said any such thing.
02 Nov 2004

Coalition of Female Legislators Fractures Under Election Pressure

By Rich Miller
Women House members from both parties have stuck together like glue for the past few years, uniting to form the bipartisan Conference of Women Legislators (COWL). The group has become a powerful force at the Statehouse, successfully pushing several woman-friendly bills and budget items.
26 Oct 2004

Obama Comes Out Swinging in Second U.S. Senate Debate

By Rich Miller
Since most of you probably had higher priorities last Thursday night than catching the debate between Barack Obama and Alan Keyes (such as watching the St. Louis Cardinals win the National League pennant), I figured I'd do my civic duty and tell you what I saw.
19 Oct 2004

Desperate Democrats Throw Mud in Supreme-Court Race

By Rich Miller
This is an election. It is not a meeting of a Sunday School class," Illinois State Bar Association President Ole Bly Pace told the Associated Press this week. Pace was referring to the Fifth District Supreme Court race as he made what could be the political understatement of the year.
12 Oct 2004

Can Lieutenant Governor Keep His Silence for Two More Years?

By Rich Miller
Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn was threatened with political "divorce" not long ago by Governor Rod Blagojevich's office. Quinn has been a critic of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority for years, but he was completely cut out of the governor's massive restructuring and reform plan.
05 Oct 2004

The Hottest Race in Illinois? For the Supreme Court

By Rich Miller
This year's only Illinois Supreme Court race is just about the hottest political thing going. The Fifth District race pits appellate justice Gordon Maag (D-Glen Carbon) against trial judge Lloyd Karmeier (R-Nashville).
28 Sep 2004

No Easy Answers for Statehouse Security

By Rich Miller
Up until last week the Statehouse had been one of the safest places in Illinois. No one had ever been killed there in its entire history. And then some unbalanced kid stops taking his meds and all hell breaks loose.
21 Sep 2004

Appointed Incumbent Gets a Big Break in Key House Race

By Rich Miller
It's endorsement season in Illinois politics, a time of high anxiety for candidates who are already involved up to their eyeballs in stressful campaigns. Missing out on a key interest-group endorsement can sometimes devastate a campaign.

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