* Ahern…
Several sources tell NBC 5 that Gov. Bruce Rauner had planned to sign the new Automatic Voter Registration bill last week during the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Convention, but at the last minute the event was cancelled.
The bill allows voters to automatically be registered to vote through an electronic process when applying for a driver’s license or state ID, unless they opt out.
The governor signaled his intention to sign the bill, but he’s in the midst of overhauling his staff and there are now questions if his new team approves.
Last year Rauner vetoed similar legislation but changes were made and Senate Bill 1933 unanimously passed through the General Assembly. The governor has up to 60 days to sign or veto the legislation.
A bill that was rewritten to the governor’s specifications, then passed unanimously.
* From May 30th…
But a few changes were apparently enough to convince Rauner to sign on to automatic voter registration, which has already led to considerable gains in the number of registered voters in Oregon, the first state to implement it last year. Illinois would be the ninth state to adopt automatic voter registration, and advocates estimate it could add over 1 million voters to the state’s rolls.
“We must protect the sanctity of our election process, and we thank the bill sponsors and stakeholders who worked with us on this piece of legislation. The Governor will sign it,” Eleni Demertzis, a Rauner spokeswoman wrote in an email.
The Illinois Policy Institute’s legal arm, you’ll recall, filed a lawsuit last August in a failed attempt to strike down Illinois’ election-day voter registration law.
*** UPDATE *** I did a little calling around and the signing event was pushed back a couple of weeks ago, before the staff purge. There’s been no indication either way out of the governor’s new staff whether he still intends to honor his commitment and sign the bill. But that could be because Rauner now has an overwhelmed skeleton crew with little to no experience in government.
- OkComputer - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:23 pm:
Trust is not just a type of Fund…
- Oh no - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:26 pm:
This has become a full blown comedy of goofiness. Hope Diana does not have any cocktail parties scheduled too soon.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:27 pm:
Tail waggin’ the dog?
I wonder where Ahern got the story, lol.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
Well if Governor Profts legal team is against then so is the lieutenant Governor
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:32 pm:
The IPI has gotten it’s Governor’s Office?
Meh, a photo-op at Operation PUSH and championing a bill like this isn’t “IPI Protocol”.
Instead of Rauner influencing his ideas on his newly minted Crew, it appears Diana Rauner and IPI want control of Gov. Rauner.
Diana to have fun at cocktail parties…
IPI to have fun wrecking “compromised” policy.
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:35 pm:
Jeez. Gov. Override at it again.
Time for the GA to dust off the Memorandum of Understanding template from the Blago years.
- Keyrock - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:36 pm:
“I never said nothin’.”
#ExileinRaunerville.
- downstate commissioner - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:36 pm:
Personally, I have problems with people being forced (automatically) to vote to register; but darn it, it passed unanimously with his changes: If he doesn’t sign it, it will be apparent to the entire general assembly that he needs to be removed….
- downstate commissioner - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:37 pm:
“puppet on a string?”
- SAP - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
That has to be one funky-looking org. chart in the Governor’s Office.
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:40 pm:
well, now we really know who is in charge.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
“The governor signaled his intention to sign the bill, but he’s in the midst of overhauling his staff and there are now questions if his new team approves.”
Wow. Drop mic.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
==failed attempt==
Get used to hearing that. Perhaps their new campaign slogan
- MSIX - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:47 pm:
=That has to be one funky-looking org. chart in the Governor’s Office.=
Indeed. I’m picturing the Rauner’s block being down a few tiers with dotted lines to everything.
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:57 pm:
SAP, it looks like MC Escher drew it
- Double Standard - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:59 pm:
CapFax last week: Governor is horrible and should cancel all of his events to do a press event about Lake County flooding. CapFax this week: Governor is horrible for canceling event to instead address Lake County flooding issue.
- Montrose - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:00 pm:
For a guy that likes to project he is in complete control and wins at everything, Rauner is having a bit of an off week.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:02 pm:
Double Standard - He doesn’t have to have a ceremony to sign a bill.
