* I kept comments opened later than usual because of the two attorney general opinions and I was awaiting a response from the governor’s office, which hasn’t yet arrived. I’m done for now.
* Attorney General Lisa Madigan has just issued two formal opinions. One was about the ability of local units of government to establish their own “right to work” zones. Nope, says Madigan…
She also said local governments cannot opt out of state prevailing wage laws.
I’ll have the links in a moment.
…Adding… The right to work opinion is here. The prevailing wage opinion is here.
There has been some fear within organized labor that Gov. Bruce Rauner and/or his anti-union allies were hoping to convince a local government to set up its own right to work zone or attempt to opt out of other labor laws. These opinions make that much less likely to happen.
…Adding… Sen. Gary Forby and Rep. Jay Hoffman requested the opinion. Here’s Forby’s statement…
“I guess that’s that. The Attorney General’s opinion makes it pretty clear this is a matter for state lawmakers, and the Southern Illinois lawmakers I know – on both sides of the aisle – aren’t going to hurt working families,” said Senator Forby.
“Maybe now the governor can start focusing on putting people back to work in Southern Illinois. People around here just want jobs where they’ll be respected with an honest wage for an honest day’s work.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** This is more of a repudiation of Rauner than I previously realized. The opinion says basically that it’s “all or nothing.” Rauner has been saying he doesn’t want the whole state to be right to work, but does think locals should be given the opportunity to create their own zones. Madigan says in the opinion that the entire state has to be right to work. Local zones aren’t permitted, even with a state law.
…Adding More… Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan…
“While Gov. Rauner continues his obsessive war on unions and the middle class, he just keeps running into huge road blocks – like the law.
The Attorney General’s opinions on right to work zones and prevailing wage are confirmation of what we suspected from the outset.
I think the people of the state would actually appreciate the Governor working on the pressing issues in front of us, instead of continually proposing illegal and politically-motivated fixes to non-existent problems.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** The response…
“The Rauner administration respectfully disagrees with the Attorney General’s opinion regarding local right-to-work. The administration is confident that with enabling legislation from the state, local governments can create employee empowerment zones.”
* The reporter and the subject know each other, so I’ll believe this Bloomberg piece when I see it…
This week began like most of Mike Flynn’s recent weeks. The conservative strategist was in a slow, tedious war with Comcast, trying to get NBC affiliates in some key political states to run a two-minute commercial from his Conservative War Chest PAC. The providers had been uninterested in taking money for a video jeremiad against their news divisions, so they’d been resisting. Cleta Mitchell, the ultra-connected conservative attorney and American Conservative Union board member, was making legal arguments. By Friday, if there was no progress, she’d prepare an FCC complaint, and the well-covered crusade against media bias would escalate.
And then Aaron Schock happened. The Illinois congressman’s somewhat surprising resignation (he’d been tumbling from scandal to scandal, but had not told leaders that he’d be leaving) opened up a congressional seat in the stretch of rural Illinois where Flynn was raised. In 2010, he’d consulted for Bobby Schilling, a Republican candidate who unseated a Democrat in a district that overlapped with the new 18th. (A Democratic gerrymander, in 2011, merged parts of the districts and helped shore up Schock while taking out Schilling.) Conservatives in the district called Flynn and told him to consider running.
“This is a longstanding conservative district, and I think the people who live there are annoyed by their representation,” said Flynn. “It’s the same story all over Illinois. I don’t know what these elected officials are doing. We have these professional politicians who are totally failing us.” […]
Flynn… estimated that he’d need $500,000 to $700,000 to mount his own bid. He’d spent more than 20 years in politics, much of it in Illinois, much of the recent work in the high-dollar world of issue PACs. If he was convinced that the money was there, he imagined an anti-establishment campaign that could capitalize on conservative disappointment with the new Congress. He hadn’t lived in the district in 20 years (at 47, he’s 14 years older than the disgraced Schock), but he had roots there, and an existing family business. He had a message.
“I can’t believe this Republican Congress is funding something that the courts already found to be illegal,” he said, referring to President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. If he won, and he got a 2017 vote on the speaker of the House, he’d be inclined to back “a conservative” instead of John Boehner.
These seats don’t come up a lot, so there’s always a scramble when they do. But he hasn’t lived in the district in 20 years and is likely a totally unknown quantity there.
The Tea Party Patriots announced today the addition of Michael Flynn to serve as Political Director of a newly formed Super PAC – Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. With years of campaign and political experience, Flynn will lead the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund’s efforts to grow the Tea Party’s presence in Congress as it continues its fight against the Washington establishment.
“Michael Flynn brings more than 20 years of experience in policy development, legislative affairs, media relations, political campaigns, and crisis communications to the team and we are thrilled to have him,” said Jenny Beth Martin, Chairman of the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. “His immeasurable expertise will help us achieve our goal of electing candidates who are fighting to secure the economic future of our country.”
