The whole House was here, making history

The House of Representatives was on campus today. All 118 of them, as they were sworn in on the first day of the new General Assembly. What a privilege for UIS to be in the capital city and host events like this. Watch some video here. More photos are available here from the UIS web site. It's notable that Governor Blagojevich was impeached for a second time after the members were sworn in. Thirty years from now, people will be wondering why the House took this vote for the second time and why they did it at UIS instead of in their own chamber in the state Capitol. I plan to chronicle that.

Observing the impeachment

The news about our governor's impeachment today probably sounds terrible to the rest of the country. But if you live in Springfield, there is a strange feeling of great relief that it's finally happened. At UIS, we have a keen eye on state government. Professsor Kent Redfield and others have been interviewed dozens if not hundreds of times around the country in recent weeks. Illinois Issues has an award-winning blog with a unique up-to-date perspective, and WUIS public radio covers everything in-depth. Being in the state capital, for UIS, is another way of saying "location, location, location" makes all the difference to people seeking accurate information.