UPDATE, 1:30 p.m. — The Senate just now gave final passage to the bill, as expected. It passed on a partisan 36-22 vote. Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign it.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois Senate today is expected to…

Madigan

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois House tonight passed a bill to impose the first political contribution limits in the state’s history. House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, personally presented the measure to the floor.

But critics continue to blast the bill for…

Hannig

UPDATE (5:30 p.m.) - Quinn’s office confirmed a short time ago, in an emailed statement to reporters, that Hannig will be appointed to head IDOT.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Capitol Fax, the Springfield insider-politics sheet, is reporting this morning that Illinois Gov.…

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and her father, State House Speaker Michael Madigan, have long had a frosty relationship with fellow Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Today, the younger Madigan filed a motion asking the state Supreme Court to take…

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is in Missouri today, honing fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama’s pitch to female voters.

Madigan

DENVER — Yesterday, members of the Illinois delegation were talking tough about their frustration with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who on Monday was back in Chicago announcing he would be rewriting a state ethics bill as state officials at the Democratic Convention…

DENVER – Illinois’ fractious delegation to the National Democratic Convention broke into a remarkable display of tears and hugging between warring factions this morning, culminating with a command-performance embrace between Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan that…

DENVER — Though perhaps not as intriguing as Hef, Illinois Democratic powerbroker Michael Madigan might be more elusive than the famous Playboy.

But, just as we spotted what could be Hugh Hefner’s limo outside the Illinois delegation party yesterday evening, we also spied Madigan,…

DENVER — Outside a private party for Illinois officials in downtown Denver yesterday evening, reporters were gathered eagerly trying to chase down public officials who wandered outside.

However, another attraction — a private Playboy limo — also sat in the street…

DENVER — I caught up with various members of the Illinois delegation outside a private party hosted by state House Speaker Michael Madigan.

First, here’s Chicago Mayor Richard Daley on the Democratic ticket:

Next, we have state…