“I don’t have enough words to say thank you. All I can say is I’ll give you my whole heart and soul,” State Sen. Toi Hutchison said Wednesday as a group of African-American ministers prayed that the other black candidates- Robin Kelly, Alderman Anthony Beale and State Senator Napoleon Harris would remove themselves from the ballot. They believe by having one black candidate, it would be easier for an African-American to win on February 26.
Not long after that prayer, Napoleon Harris dropped out - and endorsed Robin Kelly.
Oops.
Also, after whacking Kelly for accepting Harris’ endorsement, who is pro-life and against gay marriage, you gotta wonder if any of those ministers endorsing Hutchinson feel the same way.
* Related…
* Gun violence a big issue at 2nd District candidates debate
Illinois yanked a $500 million general obligation bond issue slated for Wednesday because of credit concerns that could boost its borrowing costs, in the latest financial blow to the state, which has failed to fix its bloated public pensions.
Investment banks that planned to bid on the debt indicated investors would demand higher yields on the 25-year bonds, said John Sinsheimer, Illinois’ capital markets director.
“We were getting indications of higher spreads than we were anticipating,” said Sinsheimer, who declined to discuss specific spread levels. “We felt it was prudent to pull the deal for the time being.”
Illinois is already faced with the highest spreads - 137 basis points in the latest week - over Municipal Market Data’s benchmark triple-A scale among states and cities tracked by MMD, a unit of Thomson Reuters. By contrast, the spread for California, another low-rated, high-debt issuance state, was only 48 basis points in the week ended Jan. 25. […]
Tim McGregor, director of municipal fixed income at Northern Trust, said the state probably would have had little difficulty selling the bonds on Wednesday “with a little bit of yield” given low supplies of debt in the $3.7 trillion municipal market and yield-hungry investors. He added that if Illinois wants to attract lower rates in the market, it needs to fix its finances, particularly pensions.
“Spreads won’t tighten just because they want them to tighten,” he said, adding the state needs to impress the market by tackling pension reforms.
Either way, it was probably prudent to let the furor over the rating reduction die down for a while.
* People in civil unions can now file their taxes electronically…
[Department of Revenue spokesperson Sue Hofer] said couples in civil unions can file electronically this year as a result of a software upgrade at the revenue agency. Last year, the first tax year for civil unions in Illinois, paper returns were required.
“It’s not fair to say, because you’re in a civil union, you have to file paper returns,” said Hofer.
A “civil union income report” also is required that allows state and federal returns to be matched for online filing.
The revenue department does not separately track civil-union returns, but nearly 5,200 civil unions were reported statewide from the time of legalization in June 2011 through the end of 2012.
* The Civil Rights Agenda responded via press release…
Because the federal government does not recognize civil unions, couples cannot file joint federal tax returns, so each partner in a civil union must prepare their tax returns twice.
“Taxes are such a headache and that is especially true if you are in a civil union,” said Anthony Martinez, Executive Director of The Civil Rights Agenda. “We received a large amount of calls and emails last year asking about filing taxes when a couple is in a civil union. The process is complicated and lengthy and includes the couple doing their taxes twice, once as if they were single and once as if they were married. The process also creates a large amount of unique paperwork. ,We are pleased that the Department has taken steps to ease the burden of filing taxes when you are in a civil union. Hopefully, the new Schedule will make a painstaking process a little bit easier.”
“The fact that there has to be a special schedule created for couples in civil union highlights that civil unions are not equal to marriage,” stated Rick Garcia, Director of the Equal Marriage Illinois Project and Senior Policy Advisor for The Civil Rights Agenda “The couples file their Illinois taxes as if they are married, but then have to use a special schedule that creates extra steps. Although these changes are welcome, we still must point out that civil unions are a separate institution from marriage and do not provide the same rights or responsibilities.”
Building on its successful 2012 record, House Majority PAC today announced it will run political programs in 10 Congressional Districts to target vulnerable Republicans, beginning in 2013. The Republican members of Congress are Michele Bachmann (MN-06), Mike Coffman (CO-06), Gary Miller (CA-31), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Michael Grimm (NY-11), Joe Heck (NV-03), David Joyce (OH-14), John Kline (MN-02) and Steve Southerland (FL-02).
Each of these Republicans represents a competitive district and has an out-of-touch, extreme record.
Over the course of 2013, House Majority PAC will execute individually tailored plans in each of these 10 districts, to include earned and paid media, online communications and social networking. These efforts will lay the groundwork for increased political activity leading up to Election Day in 2014.
“In 2012, House Majority PAC built a strong record of success and in 2013 we are ready to hit the ground running to hold these Republicans accountable and communicate with swing voters about their extreme records and backwards priorities,” said Alixandria Lapp, Executive Director of House Majority PAC. “Whether it’s supporting the end of Medicare as we know it, backing tax cuts for the wealthy, working to roll back the clock on women’s rights or opposing stem cell research, these Republicans are simply out of step with the districts they represent. House Majority PAC will work to ensure voters know the truth.”
During the 2012 cycle, House Majority PAC spent approximately $36 million, amassing a record that independent observers termed “impressive” and “winning.” The Democratic candidate won in 63 percent of the races in which House Majority PAC spent a significant sum. And of the 10 races in which House Majority PAC spent the most money, Democrats won eight. [Emphasis added.]
I have my doubts about the potential for success there. The district has a ton of college students, from Bloomington, to Champaign to Edwardsville and everything in between. They tend to vote Democratic, but they don’t vote big in off-year elections. If Davis had lost last year, he’d be my favorite to win in 2014.
But maybe you have a different idea. Let’s hear it.
The Illinois Department of Corrections filled a high-ranking prison administrator’s position with a man who had political clout but whose qualifications fell far short of the agency’s own job-description requirements, a state investigation has found.
The Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, in a report released Wednesday, did not name the administrator or the prison where he works. But it indicated he had prior experience only in teaching theater, as an assistant manager at a “movie store,” and managing an office for his father’s political campaign. The report did not name the father.
The agency’s description for the job cited the need for extensive educational and practical experience in criminology, penal administration and prison supervision. Corrections Director S.A. “Tony” Godinez, who is named in the report, acknowledged that the job required the ability to run the entire prison in an emergency.
