Daily Egyptian DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2015
Illinois state workers’ paychecks to go out as court fight continues Kim GeiGer |ChiCaGo Tribune Republican Comptroller Leslie Munger is forging ahead with plans to send out full paychecks to state workers Wednesday, despite an ongoing court battle over whether – and how much – public employees can be paid while state government operates without a budget. Checks will go out to 6,800 employees who are due to be paid Wednesday for work performed in the first two weeks of the state’s budget year. Others in Illinois’ roughly 60,000-person state government workforce are on different pay schedules, and their checks aren’t due until later this month. As Munger presses on with payroll, Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Monday asked the Illinois Supreme Court to weigh in after Chicago and Downstate judges handed out competing rulings on the matter last week. Munger spokesman Rich Carter said the comptroller’s office views a Thursday ruling in St. Clair County to have cleared the way for paychecks to go out.
That Downstate judge ruled in favor of 13 unions representing state employees who argued that not paying workers would be a breach of their collective bargaining agreements. The decision contradicted an earlier order from a Cook County judge who said Munger should pay workers only the $7.25-per-hour federal minimum wage until Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly can agree on a spending plan for state government. In that case, Madigan’s office had argued that the state should comply with federal labor laws during the budget impasse but does not have the authority to spend beyond that without a budget in place. The Cook judge agreed with Madigan, who is the daughter of Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, Rauner’s chief opponent in the budget battle at the Capitol. Rauner, Munger and the unions appealed the Cook County decision, while Lisa Madigan appealed the St. Clair court’s ruling. On Monday, Madigan asked the state’s high court to take up both cases.
campus parking guide 2015-2016
Blue Decal: For full-time faculty and staff not enrolled as students. Price varies on a sliding scale depending on annual income. In August, prices range from $125 - $250. Valid in any blue, green, red or yellow lot. Green Decal: For on-campus resident students. In August, Overnight parking (For East and West lots) is $127. Reserved lot 113 (Adjecent to North side of Wall & Grand) is $344 and Reserved lot 70 (Across the street from lot 113) is $199. Valid from 2 a.m. to 4 p.m. in designated area, valid from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. in any unassigned, unrestricted space on campus. Red Decal: For commuter students who are over 21, of junior status, living with parents/legal guardians, part-time faculty or staff. In August, $127. Valid in any red, green or yellow lot. Yellow Decal: For commuter students who do not qualify for red decal. In August, $48. Valid only in lots 18, 56 and northeast side of lot 100 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. From 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., parking is allowed in any unassigned, unrestricted space on campus. Decal costs are prorated based on month of purchase and are valid from August 2015 - July 2016. Nearby off-campus parking is available through the City of Carbondale at 200 S. Illinois Ave. and the Catholic Newman Center at 715 S. Washington Street. b randa m iTChell | @BrandaM_DE
SINCE 1916
VOL. 99 ISSUE 72
Getting bubbly at the library
J ay h olland | @JayHollandDE Bridger Bischoff blows bubbles through a crafted bubble maker Monday during the Marion Carnegie Library’s Bubbles on the Front Lawn event. “I look forward to the event and helping my mom out every year,” he said. Bischoff’s mother, Elizabeth Bischoff, is the assistant coordinator of Family Literacy program at John A. Logan College. The event is a joint effort between the Marion Carnegie Library and John A. Logan College.
Iran, world powers reach landmark nuclear agreement Paul riChTer Tribune WashinGTon bureau Negotiators from Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers have reached agreement on a landmark deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, diplomats here announced Tuesday. The agreement, one of the most consequential and controversial international diplomatic achievements in decades, brings to a close nearly two years of talks, capped by a final, intense 18-day round of bargaining that lasted late into Monday night. The agreement is designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon for at least a decade. In a statement from the White House, President Barack Obama hailed the deal as an example of “American leadership.” “Because America negotiated from a position of strength and principle, we have stopped the spread of nuclear weapons” to Iran, Obama said. “This deal is not built on trust, it is built on verification.” By contrast, no deal would mean a greater chance of war, he said, vowing to veto any congressional effort to block the agreement. “This deal offers the opportunity to move in a new direction” in the relationship between Iran and the rest of the world, Obama said. “We
should seize it.” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani similarly announced the deal to his country, in a televised address from Tehran. “Our prayers have come true,” he said. A senior Iranian official in Vienna said he expects the United Nations Security Council to consider a new resolution that sets out the blueprint for the deal, and to adopt it in a week to 10 days. “We believe this is a good agreement,” the official said. “There’s no need for spinning.” Announcement of the deal is all but certain to set off an intense debate within the U.S. and internationally. Under its terms, Iran will accept a series of restrictions on its nuclear activities, some of which will last considerably longer than 10 years, and will allow inspection of known and suspected nuclear sites. In exchange, the U.S., Europe and the United Nations will agree to lift sanctions that have had a crushing impact on Iran’s economy. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who played a crucial role in the talks, said sanctions will only be lifted when Iran has taken a series of initial steps, including dismantling a heavy water reactor at Arak and shipping nearly all its enriched uranium out of the country. The restrictions and inspections are designed to lengthen the so-called
breakout period – the amount of time that Iran would need to produce a nuclear bomb if its leaders made the decision to race for one. U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iran currently could achieve that goal in about two to three months. The deal aims to increase the breakout period to at least a year, which Obama says would give the U.S. time to respond – militarily, if necessary – to prevent Iran from getting a bomb. The agreement aims to achieve that goal by limiting the number of centrifuges Iran can operate to enrich uranium, as well as the amount of uranium the country can stockpile. The inspection requirements are designed to prevent covert enrichment efforts. U.S. officials said the deal came together late Monday night after 17 days in which the bargaining had veered between success and deadlock. Kerry and other Western officials had hoped that foreign ministers could give the deal a final blessing Monday, but the last hours proved more difficult than expected, as officials from the seven countries involved – the U.S., Iran, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China – wrangled over wording of the United Nations Security Council resolution that will eliminate earlier nuclear-related sanctions on Iran and set out the blueprint for the new agreement.