Breitbart News Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon said, “Mike Flynn was a trusted adviser to Andrew Breitbart and understands the nature of the fight ahead. With his detailed knowledge of the Tea Party and political campaigns he is the perfect choice for the Tea Party Patriots. Breitbart News looks forward to having Mike continue as a contributor on our pages.”
More background on Flynn is here. For Statehouse types, he’s Libby Brunsvold’s brother. He’s also a former Illinois House GOP staffer.
Keep in mind that the 18th CD is pretty darned conservative, and that special GOP primary will likely be loaded with hard-right voters.
Not so long ago, Exelon…was extolling the merits of an open market for power as its profits rolled in. Now, with power prices plunging, Exelon has lost enthusiasm for the open markets it championed in the 1990s and wants the Legislature to devise a new formula that will protect its profits, quite likely driving up utility bills for homeowners and businesses.
If Exelon is hard up, they can show us. The company should open its books to show how its nuclear fleet is performing.
What’s good for Exelon doesn’t much matter if it’s bad for the rest of Illinois.
Good old Exelon. The company has come up with legislation to subsidize its nuclear reactors, get electric users throughout the state to pay for it and claim it’s in the interest of clean energy.
State lawmakers need to see this bill for the dirty trick it is and kill it.
State Representative Mike Unes of East Peoria says he will not make a run to fill Congressman Aaron Schock’s 18th District seat.
The Republican issued the following statement:
“People from all walks of life have come forward and given me and my family such encouragement and support asking me to run in the special election. The positive feedback that I have received has been overwhelming and extremely humbling.
“As I said on Tuesday, I wanted to give this the careful consideration it deserves in consultation with my family. After careful consideration and, even with the love, support, and encouragement of my wife and kids, I will not be entering my name for consideration in this special election.”
* Also not a surprise is this DCCC press release…
Known for his prolific fundraising, soon-to-be-former Congressman Aaron Schock has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Republicans in Congress. Travel for some of that fundraising activity is what partially led to an ethics investigation and now his announced resignation. Now that it has become clear that thousands of taxpayer dollars went into Schock’s pocket, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is calling on all recipients of Schock’s contributions to donate those funds to the Treasury to make the taxpayer whole.
“Aaron Schock made a name for himself jet-setting around the country raising dollars for Republicans – some of that at taxpayer expense,” said Matt Thornton of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “If his soon-to-be-former colleagues in the House are truly as concerned with wasteful spending in Washington as they claim to be, then they will donate Schock’s money to the Treasury.”
Congressmen Bob Dold and Mike Bost each received $10K from a Schock campaign committee, according to the DCCC.
Rep. David Jolly, R-Indian Shores, is donating $5,000 he received from disgraced Rep. Aaron Schock, who announced yesterday he was resigning amid a scandal of misuing taxpayer money.
“In an abundance of good faith Congressman Jolly will be donating $2,500 to the Homeless Emergency Project in Clearwater to support veteran housing services and $2,500 to the Philip A. Bryant Melanoma Foundation,” his campaign spokeswoman Sarah Bascom told the Tampa Bay Times.
* The Question: Should Bob Dold and Mike Bost donate their Schock money to charity or otherwise jettison it? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
* Some folks have asked me over the years why I use the “It’s just a bill” headline here on the ol’ blog.
Several years ago, I ribbed a legislator hard who was known back then for his friendliness with the utility interests. He’d just sponsored yet another in a long line of outrageous bills written by and for a utility company. My recollection is I referred to him as being what some used to call a “lady of the evening,” or (more likely) words to that effect.
“It’s just a bill, Rich,” was his cheery reply.
In other words, the legislation was, to him, merely a starting point. Plenty of negotiations were ahead and the bill would be changed. No worries.
But by sponsoring that legislation as written, he was allowing the utility company to set the terms of the coming debate. Sure, changes would be made to that bill, but it was still the utility’s bill. They controlled the debate, and the committee it would be heard in, as well as the chairman of that committee and the bill’s sponsor.
Commonwealth Edison on Thursday unveiled a plan that it billed as an expansion of ongoing efforts to overhaul the power grid and invest in renewable energy but that critics said would result in customers paying more to the electricity giant. […]
Opponents decried the move as an effort by the utility to set into law a major change in rate structures. They argue ComEd is trying to protect its bottom line by billing at peak usage times because households are increasingly becoming more energy-efficient.
Now, consumers can cut their energy bills by switching to more efficient light bulbs or buying more efficient appliances. Those investments pay off over time when consumers use less energy and bills decrease.
ComEd was vague about the expected impact on residential customers’ power bills. ComEd Senior Vice President Thomas O’Neill said the company was still evaluating its plan.