The commission recommended that Gov. Pat Quinn’s office “take appropriate action” in the case of the employee because he wasn’t qualified. But one of Quinn’s lawyers responded that a review of the employee’s status showed that he “has achieved the requisite education and employment experience” for the job.
It’s the second time in less than three months that Executive Inspector General Ricardo Meza has found hiring violations in in the Quinn administration. Meza reported in November that he found 10 violations of hiring law at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The state’s top ethics watchdog Wednesday accused a campaign consultant for state Sen. Napoleon Harris of misusing family leave time from his state job so he could do legislative campaign work.
State Executive Inspector General Ricardo Meza recommended that University Park resident Curtis Thompson be barred from future state employment because of his alleged actions.
“Mr. Thompson sought [family] leave on a fraudulent basis, submitted a false [family leave] form and attempted to cover up his fraudulent activity by stating that he had resigned,” Meza’s report said.
Thompson, a one-time $66,612-a-year administrator at the Department of Central Management Services, obtained family leave time from the agency in January 2012 ostensibly to care for his terminally ill father in Alabama, Meza alleged.
But instead, the report said, Thompson did political work for parts of three months, leading up to the March 20, 2012 Democratic primary where Harris prevailed in a three-way race in the 15th Senate District.
Meza’s report does not explicitly name Harris as the legislative candidate for whom Thompson worked while on family leave from the state, and an aide to Meza would neither confirm nor deny Harris was the candidate.
* Republican Congressman Aaron Schock reiterated his opposition yesterday to gay marriage during a Springfield media availability. But when asked why he opposed gay marriage, the potential gubernatorial candidate hesitated and stumbled. Watch…
* Will Caskey, a regular commenter here and one of the state’s top opposition researchers, penned an op-ed for Crain’s about Debbie Halvorson’s self-published memoir “Playing With The Big Boys” and extrapolates what the real problem is in Illinois…
I have read her 147-page book and find that it unintentionally provides some insights into how Springfield works — or, more precisely, doesn’t work. Take, for example, her explanation for voting for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s ill-fated Gross Receipts Tax despite not liking it at all:
I quickly piped up and said that it was a terrible idea and it wouldn’t work. I was told otherwise and to watch it move through the legislature. Under my breath I was mouthing, ‘Not with my vote’…Those of us on the Senate Executive Committee (which is made up solely of Senate leadership) were pressured to vote on the measure to move it to the full Senate for discussion.
In Ms. Halvorson’s view, her voting record isn’t her fault; then-Senate President Emil Jones or, later, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are to blame. Even worse, as the memoirist tells it, Ms. Pelosi didn’t listen to Ms. Halvorson’s advice about her own district […]
Write it down, ladies: “Playing ball with the big boys” means doing whatever the big boys say even when you think it’s awful. And then you lose your election and self-publish a book about it. Ms. Halvorson’s career is a tragedy in two parts: She did what she was told, and then there were consequences.
(L)eaders in both legislative chambers in Illinois have an unusual amount of power: Committees are a formality at best, and legislation is almost always advanced as amendments to empty “shell bills” after last-minute deals. Rank-and-file legislators have almost no reason to raise their own money, or advance their own bills and whip their own votes, or show any other typical political skill. All they have to do is show up and vote as they’re told. And it works, right up until they try to move up into Congress, where a decent campaign costs over $2 million and no one is interested in giving them that much money.
That explains what happened to Ms. Halvorson. She went from Springfield to Washington and got clobbered.
And that, in a nutshell, is Illinois: We suck because of strong party leadership, not despite it. Ms. Halvorson and politicians like her are just the logical outcome of a top-heavy power structure. The setup has its benefits, sometimes, when both chambers and the governor have a minimally functional relationship. But whether that relationship exists or not, individual members are free to be knuckleheads, so they are. Democrats in Illinois don’t have to be smart, or good at their own fundraising, or effective at legislating, so they aren’t. When they face tough votes, they complain about having to take them instead of following the best path to re-election. When they have to raise their own money, they complain that the party hasn’t come through. When they face the consequences to their own actions and records, they’re astonished.
* However, it’s not always this way. Kurt Erickson takes a look at how sub-caucuses have often held sway in the Illinois GA…
In the frenzied final hours of the 2005 spring session of the Illinois General Assembly, the push to finalize a new state budget suddenly ground to a halt when a bloc of Democratic lawmakers announced they couldn’t support the spending plan.
Without their votes, there was no way the Democratic majority could adopt a budget without Republican input, raising speculation that the session could go into overtime.
Facing the prospect of being stuck in Springfield during the summer months, House Speaker Michael Madigan called the members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus into his private office near the House floor to try to find a way to meet their needs and keep the budget-making process on track. Hours later, members of the caucus announced they were back on board. No terms of the negotiations were ever outlined, but Republicans pointed to the insertion into the budget of hundreds of millions of dollars for local projects as an example of how the deal likely was sealed. […]
The incident is just one example of the role that caucuses can play in the legislative process. And, with Democrats now holding super-majorities in the Senate and the House, the informal coalitions could become an even bigger factor in what gets done and what doesn’t on the floor of the House and Senate. […]
In theory, the majorities held by Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton could allow them to ignore the threat of a veto from the governor.
Cullerton, however, believes the possibility of that happening is “exaggerated’’ because of the diverse nature of the Democratic caucus. In other words, just because they are Democrats doesn’t mean they see eye to eye on every issue.
“We have numerous caucuses. We have to compromise within our caucuses,” Cullerton says.
And last year, Senate Democratic incumbents raised hundreds of thousands of dollars on their own, which was then supplemented by money from their leader. It was quite impressive.
* But, yeah, legislative leaders are often like ward committeemen and their members are like constituents. They are coddled and serviced into submission. And when that doesn’t work, the hammer comes down.
* First, click here and take another look at House Speaker Michael Madigan’s letter to the AFL-CIO about declining to attend the pension reform summit and labor’s response.
* The Question: Should public employee unions be more willing to negotiate a pension reform deal that doesn’t involve higher taxes and does involve benefit cuts? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
I’d like to respond to your January 22, 2013 letter regarding the need to develop legislative solutions to address the underfunding of the state’s pension systems. Your interest in taking a more active role on this issue is welcome.
However, your suggestion of a meeting in Burr Ridge is not timely. A summit on this topic could have been called several years ago when we first started to grapple with this complex and controversial topic. A number of proposals have advanced since that time, but we have not been able to assemble the necessary bipartisan coalition to approve a plan that would stabilize the state systems for current and future retirees.
