All links via the Journal Star:

Today’s Word on the Street is especially newsy today. Dave Koehler comments on his civil union legislation. It looks like Elliot’s is gonna get some kind of liquor license today. Peoria County officials defend their silly little push poll that faked public support for raising taxes for the regional museum [...]

UPDATED to fix a fact error.
I have to admit. I was initially baffled by State Sen. Dave Koehler’s latest idea. He’s proposed legislation — still very much in draft form — that would tax patrons of strip clubs a few bucks every time they walk through the doors. The cash would apparently go to support [...]

NOTE: Somewhere in this post, there’s a joke to be made about smoking a few fags, but this is a serious blog and I am far too classy a person for that.
Anyway … here’s the whole sordid story:
State Sen. Dave Koehler is proposing legislation that would legalize civil unions in Illinois and entitle unmarried couples [...]

Talk about depressing.
I had been planning all day to go to the the John Morris victory party at the River Station. I like John (and I like the River Station) but the thought of spending the evening among people as they watch their favored candidate finish third in the three-person race just didn’t appeal to [...]

As someone who has been there — often — I don’t relish the idea of anyone losing their job. That’s that’s what’s facing some city workers at the the Workforce Network. The feds have apparently reduced their grant funding by $1.5 million, and as a result some 11 people are getting laid off, and there’s [...]

I can’t find a clip on the Web, but I think I must have heard it on WCBU. State Sen. Dave Koehler attended the rally in support of turning the Kellar Branch into a walking/biking trail.
Sen. Koehler was indignant over the fact that the Surface Transportation Board wouldn’t let the City of Peoria and the [...]

In a way, the contest between Jehan Gordon and Allen Mayer is starting to remind me of the 1996 primary battle between incumbent 92nd District State House Rep. Don Saltzman and challenger Ricca Slone.
On one hand, there was Saltzman. He was tight with the building trades unions. He’d been there was a long time and [...]

State Sen. Dave Koehler and Peoria County Board member Jimmy Dillon attended tonight’s meeting of the Kingspark/Four Seasons Neighborhood Association, and did they get an earful.
I know for a fact they Koehler is familiar with the complaints residents have at the place, but left the meeting with the feeling that Koehler was disturbed the litany [...]

It’s political season out there, and announcements by would-be office holders are about as common as leaves turning colors.
County Board member Allen Mayer made it official yesterday and announced he is running for the 92nd Illinois House seat held by Aaron Schock.
He brought along his wife, Carey, and his 21-month-old daughter, the incredibly cute Katherine. [...]

Some thoughts on today’s Word on the Street:

I see they finally got around to reporting on the controversy over Aaron Schock operating his 18th District U.S. House seat out of county GOP headquarters. I reported on it back on Sept. 20, 18 days ago. Kudos! Better late then never, I always say.
Members of the Peoria [...]

Willy Nilly has some very interesting inside-baseball type revelations and insights about the Aaron Schock campaign. It turns out his campaign manager is a former house mate of a woman who resigned as director of Freedom House in Princeton after being accused of misuse of funds and sexually harassing some male employees. The misuse of [...]

I attended Barack Obama’s appearance at a rally for State Senate candidate Dave Koehler this afternoon outside the Peoria County Courthouse.
I made the decision that If I wanted to shake Obama’s hand, I was going to have to stand next to Peoria City Council members Barbara Van Auken and Gary Sandberg, both of whom have [...]

From a press release:
In the interest of providing an educational opportunity for Peoria citizens, the Neighborhood Alliance is hosting a candidate’s forum. Each candidate will have an allotted time period with which to speak and/or answer questions.
Date of event: September 18, 2006. Time: begins at 5:30pm. Where: Advanced Medical [...]

Today’s Word on the Street comes to the defense, sort of, of Dave Koehler, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to replace George Shadid in the Illinois Senate.
The column tries to refute the charge of Republican candidate Blair Gambill that Koehler is “too left” for the district:
And the column does a pretty good job, not [...]

You can stick a fork in the idea that Aaron Schock will run for the Illinois State Senate. The GOP has hand-picked candidate.
Blair Gambill, 48, who owns an insurance company specializing in health plans for small businesses, is expected to announce his candidacy today.
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Gambill is a graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and has [...]