Political scorecard: Winners and losers from the spring session

SPRINGFIELD -- A recently approved state budget deal would spend added millions on education, colleges and an array of other government services.

But the final deal is also upward of $2 billion in the red and somebody -- most likely Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- is going to have to pare it down.

For now, there aren't a lot of political high-fives going around the statehouse as the final winners and losers in this inflated $59.2 billion budget aren't yet known.

So, while the rest of the political world awaits the governor's budget axe, here's our unofficial scorecard from the General Assembly's recently completed spring session.

-- Compiled by Amber Krosel, Nick Shields and John Patterson

The winners:

Well-heeled Illinoisans: Those who make more than $250,000 a year are safe from a doubled state tax rate. The Illinois House rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have raised about $3 billion annually to fund schools, state construction and tax breaks for those making less than a quarter-million dollars. Voters would've decided in the end if the state's wealthiest 5 percent should foot the bill for the other 95 percent.

Cholesterol: The Senate voted to rid school lunches of trans fats, but it never made it to a vote in the House. Said state Rep. LaShawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat pushing for healthier hot lunches in schools, before session adjournment: "Eat all the trans fats you want for the summer. I'll be back."

Teen-friendly employers: Businesses with lots of teenage workers like York Theatre in Elmhurst feared having to cut back on hours or lay off employees if a proposal to pay teens the same minimum wage as adults went through. Lucky for them, it didn't. All workers under 18 can still be paid 50 cents below the regular wage.

Lake in the Hills: Lawmakers approved letting the village go ahead and take a disputed parcel of land needed for a runway project. The village will still have to pay for the land, but, if the governor signs off on the deal, it can start work while court battles over the selling price continue.

Toy manufacturers: Lawmakers were unsuccessful in creating stricter warning labels on toys designed for those under age 16 that contained a legal amount of lead. Toy makers argued the problem with lead is when it's in paint or outside of a product, not when it's contained within something.

Cabela's in Hoffman Estates: In an attempt to protect the outdoor superstore from proposed gun restrictions, a suburban lawmaker proposed that no county could impose stricter limitations on the sale or transportation of guns than already set forth by state law. The measure stalled in the House. However, the legislation was prompted by a Cook County initiative to further restrict gun sales. That push also stalled. In the end, nothing happened and Cabela's is unaffected.

State contractors: An ethics law sitting on the governor's desk bans anyone with a $50,000 state contract from giving campaign cash to the officeholder who awarded the contract. In theory, it should free up millions of dollars for businesses to spend somewhere other than politics.

Seniors: As a part of the mass transit bailout plan, seniors can now ride public transportation for free.

Disabled transit riders: The General Assembly expanded the governor's new Seniors Ride Free program to people with disabilities. More than 275,000 disabled residents can ride fixed route transit in their districts for free.

Sports photographers: A deal struck by the Illinois Press Association and the Illinois High School Association ensures news photographers have sideline access at championship games and that the IHSA won't try to restrict what's done with the pictures. The IHSA initially barred several photographers -- including those from the Daily Herald -- from the sidelines of last year's football championships unless the photographers signed agreements saying they, and the papers they work for, would not sell the images. The press association initially sought legislation to thwart any restrictions.

President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center: After decades of fiscal mismanagement, the state took over the hotel. In less than a year, the state turned a profit of more than $1.3 million and in the coming weeks plans to replace all the mattresses, many of which are more than 20 years old.

Medical field: A law sparked after the death of Kanye West's mother would have required only board-certified plastic surgeons perform Botox injections and several other procedures. But the law was never called for a vote.

Eating disorders: If signed by the governor, a new law would mandate that some insurance companies pay for anorexia and bulimia treatment. The law has already passed both chambers.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: The Springfield-based museum scored notable visits last month from Nobel Peace Prize winner and activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Unpopular politicians: A push in the General Assembly would have allowed the public to recall elected officials. The state House approved it but the Senate voted it down.

The Losers:

Seekers of meth-free houses: A proposal that would require a property seller to disclose whether the property had ever been used to make methamphetamine was introduced but never considered.

Motorists: Proposals to suspend the state's sales tax on gasoline -- which might save people around 20 cents a gallon -- was never given serious consideration, in part because the state budget is already in the red and the tax brings in millions for spending. But it also would back up the borrowing if lawmakers ever come to an agreement on a $34 billion construction-spending spree.

Destructive kids' parents: Parents may soon be liable for children who damage property or injure people in willful or malicious acts. Parents could end up paying $20,000 for the first act, and $30,000 for further crimes. This proposal awaits the governor's approval.

17-year-olds: Lawmakers pushed the idea of dropping the voting age by a year, but it quickly stalled.

Autistic kids: Though approved in the Senate, extended insurance coverage for autism seemed to be a one-day fanfare at the Capitol. The House never debated it. The proposal would've extended coverage for autistic children until they reached age 21, with a maximum of $36,000 per year.

Campus police: In an attempt to boost campus safety, Aurora Democrat state Rep. Linda Chapa-LaVia proposed letting all university police officers carry guns while on duty. Some Illinois campus boards govern their police and only allow officers to use pepper spray and batons. The plan failed to come up for a vote in the Senate.

Students: House and Senate members never reached full agreement on a plan designed to alert state, regional and local school officials when a teacher quits or is fired under suspicion of student abuse. The legislation was aimed at stopping problem teachers and other school employees from jumping from one district to another, with their past behavior remaining under wraps.

Lawmakers did, however, send to the governor a proposal to give teachers authority to search students' backpacks and lockers. If signed into law, teachers have free ability to search students and their belongings if they suspect drugs or weapons. For now, only school authorities like administrators are allowed to do so.

Harper College: Efforts to offer bachelor's degrees in two program areas were thwarted once again at the Capitol. However, representatives are in talks with Northern Illinois University officials about having NIU offer the programs on the Palatine community college's campus.

Early voting: The idea to extend early voting never made it out of committee this year. Those in favor wanted to adjust early voting to be allowed up to the day before an election, where now it closes five days prior. The plan was meant as a convenience to voters with busy schedules, but critics said it would hamper ballot integrity.

Central DuPage Hospital: Sought to build a $140 million proton center that could be used to treat around 1,500 patients a year. But unable to justify two proton therapy treatment centers only miles apart, the state Health Facilities Planning Board struck down the hospital's proposal. The state's health planning board already granted Northern Illinois University permission to be the first in the state to build a proton therapy treatment center.

Cubs fans: Fans remain in limbo as to who will own the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field. While former Gov. Jim Thompson has helped lead negotiations for the state to buy the stadium, the Tribune Co. remains owner of Wrigley and the team. Both the field and team are for sale.

Tollway users: Lawmakers sought to revamp the toll violation process after a Daily Herald investigation revealed flaws in the enforcement system. They included a problem that could land violation notices in the wrong mailboxes and an 18-month-long computer problem that delayed notices and left the agency unaware of how many violators there are.

Suburban taxpayers: To avoid a transportation doomsday scenario, lawmakers raised sales taxes in Cook and the suburban counties by a quarter percentage point. DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Kane and Will counties were also hit with another quarter-point increase.