Your letter implies pension reforms faltered because the concerns of labor were not considered. In my view, the positions of organized labor were taken into account during the 2012 legislative session. I recall no fewer than eight high-level meetings that took place with labor, legislative leaders and the governor. At that time, I felt there was little willingness from representatives of labor to draft a comprehensive, common-sense solution.
The residents of Illinois have been asked to shoulder a higher tax burden in recent years. For several years, Illinois has had to address very serious issues, including rising pension, Medicaid and state healthcare costs, all of which have contributed to the state’s massive budget pressures. The state has reduced spending in many areas, but costs for pensions continue to increase and unions representing state employees insist that salaries be increased. Many state lawmakers understand the difficult situation before us, having voted to cut their own legislative pay the last four years.
To date, we have received no cooperation from the labor unions representing state employees on addressing these challenges. In fact, these unions often have been strongly opposed to any attempt to solve the problem. For example, AFSCME recently said it will not ratify a contract that decreases the take-home pay of its employees.
It is worth noting a recent editorial points out that of the 12 most populous states, Illinois has the fourth highest average state worker pay, including overtime, and information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Kaiser Family Foundation shows that Illinois state workers pay significantly less for their insurance premiums than those in the private sector.
It is time for labor to come to the table with an honest proposal that recognizes the state’s serious fiscal condition and puts government employees on par with those in the private sector relative to a benefits package.
One measure introduced in the 98th General Assembly, House Bill 98 sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz, includes a series of proposals that would put Illinois on a path to preserving the state’s pension systems. We must also look for fresh ideas to end the practice of state payments for non-state workers. I look forward to your thoughts on both topics.
I look forward to your announcement of support of reforms that helps the state address its budget pressures and preserves the pension systems for the employees counting on them. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
With kindest personal regards, I remain
Sincerely yours,
MICHAEL J. MADIGAN
Speaker of the House
Emphasis is in the original.
*** UPDATE *** From the We Are One Coalition…
The following statement is attributable to Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, speaking on behalf of the We Are One Illinois coalition:
We Are One Illinois regrets that Speaker Madigan has indicated he will not participate in the Pension Summit proposed by our union coalition. Our summit is a demonstration of good faith and commitment to seeking to solve the state’s pension funding problem in a way that is fair and constitutional.
Our coalition has already put forward a plan that addresses the intertwined problems of inadequate revenues and underfunded pensions. It would end the practice of politicians shorting actuarially required payments to the retirement funds; ease state budget pressures by closing wasteful tax loopholes, especially for big corporations; and require active public employees to pay more toward the pensions they earn and rely on. Our plan would provide at least $2.35 billion a year to stabilize the retirement funds, while preventing cuts to retirees who worked hard and played by the rules.
The We Are One Illinois plan has the potential to be a starting point for participatory discussions around a pension-funding solution. Crucially, we believe that pension legislation supported by all parties is the only way to meet constitutional muster and avert costly and time-consuming court battles.
In downgrading Illinois credit last week, Standard and Poor’s warned that unconstitutional pension cuts “risk … legal challenges” that could take “several years” to resolve, delaying “improved funded ratios and budget relief.” Illinois doesn’t have years to waste. The We Are One Illinois coalition of unions remains ready to work constructively on this problem right now.
We have pointed out that the public employees and retirees represented by our unions are helpers and problem-solvers by trade—the teachers, the caregivers, the protectors and those who respond in emergencies. They are committed to being a part of the solution to the pension problem as well, but they can’t do it alone.
We were particularly surprised and disappointed that the Speaker singled out state employees from our coalition—which includes teachers, police, fire fighters, nurses, caregivers and many others—and decried their efforts to maintain decent wages and affordable health care. In terms of comparison to other states, it is true that Illinois state employees are fairly paid—just as are other public employees , and indeed unionized private sector workers in our state. Illinois is a relatively high-wage state and all of our citizens are the better for it. Further, when comparing benefits to private-sector workers, it must be noted that nearly 80 percent of Illinois public employees—including teachers, police, fire fighters and university employees—are not eligible for Social Security. Finally, every serious, academic study has shown that public employees are paid less in wages and earn less in total compensation than comparable private-sector workers with similar jobs and educational attainment.
On the pension issue, the Speaker is correct to recall a series of discussions involving the union coalition, legislative leaders and the governor nearly one year ago. We were disappointed when those discussions were abruptly halted by the elected officials last spring, and despite our invitations throughout the ensuing months, never resumed. Our Feb. 11 Pension Summit is an opportunity to get back to work.
The people of Illinois want and deserve leaders who work together to solve problems. The public employees and retirees who serve the people need and depend on the modest pensions they earn and pay into from every check. A pension-funding solution that is constitutional, sustainable and fair requires openness and dialogue from all parties.
Senator Napoleon Harris, Robin Kelly to hold joint press conference to make campaign announcement
Today State Senator Napoleon Harris and former State Representative Robin Kelly will hold a joint press conference to make a major campaign announcement.
Who: Senator Napoleon Harris and former State Representative Robin Kelly
When: Today, January 30 at 2:30 pm
Where: Offices of Adelstein/Liston, 222 West Ontario Street Suite 600, Chicago, Il
Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Confirmed.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Check out the harsh rhetoric in the response from Sen. Toi Hutchinson’s campaign…
Vlad Gutman, campaign manager for Toi Hutchinson’s campaign for Congress, today made the following statement on Robin Kelly’s endorsements over the last two days:
“While pretending to be an advocate for gun safety reform, Robin Kelly yesterday accepted the endorsement of someone facing a felony gun charge. And today, after claiming to be a progressive supporter of women’s rights, she accepted the endorsement of Senator Napoleon Harris, one of the Democratic Party’s most deeply conservative voices. Senator Harris is on record as anti-choice, anti-marriage equality, against the Equal Rights Amendment, and in favor of voter ID laws. Anyone who values these rights needs to question whether Robin Kelly can be trusted to stand up for them in Washington.”
