JUST SAID NO Why would a Republican senator vote against the pension reform bill this week? Sen. Dan Duffy, R-Barrington, has seven reasons. He explains his "no" vote here.
RUTHERFORD Only one of the four Republican candidates for governor (Sen. Bill Brady, who was on the special pension committee) supported the pension bill that Gov. Quinn signed into law Thursday. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford explains here why he believes the law will be invalidated by the Illinois Supreme Court.
PLACEBO Also opposing the bill that now is pension law in Illinois (pending the inevitable lawsuit) is Scott Reeder of the Illinois Policy Institute. We needed strong medicine but got a sugar pill instead, he writes.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
THEN AGAIN... We've said all along there would be plenty for everyone to dislike about the pension bill. That's the nature of compromise. In case you missed it, here is our editorial supporting the less-than-perfect pension bill from earlier this week.
BY THE NUMBERS 53 races, 30 incumbents challenged by members of their own party. The March 18, 2014, primary elections have something for everyone. We break down the numbers in today's chart.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
TEAM COCO ET AL What could possibly unite Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon and Dairy Queen? A summary of Twitter accounts the governor candidates are following, that's what. You'll get a chuckle out of this slide show.
WALKER TO ILLINOIS Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has some advice for Illinois in the finance and pension departments. We sum it up here.
MANDELA Some leaders transcend political, social and cultural borders. Nelson Mandela was one of them. Cartoonist Scott Stantis pays tribute to Mandela in today's cartoon.
TOP 5 Here's a look at headlines from around Illinois today:
4. Dan Rutherford doesn’t believe the pension deal passed will pass constitutional muster. (NBC Chicago)
3. Arizona serves as an example of how the legal battle over pension reform might play out in Illinois. (Chicago Tribune)
2. Pension reform in both Illinois and Detroit are rattling government workers. (Bloomberg Businessweek)
1. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker believes his state can serve as a model for Illinois in fixing fiscal woes. (Chicago Tribune)
