* 4:10 pm - The governor just vetoed HB 4189, which would put community college districts under the local ethics law umbrella…

Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Classifies community college districts as units of local government that must adopt resolutions regulating the political activities and the solicitation and acceptance of gifts by their officials and employees (now, classified as State agencies subject to the entire Act’s regulation and enforcement by the Executive Ethics Commission and the Governor’s Executive Inspector General). Effective immediately.

The bill passed the Senate on a unanimous vote and received 91 votes in the House. There was no opposition to the bill by community colleges, according to Sen. Christine Radogno, a hyphenated co-sponsor. Radogno said the governor’s veto might be a “game he’s playing with all the ethics bills.”

This is a total veto, not an AV.

* 4:25 pm - It’s always all about Madigan…

Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Friday he doesn’t want to close Pontiac Correctional Center. “That’s not something I want to do,” Blagojevich told reporters after cutting the ribbon to open the Illinois State Fair. “We don’t want to. I don’t want to.”

Blagojevich, who controls the fate of the 137-year-old maximum-security lock-up, for the first time linked its future to the on-going political battle he is having with House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.

Rather than arguing the prison is too old to keep open, Blagojevich suggested the prison could remain open if lawmakers approve more money to keep it operating.

“We need those Democrats in the House to do the responsible thing and provide funding so that decisions like that don’t have to be made,” Blagojevich said.

That’s a switch from the administration’s earlier statements about Pontiac. In May, top officials at the Illinois Department of Corrections argued that closing Pontiac and moving its inmates to the mostly unused prison in Thomson would save taxpayers $4 million.

In documents filed in connection with the proposed closing, the agency never mentions the budget battle as a reason for shuttering the nation’s eighth oldest prison.

* 4:42 pm - After getting called out this morning on his “city worker/state rep. afraid to lose his job” crud, the governor is now singing another tune…

Blagojevich again lashed out at Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his Democratic caucus for blocking action on a statewide construction program. He aimed much of his anger at 10 House members who, according to him, collect state paychecks but also have jobs in Chicago or Cook County government.

But one of those members fired back…

Rep. Susana Mendoza said she worked for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development before running for state representative and has never hidden that fact. She said she does not get paid by the city for days she spends in Springfield.

Mendoza said she works hard at both her jobs but Blagojevich cannot say the same.

“How often does he go to the state Capitol or the State of Illinois Building?” she said. “I am not about to get criticized by a ghost payroller.” [Emphasis added]

Oof.