So, ComEd - one of the most sophisticated and successful lobbying entities in Illinois - doesn’t even have a ballpark on how much money it’ll make off its own bill?
An Illinois Senate committee advanced legislation Thursday to make sweet corn the official state vegetable, but not before giving the sponsor a tough time.
State Sen. Sam McCann, R-Plainview, introduced the proposal after being contacted by fourth-grade students in Chatham. […]
State Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Rock Island, was accompanied at the committee meeting by his son Steel.
“Just to give my colleague a little bit of a hard time. My son is in fourth grade. Steel, is corn a vegetable?” Anderson asked.
Steel replied no.
“Is it a grain?” Anderson asked.
“Yes,” Steel replied.
Doesn’t Illinois already have a bad enough reputation without making a grain our state vegetable?
Vickie Oriekaose is in her third week of free classes to get certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist, which she hopes will help her land a job that offers decent pay. Microsoft estimates that people who are certified can make as much as $16,000 a year more than workers who aren’t accredited.
“I’m trying to get back into the workforce,” said the 58-year-old widow, who has been a stay-at-home mom. Oriekaose has a son who is a senior in high school, and twins who are sophomores.
But the Eliminate the Digital Divide grant program, which this year is providing $4.1 million to 102 organizations that are training 25,000 people, would lose funding under the proposed 2016 budget of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Today, I had to call about 100 poor, elderly, and disabled people to tell them that Illinois LIHEAP ended early (low-income energy assistance) because the state refused to match federal funds due to “austerity” measures. This is a safety-net program that many low-income people have come to rely on to supplement their rising electric bills. Thanks for making me do your dirty work, Governor Rauner — nobody becomes a billionaire without stepping on a few little guys along the way.
Transit fare increases and service cuts are “very likely” if Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to trim nearly $170 million in state funding from the CTA, Metra and Pace becomes a reality, RTA officials warned Wednesday.
The Chicago Transit Authority would be “disproportionately” and “hardest hit” by the plan, shouldering a $130 million revenue loss — up from an original estimate of $105 million, Regional Transportation Authority officials said.
To put the CTA revenue loss in perspective, the RTA estimated it was the equivalent of what a hefty 30 percent jump in CTA fares would generate.
Champaign County Board members are on record as against proposed budget cuts that would strip at least $1.6 million a year from the county, or about 5 percent of its general fund.
The county board Thursday night passed a resolution protesting the cuts proposed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. The resolution was adopted 15-5 with the “no” votes coming from Republican board members Stan Harper, John Jay, Gary Maxwell, Max Mitchell and Jack Anderson.
A tuition increase is off the table this year but just about everything else is on it at the University of Illinois if big budget cuts are enacted, top UI officials told lawmakers Thursday.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget calls for a 31.5 percent, or $209 million, reduction at the UI for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
In separate appearances before House and Senate appropriations committees, UI officials outlined possible areas for cuts: personnel, student employment, extension services, public broadcasting and more deferred maintenance.
But Republican members of both the Senate and the House prodded university officials to seek efficiencies and to embrace reforms, including changes in workers compensation and procurement policies.
A former Chicago charter schools executive is earning $250,000 a year to spearhead Gov. Bruce Rauner’s top education initiatives, a salary that is more than double what her predecessors received and places her as the highest-paid member of a Cabinet already under scrutiny for its lofty paychecks. […]
Purvis is being paid as an independent contractor and accepting neither state health nor retirement benefits, according to the governor’s office.
From 2003 until last year, Purvis, who holds a doctorate in special education, served as CEO of the Chicago International Charter School, a network of 15 schools in Chicago and Rockford. She previously worked as a special education teacher in Maryland and Tennessee, as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and served on education advisory councils under the last two Illinois governors.
In an interview with the AP, Purvis said her salary is “commensurate with what I’ve been paid in the past” and cited her three decades of experience. Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly called Purvis “one of the few education experts in the country prepared to lead a true cradle to career approach to education.”
Look, I don’t usually care about state salaries. And I fully understand how difficult it is to recruit top talent with government money. But, man, is the governor ever gonna take a licking on this one.
* This poll will probably get a lot of media play because of who sponsored it, but check out the highlighted dates on this thing…
Governor Bruce Rauner’s job approval rating stands at 36.5 percent as he begins his term in office, according to a new poll of registered Illinois voters by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
There were 31.4 percent who either strongly or somewhat disapproved and 23.1 percent who had no opinion about the newly-elected Republican chief executive.
The poll of 1,000 registered voters was taken Feb. 28 to March 10 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. […]
Rauner saw his highest job approval ratings Downstate, where 43.3 percent either approved or somewhat approved and only 26.7 percent disapproved or somewhat disapproved. In the Chicago suburbs, 34.6 percent approved and 32.2 percent disapproved of his performance.
