Pension hope: Crossing our fingers

PENSION HOPE Lawmakers convene in Springfield today to start the second week of the fall veto session, and there's cause for optimism that we may actually see a bill to fix the state's biggest financial problem. It may not happen this week, but that doesn't dampen our hope. We explain what's going on with a possible compromise here.

LEGAL BILLS Gov. Pat Quinn lost in his effort to cancel paychecks for legislators after they didn't deliver a pension bill to him in July. The lawsuit that resulted from Quinn's paycheck veto could cost you more than $400,000 in legal fees to private attorneys for defendant Quinn and plaintiffs Michael Madigan and John Cullerton. That's how much various law firms are allowed to bill under contracts with the state that we obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. It's less than the cost of those fancy doors on the Capitol, only in this case we don't get any fancy doors. Find out more here.

• MORE If you want to see the actual contracts in their entirety, we've got those too. They're posted here.

WHO ARE YOU Some people may not know it, but Pat Quinn was a tea party guy long before there was a Tea Party. He encouraged voters to send tea bags to Gov. Jim Thompson in 1978 after Thompson signed a pay raise lawmakers had approved for themselves. Then he led a populist rebellion that slashed the size of the General Assembly. The Illinois Policy Institute's Scott Reeder misses that Pat Quinn and wonders where he's gone. He explains in this column.

JR.'S FALL With credit for good behavior, Jesse Jackson Jr. will be out of prison on New Year's Eve 2015. His rise was meteoric, his fall was hard and fast. We chart it in this timeline.

CHICAGO TROUBLE The Chicago Tribune this week is digging into some bad financial practices of past years that have put the city of Chicago in financial jeopardy. Mainly, the city's use of long-term debt for short-term expenses put it on a dangerous path that Mayor Rahm Emanuel must now navigate. We sum up today's Tribune editorial and more in today's news wrap-up here.

SPORTS FLASH! Only one ESPN football "expert" picked the Bears to win Monday night at Lambeau. Who was it? Hint: He almost ran for U.S. Senate against Barack Obama in 2004. Check it out and take a trip back to those heady days here.

HEADLINES Here are the Top 5 Illinois news stories today:

• 5. While organized labor has suffered in many Midwest states, in Illinois it's still going strong. (Associated Press)
  4. Gay marriage tops the agenda as lawmakers return to Springfield, but a pension solution is unlikely. (Chicago Tribune)
  3. Opinion: State Sen. Andy Manar’s proposed legislation for the Archer Daniels Midland tax breaks could be a win-win. (Herald & Review)
  2. Opinion: Even in a good year for investments, the Illinois pension problem continues to worsen. (Chicago Tribune)
  1. Opinion: Chicago’s reckless bond spending will put the burden on following generations. (Chicago Tribune)