While the state of Illinois continues down the road to financial Armageddon and political oblivion represented by its sick status quo, other more successful states continue to shake things up.

A few weeks ago, Ohio voters approved a plan to de-politicize the legislative redistricting process by stripping legislators of the legal authority to draw their own state House and Senate district maps.

Last week, the Michigan Supreme Court approved a November vote on a proposed amendment to the state’s Constitution that would establish a bipartisan 13-member commission to draw the state’s political map

Erhard Chorlé, a partner at Pedersen & Houpt here, was nominated earlier this week to be chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board, whose headquarters are on the Near North Side. The job is full-time and pays $170,400, according to congressional sources.

Pensions. “Yes, pensions were underfunded. But that’s because state lawmakers overpromised.”