Rauner’s lowest level of support was in Chicago, where 36.5 disapproved and 31.0 percent approved.
Partisanship is also strongly evident in Rauner’s job approvals. He enjoys the approval of 60.6 percent of Republicans, with only 10.3 percent who disapprove or somewhat disapprove. This is followed by 36.7 percent of Independents who approve and 32.7 percent who disapprove or somewhat disapprove. There are 46.1 percent of Democrats who disapprove or somewhat disapprove while only 24.2 percent approve or somewhat approve of the governor’s job performance so far.
February 28? That’s three weeks ago. And they spent 11 days on it? And then they sat on the results for ten more days?
Sheesh.
What, do they have an intern manually dialing an antique rotary phone while tabulating results on note cards or something?
Anyway, if this is accurate, the governor’s approval rating is already in Pat Quinn territory.
* And Illinoisans may not be feeling Rauner’s “turnaround” yet…
63.0 percent [said] that Illinois is going in the wrong direction and only 22.1 percent said we are going in the right direction.
* On to US Sen. Mark Kirk…
Kirk had a total of 44.5 percent who somewhat or strongly approved of the job he is doing, while 21.3 percent either somewhat or strongly disapproved of the job he is doing. These totals meant that Senator Kirk enjoys a net job approval rate of 23.2 percent.
Kirk’s highest approval ratings were in central city Chicago where 48 percent either approved or somewhat approved of the job he is doing, followed closely by 47.0 percent in the Chicago suburbs and 38.0 percent Downstate.
Most (53.1 percent) of Kirk’s fellow Republicans either approved or somewhat approved of the job he is doing with 16.4 percent who disapproved or somewhat approved. They were followed by 44.9 percent of Independents who approved or somewhat disapproved with 23.1 percent who disapproved or somewhat disapproved. Among Democrats, 40.5 percent approved or somewhat approved while 24.0 percent disapproved or somewhat disapproved of the job he is doing.
The FBI and the federal prosecutors in Illinois are investigating whether Rep. Aaron Schock broke the law in accounting for campaign expenses, according to people familiar with the matter. […]
The FBI has now begun delivering subpoenas seeking testimony before a grand jury in Springfield, Ill. […]
A U.S. law enforcement official says the investigation is at an early stage. Justice Department officials were monitoring published reports about Schock’s expense troubles and were taken by surprise when he announced his resignation, according to another U.S. law enforcement official.
So, his lawyer didn’t cut a deal before he resigned? Really bad move. He’s now a smaller target because he’s no longer in office, but he’s also a much easier target because US Attorneys have to jump through several hoops before they can indict an elected official.
Federal probers based in Springfield are looking into Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.), spending of taxpayer and government money and other business dealings, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. FBI agents have been delivering subpoenas and witnesses will be called before a grand jury in Springfield next month.
That Springfield US Attorney’s office is not to be trifled with. It’s become quite an impressive organization.
*** UPDATE 1 *** This is about a whole lot more than just campaign money. The AP has its alert out now…
A person familiar with the case tells The Associated Press that the Justice Department is formally investigating whether Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois, who has submitted his resignation, committed crimes with his office expenditures and business dealings.
The government is convening a federal grand jury in Springfield, Illinois, this source says, and the FBI has started issuing subpoenas to compel people close to the Republican congressman to testify. The source spoke only on grounds of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the case.
Agents with the FBI have delivered subpoenas to aides of U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock and demanded access to his records, a source said Friday.
Press reports and the source said the subpoenas were served to Schock’s Peoria office Thursday ahead of possible testimony next month to a federal grand jury sitting in Springfield.
* We’re coming a little late to this, but you can watch this morning’s legislative hearing on Rep. Ron Sandack’s municipal bankruptcy bill right here, via BlueRoomStream.com…
* I told subscribers about this development earlier today…
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office has instructed state agencies to begin diverting “fair share” fees from nonunion members’ paychecks away from unions.
A memo obtained by The Associated Press directs departments to create two sets of books to do it. […]
The money now will go to agency accounts rather than unions. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union calls it a “legally questionable scheme.”
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly says the administration is “confident in the process laid out.”
The governor issued the executive order to seize the fair share fees more than two months ago.
Unless the AP or another outlet fleshes this out a bit, you’ll have to subscribe to learn more.
*** UPDATE *** The AP has now posted a longer story. From that piece…
The [Rauner legal] memo said Republican Comptroller Leslie Munger, who earlier refused to go along with Rauner’s proposed escrow account, “provided the method” for the plan, which a Munger spokesman said is not correct.
