[Congressman Aaron Schock] appears to have improperly accepted money from an outside group to cover travel expenses for a companion on a trip to India and failed to disclose it in a possible violation of House rules, according to a National Journal review of public records.
Schock traveled to India on official business in August 2014, a trip during which he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Global Poverty Project, an advocacy organization that seeks to alleviate extreme poverty internationally, footed the bill, according to a spokesman for the group.
But Schock’s photographer and videographer, Jonathon Link, traveled with him on the trip, which was well-documented on Schock’s Instagram account. The organization offered to pay for the costs of one staffer to accompany Schock as long as the staffer flew economy class, according to the spokesman. Another aide was originally going to come, but the organization noted they were looking for a photographer, and Schock suggested Link, with whom he has worked in the past, the spokesman said. The photos Link took were made available to both Schock and the Global Poverty Project.
The problem is House rules allow a member to accept private money for a companion’s travel expenses only if the companion is a staffer, spouse or child. Link was none of those; he didn’t appear on Schock’s official or campaign payroll until September 2014.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that Illinois’ unemployment rate in January decreased 0.1 percentage points to 6.1 percent. The state’s unemployment rate is slightly higher than the national unemployment rate reported for January at 5.7 percent. Nonfarm payroll employment, however, shed -7,100 jobs, based on preliminary data released by the Department and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. A person who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits will still be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
In January, three industry sectors posted large gains in employment: Leisure and Hospitality (+3,300); Educational and Health Services (+2,300); and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+1,600). Four industry sectors reported large declines in employment: Professional and Business Services (-5,500); Government (-2,700); Construction (-2,500); and Manufacturing (-2,100).
“While a month-to-month decrease in nonfarm payrolls is not unusual, it’s clear Illinois has more work to do to catch up with other states,” said Director Jeffrey Mays. “Our economy is simply not yet firing on all cylinders.”
Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +65,000 jobs with the largest gains in Professional and Business Services (+16,700); Educational and Health Services (+15,200); and Construction (+11,100). One sector posted a decline in January over the prior year: Financial Activities (-1,400).
The continuing manufacturing losses are worrisome. The government sector losses could increase if state funding starts drying up.
* Check out this part of the Illinois Policy Institute’s react…
Some economic sectors such as education and hospitality added jobs in January, however, the business-services, construction and manufacturing sectors saw job losses. […]
These sectors lost jobs from December 2014 to January 2015:
Professional and business services: lost 5,500 jobs
Construction: lost 2,500 jobs
Manufacturing: lost 2,100 jobs
Notice something missing? Government job loss totals, even though they were the second highest on the list. But admitting that fact would screw up the meme.
Time is running out for lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner to find a budget fix that will allow the state to keep paying for court reporters across the suburbs.
The money for their salaries runs out at the end of the month, raising big questions about how courts will continue to operate without reporters tapping away during hearings the law requires them to attend.[…]
[Kane County Chief Judge Judith Brawka] says she remains hopeful Rauner and top Democrats will cut a deal before funding runs out. Deadlines, she says, and the “impending sense of doom” that come with them, tend to motivate deal-making.
“At a crisis point, they find a solution,” Brawka said.
That’s very true. Usually.
I think they’ll probably get there, too. It just hasn’t been very pretty, but it never is.
The Rev. Willie T. Barrow, a direct link to some of the greatest civil rights leaders and protests, died Thursday at age 90.
She had been in the intensive care unit of Jackson Park Hospital, getting treatment for a blood clot in her lung.
“She was small in stature but she was a giant in character,” said the Rev. Michael L. Pfleger of St. Sabina Church. “She was a person who was rooted in faith and who was a warrior for justice. The best way we can honor her is to live like her.”
* From the President…
Reverend Willie T. Barrow was a Civil Rights icon and a Chicago institution, a “Little Warrior” in pursuit of justice for all God’s children. In 1936, when she was just 12 years old, Reverend Barrow demanded to be let on to her all-white school bus in Texas, and the fight for equality she joined that day would become the cause of her life. She marched with Dr. King on Washington and in Selma. She stood up for labor rights and women’s rights. She made one of the first pieces of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and proudly welcomed LGBT brothers and sisters to the movement she helped lead.
Nowhere was Reverend Barrow’s impact felt more than in our hometown of Chicago. Through Operation Breadbasket, the Rainbow/PUSH coalition, and her beloved Vernon Park Church, she never stopped doing all she could to make her community a better place. To Michelle and me, she was a constant inspiration, a lifelong mentor, and a very dear friend. I was proud to count myself among the more than 100 men and women she called her “Godchildren,” and worked hard to live up to her example. I still do.
Michelle and I are deeply saddened by Reverend Barrow’s passing, but we take comfort in the knowledge that our world is a far better place because she was a part of it. Our thoughts and prayers are with Reverend Barrow’s family, and with all those who loved her as we did.
* From Mayor Emanuel…
“Today all Chicagoans mourn the passing of Reverend Willie T. Barrow.
