Scholarship Reform Bill Vetoed in Illinois

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has vetoed a scholarship reform bill, arguing that it does not go far enough, the Chicago Tribune reported. The legislation concerns scholarships that legislators are allowed to award the scholarships to whomever they want in their district -- and critics have noted for years that these scholarships frequently go to the relatives of political contributors. The legislation that the governor vetoed would have banned the awarding of scholarships to anyone whose family could be linked to a contribution in the previous five years, but Quinn said that was not enough. "A scholarship program that is not based on need or merit, I don't think is a proper thing for our state. That's why I vetoed this bill and urged the legislature to abolish this program," he said.