* Just one Senator voted against the confirmation of former state Sen. James Meeks today. Equality Illinois isn’t happy…
Equality Illinois today denounced Rev. James Meeks’ confirmation as Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education, expressing frustration at his refusal to repudiate his discriminatory positions prior to his confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
Meeks has a long record of making hateful public comments about the LGBT community, and his active attempts to deny our families the freedom to marry are well known, as are his demeaning comments about women and members of the Latino, Asian and Jewish communities.
“We had hoped and expected Rev. Meeks to use the more than two months since his appointment to reflect on and make amends with the LGBT community and other groups for his hurtful and destructive actions,” said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, the state’s oldest and largest advocacy organization representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Illinoisans.
“Instead, we’ve seen nothing tangible from him. We are obligated by our responsibility to LGBT Illinoisans, the other groups whom he offended and our allies to denounce his statements and his unwillingness and refusal to recognize them for the hate language that they are.
“Without a pledge from Meeks that he would abide by the state’s nondiscrimination and anti-bullying laws or a commitment to affirmatively challenge discriminatory actions in the schools, we are not assured that he will look out for all of Illinois’ school children,” Cherkasov said. “It is now up to the Rauner Administration, the General Assembly and the other members of the State Board of Education to ensure that Meeks’ wrong-headed views about the diversity of Illinois do not seep into education policy. Equality Illinois and our partners will remain vigilant, and we will work with our allies to ensure equal treatment for all Illinoisans.”
* AT&T has a big Telecom Act rewrite in the hopper, Exelon has its hands out to keep its nuke plants open, the alt energy folks have a bill and now ComEd is getting into the act…
ComEd’s bill, to be introduced by Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, and Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, is designed to foster growth in clean energy like solar power for households and micro-grids providing greater reliability and resiliency to sensitive facilities like the Federal Aviation Administration’s air-traffic control center in Aurora.
ComEd also proposes a $100 million program to build 5,000 Chicago-area charging stations to increase demand for electric vehicles.
The bill would boost ComEd’s bottom line in the future as decreased customer demand for power hits its revenues by permitting the utility to profit on its state-authorized energy efficiency program. Currently, ComEd only charges ratepayers to reimburse it for its costs in running the program. […]
In addition, the bill would overhaul how ComEd’s power-delivery rates are set. Currently, customers pay delivery rates mainly based on how much power they consume in a month. Beginning in 2018, they would pay based on how much electricity they consume during the highest-demand days of the year. Some customers would benefit and some would pay more under the new system, but ComEd hasn’t yet determined how it would affect individual types of households. But it would help ComEd by making its cash flow more predictable, executives said.
As Dave Kolata at Cub said, that’s a whole lot of asks.
* From the Environmental Law & Policy Center…
“Illinois consumers are poised to gain the job creation, environmental quality and economic benefits of competing new clean energy technologies and suppliers.
“Unfortunately, Exelon’s and ComEd’s legislative proposals would raise utility bills for most consumers, create barriers to competition, and constrain energy efficiency and diverse solar energy development for the future. ComEd’s legislative proposal forecloses flexibility that Illinois needs to transition to a cleaner energy future and locks out competitors.”
“The Illinois Clean Jobs Bill brings Illinois into a more positive energy future. Illinois policymakers should move forward promoting new innovative technologies, instead of Exelon’s and ComEd’s old monopoly approach that raises consumer’s electricity bills and imposes regulatory barriers that create more problems than positive solutions.”
* From ComEd’s lengthy press release…
The legislative package features a proposal to construct microgrids, which are small power grids that can connect to the main grid or operate independently, reinforcing reliability and resiliency during extreme weather or other events. HB3328/SB1879 would enable ComEd to invest $300 million in six microgrids that will service public facilities and infrastructure that are integral to healthcare, homeland security, transportation and water services. The microgrid program would also create at least 300 full-time equivalent jobs. […]
While current Illinois law allows homeowners to generate their own solar power and sell excess power back to the grid, apartment dwellers and others without suitable space or those who can’t afford the investment cannot enjoy the benefits of owning renewable generation. ComEd’s legislative proposal would expand access to solar power to all types of homeowners from all income levels by encouraging development of community solar projects. It would require utilities to offer Meter Aggregation, which makes use of digital smart meter technology to create a “pool” of community-based solar power that can be shared by multiple customers. To ensure the equitable sharing of grid costs, utilities would recover residential delivery costs through a combination of charges, including a demand charge, that better reflect how the grid is used and makes sure low-income customers aren’t subsidizing those who can more easily afford solar energy and other new grid uses.
Etc.
* The problem for all these bills is that the legislative system is very top-down. Leaders and staff can only do so much, and they aren’t willing to farm out important stuff like these to committee chairmen. And since the budget crisis will consume much of their time, they’re going to be spread pretty thin.
