Gay marriage bill passes House
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The House approved the bill 61-54-2. The roll call is here
Rep. Tom Cross was a surprise Yes vote for the HGOP.
Keep an eye on the live coverage post for react and for coverage of a press conference by Rep. Greg Harris and Speaker Madigan.
…Adding… Press release…
CROSS STATEMENT ON SUPPORTING MARRIAGE EQUALITY
PLAINFIELD… Illinois State Representative and candidate for Illinois State Treasurer Tom Cross today released the following statement in response to his vote in support of legislation allowing for marriage equality.
“As a lawmaker, a father, a husband and a private citizen, individual freedom, equality and limited government are principles that are very important to me and help guide my thinking on issues. I believe they must always be considered when weighing where to stand on policies that affect Illinois citizens. Over the past several months, I have thought long and hard about those principles and how they apply to the marriage equality debate.
I also reached out to trusted and respected people in my life, including my father, who is a retired minister, my family and my own minister. In my discussions with them, it became very clear to me that supporting marriage equality was a stance consistent with those principles that have been so central to my thinking over these many years.
I believe that all citizens in Illinois should have the individual freedom to live their lives as they see fit and pursue happiness. I also believe that our government must treat everyone equally and not exclude citizens from engaging in marriage based on their sexual orientation. And lastly, I believe a limited government stays out of the private lives of law-abiding citizens and focuses on minimizing its footprint.
For me, supporting marriage equality is not only the right decision, but also consistent with my belief in individual freedom, equality and limited government. That is why I supported legislation that allows all citizens of Illinois regardless of their sexual orientation to engage in marriage that is recognized by our state. “
73 Comments  
|
Gay marriage bill amended
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This was just filed by Rep. Greg Harris and advanced out of the House Rules Committee…
Amend Senate Bill 10 on page 1, by inserting immediately below line 16 the following:
“Section 7. Private clubs. Nothing in this Act is intended to abrogate, limit, or expand the exemption for private clubs under Section 5-103 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.”; and on page 10, by deleting lines 5 and 6.
Lines 5 and 6 from the original include the immediate effective date. So, that’s been deleted. It can now receive a simple majority for passage.
…Adding… I’m told the amendment language on private clubs is essentially just a reiteration of already included language to make extra special sure that there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that church-affiliated groups like the Knights of Columbus don’t have to rent their facilities for gay weddings.
Also, Rep. Naomi Jakobsson is not in town yet. A family member is ill, I’m told. If she can get here, the bill might possibly be called today.
…Adding… Make sure to watch our live updates post for continuous coverage of this and other issues. It just can’t be beat.
63 Comments
|
Caption contest!
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Things are a little slow in comments today. So, here’s a pic of Rahm Emanuel, Jesse White, Pat Quinn and Michael J. Madigan that ought to stir things up a bit…
107 Comments
|
Lake County election law repeal moves forward
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald…
As Lake County officials await a judicial ruling that could decide who runs local elections in 2014 and beyond, County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor on Tuesday will tell state lawmakers why he opposes the creation of a special commission for that task.
Lawlor is set to testify at 10 a.m. before the House Executive Committee in Springfield. The panel is reviewing a bill that would remove a controversial section from a recently adopted election law that sought to create an election commission in Lake County — and nowhere else.
The Lake County Clerk’s office now oversees elections, voter registration and related programs. County Clerk Willard Helander and various county and state officials from both political parties decried the proposal this summer but couldn’t stop its passage.
Critics say the law illegally singles out Lake County and takes away voters’ rights to choose whom they want to run their elections. Although the legislation doesn’t mention Lake County by name, it describes affected counties by population and geography in such a way that it can only apply to Lake.
Nobody has taken “credit” for the section of the bill passed earlier this year dealing with Lake County. It’s been a strange process, for sure.
The bill to repeal the clause is here. It passed committee today 11-0.
5 Comments
|
Tax breaks and car leases
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lots of stories have been written about the proposed ADM tax break, but others are floating around as well…
Another business incentive is being sought on behalf of the company that emerges from the soon-to-be-completed merger of OfficeMax Inc. and Office Depot Inc., if it chooses Illinois as it headquarters rather than Florida.
Zurich North America insurance wants a payroll tax break in exchange for relocating its Schaumburg offices to another location in Schaumburg. The company would retain 1,000 jobs, create at least 250 more and make capital investments of at least $128 million.
Univar, a chemical distribution company based in Redmond, Wash., is seeking incentives worth $5 million to move its headquarters to Downers Grove. Univar would keep 100 jobs at its two current Illinois locations and add at least 69 jobs.
Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, is pushing incentives legislation for High Voltage Software, a video-game maker in his district. The bill would give the company tax credits it says it needs to compete with mainly Canadian competitors.
* But it’s possible that action will be deferred until pension reform is taken up…
Big decisions that Illinois lawmakers pushed back to this week’s veto session might just be pushed back again.
Sen. John Sullivan heard early this week that there’s a chance the Legislature will be called back into session after Thanksgiving so that some complex issues can be worked out during the next few weeks.
“I think that could be what happens with ADM and pension reform,” the Rushville Democrat said.
