EXTRA: Who sez Chgo runs Ill.?

This century-old gloomy mood is being felt by much of the Statehouse scene

·        No new law permitting for legitimate marriage between gay couples.

·        No measure providing for reform of the way the state covers the cost of public pensions – even though both Democratic leaders from Chicago wanted it.

·        No casino for Chicago, or for south suburban Cook County either.

·        No new law banning ammunition magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds at a time – despite the fact that Gov. Pat Quinn shamelessly brought in the families of children killed in Newtown, Conn., last year to try to appeal to public sentiment.

·        The state IS going to provide some funding for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s desire to build a sports arena near McCormick Place – but ONLY because it got tied into a bill along with the long-proposed airport in the farmland lying between Monee, Beecher and Peotone, along with a project near rural Tuscola (where the locals think the “Big City” is Champaign and Urbana).

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In fact, what the Illinois General Assembly’s now-completed Spring '13 session is going to be remembered for is the fact that Illinois got pressured into adopting a “concealed carry” measure – although the rural interests that were demanding their viewpoint on firearms prevail across all of Illinois fell short.

So the "urban" victory is that the concept of “home rule” prevailed – and we’re likely to have a mish-mash of policies where firearms owners ARE going to have to pay attention to where they are when they go out in public with that pistol tucked in a waistband or shoulder holster.

SO MUCH FOR the idea that this veto-proof Democratic majority in both the Illinois House and state Senate was going to result in Chicago running amok over everybody in Illinois. There hasn't been any legislative roughshod-running since 1995-96 -- back in the days when the Republicans dominated everything!

Although Quinn made a point Friday night of issuing a statement on “marriage equality” saying, “This is not over. The fight goes on.” We’ll have to wait and see.

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