But, hey, who knows? Exelon doesn’t have anywhere near the political juice possessed by ComEd, so its alt energy ideas might start winning the day over the other one currently on the table.
Americans for Prosperity, a national conservative organization with an Illinois arm, plans an “aggressive” advertising and mail push this spring to try to influence suburban Democrats, in particular.
Illinois Director David From says the campaign will likely focus on budget and tax issues largely in support of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposals. The ads likely will urge voters to contact their representatives to push those views.
“We want to really be kind of aggressive,” From said. […]
The effort will be statewide, but From said he thinks about 75 percent of resources will focus on the Chicago area. That’s because the suburbs are home to the state’s largest number of swing legislative districts, where Republicans need to make inroads in 2016 if they want to cut Democrats’ majorities in Springfield.
We’ll see how aggressive they get, but keep in mind that Gov. Rauner won a lot of suburban and Downstate Democratic districts last year.
Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Recently, ads on Capitol Fax have distorted the facts about the Illinois Low Carbon Portfolio Standard (LCPS) (HB 3293/SB 1585). Let’s set the record straight.
Myth: “This LCPS will cost consumers $1.5 billion over five years. Just let the plants close.”
Fact: The cost to Illinois consumers will be TWELVE TIMES as expensive if Illinois’ nuclear plants close.
The closure of three of Illinois’ six nuclear facilities could cost the state:
• $1.8 billion every year in lost economic activity
• Nearly 8,000 highly skilled jobs.
• More than $300 million every year in higher energy costs statewide
• $1.1 billion per year due to increases in carbon and other pollutants
• Hundreds of millions of dollars to construct new transmission lines
Illinois consumers and communities cannot afford these catastrophic losses and added costs. The Illinois Low Carbon Portfolio Standard (HB 3293 / SB 1585) is a market-based “all of the above” energy plan for our state that would help preserve Illinois’ nuclear facilities.
Illinois nuclear energy facilities are essential low-carbon, economic engines for our state, providing the following benefits:
• 90 percent of Illinois’ carbon free power
• 28,000 jobs across the state (directly and indirectly)
• Nearly $9 billion into the Illinois economy annually
The Low Carbon Portfolio Standard is good for Illinois consumers, our economy and our environment. Members of the Illinois General Assembly:
VOTE YES ON HB 3293 / SB 1585
Not so long ago, Exelon…was extolling the merits of an open market for power as its profits rolled in. Now, with power prices plunging, Exelon has lost enthusiasm for the open markets it championed in the 1990s and wants the Legislature to devise a new formula that will protect its profits, quite likely driving up utility bills for homeowners and businesses.
If Exelon is hard up, they can show us. The company should open its books to show how its nuclear fleet is performing.
What’s good for Exelon doesn’t much matter if it’s bad for the rest of Illinois.
Good old Exelon. The company has come up with legislation to subsidize its nuclear reactors, get electric users throughout the state to pay for it and claim it’s in the interest of clean energy.
State lawmakers need to see this bill for the dirty trick it is and kill it.
* I stopped by House Speaker Michael Madigan spokesman Steve Brown’s office yesterday and he asked if I would promote his annual SIU sports party, which has been renamed to honor the late Gene Callahan…
I wasn’t sure if I could, but said I’d think about it.
* We changed the subject to Aaron Schock’s political demise. Brown related a funny story about how he’d approached Sen. Darin LaHood in the Rotunda and told the congressional hopeful that he also lived in Schock’s district, has voted Republican in the last two primaries (there are no Dems to vote for in his local primaries) so he was thinking about running - as a Republican.
What did LaHood do? I asked.
He got a funny look on his face.
* And then a friend of Brownie’s, former House staffer and current lobster extraordinaire Liz Brown, sent me this today…
They’re not really cousins, but it’s a funny inside joke.
* The Question: Are you down for Brown? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Thursday, Mar 19, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Two recent studies published by NPR/Pro Publica and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) show that nationwide, insurance companies have kept any cost savings from recent workers’ compensation “reforms” for themselves, with profits climbing to 18 percent in 2013 – while middle and lower-income families and taxpayers are paying the price.
In 2011 Illinois enacted its own workers’ compensation “reform” package aimed at lowering costs for businesses. Workers gave up longstanding rights and in return, insurance companies were to be transparent with pricing and pass savings along to employers. As it turns out, only the workers kept up their end of the bargain.
The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is an independent, non-partisan agency comprised of insurance professionals licensed by the Illinois Department of Insurance to assess workers’ compensation in Illinois and make premium rate recommendations to insurers. Since 2011, NCCI has recommended insurance premium reductions totaling nearly 20 percent.
The 2011 reforms were projected to save insured employers nearly $1 billion assuming the insurance industry would fully adopt the NCCI recommendations.