* Meanwhile, the car dealers are pushing a new bill on auto leasing…
If you were to lease a car today, chances are you’d be charged for tax on the full value of the vehicle, just like if you were buying it.
But it’s the leasing company that actually pays taxes, and — due to how the system’s set up in Illinois — it’s likely they only pay a fraction of what they’ve collected to the state.
Proposed legislation, backed by auto dealers, would change it so customers only pay tax on their monthly payments, not the full cost of the car.
The Illinois Department of Revenue supports the change. Spokeswoman Sue Hofer says Illinois won’t lose any tax revenue. “This way we know the person who drives that car off the lot isn’t going to end up paying more sales tax to the person he or she bought it from than that person pays to the state of Illinois,” Hofer says.
Dealers are saying that Illinois is way behind other states in car leasing and that this change could save people $60 a month on a car worth $32,000.
I have no way of immediately verifying that claim, however. The bill is here.
* Related…
* Activists Pushing For Graduated Income Tax
13 Comments
|
Question of the day
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.
I’ve all but stopped using Google News. The company broke its news search several months ago and despite my requests for action and promises from friends at the company that something would be done, nothing happened. It’s still broken.
* Let me give you just one example. As you might imagine, I spend a good chunk of my blogging days checking for breaking news. I use searches specifically designed to produce the latest results.
Google gives you two basic sorting options on its news search: relevance and by date. I need “by date” so I can find the latest stuff.
Here’s a Google News search of “Christine Radogno” sorted by relevance…
* And here are the same Google News search results by date…
Um, what?
This is just the most extreme example, but the site’s problems drove me nuts, which is why I reached out to the company for help. Yet, as you can clearly see above, it’s still broken.
* So, I’ve switched to Bing. I’m a dedicated Mac guy and Google’s Chicago office paid big bucks to co-host my election night party last year, so using a Microsoft [shudder] product throughout my day was not an easy pill to swallow.
I still occasionally use Google as a backup because I’ve seen a couple of holes in Bing’s results every now and then. But I’m very nearly a one hundred percent Bing News user now. It works and Google doesn’t - at least for my purposes.
* The Question: Have you used Bing’s web and/or news searches? If so, how would you rate your experience? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Any suggestions you’d have for improvements to Bing would also be a good thing because I’m meeting with a company representative tomorrow to discuss a few tweaks I’d like them to make.
survey services
32 Comments
|
Definitely worth a look
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Legislative Audit Commission is meeting today and one item on the agenda is the curious case of Illinois Lottery Director Michael Jones…
Emails obtained by FOX 32 and the Better Government Association show that within days of his appointment, Jones started pushing to hire a Chicago-based company called Independent Lottery Research, a company that Jones helped found and partly owned until he took over the lottery.
“I’d say ‘why don’t we keep the money in Illinois? Why wouldn’t we hire an Illinois company to do research on the Illinois lottery?’” Jones recalls of his conversation.
That contract was killed after Northstar and the governor’s office complained it looked like a conflict–the “optics” problem. But, the next month, Independent Lottery Research changed its name to Independent Gaming Research and invoices show it immediately starting getting work on the Illinois Lottery–about $168,000 in a 1-year period.
Jones says he had nothing to do with picking the company and told us to ask Northstar – so we did.
A spokesman for Northstar’s parent company GTECH says they gave the business to Jones’ old company, because Jones wanted them to.
“The director… strongly encouraged GTECH to use ILR/IGR for various marketing research projects for the Illinois Lottery,” says spokesperson Bob Vincent. “GTECH had not previously done business with those companies. The primary reason GTECH hired ILR/IGR was because of Director Jones’ urging.”
Word is that Jones’ former research company has submitted another bid for work with Northstar.
* This fight appears to go back to when Lottery management was privatized…
Now, it’s fair to say that the marriage between Mr. Jones and Northstar, which is mostly owned by the Gtech division of Lottomatica Group SpA, wasn’t made in heaven. Not only is Mr. Jones a hard-charger, but before his appointment he had teamed up with another group bidding against Northstar. Once in office, he and Northstar squared off in a nasty fight before an independent mediator over whether the company should pay $25 million in penalties for poor performance.
* And the rift between Director Jones and Northstar has been escalating…
A nasty — and growing — rift between Illinois Lottery private manager Northstar Lottery Group and Illinois Lottery Director Michael Jones has suddenly worsened.
A Northstar spokeswoman confirmed the Lottery private manager has instructed the two lead ad agencies working on Lottery advertising — general market agency Downtown Partners Chicago and multicultural agency Commonground Chicago — to work only with Northstar staff on marketing-related matters and discontinue any direct dealings they may have had with Jones.
“Northstar is the sole point of contact to Northstar’s creative agencies,” said the spokeswoman in a statement. Then, per the spokeswoman, “Northstar and the Lottery meet to discuss all aspects of marketing for the Illinois Lottery.”
The Northstar spokeswoman indicated the directive to the two ad agencies merely reflects what is outlined in the private manager’s agreement with the state. Jones declined comment, as did Jim Schmidt, a co-founder and co-creative leader of Downtown Partners.