Keep in mind that both Donne Trotter and Napoleon Harris are fellow state Senators. She’d better win now.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Robin Kelly’s campaign…
Today I was honored to stand with my friend, State Senator Napoleon Harris, and accept his endorsement of my candidacy. Senator Harris is a great leader for the community and I deeply respect his commitment to public service. At the press conference we held, Napoleon showed his commitment to our community in the following statement:
“Even though I am ending my bid for Congress today, I am still committed to fighting for the same causes that led me to enter this race,” Harris said. “I believe we need to fight for more educational opportunity, better jobs and to get guns out of the hands of criminals and gangs that are preying on our neighborhoods. I believe Robin Kelly is the right candidate to pick up that cause to fight for the people of Chicago and the Southland.”
I am honored to have his endorsement, and look forward to a long partnership together, working to stop gun violence and get dangerous weapons off our streets. The voters of the second district deserve someone in Congress who they can trust to stand with President Obama to take on the NRA.
*** UPDATE 4 *** From a press release…
Harris ends Congressional bid, endorses Kelly
Chicago, Il—- Today, state Senator Napoleon Harris ended his bid for Congress and endorsed the candidacy of Robin Kelly.
“Even though I am ending my bid for Congress today, I am still committed to fighting for the same causes that led me to enter this race,” Harris said. “I believe we need to fight for more educational opportunity, better jobs and to get guns out of the hands of criminals and gangs that are preying on our neighborhoods. I believe Robin Kelly is the right candidate to pick up that cause to fight for the people of Chicago and the Southland.”
“Senator Harris is a great leader for the community and I deeply respect his commitment to public service. That’s why I am so honored to have his endorsement today,” Kelly said. “My campaign for Congress continues to build momentum every day because voters are responding to my five-point pledge to stop gun violence and get dangerous weapons off our streets. The voters of the second district deserve someone in Congress who they can trust to stand with President Obama to take on the NRA.
“While some of my opponents have A ratings with the NRA, I couldn’t be more proud of my F rating and it’s that record that I will take to Congress to fight for the families across Chicago and the Southland,” Kelly added.
* The new concealed carry bill pushed by the NRA requires four hours of training to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon. The instruction includes…
(A) handgun safety in the classroom, at home, on the firing range, and while carrying the firearm;
(B) the basic principles of marksmanship;
(C) care and cleaning of handguns;
(D) laws relating to the justifiable use of force.
The proposal also requires that the applicant prove s/he has…
passed a live fire exercise with a handgun consisting of: (1) a minimum of 30 rounds; and (2) 20 rounds from a distance of 7 yards and 10 rounds from a distance of 15 yards at a B-21 silhouette or equivalent target as approved by the Department.
* The Question: Is four hours of training and 30 rounds fired to obtain a concealed carry license sufficient, or should it be more, or less? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please. Also, stick closely to the topic at hand or you’ll be deleted.
While Halvorson has recently said she would not support a ban on assault weapons, she said she would be open to toughening laws against straw purchasers, changes in background checks as well as boosting accuracy of weapon-owner databases. […]
“It was my NRA rating when I represented a rural district, with no Cook County, representing all rural, no Cook County,” she said of her district before a congressional remap changed boundaries. The Second Congressional district stretches into Cook, Will and Kankakee counties. “I did have an A rating, as did Toi Hutchinson. Since then, I haven’t even filled out an NRA questionnaire, I didn’t now.” […]
Cook County already has an assault weapons ban. If I were Toni Preckwinkle, I would be embarrassed, too. If I were Toni Preckwinkle, I would try to change the subject also. It’s a shame she’s trying to change the subject. I don’t think it’s her fault, but I do think it’s hypocritical of her to try to blame me, she’s the Cook County Board President, why aren’t they talking about what they can do to reduce crime instead of saying we need a national ban on assault weapons and Debbie Halvorson isn’t doing enough about it.”
* Meanwhile, we’ll have live coverage of tonight’s 2nd Congressional District debate at 6:30. It’s being televised on cable access. Click here for the live link if you want to bookmark it.
All the candidates were invited, except for Mel Reynolds, Greg Hinz reports…
“It’s being held at a high school,” quipped event organizer Wendell Mosby, in a not-too-subtle reference to Mr. Reynolds’ conviction on charges of receiving child pornography and having sex with a minor.
The rating drop from S&P gives Governor Quinn his 11th downgrade since taking office. No other Governor in the state’s history has presided over more credit downgrades than Quinn. In fact, Quinn now owns more downgrades than all earlier governors combined. The previous record holder, Rod Blagojevich, had three downgrades during his time in office.
Illinois has and is cutting spending, has raised taxes substantially and is making big-time pension system contributions.
That, of course, gets you regular rating downgrades.
Yet during the Blago years, when spending kept going up, tax rates remained unchanged and pension payments were being blown off, the ratings remained unchanged until his last year or so.
Makes perfect sense.
I would only add that two years ago the state also reformed pensions for new employees, which should save quite a bit of money in the future.
* Whatever you say about Pat Quinn, and you can say a lot, he has at least tried to get the state’s finances in order. He’s made some very tough decisions, unlike his predecessor. Yet, it wasn’t until after both Rod Blagojevich and the big-spending George Ryan were both in prison did Illinois begin to pay a real price for fiscal profligacy.
Seems a bit like CYA for the ratings agencies to me. For all their tsk-tsking about Illinois, either they didn’t really see this coming, or they didn’t care. If they had, we’d have been slammed with big downgrades long ago.
* A pastor who served on the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission claims he didn’t know he was violating a law he was supposed to enforce. Great…
A former member of the Illinois panel that conducts hearings on alleged ethics violations has been fined $2,500 for attending a prayer breakfast and fundraiser for a political candidate, according to an ethics commission report released Tuesday.
The Illinois Executive Ethics Commission found Stephen Thurston violated state law by attending a March 25, 2011, prayer breakfast and fundraiser for David Moore, who was running for Chicago City Council. Thurston spoke at the breakfast about “Moore’s Christian character, the need for everyone to get involved in the election process, and that Moore would be a good alderman,” the ethics panel said in its report.
State law prohibits commissioners from contributing to political campaigns or even attending a rally for a candidate for a specific post. Moore lost in the April 2011 runoff election for the 17th Ward spot to incumbent Latasha Thomas.
Thurston, a pastor at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, praised Moore as a good alderman for the ward at a “critical time in the African-American community” that suffered from low voter participation, according to the report. Moore lost the runoff election to Ald. Latasha Thomas less than two weeks later.
Thurston’s actions violated state ethics law, which says commissioners are banned from participating in political activities that could influence a candidate’s chances at filling a public office, the report said.
