* AP…
Ten weeks after the Illinois election, Gov. Bruce Rauner might have finally ended the campaign Friday by rescinding seven executive orders that his defeated opponent issued in his final week in office.
Rauner - by executive order - canceled action taken by ex-Gov. Pat Quinn, including three decrees the Democrat announced Monday, his final day in office.
They included requiring governors to disclose income tax returns by May and commanding state vendors to pay employees $10 an hour, instead of the current minimum wage of $8.25. […]
[Rauner spokesman Lance Trover] said “numerous” social service providers told Rauner’s office that $10-an-hour wages would mean less help for vulnerable clients. Voters overwhelmingly approved raising the wage to $10 in an advisory election question.
* From the EO…
WHEREAS, the taxpayers of Illinois elected a new Governor on November 4, 2014, who would reform state government and serve the public’s interest; and
WHEREAS, between January 5 and January 12, 2015, in his last eight days in office, the outgoing Governor issued seven Executive Orders that were not wholly motivated by serving in the public’s interest; and
THEREFORE, I, Bruce Rauner, Governor of Illinois, by virtue of the executive authority vested in me by Section 8 of Article V of the Constitution of the State of Illinois, do hereby order that Executive Order Numbers 15-01, 15-02, 15-03, 15-04, 15-05, 15-06, and 15-07 be revoked and rescinded, effective immediately upon the filing of this Executive Order with the Secretary of State.
* Executive orders are rarely rescinded, but much of what Quinn did overstepped his bounds. You will recall that even Quinn’s fellow Democrat Senate President John Cullerton had a problem with some of them…
Cullerton suggested some of the executive orders Quinn issued may have exceeded his executive authority, pointing specifically to two dealing with immigration.
“There was a couple he did on immigration that exceeded his authority,” Cullerton said. “So we’re going to put legislation in, as we have numerous times. We’ve rejected Gov. Quinn’s executive orders three or four times in the last six years. What you do then, is, if it’s a good idea, you put a new bill in and pass the new bill.”
Both of those EO’s just went way too far.
* Even the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights didn’t make much of a fuss…
ICIRR urges Governor Rauner to work with us to revisit the issues addressed by Governor Quinn’s executive orders. We encourage Governor Rauner to identify how state agencies can support immigrants applying for the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action programs, which he called “a great start.” We also look forward to working with the Governor on issues involving local and state police entanglement in immigration enforcement, which undermines police-community relations and tears apart immigrant families. We urge Governor Rauner to continue the work of preceding governors, both Republican and Democrat, to make Illinois a immigrant welcoming state.
Quinn was barely relevant as governor and he’s far less so now. But he’s still campaigning…
For his part, Quinn offered “no apologies,” saying Rauner’s actions were “obviously directed at me personally.”
“The action of Bruce Rauner today to rescind these, I think, very necessary executive orders for the common good, I think is self-serving and anti-reform, and he ought to be ashamed of himself,” Quinn said.
* Meanwhile…
Governor Bruce Rauner signed Executive Order 15-12 [on January 19th] designed to help bring more economic opportunities to minorities and veterans.
“Illinois is an incredibly diverse state, and we benefit from that diversity,” Gov. Rauner said. “But the unemployment rate for minorities and veterans is way too high. This Executive Order will help reveal some of the causes and identify ways to solve this injustice.”
Executive Order 15-12 orders state agencies to require every labor organization, contractor or subcontractor that is party to a state contract to obtain and report within thirty days the total number of minority and veteran participants in any offered training program as well as the minority and veteran participation rate in said programs.
CMS is also ordered to conduct a thorough review of all goals, preferences and considerations provided under state law and regulations concerning the hiring and training of veterans and the awarding of contracts to veteran-owned businesses. CMS is also to study the participation of minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses’ ability to obtain opportunities in the State of Illinois. The goal of the study is to identify any disparity in awards and make recommendations to fix those differences.
“We need to ensure jobs and business opportunities are open to everyone, but especially those who serve our country or are underrepresented in the economy,” Gov. Rauner added. “I will be a governor who champions our veterans and historically-disadvantaged communities. This Executive Order will help give my administration the tools to do exactly that.”