Contractual rules and regulations notwithstanding, Northstar’s latest move appears to be a direct slap in the face to Jones, who has said repeatedly that developing a new look and feel for Illinois Lottery advertising is one of his top priorities.
* More…
As the top state official overseeing the Illinois Lottery, records show, Michael J. Jones has:
◆ Tried to get the private company that runs the lottery to hire his daughter’s ballet company for a promotion.
◆ Hired a consultant who got more than $115,000 for four months of work assisting with Internet lottery sales — even though the private lottery manager oversees those sales. The same consultant made another $46,000 in that time working for Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton (D-Chicago), who met her through Jones.
◆ Found himself facing questions raised by the lottery manager’s lawyer over free tickets to professional basketball, baseball and hockey games that he and other state employees got.
Jones says he’s done nothing wrong and calls the questions about his ethics a diversionary tactic on the part of Northstar Lottery Group, the company hired by Illinois officials in 2011 in a deal that made Illinois the first state to have a private manager run most of its lottery operation.
Discuss.
17 Comments
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
As financial cooperatives, credit unions function as economic democracies. Every customer is both a member and an owner. Each member has the opportunity to vote in electing board members and members also run for election to the board. A credit union’s board of directors consists of unpaid volunteers, elected by and from the membership – everyday people like you. Unlike most other financial institutions, credit unions do not issue stock or pay dividends to outside stockholders. Instead, earnings are returned to members in the form of lower loan rates, higher interest on deposits, and lower fees. Board members serve voluntarily. Speaking of volunteering, the credit union “People Helping People” philosophy motivates credit unions to get involved in countless community charitable activities and worthwhile causes. A credit union’s goal is to serve all members well, including those of modest means - every member counts. Credit unions exist solely for this reason, not to make a profit. Members know their credit union will be there for them in challenging times, as well as good – which is the reason why members are so fiercely loyal.
Comments Off
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
That’s why a coalition of thousands of Central and Southern Illinois workers, families, local union organizations, mayors and 28 members of the Illinois General Assembly support Dynegy’s efforts to acquire the Ameren Energy Resources (AER) energy centers located in Joppa, Newton, Bartonville, Canton and Coffeen. Together these centers:
* Create an annual statewide economic benefit of $1.4+ billion
* Provide $338+ million in annual household earnings
* Support a total of 6,294 Illinois jobs
* Deliver $13.3 million annually to cash-strapped schools and local governments
“Dynegy has stepped up to help support much-needed union jobs and economic activity in Illinois,” said Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “We support Dynegy’s efforts to ensure reduced emissions while protecting the economic livelihoods of Illinois families and local communities, especially in hard-hit Central and Southern Illinois.”
AER and Dynegy are strongly committed to reducing air emissions from their Illinois energy centers which operate in accordance with EPA regulations:
* Dynegy has spent approximately $1 billion on environmental controls in Illinois
* AER has contributed more than $1 billion in pollution control equipment
* Dynegy reduced SO2 emissions levels at its facilities by more than 90% since 1998
Learn more: www.DynegyInIllinois.com.
Comments Off
|
Expectations rising for marriage bill vote
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Rep. Greg Harris’ Facebook page…
* Like I did in the subscriber section, the Sun-Times quoted Harris’ post and Harris had some fun with it…
* Most of the Sun-Times story was about Speaker Madigan’s involvement…
But unlike in the spring, when Harris didn’t have the votes to pass the same-sex marriage bill, Madigan (D-Chicago) has been actively working over members to persuade them to pass the legislation.
“I had a brief conversation with [Madigan]. He was asking about the bill because he is trying to pass it,” said Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D-Calumet City), a member of the House Legislative Black Caucus who’s among more than a dozen House members still undecided on the bill.
State Rep. John D’Amico (D-Chicago), another undecided House member, said he, too, had a conversation about Harris’ bill with Madigan. “I’m still meeting with people, talking to my constituents, and I’m not going to make my mind up till I get on the floor and listen to the debate,” D’Amico said.
Harris has been unwilling to divulge how close to 60 votes he is, but gay activist Rick Garcia, who also is helping to pass the measure, said, “We’re closer to 60 than we were even three weeks ago.”
Garcia said there is “a very good chance” Harris will seek a vote on the bill this week and that Madigan’s involvement amounts to a “very significant” development in trying to pass the legislation.
“We’re within striking distance. The speaker isn’t going to make calls if we have 52 or 53 votes, right?” said Garcia, political director of the Civil Rights Agenda. “The speaker will make calls if we’re at 57 votes, you know? He’s not going to bring 10, but he can persuade a couple, and I think that’s what we’re going to rely on.”
* Greg Hinz…
Chief bill sponsor Rep. Greg Harris wasn’t available for comment yesterday. But another sponsor, Rep. Kelly Cassidy, like Mr. Harris a Chicago Democrat who is open about her sexuality, told me yesterday, “I anticipate that the bill will be called for a vote this week.”
Will it pass? “Let’s just say I bought a new suit (for the occasion),” Ms. Cassidy quipped. “I feel really good. I feel excited about coming to Springfield for the first time in a while.”