“From a teenager who demonstrated for equality in the segregated south to a revered Chicago icon who helped to found Operation Breadbasket, Reverend Barrow spent her life on the front lines in the fight for justice. She marched in Selma and played a pivotal role in persuading Dr. King to take his fight for equality to Chicago.
“Known as ‘The Little Warrior,’ Rev. Barrow was small in frame but her voice was powerful, and contributed immeasurably to the cause of fairness, justice and opportunity in our community and the nation. We mourn her loss but give thanks for the impactful life she lived.
“I have ordered flags at all city facilities lowered in Rev. Barrow’s memory, and offer our thoughts and prayers to her family and many friends.”
* Attorney General Madigan…
“Reverend Barrow was a tremendous person, with a strong spirit and an unrelenting passion in seeking justice for all. While small in stature, this ‘Little Warrior’ never shied from a fight worth fighting. She was a true public servant in every sense. We have all benefited from her courageous work, and I am proud to have known her and learned from her example. I will miss her love and leadership.”
* Congresswoman Robin Kelly…
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the Reverend Dr. Willie Barrow. Rev. Barrow’s passionate pursuit of social justice and unwavering commitment to equality for African Americans, women and gay Americans will continue to inspire for generations. I am proud to have had such an esteemed icon of the civil rights movement as a fellow Sigma Gamma Rho Soror. After a lifetime of answering the call to justice, it seems somewhat poetic that she herself be called home only days after the nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Selma March. In her honor, we must follow her courageous example and continue the pursuit of justice and equality for all.”
…Adding… Joint Black Caucus Chairwoman, Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford…
“Although the Reverend Dr. Willie T. Barrow was small in stature, she was mighty in her lifelong dedication to racial equality and social justice. We the members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus are deeply saddened at the loss of one of the mothers of the movement. I will personally miss her encouragement, kind words and fierce advocacy. We all stand on her shoulders as sons and daughters of the movement.”
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.
* From the SJ-R’s coverage of yesterday’s massive Statehouse protest over Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget cuts…
The governor did make a brief appearance in the Capitol while the rally was beginning but did not actually attend. As he walked through the protesters on the first level, he said it looked like they were “having fun on a beautiful day.”
They did not take kindly to the governor’s description.
“That’s incredibly condescending and irresponsible to say,” Johnson said. “We’re here on a mission. We are family, and so, yes, we’re talking to each other, but that’s how you build power.”
Thursday, Mar 12, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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The civil justice system not only provides injured patients the ability to hold those responsible for their injuries accountable, but also encourages the adoption of patient safety systems that help prevent injuries before they happen. Specialties like anesthesiology have drastically improved patient outcomes by identifying system failures and implementing comprehensive practice changes. Individual hospital systems have also reduced errors after undergoing comprehensive safety studies. The civil justice system has served as a valuable deterrent to malpractice and a powerful motivator for patient safety.
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While declining to comment on some of the reports, Schock’s PR team has taken issue with the accuracy of others, like a Politico story on Monday that said Schock had reported on federal campaign finance documents that he spent more than $3,000 on software when in fact the money was part of the cost of a flight in a software executive’s private plane to a Chicago Bears game and his district.
Oh, yeah, that’s so much better. And, by the way, the rest of that cost was picked up by the taxpayers. Sheesh.
Congressman Schock is paying big bucks for a new PR firm and that’s what they come up with? It was for a private jet flight to a Bears game?
I think he should demand a refund.
* Even so, if you click that link above, you can watch video of CNN’s reporter asking a ton of blatantly loaded questions and then whining after Schock refuses to respond: “I’ve been polite to you.”
DC reporters must have a different definition of the word “polite.”
* Meanwhile, you may have heard that a couple of national right-wing bloggers have called on Schock to resign. Schock’s response was on-point…
He said he wasn’t taking seriously calls for his resignation coming from right-leaning outlets online. […]
“I would simply say these are the same groups who have called on (House Speaker) John Boehner and (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell to step down,” the Peoria Republican said. “So they’re people who fundamentally have never supported me and probably won’t ever support me — and, unfortunately for them, I’m not going anywhere.”
He implied that opponents to his political right were using the stories to make political hay at his expense.
Thursday, Mar 12, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Locally-owned credit unions return their earnings as a benefit to their members through services like free ATMs, better rates and lower fees. When credit unions exceed expectations, their members – including Illinois working-class families – share even more in those benefits.
Illinois credit unions gave back to their members in a big way during 2014. From CEFCU in Peoria, which delivered a record dividend more than three times the one it issued the previous year; to Gas & Electric CU in Moline; NuMark CU in suburban Chicagoland; and Catholic & Community CU and Scott CU in downstate Metro East – in the aggregate, nearly $43 million in bonus dividends alone.
This success is due in no small part to the continued loyalty of credit union member-owners – and can occur because credit unions are structured as not-for-profit, member-centric financial cooperatives.
