// a href = ./ //

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Brig. Gen. Daniel Krumrei has assumed command of the Illinois National Guard.

Krumrei takes over for Congressman William Enyart, a retired major general who was elected to Congress as a Democrat last November. He had been in command of the Illinois National Guard since 2007.

Krumrei was command staff chaplain for the Illinois National Guard since 2005. Gov. Pat Quinn in December appointed him to take over for Enyart.

Krumrei assumed command in a ceremony over the weekend at a high school in the central Illinoi community of Chatham.

Roughly 13,000 people serve in the Illinois National Guard.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A scheduled meeting of the Southern Illinois University system's board fizzled because Gov. Pat Quinn's bid to replace three of the panel's members didn't leave enough members to convene.

The Thursday morning meeting was canceled for lack of quorum because of the three vacancies and the absence of a fourth trustee.

That came a day after the Illinois Senate overwhelmingly rejected Quinn's appointments of three replacements for three board members whose terms expired last month.

Wednesday's failed ratification vote continues a year-old power struggle at SIU.

The rift dates to early last year when the SIU board refused to give Quinn-appointed Roger Herrin another term as chairman. The board contended he was too involved in day-to-day operations. Those who voted to oust Herrin included the three members Quinn replaced this week.

CHICAGO (AP) - A group of prominent Latino leaders say legalizing gay marriage in Illinois would strengthen families and is "the right thing to do."

In an open letter to lawmakers Sunday, 23 Latino leaders say all families deserve to be treated with respect.

Among those signing the letter are former Chicago City Clerk Miguel Del Valle and Sylvia Puente, executive director of the Latino Policy Forum.

The Illinois Senate approved a bill earlier this month that would end the state's ban on same-sex marriage. A House committee is expected to consider it Tuesday.

If it passes the House Gov. Pat Quinn has said he will sign the legislation, making Illinois the 10th state where same-sex couples may marry.

Opponents say the proposal endangers religious freedom and diminishes the sanctity of marriage.

CHICAGO (AP) - Gov. Pat Quinn wants taxpayers to take advantage of a newly expanded tax credit.

The Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit provides low-income families with tax relief and an incentive to work. But the nonprofit Center for Economic Progress estimates between 10 to 20 percent of eligible taxpayers didn't file for the credit last year.

In an event at Truman College in Chicago Saturday, Quinn said he wants to get the word out about how eligible people may apply for the tax relief.

Families earning less than $50,000 annually and individuals making less than $25,000 may qualify for free tax preparation help at assistance centers across the state.

A list of assistance centers and other information about the tax credit is online.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (AP) - Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon says she won't seek re-election next year but is weighing her options when it comes to seeking another public office.

She declined to give details, but she spent much of a news conference yesterday playing up her legal and financial experience.

Political experts say the move points toward exploring a run for attorney general or another statewide office and would allow for Simon to raise campaign funds separately from Gov. Pat Quinn, who's seen his approval rating dip.

It would also allow Simon to see who else is running.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan said yesterday that she hasn't decided yet on a 2014 gubernatorial run.

Simon told Quinn her decision in December. She said that in a few months she'll make another announcement about her future plans.

Illinois' financial troubles appear to be taking a toll on the popularity of the man charged with fixing them.

A new poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU-Carbondale shows that Governor Pat Quinn has taken a hit. Quinn trailed badly among fellow Democrats, losing to state Attorney General Lisa Madigan by nearly ten points in a hypothetical party primary. The governor also trailed the "undecided" category by almost six points.

The poll also showed Illinois Republicans have no consensus on a gubernatorial candidate, with no one getting more than 10 percent support.

Governor Pat Quinn wants Illinois residents to be able to register to vote online. The Chicago Democrat says the state's election process must move into the 21st century.

Supporters of the plan say online registration would make the process simpler and attract younger voters.

Republicans say they don't oppose the idea, but think the state should first focus on fixing its worst-in-the-nation pension crisis.

More than a dozen states, including Colorado, Nevada and Indiana, already offer online voter registration.

Hundreds of millions of dollars is on the way for Illinois road projects and child abuse investigators.

Governor Pat Quinn signed a supplemental appropriation bill Thursday evening that's meant to shore up parts of state government that are running short of money half-way through the budget year.

It includes $675 million in unanticipated federal and state money available for road projects this spring. It also shifts $25 million saved from Quinn's closure of correctional facilities to the Department of Children and Family Services.

Republicans have complained the bill was rushed.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's state of the state address is receiving mixed reviews.

Quinn said Illinois's $100 billion pension shortfall is the number one problem for the state.

That feeling was echoed by business interests. The Illinois Manufacturers' Association says the time for talk is over and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce calls a failure to address pensions unconscionable.

But the president the Illinois Retail Merchants Association criticized the governor's plan to raise minimum wage from $8.25 to $10.00 per hour, saying it would hurt both employers and job seekers. The governor argued that no one working 40 hours a week should live in poverty.

During the speech, Quinn also said it was time for the state to allow same-sex marriages, and he renewed his call for an assault weapons ban.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Two guards and a chaplain have been released from a hospital after being hurt in an Illinois prison attack that union officials say involved up to 15 inmates.

Tuesday's assaults were the latest in a series of violent incidents over the last month at Menard Correctional Center and other Illinois state prisons. Last Thursday, a Menard inmate died in what one official called suspicious circumstances.

Union officials say the violence is a result of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to close several prisons around the state to save money.

Tuesday's assaults happened as about 200 union members marched outside the prison in the southern Illinois town of Chester. They were protesting over what they say are growing threats to their safety.

Corrections officials say the attack led to a lockdown.