“Although (Thurston) attempted to make a disclaimer limiting the political nature of his comments at the prayer breakfast, he crossed the line into advocacy for a candidate,” the report said.
Moore’s campaign issued a news release after the breakfast naming supporters, including Thurston, but later apologized for using his name.
*** UPDATE *** Full statement from the governor’s office…
The state of Illinois has delayed Wednesday’s scheduled bond sale. Our conversations with potential bidders lead us to believe the market is unsettled because of recent actions and comments by the bond rating agencies. We plan to schedule a new bond sale after the markets have had time to digest the news.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Leader Cross…
“The administration’s decision to pull the $500 million bond sale today is a clear indication that officials were concerned that we might pay too much in interest, in large part due to our awful credit rating. Our failure to pass meaningful pension reform, to pay down our large backlog of bills and to live within our means is contributing to this uncertainty in the markets for us. We stand ready to address these issues today–so that we are not forced to pay unnecessarily high interest rates.”
* January’s lame duck session was a bust, but not a complete bust. The trial lawyers scored a victory. But, so far, only myself, the Madison-St. Clair Record and the Tribune have written much about this proposal. The Record…
Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday put his stamp of approval on a bill that places a cap on attorneys’ fees in medical malpractice cases.
Pushed by the Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, Public Act 97-1145 caps these fees at one-third of a plaintiff’s award and bars lawyers from petitioning the court for higher fees.
The new law, which was introduced earlier this month as Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 5151, took effect Friday.
The bill surfaced in the Senate on Jan. 2, tacked onto a measure that originally dealt with firearm ranges. A day later it passed the Senate mostly on Democratic votes. Over in the House, powerful Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan sponsored the bill. A few days later it went to the governor on a 67-46 vote, again with mostly Democratic support. Quinn signed the measure into law Jan. 18, disclosing his move on a Friday afternoon, when politicians often choose to bury controversial news.
The law eliminates the sliding scale that spelled out how much attorneys could charge for bringing medical malpractice cases. Previously, attorneys could collect one-third of an award up to $150,000, 25 percent for awards ranging from $150,000 to $1 million and 20 percent for awards of more than $1 million. Attorneys also could petition the court for even higher fees, a practice the new law eliminated.
The new system will see attorneys collecting a flat one-third rate on all awards. The Medical Society contends that means a patient who was awarded $1 million would now pay $333,333 in attorney’s fees as opposed to $262,500 under the old standards — the first $150,000 of the award at the one-third rate and the rest at the 25 percent rate.
“This (law) goes against the purpose for which money is awarded to an injured patient,” said Dr. William N. Werner, Illinois medical society president. “Awards are intended to offset patients’ losses, not pad the pockets of their attorneys.”
But Gregory Shevlin, president of the state’s trial lawyers association, said clients can hire attorneys for less than the maximum fee amount. Shevlin said clients could end up saving money under the new limits, because attorneys no longer will be able to petition the court for fees beyond what is set in law.
Last year when the state hiked the cigarette tax by almost a dollar a pack, the tobacco industry cut a deal to pass a bill that limited appeal bonds.
Right now, state law mandates that bonds be posted equal to 1 1/2 times a judgment on certain cases before the ruling can be appealed. That resulted in a required $12 billion appeal bond years ago when Philip Morris lost a case involving Marlboro Lights. The appeal bond was lowered after negotiations, but the company has been fighting ever since to get something into law.
The House passed a bill last year, but Senate President Cullerton, a visceral anti-tobacco legislator, bottled it up. It passed last week after the trial lawyers were given a neat little plumb that guaranteed them higher contingency fees on big medical malpractice cases.
A measure that intends to put an end to forum shopping has been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly.
House Bill 138 would amend the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure to provide for the dismissal of lawsuits for lack of proper venue if the defendants are not Illinois residents and the cause of action didn’t occur in the state.
Current law allows plaintiffs to bring suits in any county if the defendants are nonresidents.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, said this year will mark at least her third attempt at pushing a venue reform measure.
The Illinois Civil Justice League (ICJL) has supported her legislation in previous years and the Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association (ILTA) has opposed it.
* Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg) has introduced a new concealed carry bill. Jamey Dunn has a very good description of the new bill…
Phelps, who has sponsored several versions of a concealed-carry bill throughout the years, said he introduced a bill this session because he wants to negotiate in good faith. “We filed a bill to show people that we do mean what we say about working on this issue.” Phelps, a Harrisburg Democrat, said his new legislation, House Bill 997, is similar to House Bill 48, which failed to get the needed support to pass in the House in the spring of 2011. “Now’s not the time to reinvent the wheel,” he said.
Under the new proposal, applicants must be 21 years old and hold a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. They would be required to undergo four hours of training on topics including: “basic principles of marksmanship, care and cleaning of handguns and laws relating to the justifiable use of force.” They would also have to pass a live fire exercise with a certified instructor. A database of applicant information would be accessible to law enforcement officials. Statistical information about licenses issued by demographics, such as race, age gender or geographic location, would be available to the public. However, information about specific applicants would be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
If an applicant met all the requirements in the bill, the legislation requires that the Illinois State Police issue a license within 30 days of receiving his or her application. The state police would be able to consider objections from local law enforcement when processing applications. Those applicants who were granted licenses would be able to carry a loaded or unloaded handgun either concealed or openly in public and while in a vehicle. The measure prohibits guns in certain areas, such as state and federal buildings, and bars firearms at college campuses and schools. Some of those places, such as schools and campuses, could opt to allow concealed-carry if approved by school authorities. Business owners could choose not to allow guns inside their establishments.
The bill would preempt home rule, so it would apply across the state, including in Chicago. The proposal would bar home rule units of government from limiting the number of guns a concealed-carry permit owner could have or requiring that they register the guns they own.
“Since taking office, I have constantly stood up for Illinois citizens’ right to bear arms, and this year will be no different,” Phelps said. “Currently, Illinois is the only state that does not have any form of concealed-carry permits.
“With this added pressure from December’s federal appellate court’s ruling, I think we are the closest we have ever been, and I remain focused on ending the practice of punishing law-abiding citizens by denying them their right to concealed carry.”
Colleen Daley, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, said her organization wants to ensure any concealed-carry bill included “reasonable restrictions,” including better mental health information sharing with the federal government and mandatory background checks for any firearms sales.
