Deal delayed, Senate done, whoops!, today's favorite

A "deal" on what supporters call major ethics legislation was supposed to be announced at 1 p.m. at the Capitol. But that announcement has now been pushed back to 4:30 p.m.
Some Republican supporters weren't informed of the delay by the Democrats -- who run the show in Springfield.

The GOP's initial reaction was not a positive one.

Now the question is whether the delay is procedural or fatal.

Senate gone
The Illinois Senate just announced (at 1:25 p.m.) it has finished it's business for the day and adjourned until tomorrow morning. It's not quite happy hour yet. Senate committee hearings are scheduled throughout the afternoon.

No, the place he lives ...
In federal court yesterday, there were interesting developments regarding financial dealings surrounding Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Chicago residence. The Associated Press was among those moving stories about the alleged shenanigans.
CHICAGO (AP) - Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko got a former state official to deliver "black plastic bags" of cash through "narrow streets" to pay contractors threatening to slap an embarrassing lien on the Illinois governor's mansion, prosecutors told a federal judge Tuesday.
Again, the court developments dealt with the governor's actual house, not the homestead taxpayers provide him.

Today's favorite
I had a story today about the governor's budget speech idea of $300-per-child state rebate checks modeled after the federal economic incentive checks. The federal checks are being deposited in accounts this week. The governor would pay for the state checks by selling off the state's right to a legal settlement with cigarette makers. Someone else would get to cash those checks and Illinois would get a chunk of money now. However, the governor's plan vanished following his February budget pitch.

Anyway, the following comment posted this morning made me chuckle:

posted by Whail on Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:55 AM:
"I'd spend the 300 bucks on cigarettes. Then the tobacco company gets the money and gives it back to Illinois and I get another check. It's a perpetual motion machine that produces free cigarettes."