Potentially good news from Springfield

Emil Jones has been a loyal supporter of education, and more education funding, during his 35 years in the Illinois General Assembly. But his overall record is distressing, including an aversion to power-sharing in the Senate, a penchant for putting relatives on the state payroll, a blind allegiance to even the most foolish ideas of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and a seeming obsession with pushing legislative pay even higher.

The impending departure of Emil Jones Jr. from the Illinois Senate doesn't guarantee sweeping changes in Springfield but it does offer some hope for cultivating a new culture in Springfield.