* Tribune…
Opponents say they are focused on lobbying anywhere from 10 to 15 House lawmakers who could vote either way. They contend any hype about a possible vote is just that until the measure is called, citing the lack of a vote at the end of spring session.
“I think that what they are doing is the same thing they did in late May. They’re trying to make this a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois. “We have seen this before. We just hope it has the same ending.”
* Illinois Review…
Opponents say they do not believe there are enough votes in the House to pass SB 10 to the governor, but that the proponents are pushing for a roll call to use in upcoming primary elections.
* Related…
* Rep. Gordon-Booth adds support to same-sex marriage bill: Breaking a longtime silence on the subject, state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth announced Monday she intends to support legislation permitting same-sex marriage in the Land of Lincoln. The third-term Peoria Democrat had previously not committed on the legislation, Senate Bill 10, and after months of consideration may end up being one of the deciding votes on the measure. It could be voted on as soon as Tuesday, and is believed to be within a handful of votes of securing a majority.
* Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth: Equality under the law is the American way: I will vote for the legalization of same-gender marriage. Many conversations over the last several months with constituents, clergy members, community leaders and legal scholars only bolster my conviction that it is the right course for our state. It is time that Illinois joins the 14 other states that have legalized same-gender marriage and embraces the moral courage and legal soundness exemplified by Brown v. Board of Education: Separate but equal is un-American.
16 Comments
|
Revised gun penalty bill proposed
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Zalewski’s new amendment will likely move out of the House Judiciary Committee today, but as of late yesterday, the NRA was still opposed…
The sponsor of a plan to crack down on gun-related violence in Chicago has tweaked his original proposal in hopes of winning approval in the General Assembly this week.
State Rep. Michael Zalewski’s legislation to boost the minimum amount of time gun-toting criminals must spend in prison now includes a provision that would take a lighter-handed approach when it comes to first-time offenders.
“This legislation will in-crease minimum sentencing for repeat offenders and unlawful gun owners. It strictly addressed the most serious gun crimes and requires serving 85 percent of the imposed sentences,” notes a fact sheet distributed Monday by the Riverside Democrat.
The changes are largely aimed at addressing concerns raised by gun rights advocates, who argued the original version might have meant first-time gun law offenders could face a minimum of four years in prison for what amounts to a mistake.
* More…
State Rep. Michael Zalewski (D-Riverside) amended his proposal, Senate Bill 1342, so that someone caught for the first time carrying a loaded, accessible gun without a state gun permit would face a minimum one-year prison sentence and be required to serve 85 percent of that time.
His original bill established a three-year mandatory minimum sentence for such first-time offenses, a significant step up from existing law that permits one-year sentences with offenders getting set free in as little as six months with good-behavior credits.
Another change Zalewski made Monday involves eliminating county boot camp as a sentencing option for weapons offenses involving gang members, felons or parolees – a move motivated by circumstances in the September mass shootings at Cornell Square Park on the South Side. […]
But Todd Vandermyde, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, said he is “skeptical at best” about the changes and insisted they don’t “go far enough” to address concerns about law-abiding gun-owners, particularly from out of state, inadvertently facing prison time.
“This is like Jason out of a ‘Friday the 13th’ movie,” Vandermyde told the Chicago Sun-Times, when asked about the legislation’s overall chances this week, when lawmakers are expected to conclude their fall session. “It’s been killed three times already.”
* From an outline distributed by Zalewski’s spokesperson yesterday…
Strengthening Illinois Gun Laws
SB 1342 (Zalewski)
Detailed Outline
This legislation will increase minimum sentencing for repeat offenders and unlawful gun owners. It strictly addressed the most serious gun crimes and requires serving 85% of the imposed sentences. The legislation has been amended based on the newly effective Firearm Concealed Carry Act (7/9/13).
1. UUW by felons or people in DOC custody (Probationers, Parolees, Mandatory Supervised Release)
o Currently a Class 3 felony for the 1st offense and mandatory imprisonment of 2-10 years
• Subsequent offenses and violation by parolees are Class 2 felonies with mandatory sentences of 3-14 years
o Will remain a Class 3 felony with mandatory imprisonment of 3-10 years ; subsequent offenses will remain Class 2 felonies with mandatory 4-14 year sentences
2. Aggravated UUW (as amended under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act)
o Currently, if the weapon is in close proximity, loaded, and the offender does not have a FOID, it is a Class 4 felony. A 2nd or subsequent offense is a Class 2 felony a mandatory 3-7 year imprisonment.
o Will remain a Class 4 felony with a 1 year minimum for the 1st offense. Subsequent offenses will be Class 2 felonies with a 4-10 year imprisonment.
3. Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Streetgang Member
o Currently, a Class 2 felony with a mandatory prison sentence of 3-10 year
o Will remain a Class 2 felony, but require a mandatory 4-10 years in prison
4. Boot Camp
o County Boot Camp is not authorized for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Streetgang Member or Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by Felons or People in DOC Custody offenses.
These offenses will be added to 730 ILCS 5/3-6-3(a)(2) following (vii), Rules and Regulations for Sentence Credit. The section requires service of 85% of sentenced time.
This bill increases prison sentences for the worst gun offenses and requires the offenders serve at least 85% of the sentence. The legislation has been amended based on the newly effective Firearm Concealed Carry Act (7/9/13).
