Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley plans to announce Tuesday that he's forming an exploratory committee as he weighs a Democratic primary challenge to Gov. Pat Quinn.

The move allows Daley to start raising money and not let the summer slip away as he waits to see whether he'll get a one-on-one matchup with Quinn in March. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan also is thinking about running for the Democratic governor nomination, but it's unclear when she'll make that decision. It's also uncertain whether Daley will stay in should Madigan join the fray.

Gov. Pat Quinn offered a compromise suggestion today on how to break the impasse on pension reform: combine the dueling plans into one bill and let the courts sort it out.

But Speaker Michael Madigan was cool to the idea, suggesting the governor instead should focus on building support for the proposal that’s already passed the House.

"This is like a lot of things in the legislature," Madigan said. "You can make it complicated if you wish, or you can keep it simple. Let me say it again: The best pension bill that passed so far, and the one that does the most cost savings is the House bill, and that's in the Senate. And the governor ought to work to get that passed."