Third time wasn't a charm for an ordinance that several aldermen said would simply reinforce the city follow state law when it comes to destruction of public records.

The ordinance from Alderman Sam Cahnman was a resolution that said the city would have to get a certificate of destruction before destroying records, as state law requires.

Mayor Mike Houston provided the tie breaking vote.

Another measure that requires the mayor to sign changes in collective bargaining agreements passed the council.

However, aldermen moved to hold off on passing an ordinance that requests the Illinois Attorney General's office investigate the destruction of public records that were requested through FOIA.

A spokesman with the city says a letter from the AG's office indicates they will not investigate.

The three ordinances were requested after police internal affairs files requested by a newspaper reporter were destroyed.  

The reporter is suing the city over the destruction of those files.

Volunteers with Springfield’s Red Cross chapter are making preparations now, in anticipation of being called in to assist with tornado recovery efforts in Oklahoma. 

Colleen Stone with the Illinois Capital Area Chapter says they haven’t gotten the call for help yet.  She says chapters in and near Oklahoma City would handle the immediate aftermath of the disaster and then call for reinforcements.  Stone expects local volunteers will head to Oklahoma in the next several days. 

In the meantime, Stone says anyone who wants to help can text “REDCROSS” to 70000.  The local chapter will then contact the donor and arrange that donation through credit or debit card, or check.

Republican Congressman Rodney Davis and Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin are in agreement… Internet businesses should pay the same sales taxes as brick-and-mortar stores. 

Davis supports Durbin’s “Marketplace Fairness Act,” which requires online companies to collect the appropriate sales tax from customers and send it to the state where that customer lives. 

The Taylorville Republican says the current system creates an unfair disadvantage for local stores who pay property taxes and hire local employees.  Davis appeared live Tuesday on 970 WMAY's "Jim Leach Show."

District 186 is just getting started on its search for a new superintendent… but some potential candidates may already be out of the running. 

School board president Chuck Flamini says a change in state law may leave most out-of-state candidates ineligible to take the job. 

The state has moved to a “licensure” system for teachers, one which eliminates a grace period for job applicants to fix any gaps between their own record and the state’s requirements for the job.  Without that, Flamini says, almost any out-of-state contender would not be able to meet the requirements for superintendent and therefore could not be hired.

Springfield school board members are all now in agreement that they should hire an outside firm to conduct the search for a new superintendent.

But it could still be weeks before a firm is chosen and the search gets underway.

At least four companies are competing for the job, which could pay more than $20,000.

Once a firm is chosen, it could take six months or more to find a permanent replacement for Walter Milton, who was forced out this spring.

Republican state senators say the appointment of a former congressional candidate to a high-paying state job looks like political payback.

Governor Pat Quinn named Dr. David Gill to that $125,000-a-year job as assistant director of public health.

The appointment ended talk that Gill might seek a rematch with GOP Congressman Rodney Davis, who narrowly defeated Gill last November.

The Republican senators say it looks like Quinn used the taxpayer-funded job to clear a path for a different opponent to take on Davis next year.

Springfield school board members have decided one thing about the search for a new superintendent: they definitely want outside help for a job they feel is too big to handle on their own.

But despite the unanimous agreement from board members that they will spend the money to hire a search firm, no other concrete action has been taken on the search.  The board must still decide which of four or five competing firms will get the contract, what the search criteria will be, and what the timeline is to find a replacement for former Superintendent Walter Milton.

No action will be taken until at least June 3, prompting warnings that the board may have to find another interim superintendent before a permanent replacement is hired.  Current interim Bob Leming can only work 100 days in the upcoming school year before putting his teachers pension in jeopardy.

Several local preservationists are joining forces to urge the Springfield School Board to postpone the planned demolition of a historic school building, to allow time to study alternatives that might allow the nearly century-old structure to remain standing.

The current Enos School building is supposed to face the wrecking ball soon, to make way for completion of a new Enos School which has been under construction on the same property, right next door.  Preservationists including Jerry Jacobson and Steve Myers are asking the new school board to halt the demolition for at least 60 days.

In that time, the preservationists want to offer details of a plan to adapt the current building as a privately-owned residential complex.  The close proximity to the new building is seen as a complicating factor, but supporters of the project say it can be overcome.  The school board did not take action Monday night, but say they will address the issue at their next meeting in early June.

The chief engineer at City Water Light and Power says that while the utility will almost certainly ask for an electric rate increase next year, it's impossible to say at this point how big the rate hike might be.

Eric Hobbie says the electric fund has been hurt by rising costs... especially the high cost of federal regulations... and by a sharp decrease in the money CWLP can make selling its energy on the open market.

But Hobbie says the utility can get by for the rest of this year, and it's too soon to know what the situation will be next year.  Hobbie says any attempt to predict the utility's needs next year would almost certainly be wrong.

The Democratic black and Latino caucuses in the Illinois Senate are openly rebelling against Governor Pat Quinn’s reappointment of Healthcare and Family Services Director Julie Hamos. 

Senators Martin Sandoval and Donne Trotter sent a letter on behalf of their caucuses telling Quinn that Hamos has advocated “elitist” policies that slash vital programs and make it harder for poor and minority Illinoisans to receive essential healthcare services. 

They are recommending that the Senate reject her re-appointment, and are urging Quinn to choose a new director.

Parents of some of the victims of the Newtown, Connecticut school massacre will be in Springfield today… encouraging state senators to support a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

Those same parents stood Sunday with Governor Pat Quinn and Senate President John Cullerton at a Chicago news conference.

They contend that if shooter Adam Lanza had not had access to 30-round clips, he would have spent more time reloading and fewer children would have died at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Cullerton says he hopes the presence of the parents will make senators, quote, “very uncomfortable” about voting against the ban.

It’s a two-week sprint to the finish line for Illinois lawmakers… with a whole lot still remaining on their to-do list.

In addition to hot button issues like concealed carry, same-sex marriage, or even an increase in the state’s speed limit, the General Assembly must also approve a budget which is likely to include painful cuts in some programs… and make some attempt to gain control over the runaway debt in the state’s public sector pension funds.

Several parents of children killed in last year's Newtown, Conn., school massacre will be in Springfield Monday to urge lawmakers to approve a statewide ban on high-capacity ammunition clips.

Some of those parents appeared in Chicago Sunday with Governor Pat Quinn and Senate President John Cullerton to advocate in favor of the ban.  The parents say the Newtown shooter's use of 30-round clips allowed him to get off more shots without stopping, adding to the death toll at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Cullerton says it is always difficult to go up against the National Rifle Association, but says he hopes the presence of the Newtown parents will make lawmakers "very uncomfortable" about voting against the ban.

He was in jail, then he was out… then in, and now he’s out again. 

Calvin Christian, who has several pending lawsuits against Springfield police, has been released after an overnight stay in the county jail on a contempt of court charge. 

The judge allowed Christian to go free after Christian promised to either pay a delinquent noise ordinance fine… or to turn over financial information to the city.  Christian has one week to comply or risk returning to jail.

With less than two weeks to go in the scheduled legislative session… and most of the major issues still unresolved… Illinois lawmakers are taking the weekend off. 

The legislature did send a medical marijuana bill to the governor’s desk for the first time.  But a vote on a concealed carry bill was postponed. 

And there’s little sign of progress on pension reform and no clear picture on a new state budget.