The insurance industry’s failure to fully implement NCCI recommended rate reductions has prevented Illinois insured employers from realizing any meaningful savings.
No matter how many benefits are cut, medical reimbursements are lowered, and claims are denied, the state’s businesses won’t see corresponding savings without our leaders addressing the promises previously broken by the insurance industry.
Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock’s father says the facts will “convict or exonerate” his son.
Richard Schock is a Peoria doctor. He told The Associated Press Wednesday that recent investigative reports on the 33-year-old congressman’s lavish spending and improper expense reporting were “untrue” and “absolutely ridiculous.”
You can also watch ABC7’s complete interview with Schock’s father by clicking here. And make sure to watch the whole thing. It’s very raw and occasionally heartbreaking. I feel bad for the guy. The son? He’s on his own now.
At the close of the last reporting period on Dec. 31, the Peoria Republican, whose district includes part of Springfield, had more than $3 million in the various funds he controls, from his actual campaign account to his political action committees.
The majority of that, nearly $3.3 million, is in his official Schock for Congress campaign fund. Far smaller amounts adding up to about $60,000 are in his GOP Generation Y and Schock Victory Fund accounts. […]
If Schock chooses to continue the inquiry into any of his campaign spending and whether past reports need to be adjusted to account for some of the expenditures on trips or other matters that have come up in the last six weeks, he can continue to pay the individuals he hired with his campaign cash to work on that as well.
* Farnham asked to die peacefully at home. That won’t happen. From a US Attorney’s office press release…
FORMER ILLINOIS STATE REPRESENTATIVE KEITH FARNHAM SENTENCED TO NINETY SIX MONTHS FOR TRANSPORTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Former Illinois State Rep. KEITH FARNHAM was sentenced to ninety six months in prison today by U.S. District Court Judge Edmond E. Chang as a result of his conviction of transporting child pornography via computers in his office and residence in Elgin last year. Farnham resigned his seat in the Illinois General Assembly in March 2014, less than a week after federal agents seized computers from his home and office.
Farnham, 67, of Elgin, was also ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. Farnham was ordered by Judge Chang to report to prison on May 19, 2015. Farnham will remain on a bond that restricts him to his home and requires around-the-clock electronic monitoring. “This is a despicable crime.” said District Court Judge Chang while imposing sentence. “The sex assaults of children in each of the 2700 images represent their own nightmare.”
Farnham pled guilty in December 2014, admitting that on November 25, 2013, he sent an email from a computer in his Elgin office with the following message: “do you trade. This is what I lik.” Farnham attached two files to the email that he knew contained child pornography. In addition, he possessed images and videos depicting child pornography on computers and electronic storage devices in his residence, car, and offices.
During the course of the investigation, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed federal search warrants at Farnham’s state office and residence in Elgin and seized computers and electronic storage devices. On the day the warrant was executed in March 2014, Farnham possessed no fewer than 2,765 images of real minors engaged in sexually explicit acts, including sexual intercourse, with prepubescent children. Some of the images involved sadistic or masochistic conduct and depictions of violence, according to Farnham’s guilty plea. According to the court documents, HSI agents were investigating information received from the HSI Cyber Crimes Center that an email address, later linked to Farnham, was being used to trade child pornography on the Internet.
“The defendant’s criminal conduct extends far beyond simply viewing sexually explicit photographs online. The defendant actively traded and bartered images and videos depicting child pornography, bragged to others about his own hands-on sexual abuse and exploitation of a six-year-old girl, and actively hid his tracks from law enforcement in order to continue his criminal conduct,” the government stated in its sentencing memorandum. “As an elected official, the defendant held himself out as being concerned about ‘protecting your children on the internet’ at the same time, however, he led another life, surfing the internet and message boards for sexually explicit images and further victimizing children of sexual abuse and exploitation.”
The sentence was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Gary Hartwig, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI in Chicago.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Storino and Michelle Petersen.
The Illinois Policy Institute, a non-partisan and well-respected organization, recently completed an exhaustive study about the five major public employees unions in Illinois. It’s titled: “Anatomy of Influence: Government Unions in Illinois.” The numbers are eye-opening to say the least.
Since 2002, public employee unions in Illinois have contributed $46 million in direct political contributions. Obviously, unions are not dropping that kind of cash on politicians because they have a pleasant personality. Clearly, it’s an investment and when you consider that Illinois taxpayers have made millionaires out of many, many public union employees, it was a good investment. Bad for taxpayers, but good for unions.
Interestingly, during that same time frame, from 2002 through 2014, Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the governor’s mansion and, according to the report, 85 percent of that $46 million went to … you guessed it … Democrats.
