URBANA – An executive of Health Alliance Medical Plans says the downgraded financial outlook given to the company this week by credit rating firm A.M. Best is based on Illinois' financial crisis.

A large chunk of Urbana-based Health Alliance's business is providing health coverage for some 78,000 state employees and their dependents, and Illinois is $132 million behind in paying the premiums for those Health Alliance members, according to the insurer's Chief Financial Officer Gordon Salm.

Illinois Democrats have a gubernatorial candidate favored by only half the members of his own party, who faces a difficult budget battle this spring and – for now – is stuck with a running mate who is a political nightmare. Pat Quinn's opponents will hammer him on his support for a tax increase and tie him to his disgraced former running mate, Rod Blagojevich.

The Republican ticket has a gubernatorial candidate favored by 20 percent of his party, with views on social issues that are to the right of the mainstream and who has run poorly in the Chicago area and the suburbs, where the vast majority of the general election votes lie. Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, got 11 percent of the primary vote in the six-county Chicago area last Tuesday – where 53 percent of the GOP vote was cast. And he doesn't have a lot to show for 16 years in the Legislature, where he isn't even a leader among the 22 Republicans.

CHAMPAIGN – Twenty-eight mayors in the 52nd Senate District have endorsed state Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, for re-election, Frerichs' campaign announced Friday.

The endorsements came from mayors in both Champaign and Vermilion counties and included a number of prominent Republicans.

URBANA – What a difference a month makes.

In early January, economic development leaders in Champaign County said they were baffled by the Illinois Department of Transportation's push to widen Interstate 74 between Champaign and Mahomet to six lanes.