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Senate to vote on disputed ethics bill

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois lawmakers are coming back to work next week so they can vote on ethics legislation.

First, Senate President Emil Jones announced Thursday that he was calling senators back. Then Gov. Rod Blagojevich called a special session for both the House and Senate on Monday.

Originally, Jones wasn't going to act on the ethics bill until the Senate's next scheduled session in November. But the delay raised constitutional questions that might have killed the bill or tied it up in legal battles.

Presidential candidate Barack Obama called Jones on Wednesday and urged him to act quickly. Jones says he agreed because of his friendship with Obama.

The ethics legislation would restrict campaign donations by people doing business with the state.