Economy

Gov. Quinn Signs New Fracking Regulations

The Associated Press and The Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:15:05 +0000

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Monday giving the state the nation's strictest regulations for high-volume oil and gas drilling.

In a news release, Quinn says the law will "unlock the potential" for thousands of jobs in southern Illinois while protecting the environment.

Economic Development Merger Clears Another Hurdle

Rachel Lippmann — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:38:23 +0000

St. Louis City and County are a step closer to merging some of their economic development functions.

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Friday sent their version of the agreement to Mayor Francis Slay, who's expected to sign it. The St. Louis County Council will take a final vote on its measure on Tuesday.

Patriot Coal Denies Walking Out Of Talks With Mine Workers Union

Maria Altman — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:01:00 +0000

Updated 6:15 p.m.

UMWA tweeted this afternoon that they and Patriot have "agreed to return to the bargaining table next week."

Original Story:

St.

Military Readiness, Local Economy A Concern As Scott AFB Deals With Impacts Of Sequestration

Alex Heuer, Mary Edwards and Don Marsh — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:00:53 +0000

About 5,100 civilian workers at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois are being forced to take-off 11 unpaid days, as are civilian employees at military installations throughout the Department of Defense. The furloughs begin July 8 and are a result of the automatic federal spending cuts known as sequestration.

New Pension Ruled OK For City Firefighters

Maria Altman — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 21:46:46 +0000

A St. Louis judge has ruled that the city can establish a new pension system for firefighters.

Judge Robert Dierker made the ruling Monday.

The new system went into effect retroactively Feb.1 and will require firefighters to contribute 9 percent to their retirement. That’s one percent more than currently.

Jeff Rainford---the chief of staff for Mayor Francis Slay---says the new pension will save the city $4 million this year and still benefit firefighters.