Quinn will close two prisons, including Tamms
Rachel Otwell contributed reporting from Springfield, Ill.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn made it official on Tuesday - he will close two state prisons, including the state's supermax facility in Tamms.
Rep. Brandon Phelps, of Harrisburg, says he received a brief memo from Quinn, saying that Tamms and a prison in Dwight will close, as well as juvenile detention centers in Joliet and Murphysboro. That's despite legislators including money in the 2013 budget for the facilities.
"It looks to me like the governor has totally turned his back on people downstate, and the working men and women that this is going to affect," Rep. Phelps, a Democrat, said. "It's very disappointing after all the time that we in both chambers and both sides on the aisle gave to get this money into the budget."
Phelps says he'll fight the closures, but state law allows the governor to decide the fate of state facilities.
Also on Tuesday, Gov. Quinn confirmed plans to shutter adult transition centers in southern Illinois, Decatur and Chicago, but delayed the closure of inmate transition centers in the Chicago suburb of Fox Valley and Peoria.
St. Louis County will look at refinancing bonds
Tim Lloyd contributed reporting for this story
St. Louis County may take advantage of near-record-low interest rates to refinance $46 million in bonds used to pay for the construction of the new Busch Stadium.
"It's like refinancing your house at a lower interest rate," County Council vice chairwoman Kathleen Kelly Burkett said. "And if you can save $4 million in this day and age, then you're doing pretty good."
Burkett introduced the measure at last night's meeting.
The Council last night also approved funding for the mass transit agency Metro. The agency had come under scrutiny in recent weeks over a 2010 parking garage deal.
"Girls Gone Wild" judgment will stand
A St. Louis judge has let stand a nearly $6 million judgment against the makers of the "Girls Gone Wild" videos.
Manta Films was sued by Tamara Favazza, who was a 20-year-old college student when Girls Gone Wild taped her bare breasts at a club on Laclede’s Landing. On tape, Favazza could be seen mouthing “no” as a contractor working for Manta lifts her shirt. Garvey reversed a 2010 jury verdict in awarding Favazza the money.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Manta had asked Judge John Garvey for a rehearing in the case, saying they had not been informed of an April court date at which the award was announced. Garvey rejected the request, saying Favazza's attorneys provided proof that Manta had been kept in the loop.