The Legislative Black Caucus and the Latino Caucus have fought hard for decades to get more minorities into union apprenticeship programs and to get them their fair share of state contracts. So, needless to say, this will be seen as a major plus for Rauner…
Talk is cheap, however. We’ll see what Rauner actually does.
- Sun - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 8:46 am:
How many veterans and minorities are on the board at GRTC? Yes, talk is cheap.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 8:51 am:
Those new reporting requirements for contractors probably wasn’t the first thing business types had in mind when it came to eliminating red tape and a more “business-friendly” environment.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 8:56 am:
Think Rauner, with one of the executive orders, said something like you can’t manage what you don’t measure. While this is true, there are a couple of issues: (a) you have to measure the right things and (b) there is a cost to do measurement.
While it may be an extreme example, the measurement software put in place in one division of one agency was so cumbersome it ended up taking twice as long to accomplish a task and required doubling the staff so the work could get done AND the measurement forms completed.
- Gooner - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 8:56 am:
It would have been nice if Rauner’s team could have resisted the slam “that were not wholly motivated by serving in the public’s interest.”
While they are of course right, it makes Rauner will a bit petty. Quinn went out in exactly the wrong way, but Rauner needs to keep looking forward and not get down in the dirt with Quinn, who likely will continue to take shots.
In addition, although the tax return disclosure clearly was campaign bitterness it was also a move to transparency. It is unfortunate that Rauner got rid of that one, despite the political motivation of the order.
- hanging chad - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:00 am:
Rainer may have finally ended the campaign however, it looks like Quinn will continue his crying fest well into 2015……
- Gabe - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:00 am:
When the US Department of Labor requires an apprenticeship program to score candidates blindly (without regard to race/gender/religion) it makes giving additional access to candidates based on their ethnicity unlawful.
Further, I’m not sure how many unions or apprenticeship programs have “state contracts.”
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:01 am:
If the late executive orders were so pro-reform and “very necessary”, to use former Gov. Quinn’s own words, why weren’t they done in the prior six years?
- Bogey Golfer - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:08 am:
Think the EO is to audit if the existing minority subcontracting goals are working. If a contractor is awarded a contractor with a 20% DBE goal and at the end only 15% of the contract went to them, something is wrong.
- Apocalypse Now - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:19 am:
=The Legislative Black Caucus and the Latino Caucus have fought hard for decades to get more minorities into union apprenticeship programs and to get them their fair share of state contracts. So, needless to say, this will be seen as a major plus for Rauner…= If Democrats had been doing their job for the last 12 years, the minority hiring issue wouldn’t be as big of a deal.
- Children First - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:35 am:
I would like to know the names of the numerous social service providers who took issue with raising the minimum wage.
Only time will tell if Rauner is serving the public interest or his own, if a Billionaire profits in any way but name recognition while serving the public in elected office it is a travesty and lessens democracy.
- Del Clinkton - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:42 am:
Bruce said he’s transparent. Shouldnt be a big deal to release the tax returns so we can see how much him and Trish make at the chop suey place as chopstick handlers.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 9:49 am:
==If Democrats had been doing their job for the last 12 years, the minority hiring issue wouldn’t be as big of a deal.==
You can’t just hire somebody because they are a minority. There are civil service rules and union rules. You can do outreach but that’s about it.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:02 am:
Senator Raoul reiterated this tweet last night on Chicago Tonight. Saying the right things needs to be followed with doing the right things, but perception is very important in Springfield. The perception is that he’s following through on what he said during campaign season.
- Leroy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:03 am:
== You can’t just hire somebody because they are a minority. There are civil service rules and union rules.==
Which need to be amended….
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:06 am:
==Which need to be amended….==
To do what? We already give veterans preference. Should we now give minorities preference too? What other group do we want to move to the front of the line?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:08 am:
===The perception is that he’s following through on what he said during campaign season.===
I guess that’s where the $20 million comes in.
The 401(K), and shutting down the state would be following through too(?)
Actually I have very little sympathy for the Unions, per se, Except for 150. They had their chances, they blew them.
