The Associated Press

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn wants the House of Representatives to spend money on children, not outdated prisons. Quinn continues to try to divert money from prisons to child-protection services after the Senate rejected the attempt made there. The state Senate voted 35 to 16 to reject Quinn’s $57 million cuts.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has a new computerized child abuse hotline after receiving complaints that the old system failed to handle the large number of calls. Last year the department had more than 250,000 calls, but a majority of callers had to wait for a child abuse expert to call back.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon says politicians should disclose more information about their financial interests to help restore state residents’ faith in government. Simon and Sen. Dan Kotowski are introducing the legislation Thursday that would overhaul the state’s 40-year-old financial disclosure system.

What is expected to be the final meeting of Kentucky’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform is set for next week in Frankfort. The commission members will finalize their recommendations for reforming the state’s tax code Dec. 6.

Tennessee Senate Democrats re-elected Sen. Jim Kyle as minority leader and Sen. Lowe Finney as caucus chairman. The Democrats lost six seats earlier this month. Now they only have seven of 33 seats in the upper chamber of the General Assembly.

A western Kentucky man whose vehicle was hit by a tractor-trailer after he stopped to help another motorist has died of injuries he suffered in the collision.

Kentucky State Police say 47-year-old Scotty Gray of Cadiz died late Tuesday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., where he was taken following the crash on Monday.

Illinois lawmakers are considering a three-year pilot program that would temporarily legalize medical marijuana for people with certain illnesses. Bill sponsor Rep. Lou Lang says he thinks political momentum is on his side and hopes to vote on the bill Wednesday.

Patriot Coal’s federal bankruptcy case will no longer be heard in New York City. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman in New York ruled that the case be moved to St. Louis, where Patriot Coal is based. Chapman says there were hundreds of handwritten letters from retired coal miners.

A Peabody Energy Corp.  subsidiary is permanently closing a southern Illinois mine because it failed to meet safety, compliance and performance standards. Bay Ridge Inc. says operations at the Willow Lake Mine near Harrisburg are unsustainable. The mine closing will affect about 400 workers.

The Kentucky Department of Revenue has been getting up to 1,000 calls a day in the final week of an amnesty offer to delinquent taxpayers. The rising interest has prompted the state department to extend operating hours at 10 field offices around the state.