Morning Watch - February 6
Feb 06, 2013
Quinn's calls: In today's State of the State address Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to call for an increase in minimum wage, online voter registration and and a switch to open primary elections, the Trib reports.
Big business: The Sun-Times reports a small Berwyn hardware store gets plenty of business from the Cicero government and then pays it forward to the town president come campaign time.
Marriage matters: Illinois' gay marriage bill advances, gaining approval from the Senate Executive Committee, WBEZ reports.
Religious rights: The gay marriage bill will be up for a vote on Feb. 14 and this time includes protections for religious institutions not to perform same-sex marriages, the Sun-Times writes.
Gun laws: Firearm owners in suburban Cook County will face fines up to $2,000 if they don't report lost, sold or stolen guns, the Trib reports.
Deal or no deal: City Hall pressures the Cubs and rooftop club owners to come to a deal on signage by week's end, the Trib reports.
Serving sentence: After Rita Crundwell pleads guilty to embezzling millions of dollars while serving as Dixon comptroller, her lawyers ask for a sentence of 12.5 years, on the low end of court's guidelines, ABC 7 reports.
Finance forms: Few candidates running for Jesse Jackson Jr.'s seat in Congress have filed the necessary financial disclosures, the Sun-Times reports.
In violation: A City Hall crackdown finds 97 percent of investigated tax preparers were found to be in violation of city regulations, the Sun-Times reports.
Out of the woods: A federal judge dismisses a lawsuit over illegal hiring practices in the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the Sun-Times reports.
OSHA on the job: After a performer was burned, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the Lyric Opera of Chicago, WBEZ reports.
Just a regular guy: CBS 2's Walter Jacobson applauds Rahm for showing up to jury duty like a regular citizen.
Weapon worries: Gov. Quinn will push for a ban on concealed weapons in highly trafficked public places, the Sun-Times reports.
What about us? The Sun-Times' editorial board wonders why Obama went to Newtown to console the families of shooting victims but hasn't done the same in Chicago.