Elections have consequences.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:20 am:
If $20M impresses you, prepare to be blown away.
- dupage dan - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:23 am:
Governor Patrick Quinn, the Jimmy Carter of Illinois politics.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:31 am:
===If $20M impresses you, prepare to be blown away===
It embarrassing to think that what Rauner is doing is implementing the Blago legislative strategy, and people now are slurping it up as a “good” thing.
It’s not the money or the dollar figure. It is about destroying the ILGOP GA in favor of a Raunerite Caucus that will destroy autonomy of the legislators and the Caucus.
- A Guy… -, just remember, every time you defend the move, you approve of Blago tactics. Food for thought.
- Tom Joad - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:38 am:
Quinn’s proclamation that he is a reformer is more self promotion at the last minute. He should stop the whining and Rauner should quit the constant blame game he seems to fall back on every day he has been in office. Grow up people!
- Franklin T. - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:39 am:
When is someone gonna call a loud “B.S.” on these executive orders? Both Quinn and Rauner need to stop the cheap political stunts and read the freaking state constitution. Exec Orders can only be issued for the reorganizing of state agency or for shifting duties between state agencies. From what I’ve seen, none of the EO’s issued by Quinn and Rauner during the past month comply with the constitution and therefore have no force of law. Stop the games and get to work.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:51 am:
===A Guy… -, just remember, every time you defend the move, you approve of Blago tactics. Food for thought.===
Willy, just remember, every time you make this silly argument, you become less believable. There’s no comparison between these two people. Dessert for thought.
- walker - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:52 am:
Time to stop with using EOs as political broadsides, and move on to actual governance.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:58 am:
Walk, Yep.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 10:59 am:
Um, - A Guy… -,
The $20 million has been exactly described as the Blago legislative plan, now having the money to be funded and implemented.
“Silly Agument”?
Rich Miller article, CapitolFax.com post;
“Dealing with Madigan”
https://capitolfax.com/2014/11/17/dealing-with-madigan/
==Word is that Rauner’s new legislative PAC will be launched relatively soon – perhaps after the governor-elect’s transition committee has finished its job.
Rod Blagojevich tried the same thing with his Move Illinois Forward PAC several years ago. As I pointed out on my blog when Rauner revealed his plans, Blagojevich’s PAC didn’t work out all that well, partly because Blagojevich was relying on a Democratic donor base that didn’t want to step on Madigan’s toes===
Silly?
Hmm.
- Chris - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:18 am:
“If the late executive orders were so pro-reform and “very necessary”, to use former Gov. Quinn’s own words, why weren’t they done in the prior six years?”
This is the real question.
Perhaps someone should pose it to PQ, and suggest that had he been more proactive in taking these ‘very necessary’ actions, then he might have won.
- Sparminer - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:21 am:
I wish you Libbys would get off Rauner’s back. Give the guy his first 100 days in office before you start your liberal attacks.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:23 am:
- Sparminer -,
What are the attacks or is your drive-by a Kool way to say “Libbys”?
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:34 am:
===Blagojevich’s PAC didn’t work out all that well, partly because Blagojevich was relying on a Democratic donor base that didn’t want to step on Madigan’s toes===
You’re using this quote to support your argument?? Rinse, Lather, Repeat.
- Bogey Golfer - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:36 am:
I for one would like to read EO 15-12 - however it is not on the Governor’s website.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:37 am:
The decider has decided not to wear transparent thread. Good knee jerk reaction
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:42 am:
- A Guy… -,
Rauner is using the Blago PAC strategy. He is. Own it.
===You’re using this quote to support your argument??===
So Uhiline and Griffin want to take on MJM? I know Rauner personally called MJM election nite telling the Speaker he wanted cooperation…lol
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:44 am:
Guy, you don’t understand. Blago wanted money to muscle Dem legislators, but couldn’t raise it from the Dem donor base.
Rauner and his pals will be able to muscle GOP legislators because they are the GOP donor base.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:44 am:
Have they spoken since? Surely YOU would have heard.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 11:51 am:
===Guy, you don’t understand. Blago wanted money to muscle Dem legislators, but couldn’t raise it from the Dem donor base.