- Montrose - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:03 pm:
*CapFax last week: Governor is horrible and should cancel all of his events to do a press event about Lake County flooding.
CapFax this week: Governor is horrible for canceling event to instead address Lake County flooding issue.*
Right. Yeah. That’s exactly what Rich was saying.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:08 pm:
===CapFax last week: Governor is horrible and should cancel all of his events to do a press event about Lake County flooding. CapFax this week: Governor is horrible for canceling event to instead address Lake County flooding issue.===
Nah. Rauner is picking and choosing how to show off how IPI he can be. You skip things, you bypass things, you change messaging.
#ExileInRaunerville
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:08 pm:
===Governor is horrible and should cancel all of his events to do a press event about Lake County flooding.===
LOL
Yeah. That’s EXACTLY what I wrote. Y’all are marvelous. How about you get back to work on messaging?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:10 pm:
==CapFax last week: Governor is horrible and should cancel all of his events to do a press event about Lake County flooding. CapFax this week: Governor is horrible for canceling event to instead address Lake County flooding issue.==
So you did… neither. Good work?
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
Well, Rauner has succeeded at shaking up his administration.
- Robert J Hironimus-Wendt - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:15 pm:
Much ado? If Rauner does nothing in the next few weeks, doesn’t the bill becomes law? Cancelling the “signing ceremony” is not problematic. Issuing a veto is. Assuming no veto is forthcoming (and I cannot imagine him doing so in this particular case where it is in fact HIS bill), then this is most likely, much ado about nothing.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:17 pm:
===…has an overwhelmed skeleton crew with little to no experience in government.===
Governing doesn’t stop for a purge.
Hopefully the RaunerS and IPI got that message.
Right? Exactly right.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:31 pm:
===So you did… neither. Good work? ===
I think staff was too busy finishing up their essay assignments by Friday at 3. /s
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:36 pm:
Yep- he can just let it become law. Frankly that may be the best thing to happen considering the IPIes track record for event planning.
- Joe M - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:36 pm:
Whether Rauner lives up to his commitment to sign this bill or not, will be a good indication of who is running the show - the Governor OR IPI?
Who knew governin was going to be so hard?
- Amalia - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:43 pm:
“I think staff was too busy finishing up their essay assignments by Friday at 3. /s” Rich at 2:31 hilarious.
- SAP - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:44 pm:
The Governor can’t just let SB1 become law unless the Senate releases the parliamentary hold and sends it to his desk.
- Baloneymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:04 pm:
So has Evelyn been demoted to Brigadier or Major Governor?
- WhoKnew - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:10 pm:
Hey Rich, was the title of the Essay “I think Illinois should become an oligarchy because…’?
/s of course
- The Captain - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:13 pm:
It passed on May 31st but the Senate didn’t send it to him until June 29th so he basically has all summer to decide what to do.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:14 pm:
SAP- is there a hold on it? Online it states this for SB 1933.
6/29/2017 Senate Sent to the Governor
- NotRussia - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:17 pm:
=== downstate commissioner - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:36 pm:
Personally, I have problems with people being forced (automatically) to vote to register ===
No one will be forced. Please.
- gomez kowalski schlickman - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:59 pm:
Don’t trust the votes of those who are registered without doing anything proactive. What is wrong with actually stepping up to register? Voters who are automatically registered usually won’t know much about the issues; after all, it takes some effort.
- Mama - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:43 pm:
Rauner won’t sign the new Automatic Voter Registration because he is afraid it might hurt his re-election.
- Robert J Hironimus-Wendt - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 5:52 pm:
“Don’t trust the votes of those who are registered without doing anything proactive.”
Why not?
- Robert J Hironimus-Wendt - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 6:01 pm:
Are you suggesting there should be qualifications for voting, contrary to the Constitution?
- SAP - Friday, Jul 21, 17 @ 12:26 am:
No hold–my bad. I had SB1 on the brain.