Penalties are increased for:
o UUW by felons or people in custody of DOC to a minimum of 4 years and a minimum of 5 years for subsequent offenses
o AUUW + no FOID card with a minimum of 4 years for the 2nd offense
o Unlawful possession by a streetgang member up from 3 years to a minimum of 4 years
The Truth in Sentencing/85% service requirement is imposed on:
o UUW by felons or in DOC custody
o AUUW (no FOID and CCL)
o Unlawful possession by a streetgang member
Boot Camp is not permitted for the Unlawful Possession offenses.
Discuss.
28 Comments
|
*** UPDATED x1 *** Another computer glitch
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I received a weird e-mail yesterday afternoon with the subject: “Election Day is tomorrow”…
Rich –
Decisions are made by those who show up. That is never truer than on Election Day. And in Illinois, people like you have some important decisions to make.
The polls open tomorrow morning, which means it’s time to step up, make a plan for how you’re going vote, and stick to it.
Commit to vote now:
http://my.democrats.org/Vote-2013
Thanks,
Barack
Others received an e-mail with the subject line “Election Day in Illinois.”
The e-mail was paid for by the Democratic National Committee.
* If you click on the link, you’ll see that they don’t actually have Illinois listed as a state with an election day. So something must be messed up with President Obama’s computer system.
Gee, I wonder where I’ve heard that before?
*** UPDATE *** I just received an e-mail from the DNC with the subject line: “Correction”…
Rich –
Yesterday, you received an email from us that was intended to be sent to every state where there is an election today, November 5th. Due to an error in the data, this message was sent to Illinois.
There are no elections in Illinois today, and we sincerely regret the error.
Thanks,
Democratic National Committee
How come Barack didn’t sign that one?
Heh.
17 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
It’s Time for Marriage Equality in Illinois
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
“Several of my colleagues have indicated that they would not be willing to cast a vote on this bill today … I apologize to the families who were hoping to wake up tomorrow as full and equal citizens of this state.” – Rep. Greg Harris, May 31, 2013
On May 31, 2013, the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned without taking a vote on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. The lack of action by the House left thousands of Illinois couples and their families without the protections and security that only marriage brings. The House denied them the chance to be, as Harris put it, “full and equal citizens of this state.”
Some legislators told Harris they needed more time – and that they would be prepared to vote for SB10 in November. Well, November has arrived. And much has happened since then.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court found the Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional. In his majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy said excluding gays and lesbians from marriage “humiliates tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples.”
In September, Steven Rynes lost his battle with cancer. Steven died before he could realize his dream of marrying his partner, Robb Smith. While legislators got more time, Steven Rynes did not.
This isn’t just about the legal protections marriage affords. It’s about dignity. It’s about equality before the law. It’s about fairness.
It is time for the Illinois House of Representatives to get on the right side of history and pass SB10. It’s time to stop excluding same-sex couples from marriage. Illinois families can’t wait.
Watch Illinois couples and Rep. Greg Harris speak out in our latest video…
For more information, visit IllinoisUnites.org.
7 Comments
|
Liability drops, costs to rise
Monday, Nov 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A tiny bit of good news…
According to a new report out today by Moody’s Investors Service, the “adjusted net pension liability” in the state’s five retirement systems dropped 9 percent, or $16.5 billion, to “only” $173 billion, in the year ended June 30. Adjusted net pension liability is a form of unfunded liability. Moody’s defines this differently than other ratings agencies, reflecting what it views as overly optimistic assumptions by pension fund managers.
The New York bond rater attributed the 9 percent decline to two factors: The pension funds earned 12.9 percent on their investments, exceeding their assumed 7.9 percent annual return, and interest rates rose, narrowing the spread between what the state expects to earn on pension investments in the future and what Moody’s believes will be earned.
* But, of course, this being Illinois there’s always bad news…
On a three-year average basis, Illinois’ adjusted net pension liability actually rose 7.2 percent, to $165.8 billion, Moody’s said. And Illinois still has a ratio of pension liabilities to revenues of 241 percent, compared with a 50-state median of 45 percent.
As a result, without reform the share of the state’s general (operating) funds that will have to go to pay pension costs will rise from 22 percent in fiscal 2013 to 24 percent in 2014 and potentially 26 percent in 2015, it said.
That 26 percent figure is based on the partial expiration of the tax hike midway through FY 2015.
14 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
Question of the day
Monday, Nov 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Bill Brady talked about his lackluster fundraising with WJBC…
Brady raised about $66,000 during the three-month period that ended Sept. 30 and had about $273,000 on hand based on filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Brady says he has grassroots support, which he says is more important than money.
“We really haven’t been as aggressive as we would like to have been in terms of raising money, I need a little more distance. When you’ve asked people and you’ve raised $20 million just two or three years ago, you need a little distance,” Brady said.
Brady says after a costly campaign for governor three years ago, some donors are a bit fatigued and need time before they’ll give again.
“I raised $20 million in the last election for governor. I think there are a lot of people whose pocketbook was fatigued when giving to Bill Brady, but they are coming along. We will raise enough money, we’ve always been outspent though,” Brady said.