Rauner and his pals will be able to muscle GOP legislators because they are the GOP donor base.===
Absolutely perfect. Well said - Wordslinger -
I heard they have spoken - A Guy… -. If all you got out of my comment is the mocking of mixed messages, again, you miss what is going on with Rauner adopting the Blago style in this case.
- Federalist - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 12:05 pm:
The big question is whether this EO is a genuine attempt to treat all individuals (not groups) fairly or is it affirmative discrimination in disguise or is it merely smoke and mirrors.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 12:09 pm:
Sling and Willy, I would posit that money is agnostic and doesn’t discriminate when it comes to who gets “muscled”. I’d argue that money will move to the argument and it won’t matter which jersey you’re wearing if you’re in the way.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 12:11 pm:
===I’d argue that money will move to the argument and it won’t matter which jersey you’re wearing if you’re in the way.===
Thus, there will be a Raunerite Caucus, and those NOT in that Raunerite Caucus. Blago had the idea first.
- Apocalypse Now - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:12 pm:
=Thus, there will be a Raunerite Caucus, and those NOT in that Raunerite Caucus. Blago had the idea first. =
Who cares, as long as some good things get done. What is the obsession, with the Raunerite caucus, anyway.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:18 pm:
- Apocalypse Now -
The big deal is usurping the power and powers of the GOP legislative leaders, making their success and growth virtually impossible as Rauner is not making any GOP GA a partner in governing but a hostage to the Governor’s agenda, no matter how it my impact both Caucuses.
Yeah, that’s a big deal.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:23 pm:
Sorry Willy, you just haven’t seen a governor act like a Governor around here for a long time. Truthfully, none of us has.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:31 pm:
- A Guy… -,
Blagojevich thought this Rauner Caucus idea was a good thing.
If you think following Rod’s logic was acting like a governor, that’s on you…lol
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:39 pm:
You keep comparing Rod to Rauner. I keep rejecting it. I believe that’s what they call a “stand-off” awaiting a result that crowns a winner. I’m game.
- Apocalypse Now - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:44 pm:
@A GUY. Ow has been against the GOP leaders, against Rauner, and the other Republican candidates for Governor, against Tom Cross, and the GOP in general, all while talking about “my party”, whatever the heck that is suppose to mean.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:47 pm:
- A Guy… -,
It’s not really up for discussion.
This is a Blago move. I cited why, I even gave an outside source that wrote about it. Blago and Rauner agree, this is how to approach Their Party’s legislative Caucuses, and Uihline’s history of primaring sitting members reinforces it’s about discipline as much about reward.
I have no clue what you are “game” for…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:51 pm:
- Apocalypse Now -
I railed on Cross as a Leader who golfed and became Veto-Proofed.
I have waxed glowing and honestly how lucky he was my state Rep…
I railed on Jerry Clarke for the map that “carries” his name…
I’m the Daily Southtown - Some Peopke Just Don’t Get It.
I guess you dont. That’s on you, not me.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 2:53 pm:
“I have waxed glowing and honestly how lucky I was he was my state Rep…”
Stupid phone
- Tex - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 3:44 pm:
to **Chris @ 11:18am***
Want to know why and an EO was never previously needed for this stuff.
http://www2.illinois.gov/cms/About/Reports/Pages/default.aspx
It’s already been done for years!!
Check out the reports for the Hispanic, African American, and Asian Employment Plans. There’s also one for the Vets now. Oh, and there’s the Bilingual Needs report, Disable Hiring Report, State Assurances Hiring Act…
Shall I go on? Also, the Department of Human Rights does an Underutilization Report on this hiring of minorities in specific job titles by region of the state.
All this has been around for many years. No need to pretend to re-invent the wheel here, making your state look like it’s been blind to diversity in the process. Yes, we can and should do better, but c’mon… the campaign is over… do something real now. If you want to know the numbers, read the reports.
- A guy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 3:51 pm:
Willy, you can’t blame the phone for all of it. lol.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 15 @ 3:53 pm:
I’ll remember that, - A Guy… -.