The Illinois Senate ignored the House on Friday, and instead voted on restoring $59 million of Governor Rod Blagojevich's slash-and-burn line item vetoes totaling $463 million. In a blow to the power of Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, the measure failed, leaving all of Blagojevich's vetoes in place, including $39 million that Jones categorized as "mistakes" by the Governor's office and pet projects of Blagojevich.

Jones needed to muster 36 of the 37 of his fellow Democrats in the 59-member Senate to accomplish the override. He could only get 33 to agree, with 4 Senators voting against, 18 voting "present" and four others not even bothering to show for the vote.

The Senate has recessed the veto session, with no plans to return next week.

Now sitting in limbo are $617 million in funds meant for the state's schools, as well as funding to the prison system, social service programs, and gifted students.

Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, blasted Blagojevich, saying ""This was all about walking away from senior citizens, from the children of the state, from students, from the people who work on the front lines in the Department of Corrections and other places." He classified Blagojevich's vetoes as "petty political retribution" and Jones' refusal to entertain the House's override "almost an abuse of power."

Fellow Senator Martin Sandoval, D-Cicero agreed with Watson's assessment, saying "What happened today continues to be a slap in the face of democracy in America. There's more democracy going on in the Middle East than there is in the General Assembly."

Jones remains adamant on his position, saying "I'll be damned if I'm going to be dictated to by anyone in this chamber, anyone (in the governor's office) or anyone in the other chamber."

One small item that did get approved in a supplemental spending bill was a $1 an hour raise for home health care worker, who assist the elderly and handicapped so they can remain in their homes, taking their pay to $7.80 an hour.

One veto overridden to the probable ire of Blagojevich was one that linked property tax relief in Cook County to the issue of standardizing wind farm taxation in downstate Illinois, clearing the way for more development of the projects. Blagojevich, who lives in Cook County, said the measure on tax relief didn't go far enough.

Senator Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, was glad to see the measure pass, since his district has already seen one enormous wind farm project get built east of Bloomington. Wind farm speculators have already earmarked over $1 billion for new construction in central Illinois awaiting the passage of the measure. "We're eliminating the question mark," said Rutherford. "We're leveling the playing field."