* The Question: Is donor fatigue a plausible explanation for Bill Brady’s lack of campaign funds? Take the poll and then make sure to explain your answer in comments, please.
survey solutions
30 Comments
|
* Adam Andrzejewski’s “Open the Books” organization sent out an e-mail this morning entitled “We Sued. Taxpayers Won”…
This is a watershed moment in our fight for transparent government. In a Cook County court room, during ten months of legal wrangling, we’ve shown:
1. Citizens own the State of Illinois checkbook spending information;
2. The Comptroller has a constitutional duty to provide this data on request;
3. The Comptroller has a duty under Freedom of Information Act to fulfill requests;
4. Citizens can request the state checkbook from the Comptroller, from 1996 forward.
For the first time in state history, all public State of Illinois checkbook payments since 1996 will soon be online at OpenTheBooks.com. Turns out, “three days of work” wasn’t an “undue burden.”
Our suit forced the IL Comptroller to finally comply with the law. It shouldn’t have taken 18 months and a lawsuit. At OpenTheBooks.com, 40 of the 50 state checkbooks are already posted online.
“We aren’t asking the Comptroller to lead the charge on openness and accountability - only to follow the law.” January 8, 2013 Press Conference
Illinois Freedom of Information law has an enforcement provision that allows for return of reasonable legal fees. Through our attorney, Michael Lotus of Howard Law Firm, our demand for return of our $45,000 (so far) in legal costs is not negotiable. Non-payment would have a chilling effect on future citizen lawsuits of equal importance to rectify instances of trampled rights.
In these hyper-partisan times, Comptroller Judy Baar-Topinka (R) and Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) found common ground attempting to hide the state checkbook from taxpayers- a position that pitted them against us all.
The taxpayer’s won. Pay up, Judy- and let’s move on. [Emphasis in original]
But, wait. Didn’t Andrzejewski’s group get this info months ago?
* So, I followed up with Andrzejewski. His reply…
We took our time in broadcasting the latest to give the Comptroller opportunity to settle this case. Topinka didn’t seize the opportunity to wrap it up. We are still assessing whether she’s turned over all public information and didn’t withhold or redact too much.
We are serious about driving a judgment and fully enforcing FOIA with return of our legal fees.
Ah, legal fees.
* The comptroller’s spokesman responded…
That “news release” is from left field.
He has the same information that he’s had all along and we haven’t lost a single motion in Court.
I’m not sure how that’s a victory for him, but if it means he is dropping his frivolous lawsuit, so be it.
It sounds like now all that’s left is his absurd attempt to soak taxpayers for his legal fees.
*** UPDATE *** Andrzejewski’s full response to Comptroller Topinka…
We were disappointed to see the response by the Comptroller to our announcement today. Here are some details to set the record straight.
Eighteen months ago we requested the State’s checkbook for 2011 under the Freedom of Information Act. How the taxpayers’ money is spent is a matter of the highest possible public interest. The Comptroller has a duty to the public to make that information available.
The Comptroller responded that it would take “three days” of work to produce these records, and that this was “an undue burden.” After repeated further requests, we were finally forced to bring a lawsuit to get the State’s checkbook. Here’s our complaint: http://forthegoodofillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/20130104-Complaint-by-For-The-Good-Of-Illinois.pdf
The Comptroller, represented by the Attorney General’s office, filed a motion to dismiss our complaint. They argued, among other things, that the State’s outdated computer systems couldn’t remove confidential information from the public spending record. Our response to the Comptroller’s motion is here: http://forthegoodofillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/20130408-Plaintiffs-Motion-For-Relief-Pursuant-To-IL-Rule-191b-1.pdf
We also filed a motion to take discovery, to get information to respond to the Comptroller’s motion to dismiss. The Court granted that motion, and we served written requests for information on the Comptroller. To be clear, we won that motion and the Comptroller lost it.
When the Comptroller saw our detailed, written requests for information, their office finally agreed to provide the information it should have given us from the beginning. The information we forced the Comptroller to disclose was not previously available to the public. For example, we now have itemized payments, which the Comptroller had not produced before.
The Comptroller also stated that it had now written computer code that will allow it to remove confidential information and produce its other spending records. The Comptroller can no longer refuse to produce its entire checkbook by claiming that there are confidential records in it. Our effort in this case has conferred a benefit on everyone who wants to know where the public’s money is going in Illinois.
The Freedom of Information Act provides for attorney’s fees. There is a good reason for this. Citizens of Illinois should not have to fight a legal battle, and spend their own money, to get public records showing how their tax money is spent. Otherwise, the State could withhold public information with little chance that ordinary citizens could ever force that information to be disclosed. This is an important case which we brought on behalf of all Illinois citizens. Seeking our fees is exactly what the Freedom of Information Act provides for.
We are proud of the success we have already had in this case, on behalf of the citizens of Illinois, and we look forward to bringing this case to a conclusion.
37 Comments
|
Checkbook cred
Monday, Nov 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bruce Rauner talks about his conservative credentials…
“I’ve been a passionate free market conservative my whole life. I believe in limited government, low taxes and individual liberty, personal responsibility. The reason we are the most prosperous nation in the world in history is because of free market capitalism. I’ve built dozens of successful companies. I’m all about economic freedom as well as economic liberty.