“Because of the court’s ruling we are also looking at putting together the most comprehensive and common-sense concealed-carry proposal in the country,” Daley said.
* Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) peers into the future…
“I think chances are good that we’ll vote on it this time around and, in light of recent court decisions, I believe it will pass.”
Discuss, but take a deep breath first, please. These gun conversations are becoming tiresomely obnoxious and repetitive.
Fifteen freshmen members of the Illinois General Assembly will be part of Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon’s new Firearms Working Group.
Simon announced the members on Tuesday. They include 13 Democrats and two Republicans from Chicago, the Chicago suburbs, southern Illinois, northern Illinois and western Illinois. Simon says the group will meet with people on both sides of the gun control debate to better inform legislation.
Simon said Tuesday that both the Illinois State Rifle Association and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence plan to meet with members to talk about concealed carry legislation.
Former Gov. George Ryan has already been released from the halfway house on Chicago’s West Side and will be confined at his Kankakee home until he completes his 6 ½-year sentence, according to his lawyer, former Gov. Jim Thompson.
Thompson said Ryan found out about the decision by the Bureau of Prison early this morning as he was being released from a federal prison camp in Terre Haute, Ind.
Ryan will not have to wear electronic monitors while under house arrest at his home, said Thompson, who wasn’t sure if Ryan, soon to be 79, would work.
Bureau of Prison spokesman Chris Burke said today Ryan did not receive special treatment in order to be released to home confinement.
Speaking from Ryan’s living room, his attorney Jim Thompson said Ryan was beaming and surrounded by his smiling grandchildren
“If you could see his and his grandkids’ smiling faces,” Thompson, himself a former governor, said by phone from Ryan’s home. “He is surrounded by happy faces.”
Ed Ross, a spokesman with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons in Washington D.C., said such quick a release, though, is not uncommon.
Ross said it was “very common” for elderly inmates to spend just a few hours in a halfway house. While at his home in Kankakee, Ryan will not be allowed to leave home during non-working hours and will remain “under the strict supervision of the Bureau of Prisons,” Ross said.
“The whole point of community corrections is to transition the individual back into their community. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis as to how much halfway house time … an individual needs,” Ross said.
Former Gov. Jim Thompson said his friend George Ryan “paid a severe price” when he was convicted and imprisoned. “The loss of his wife and brother while he was in the penitentiary, the loss of his pension, his office, his good name. That is a significant punishment.”
Ryan smiled tightly as he refused to answer questions from reporters. Ryan’s son, George Ryan Jr. and former Gov. Jim Thompson accompanied Ryan into the house.
After Ryan checked in, Thompson came back out and told reporters “today is another step in a long journey for George Ryan. . .He would like me to tell you he’s grateful to leave the penitentiary. He’s grateful also for the encouragement and support from many people. He has paid a severe price. The loss of his wife and brother while he was in the penitentiary, the loss of his pension, his office, his good name and 5 1/2 years of imprisonment. Now near 80 years old, that is a significant punishment. But he is going to go forward.”
Ryan left the prison early this morning and managed to escape the notice of media camped at the facility. The first indication that Ryan has been released was around 6:45 a.m. when he left a building down the street and started walking toward the halfway house.
His son put his left hand on his father and guided him out the door. Ryan kept his head down, his hands in his pockets as he talked to his son and walked slowly through the knot of TV cameras.
A visit to the dentist will be one of the first orders of business for Ryan now that he is at the halfway house in Chicago.
After orientation, Ryan will then be assigned a room in the 210-bed “Freedom Center.”
“What does George Ryan have to go back to a halfway house for at 79 years old?” said former Chicago city clerk Jim Laski. “What are they gonna tell him?”
The mission of halfway house is to help inmates get their feet planted back in society with a job of some sort.
Laski, who did six months of his sentence at the “Freedom Center,” found it to be a process burdened by bureaucracy.
“It’s like going through high school with some goofy orientation program,” said Laski. “It was really a waste of time.”
Still, the ex-governor must follow Federal Bureau of Prisons directives, although his stay at the halfway house likely be a matter of weeks instead of months.
Meanwhile, Ryan’s halfway house release begins a new era for the Kankakee native. He’s expected to stay for a maximum of six months at the same Salvation Army where dozens of onetime politicos from Illinois made their transition back to freedom. They included former City Clerk James Laski and Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese.
Loren-Maltese didn’t sugarcoat her stay at the same venue.
“I was cleaning the bathrooms,” she said. “I thought it was horrible there — it reminded me of the high-security prison because of being locked in all the time.”
Laski, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to taking $48,000 in bribes, has few good memories of the place — an environment he called “dingy, cold and dark.”
“It’s not the most friendly place,” Laski told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.
Laski, who went to the South Ashland facility in mid-2007 from a dormitory-type prison in West Virginia, described the buffet-style food as “fair to middling,” but a slight improvement over prison grub.
Laski recalled his first day at the halfway house, when he was required to introduce himself to various staff members and gather a signature from each of them.
“You run around like a little kid, getting signatures. . . . It’s silly,” said Laski, who lives on the Southwest Side and runs a consulting business with offices in Chicago and Miami.
* With relatively light fundraising by even the frontrunners, outside groups were bound to descend on the 2nd CD special primary. It has begun. New York’s billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg is jumping into the race via his SuperPAC.
From a press release…
INDEPENDENCE USA PAC RELEASES NEW TV AD HIGHLIGHTING FORMER REP. DEBBIE HALVORSON’S ANTI-GUN SAFETY POSITIONS
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Ads to focus on Halvorson’s Congressional and Illinois Statehouse record of voting to allow criminals to carry loaded, hidden guns; permitting guns in national parks; and opposing bans on large-capacity magazines
(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE): As the race for Chicago’s 2nd Congressional District enters it final month, Michael R. Bloomberg’s Independence USA PAC today announced a significant TV ad campaign around educating Chicago voters about former Rep. Debbie Halvorson’s abysmal gun safety record.
Armed with an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association – a grade that is unlikely to continue now that she’s come against President Obama’s proposed Assault Weapons Ban — Halvorson went as far outside the mainstream in her congressional career as to vote for the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009, a bill that would allow criminals to carry loaded, hidden guns in Chicago.
