Governor Rod Blagojevich sent a letter to U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao today stating that the overtime pay cuts passed by the U.S. Senate would not be affecting the state of Illinois. State senator Barack Obama introduced legislation, which Blagojevich signed, which puts into effect only those aspects of the federal bill which help more workers. So if you thought you might lose your overtime pay but don't because of this law, you might want repay Obama with a vote come November. For a segment of Blagojevich's letter, read

"The Fair Labor Standards Act guaranteed the right to compensation equaling time and a half for every hour worked beyond the normal 40-hour week. A person who is willing to work hard -- and then is willing to work even harder by working longer hours -- ought to be rewarded for his or her initiative, not punished. Illinois law protects overtime pay for these workers. We intend to keep it that way.

"The United States Department of Labor should know that Illinois law will continue to protect Illinois workers, even when the federal Department of Labor decides not to."