“I’m a huge donor to the Americans for Prosperity, this group, but also Cato Institute, Club for Growth, Illinois Policy Institute, Heartland Institute.”
He didn’t mention his “huge” contributions to Democrats, but I suppose that wouldn’t add to his conservative cred.
* Meanwhile, Rauner’s name popped up in a rather odd story a new book about the 2012 presidential campaign…
On May 10, 2012, a woman dropped by the Evanston office of Pete Giangreco, a Democratic strategist advising the Obama campaign. The anonymous brunette passed along to one of Giangreco’s staffers a GOP consultant’s proposal to resurrect Jeremiah Wright as a campaign issue—remarkably just hours after it was pitched during a meeting at the Wilmette home of Todd Ricketts, whose SuperPac was poised to spend millions to defeat President Barack Obama.
Giangreco read the presentation and that same day raced the proposal over to the Obama re-election headquarters in the Prudential Building, handing it over to Obama campaign manager Jim Messina. Messina quickly put together a conference call which included Obama strategist David Axelrod. They wanted to leak the proposal about Obama’s former pastor to the press. And on May 17, The New York Times trumpeted the scoop on the front page. […]
After the meeting at Todd Ricketts home was finished, Fred Davis, the GOP consultant pushing to revive Wright, headed over to Evanston for lunch with Bruce Rauner, at the time mulling a GOP bid for Illinois governor and now in the 2014 contest. That lunch was a block from Giangreco’s office. […]
Todd and his brother Pete were at the meeting along with Brian Baker, the Ending Spending President. Joe Ricketts was not there, according to the book. Baker “thought the singular focus on Wright was a big mistake.” Tom Ricketts “was negotiating with City Hall for financial help in rebuilding Wrigley Field. ‘This will cause a massive problem for your brother, and for the team, Baker said. This will not go over well in Chicago.”
Baker—who drove Davis to Evanston for his lunch date with Rauner—said to Davis in the car “he was nervous about what the Romney camp would think of a Wright-centric super-Pac effort.”
Elements on the far right really wanted to use the Wright stuff against Obama again last year. They tend to lean toward the tinfoil hat spectrum, so I can only imagine what they’ll make of this.
38 Comments
|
The grownup is not behaving like one
Monday, Nov 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
The rich irony of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan denouncing somebody else for attempting to be a “kingmaker” is so obvious and laughable that I can’t help but wonder why a guy who’s been a take no prisoners kingmaker himself for so long in this state would ever think of saying such a thing.
You may already know the story. The Better Government Association and the Chicago Sun-Times took a look at some of Madigan’s campaign petition passers to see if they had government jobs.
What they found wasn’t surprising at all. Seventeen of thirty people who passed Madigan’s nominating petitions worked for the government. Another 12 had at one time worked for the government.
Power tends to feed off itself. The longer you’re around, the more power you tend to have, and the more power you have, the more you can get. And Madigan has been around Illinois and Chicago politics forever. He is at the top of the heap as far as state government power goes.
Ideologically, Madigan has moved with the times. He favors both medical marijuana and gay marriage, for example.
Politically, the man is anything but post-modern. He’s the 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman, and he runs his ward like it’s been run for a century or more.
Running an old-time organization, however, requires old-style patronage, and Madigan is a master at finding jobs for his precinct workers.
A good case in point is Patrick Ward, a Madigan precinct worker. Ward was already drawing a public pension while working at Metra, but he wanted a raise and hadn’t received one, so he asked his sponsor for help. Madigan made a couple of calls, then backed off when the man who ran Metra objected to political interference. That guy eventually resigned with a golden parachute and a vow of silence. But when the media got wind of it all heck broke loose and all fingers pointed to Madigan.
The Sun-Times and the Better Government Association’s investigation team took a look at Madigan’s most recent nominating petitions, noticed Ward was a circulator then took a look at the other names.
The BGA sent people door to door to talk to the other circulators and see if they were the same folks who popped up on their government employee searches. Some of those precinct workers alleged that they and their families were harassed, and Madigan got angry.
So, Madigan unleashed a diatribe against the BGA and its leader Andy Shaw for being on “an unrelenting journey to become a kingmaker in Illinois politics.”
Madigan is fiercely protective of the loyal members of his 13th Ward organization, who are almost like family to him.
A statement simply denouncing the BGA’s tactics would’ve been reasonable, although still ironic considering how personally aggressive and “unrelenting” Madigan’s House campaigns can be.
And some of the BGA’s political motivations and top contributors are also fair game. The group preaches political cleanliness, yet it doesn’t always associate with the cleanest of the clean.
But all Madigan did with that “kingmaker” comment was turn the BGA’s Shaw into a folk hero and help Shaw raise lots more money. You’d think Madigan would comprehend the public consequences of such an over the top claim.
Word going around is that Madigan may also be trying to head off another ongoing BGA probe. But all he may have done was whet the group’s appetite.