“Throughout her years in Washington and Springfield, Debbie Halvorson’s record on gun safety has been entirely devoid of any semblance of the kind of common-sense reforms that will keep Americans safer from the scourge of gun violence,” said Stefan Friedman, spokesman for Independence USA PAC.
Many of the other candidates in the crowded field to take the seat held by Jesse Jackson, Jr. have come out on behalf of reasonable measures that would help keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals and make Americans safer.
The ad is linked here or available on request. A script of the ad is below.
“In the race to replace Jessie Jackson, watch out for Debbie Halvorson. When she was in congress before, Halvorson got an A from the NRA.
The NRA: against comprehensive background checks, against banning deadly assault weapons, against banning high capacity ammunition clips.
Halvorson even co-sponsored a bill that would allow some criminals to carry loaded, hidden guns into Chicago.
Debbie Halvorson: when it comes to preventing gun violence, she gets an F.
Independence USA PAC is responsible for the content of this advertising.”
SIX SENATORS ENDORSE HUTCHINSON’S CAMPAIGN FOR CONGRESS
Senators Koehler, Lightford, Muñoz, Noland, Sandoval, and Steans today announced their endorsement of Toi Hutchinson’s campaign for Congress in the second congressional district today.
“I am a strong supporter of Toi Hutchinson’s, and I have no doubt that she is the best choice to stand up for Illinois in Congress,” said Senator Antonio Muñoz. “Toi Hutchinson is working alongside me to ban assault weapons because she knows how critical gun safety reforms are. Just as she is fighting for these reforms in Springfield, I know she’ll take that fight with her to Washington as well.”
“Toi Hutchinson is exactly the kind of reformer we need to send to Washington,” said Senator Kimberly A. Lightford (D-04). “Toi has always worked hard to protect middle and working class families. Ever since I’ve met her, I’ve been deeply impressed by her passion and commitment—there are few public servants I know who work so tirelessly for the people they represent.”
None of those Senators actually lives in the 2nd District, but it does answer concerns I expressed earlier that Hutchinson wasn’t listing any of her Senate colleagues on her endorsement list.
*** UPDATE *** Halvorson responds to Preckwinkle via press release…
HALVORSON RESPONDS TO PRECKWINKLE BASELESS ALLEGATION OF VOTING AGAINST THE EXTENTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
AND VOTING TO SUPPORT THE RICH
HALVORSON RECEIVED THE AFTERNOON PHONE CALL FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA ASKING HER TO VOTE TO EXTEND THE BUSH TAX CUTS
Crete, IL—Debbie Halvorson – Candidate for Illinois’ Second Congressional District- is disappointed in Cook County Board’s President Toni Preckwinkle’s false allegation that she voted against extending unemployment benefits during her two years in Congress. In fact, Halvorson has always voted to extend unemployment benefits.
“It’s unfortunate that the Cook County Board President would make such false claims against my record without checking the facts. I grew up poor and witnessed my father’s struggle to make ends meet. To overcome such odds and vote against extending unemployment benefits to people in need is not reflective of whom I am as a person. I have always voted to extend unemployment benefits. The County Board President is wrong and her allegations are baseless and without merit.” says Halvorson.
Among other false allegations is that Halvorson was somehow anti-Obama by voting in 2010 to extend the Bush tax cuts. But Halvorson was only responding to a phone call she received at her Crete home from President Barack Obama requesting her assistance in gathering her democratic colleagues in the spirit of compromise in voting to extend the Bush Tax cuts.
Halvorson adds, “Voting to extend the Bush Tax cuts was never an option for me. But when my President called me at my home and personally asked me for my support and to lobby my fellow democrats, I did so. It was the spirit of compromise in which President Obama was attempting to achieve. I supported him in that quest. To not honor the President’s request would have been anti-Obama. But again if Toni Preckwinkle wishes to rely upon Toi Hutchinson to provide her with my record, she will only spin herself out of control recanting her statements.
President Preckwinkle also accused Congresswoman Halvorson of not being in support of Wall Street reform. However Debbie voted for the Wall Street reform bill that was supported and signed by President Obama. Halvorson initially voted against the House version of the Wall Street reform bill that was written to penalize small community banks. Halvorson felt that the bill punished smaller banks for the actions of the bigger mainstream banks. But the version in which she voted for and was passed, had the full support of the Obama White House.
[Senate President John Cullerton] said there was a chance at some point of drafting a bill that includes concealed carry permits within assault weapons ban legislation,
* The Question: Should these two issues be combined into a “grand bargain” this spring? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* From an Illinois Issues column on abolishing the lame duck session, which allows simple majority votes to pass a bill during a few days ever other January…
Granted, the pressure on the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. Congress to deal with major issues is immense. Political gridlock has made passage of controversial legislation nearly impossible without resorting to chicanery. And bond rating houses and influential interest groups such as the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and others are pushing loudly for solutions to the state’s fiscal mess or to controversial social issues.
But it’s a shame — better yet, a sham — that legislative leaders, the governor and the special interests believe that the only way to make those major changes is through votes by legislators who don’t have to answer to the voters who elected them.
Yes, the 2011 lame duck session went further than ever before. But the recent 2013 lame duck session was a gigantic bust. They usually are. So, I’m not sure they need to change the rules because one out of many lame duck sessions went further than some think they should have.
* Also, we have primaries in March. Any legislator who loses a March primary is a lame duck and therefore “don’t have to answer to the voters who elected them.” Any legislator who announced his or her retirement before the March primary was also a lame duck. And several legislators retired last year and were replaced by temporary seat-holders. But rarely does anyone talk about those folks.
In other words, eliminating lame ducks from the equation would be impossible.
* The Illinois State Board of Education has asked lawmakers to fully fund education this coming fiscal year. The $5 billion figure would be an increase of $800 million over the current year. Not gonna happen…
“The state board should get in on the reality of the world,” said state Rep John Bradley, D-Marion.
Bradley runs the powerful House Revenue Committee, and it is his job to set a spending cap for the new state budget.
Bradley said Illinois’ pension debt and other unpaid bills will make it impossible to spend more on schools.
“We have a pension payment that will go up $1 billion. We have $2.3 billion in employee health insurance claims. We have another $8 billion to $9 billion in unpaid bills,” Bradley said. “We are going to have to figure out how to cut a billion dollars from operations to make end meet.”
Bradley says things will not get better.