Let me say again, I’m pro-union. But the system I’ve detailed today has nothing to do with anti-union or anti-labor. It has to do with a system that is badly broken and borders on veiled corruption. It’s a system that has to be fixed, period.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** From our old pal Kent Redfield…
Hi Rich,
A little perspective on the IPI Public Sector Union Contributions story.
Since 1/1/2002 Rauner ($40 million) Griffin ($17.1 million) and Uihlein ($7.8 million) have made $64.9 million contributions (not all to statewide and legislative races, but most of it, and most of it to Republicans).
It has been a couple of cycles since I looked at an overall break down of money coming into Illinois politics by source, but historically for contributions you can classify the split has been 60% business, 25% unions and 15 professional (doctor, lawyers, CPA, etc.). These are broad categories, but they give you a sense of what is going on. Because of the large amount of money from Rauner, Griffin and Uihlein in 2013-2014, the overall percentage from business is probably up, even with the counter surge from labor in independent expenditures.
* The acute fearful paranoia of some concealed carry enthusiasts has always troubled me…
Gun proponents convened for their annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day and cited personal protection as a reason for expanding concealed carry.
“Predators look for places people are unarmed,” said Dawn Waters, a Lombard resident.
If there are signs outlawing concealed weapons in certain areas, residents without guns become open targets for predators, said Waters, who said she is a firearms instructor.
“Everyone there using public transportation, going to forest preserves, they’re in trouble. They are sitting ducks,” Waters said.
I’ve reported in Iraq and Kosovo and occasionally felt like a sitting duck. But never in Lombard.
* And the over the top “Sky is falling!” rhetoric by the anti-gun crowd is almost as silly…
“They’re not going to stop until they have virtually everyone carrying guns virtually everywhere in the United States,” said Brian Malte, National Policy Director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Oh, for crying out loud. What a goofy thing to say.
We want to express our staunch opposition to any attempt to tap into the Motor Fuel Tax Fund or the Road Fund as part of your plan to inter-fund borrow $1 billion to cover state operating expenses. As you recall, we opposed SB 3660, the legislation that grants you the authority to transfer funds out of dedicated funds to pay for normal government operations. We continue to believe that the diversion of road funds from their intended purposes is not good public policy and is, in fact, counterproductive.
To release a portion of the local road component funding from the capital bill, and then subsequently sweep a similar amount of cash from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund or the Road Fund, would seem to negate the benefits of the capital bill funding.
As you know, we worked cooperatively with all members of the legislature and your Administration in a bipartisan fashion to pass the capital bill in order to enhance Illinois’ infrastructure, to create jobs and foster economic development. Maintaining and improving this state’s roads and bridges is a vital component of achieving those goals.
The Motor Fuel Tax Fund has not been swept since FY 04 and to restart this practice during these challenging economic times does not make for good policy. There was a strong understanding as part of the creation of the capital bill to stop the practice of diverting road funds for other purposes. We believe that sweeping the Road Fund or the Motor Fuel Tax Fund would violate that commitment.
We believe that road funds should be used to patch holes on roads and bridges, not to patch holes in the state’s operating budget.
* At the time, the Road Fund contained nearly $480 million - which is about the projection for the fiscal year ending fund balance this year. The governor’s office back then said Quinn had no plans to raid it. Mainly because Downstaters were particularly concerned…
Tapping into the road fund is particularly controversial downstate because a majority of the money has gone to communities outside the six-county Chicago area. From 1999 to 2007, road fund expenditures downstate ranged between 56 percent and 68 percent, according to a May 2009 Legislative Research Unit report. […]
State Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, said if the funds were raided to shore up the general revenue fund, downstate would lose.
“The bulk of that money (the general revenue fund) is going to support things in the upper part of the state,” Bomke said. “Most people believe when they buy a gallon of gas they know so much of it is going to federal or state road fund, and they expect that money to be used for roads, not general purposes.”
And, keep in mind that Quinn only wanted to borrow from the Road Fund, not permanently sweep the cash.
* OK, let’s fast-forward to today. I also told subscribers this morning about this part of the proposed Fiscal Year 2015 fix (plus other stuff). Kurt Erickson…
Under one provision of a still-developing package to fix the current state budget, lawmakers would give Gov. Bruce Rauner the power to use as much as $250 million of the road fund for general state purposes.
The Republican leaders now support that permanent sweep.
“I think people realize we’ve got to do something and we’ve got to do it quickly. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures,” Radogno said. “We are in unprecedented times and we’ve got to do something to stem the bleeding.”
Asked what has changed in five years, Radogno suggested that a Republican victory in the governor’s race last November is playing a big factor.
“What’s different now is that there is confidence now that we’re going to do a really tough but a one-time fix here and get on the road to solvency,” Radogno said.
Just as a reminder, five years ago the state’s coffers were in absolutely horrible shape. Those were pre tax hike times and pension payments were rising fast.