The Speaker has really been off his game the past several months. He literally ran away and hid from Chicago reporter Chuck Goudie a few months ago, which resulted in a humiliating story on the Chicago media market’s most-watched TV station.
He publicly tossed his own daughter under the bus after she blamed his resistance to retirement for her decision not to run for governor.
And Madigan insulted Senate President Cullerton last May by telling a Sun-Times reporter that Cullerton displayed a “lack of leadership” on pension reform.
Partly due to his daughter’s aborted gubernatorial bid and partly due to the Metra “scandal,” polling has shown that the public’s awareness of Madigan has grown this year. And the public definitely doesn’t like the guy. So, he’s only hurting himself and his members with stunts like this BGA attack.
Madigan is valued at the Statehouse for being the most grown up of the grownups. But he’s simply not acting that way of late.
Thoughts?
34 Comments
|
* I told subscribers about this last week, on Friday and filled them in on some details today. Gatehouse had a story up today which was essentially the same stuff I told subscribers last week. The four legislative leaders have been meeting to discuss pension reform and are making progress. But that doesn’t mean a vote will happen this week…
“I’ve been directed to say there is good progress,” Steve Brown, spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said afterward. “There are some different elements of a reform bill that the leaders agreed to send off to the pension systems to score.”
Brown would not elaborate. […]
“He has been engaged in constructive conversations with all legislative leaders over the last week,” said Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon. “It’s clear that the other leaders consider $138 billion to be the baseline for saving. With that in mind, Cullerton is working with the leaders to identify a fair way to increase those savings. The progress is good, but new ideas are still being considered and scored.”
In the past, it has taken more than a week for actuaries to review, or “score,” pension reform proposals and verify the savings that can be expected. Asked if that would preclude a vote on pension reform next week, Phelon said, “I think that’s a safe assumption. The numbers need to work.” […]
“Discussions have been good, and progress is being made,” [Vicki Crawford, spokeswoman for House Republican Leader Jim Durkin] said. “We need to wait for scoring to come back from the systems, so it is highly unlikely there will be a vote next week. […]
“Leader Radogno believes good progress is being made. As they continue to talk, they will look at the numbers and make sure it all works,” said spokeswoman Patty Schuh. “The numbers have to work. To go without numbers is not a very credible position for the state of Illinois.”
Discuss.
48 Comments
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
That’s why a coalition of thousands of Central and Southern Illinois workers, families, local union organizations, mayors and 28 members of the Illinois General Assembly support Dynegy’s efforts to acquire the Ameren Energy Resources (AER) energy centers located in Joppa, Newton, Bartonville, Canton and Coffeen. Together these centers:
* Create an annual statewide economic benefit of $1.4+ billion
* Provide $338+ million in annual household earnings
* Support a total of 6,294 Illinois jobs
* Deliver $13.3 million annually to cash-strapped schools and local governments
“Dynegy has stepped up to help support much-needed union jobs and economic activity in Illinois,” said Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “We support Dynegy’s efforts to ensure reduced emissions while protecting the economic livelihoods of Illinois families and local communities, especially in hard-hit Central and Southern Illinois.”
AER and Dynegy are strongly committed to reducing air emissions from their Illinois energy centers which operate in accordance with EPA regulations:
* Dynegy has spent approximately $1 billion on environmental controls in Illinois
* AER has contributed more than $1 billion in pollution control equipment
* Dynegy reduced SO2 emissions levels at its facilities by more than 90% since 1998
With the future addition of AER, Dynegy plans to double its operations and investment in Illinois – providing certainty to the employees and communities in Central and Southern Illinois that count on the continued operation of the AER energy centers.
“Approximately 50% of my community’s property tax revenue comes from the Newton Energy Center,” Newton Mayor Mark Bolander said. “If the Newton Energy Center shuts down, so will our schools, the City of Newton and Jasper County. The economic impact will be insurmountable, and the ripple from this devastation will affect not only Jasper County, but also surrounding counties.” LEARN MORE: www.DynegyInIllinois.com.
Comments Off
|
Coming clean
Monday, Nov 4, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ron Gidwitz finally comes clean to the Tribune about how he tried to convince state Sen. Jim Oberweis to run for US Senate…
Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz, a social moderate who also unsuccessfully sought the 2006 GOP nomination for governor, acknowledged he “sort of did suggest very strongly on a number of occasions” that Oberweis consider a U.S. Senate bid in 2014.
Sheesh. Was that so difficult?
* Meanwhile, the two GOP legislative leaders ain’t all that enthusiastic about an Oberweis bid…
“Jim, while he may no longer believe some of the things he said in the past, it will come back,” said Illinois Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont, who has discouraged an Oberweis bid. “I don’t think that will help the ticket. I encouraged him to think long and hard.” […]
Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs, the new Illinois House Republican leader, said Oberweis should do some “soul searching.” Durkin, who defeated Oberweis for the 2002 GOP U.S. Senate nomination, said Oberweis needs to be aware that a litany of controversial statements “don’t wash away after the election” but “will continue on as long as you’re in the public eye.”
Good advice.
* And here’s a recent photo of Sen. Oberweis with one of his “new” Democratic friends, Sen. Martin Sandoval…
Caption?
38 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