Bradley set the spending cap for the current budget at $33.2 billion. Illinois schools received $4.2 billion for education. Illinois’ pension payment was just over $6 billion.
“We are upside down, and things are getting worse,” said Bradley. […]
Bradley said the numbers are stacked against the $5-billion budget request from the State Board of Education.
“If we have to cut $1 billion from operations, and education is 40 percent of operations, that’s nearly $400 million,” Bradley added.
* Meanwhile, there’s something important missing from this otherwise very good piece on teacher evaluations…
Teachers and administrators must now all be rated according to four clear categories: excellent, proficient, needs improvement or unsatisfactory.
While student growth on standardized tests is not yet a factor in a majority of districts across the states, all teachers, beginning this fall, must be evaluated using these categories. […]
In Illinois, a separate, complimentary piece of legislation to PERA was pushed through both chambers of the state legislature in the spring of 2011, allowing teacher evaluations to be used in decisions about tenure and layoffs. That piece, Senate Bill 7, passed at the time because of “exquisite timing,” says Robin Steans, director of Advance Illinois, an organization that promotes education reforms. […]
Teachers with exceptional reviews could be placed on a fast track to earn tenure within three years instead of four. In turn, teachers with two unsatisfactory evaluations during a seven-year period could have their certificates revoked.
Many years ago, lots of special education students were “mainstreamed” into the classroom. Needless to say, those special needs students can bring down a lot of test scores. I’ve talked to teachers who are worried sick about losing tenure because they have large numbers of special needs students in their classrooms. This ought to be addressed.
* Related…
* Your kids could fail the Illinois state test, but they aren’t stupid
* If there is a “media darling” in the 2nd Congressional District race it’s probably Sen. Toi Hutchinson. For instance…
After what she called a nine-week-long “struggle”, Preckwinkle decided to endorse south suburban State Senator Toi Hutchinson.
“I had a difficult decison to make. I made it. I’m supporting Toi because I think she’s the best and strongest candidate,” Preckwinkle said.
Hutchinson was excited about the high-profile endorsement.
“It means so very much to me. I know that you’ve given a tremendous thought to this decision. You went through a process and I am so very grateful for your support,” Hutchinson said.
Snubbing a loyal one-time staffer, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Monday she’ll use her political muscle to push state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) to the front of a crowded pack of Democrats running for Jesse Jackson Jr.’s old congressional seat.
At a Monday afternoon news conference in downtown Chicago, Preckwinkle stood next to Hutchinson and told reporters it wasn’t an easy decision, considering her former chief administrative officer, Robin Kelly, is also among the 17 Democrats in the race to win the South Side and south suburban 2nd Congressional District.
Oh, please. This has been a foregone conclusion for months. One big reason…
Preckwinkle said that she and Hutchinson share many commonalities — they’re both parents and former teachers. They also use the same powerhouse political consultant, Ken Snyder, who once worked for David Axelrod.
* Mark Brown, however, broke from the pack after Hutchinson’s performance yesterday…
Hutchinson of Olympia Fields continued Monday to sidestep questions about what she did to earn high marks from the National Rifle Association in prior elections as she tries to re-position herself from a gun rights to a gun safety candidate — or maybe to have it both ways.
The NRA’s endorsement served Hutchinson well in her election to the state Senate from a far south suburban district that includes parts of Will and Kankakee counties but now looms as a potential liability in the Democratic race for the seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr. amid a national conversation about gun violence.
Instead of answering a reporter’s direct question about her high rating from the NRA (A- in 2010), Hutchinson retreated to her campaign talking points about how she is co-sponsoring state legislation introduced in the fall session that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, the same position now embraced by President Barack Obama as part of his effort to combat gun violence. […]
In her 2010 campaign, Hutchinson made clear her support for gun rights.
“The 2nd Amendment gives an American the right to bear arms to protect themselves and their property. Law-abiding citizens don’t need any more infringements on their constitutional right to protect their families and their property,” she stated in a news release that included a quote from the executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association praising her as the “type of advocate for 2nd Amendment rights that the 40th district needs.”
But now she only wants to talk about the assault weapons ban.
Even Preckwinkle was a little short on straight talk as she tried to square her own past “F” rating from the NRA with her endorsement of Hutchinson.
“I looked at where Toi is now” on gun issues, Preckwinkle told me in a phone interview, avoiding the issue of where Hutchinson had been previously.
Preckwinkle, a former Chicago alderman who’s banged the drum about stricter gun-control laws, said she’ll shield Hutchinson from criticism on gun control: “I will vocally defend her against attacks from opponents” on the issue.
* Meanwhile, Robin Kelly announced endorsements from three state Senators today. From a press release…
A group of three state Senators including Senator Donne Trotter, who was a candidate for the Second Congressional district, today endorsed Robin Kelly for Congress. In addition to Senator Trotter, Senator Kwame Raoul, and Majority Whip Mattie Hunter also endorsed the campaign today.
“Robin Kelly is my choice for Congress because she has a clear vision for our future,” Senator Donne Trotter said. “Robin has personally been through the economic struggles that too many are facing right now, and come out the other side. We can count on Robin Kelly to fight for us every single day because she knows firsthand what it is like, and that is why I am endorsing her.”
“Robin Kelly is the best choice for our next Congresswoman,” State Senator Kwame Raoul said. “She is the only candidate that has the track record, leadership skills and relationship with our President to begin making progress on day one. I look forward to working with her.”
“I’m supporting Robin because she’s the best candidate to help get guns off our streets. I’ve examined the NRA records of the other major candidates and I’m proud to be supporting Robin Kelly, a candidate who got an ‘F’ from the NRA and has put forward a sensible pledge to reduce gun violence,” Senator Hunter said.
Robin Kelly is the only candidate to have issued a five-point pledge to get assault weapons and high capacity magazines off the streets of Chicago and the Southland, as well as making sure that Illinois’ conceal and carry ban stays in effect. You can read her full pledge at RobinKellyPledge.com.
She previously announced the endorsements of Aldermen Will Burns (Ward 4), Leslie Hairston (Ward 5) and Deborah Graham’s (Ward 29), and Dr. Cheryl Whitaker who serves as her Campaign Chair.
Notice two things here: 1) Sen. Hutchinson still has no state Senators on her endorsement list; and 2) Ald. Burns and Sen. Raoul were both considered Preckwinkle allies until fairly recently.