Governor Pat Quinn’s office says the plan now is to appoint a “conference committee” made up of lawmakers from both chambers who will negotiate agreement on the competing pension reform plans now on the table.  The legislature would then come back in early July to give final approval to that deal. 

State Senator Andy Manar (muh-NAR’), in an interview for the 970 WMAY “News Feed,” says he’s more optimistic now that a deal can actually come together… after months of disagreement.

The top prosecutor in White County joins at least four others around the state in choosing to no longer prosecute such cases… following the court ruling that ordered Illinois to repeal its ban and pass a concealed carry law. 

Other state’s attorneys are also considering similar moves… including Macon County, where prosecutors are still developing what standard they may apply while the state concealed carry law is in limbo.

Furniture is being moved out of Wanless and Pleasant Hill schools… most of it going to Feitshans (FIGHT’-shuns), where those students will attend classes in the fall. After that, some space will be used for storage, but beyond that, the district has made no arrangements to either occupy or sell the buildings. 

Board member Scott McFarland is asking for a plan as soon as possible, saying those vacant buildings could hurt property values in their north-end neighborhoods.

Marianne Manko… who abruptly left WICS Channel 20 earlier this year… has now been hired as an afternoon news anchor at WAND-TV in Decatur.  On her Facebook page, Manko says she will be anchoring the 4pm and 5pm newscasts. 

She has never explained the circumstances of her departure from WICS, but says on a Facebook post that “things work out for the best.”

Two more elementary schools are requesting permission to require students to wear uniforms… solid-colored shirts with dark or khaki pants.

The new Feitshans Elementary School… made up of students from the former Pleasant Hill and Wanless schools… wants to require a school logo on the shirt to establish a sense of identity in the new location.

The school board will vote on both requests next month.

The unions negotiated a pension proposal with Senate President John Cullerton.

It saves less money than an alternate plan from House Speaker Mike Madigan… but the unions say their plan is more likely to survive a court challenge.

However, Madigan has refused to call the bill for a vote in the House.

More than two dozen lawmakers… and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka… have sent a letter to Madigan asking him to let the House consider the Cullerton proposal.

Edwards joined Aldermen Sam Cahnman and Joe McMenamin Monday in voicing support the mural project and the use of TIF district dollars to pay for it.

The three aldermen also dispute Mayor Mike Houston’s contention that the downtown TIF has been overextended.

They say Houston is counting money for future projects that he wants… but that haven’t been approved by aldermen yet.

Three Springfield aldermen are announcing their support for the use of $50,000 in TIF funds to pay for a downtown mural project.  That includes Alderman Frank Edwards, who last week used the term “fluff” when discussing the project, but now says it will provide a boost to downtown’s image. 

But Edwards and other aldermen are now criticizing Mayor Mike Houston, who claimed last week that the city council was draining the downtown TIF dry.  The aldermen say Houston is simply way off the mark.