Where did Cullerton go to law school?
Cullerton grew up in the DuPage County suburb of Winfield but attended college and law school in Chicago and launched his political career there. He first won election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1978, making him one of the few current legislators who served in the House before Madigan became speaker.
Who took over for Blagojevich?
Gov. Pat Quinn took the place of Blagojevich after the impeachment trial, and Quinn worked better with the Democrats who controlled the legislature than his predecessor. The new governor could usually be counted on to sign bills passed by Democrats. Cullerton used the opportunity to start bipartisan negotiations over a public works program, the first in the state in a decade.
Who is Dan Dan?
Contributing Editor#N#Dan is a journalist based in Washington, D.C., who has covered state and local governments around the country for Governing magazine and Stateline (a project of the Pew Center on the States). He began his career in the Illinois Capitol as a statehouse reporter for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. His work has also appeared in Illinois Times, WIRED, Education Dive and other outlets. Dan led a team of Governing reporters that produced a 2019 series called "Segregated in the Heartland," which examined local governments' role in perpetuating racial divides in housing in downstate Illinois.
Is Tom Cullerton still in the Senate?
Tom Cullerton, whom the Senate president describes as a third cousin once removed from him, was indicted in August for taking a no-show job with the Teamsters. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial has been set for next summer. But he remains in the state Senate. Federal agents raided the Capitol offices of Sen. Martin Sandoval in September, but Sandoval only recently announced he would leave the Senate at the end of the year. Sandoval has not been charged with a crime.