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Illinois House Approves Capital Plan & Ethics Bills
The first big public works plan in Illinois in a decade is ready for the governor's signature.

The state House of Representatives Thursday evening approved the $26 billion package, funded by increases in the cost of license plates, driver's licenses, and taxes on alcoholic beverages.

Still ahead for the General Assembly is an operating budget, which many - including Gov. Pat Quinn - believe should have been done first. House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) says the construction plan - which Cross supports - represents an "early victory" for controlling Democrats.

The House also finished a trio of ethics bills and sent them to the Senate. Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) says he secured a promise from Quinn that John Filan, a top advisor held over from the Rod Blagojevich administration, would resign. Madigan's "fumigation" bill would give Quinn 90 days to evaluate each of about 750 high-level officials hired under his two predecessors, Blagojevich and George Ryan. The other ethics bills tighten the purchasing process and open the inspector general's process. The House had previously passed a bill freezing lawmakers' pay.

H.B.s 312 and 2400 (capital spending) and 255 (capital revenue) await the governor's action, having passed both chambers. S.B. 1333 (fumigation), 51 (procurement), and 54 (inspector general) have passed.

(Illinois Radio Network)
05 21 09 by Newsroom
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