Overall, Illinois’ Main Street credit unions annually return $205 million in direct financial benefits to the savings accounts of almost three million members – your local constituents – not to the pockets of a select few Wall Street investors. No matter how much each credit union may return individually, there is one theme the movement agrees upon collectively: It’s all about members!
Based on reports by members only, the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF) estimates 51,447 children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and/or serious mental illnesses will experience limited access to, or lose access to, community-based services and supports under the Department of Human Services’ proposed fiscal year 2016 budget.
“We find these conservative impact estimates on individuals with disabilities and mental illnesses and their families disturbing,” said Janet Stover, IARF President & CEO. “Even with the Department making efforts to preserve core and essential services, every proposed cut will cut bone, and these estimates make that clear,” continued Stover.
The Department’s proposed budget cuts $193 million in funding from community-based services and supports for children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and mental illnesses in the critical areas of residential services for individuals with high medical/behavioral support needs (ICFDD), psychiatry, housing supports, early intervention, respite, autism, dental and epilepsy services.
• 16,533 individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) will lose access to psychiatry, care coordination, evidence-based mental health services and housing supports – which will lead to increased hospitalizations and incarcerations;
• 808 adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities will lose residential and developmental services and supports in ICFDD settings – which will lead to increased utilization of state-operated developmental centers (SODCs);
• 1,798 individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families will lose access to respite services – which will lead families to seek out-of-home services, higher cost services and supports;
• 11,208 children ages 0-3 will lose access to early intervention services – which will lead to higher long term costs in special education;
• 21,100 individuals with epilepsy will lose access to case coordination, case management and outreach services;
“Again, these are estimates based on responses from IARF members. Given the number of service providers, individuals and families that would be impacted statewide, as well as statements made by the Department on proposed cuts in previous budget years, our estimates are only thumbnail sketches of the statewide impact,” said Stover.
National and state studies, including data prepared previously by the Department of Human Services, show the efficacy, cost savings and preference of community care by individuals and families. The average cost of a nursing home placement in Illinois is $31,400; one year incarceration in a Department of Corrections facility is $38,268. Compare that to the average annual cost to serve an individual with a serious mental illness in the community, which ranges from $2,329 to $19,443 (intensive treatment and rental housing supports).
By cutting rates and eliminating grant-supported programs, individuals will be required to seek services in higher cost settings, such as state-operated developmental centers (SODCs), hospital emergency rooms, nursing homes and jails.
Further compounding the damage the budget would do to individuals and families, an estimated 1,539 would lose jobs under the proposal, removing tax dollars from state coffers and likely causing many to rely on public assistance themselves.
“Nearly 90 cents of every state dollar invested in community services is spent on the staff supporting individuals in programs,” said Stover. “Providers are already challenged to hire and maintain quality staff with the wages they pay now due to years of lack of investment by the state in rates and reimbursements. Studies show the need for these staff positions in the community will continue to grow. We simply can’t absorb the job loss, nor can Illinois,” continued Stover.
“There will be no savings as a result of this proposed budget for community services…cutting these services will actually increase the state’s costs almost immediately,” said Stover. “Fifteen years ago, we launched an advocacy campaign with the message ‘Don’t Be Penny Wise and Pound Foolish’ and here we are again. Fiscally, it makes no sense to allow these cuts - not to mention the emotional anguish of this vulnerable population having to regress to service settings that we have been working to modernize for the last ten years,” she said.
* Meanwhile, I told subscribers about this yesterday…
In what state park district officials called an “unprecedented” decision, Gov. Bruce Rauner Wednesday indefinitely suspended all state grants for park district construction projects. […]
“These suspensions even cover construction projects that are currently in progress,” noted a memo from the Illinois Association of Park Districts. “With construction season upon us, this decision could not come at a worse time. The suspension not only threatens jobs that are helping to grow Illinois’ economy, it creates exposure to local taxpayers for existing contractual obligations and project costs.”
* Mayor Emanuel weighed in this morning…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today called on Governor Bruce Rauner to immediately reverse his decision to suspend Chicago park improvements that are planned or in progress after learning late yesterday that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) instructed the Chicago Park District to immediately freeze state grants awarded for park improvements.
“The Chicago Park District and I have worked to enhance the quality of life in Chicago by providing safe and inviting parks and facilities; and to create a park system that prioritizes the needs of children and families,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Governor Rauner’s decision to suspend grants for new parks across Chicago and the rest of the state will hurt every child who wants to swing on a swing set or play on the monkey bars, and a slight to every parent who wants their child to have a safe, community-oriented place to enjoy.”
A total of 27 Chicago projects at 25 parks across Chicago stand to lose $28 million for improvements if this funding is not restored.
The impact of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget cuts on the CTA is even worse than the $105 million hit that the transit agency originally projected, CTA President Forrest Claypool said Wednesday. […]
The RTA initially calculated that the cuts to the Chicago-area mass transit system — the CTA, Metra and Pace — would total almost $130 million. In turn, CTA officials said a preliminary analysis of their agency’s share of the cut came out to $105 million, which is roughly 7 percent of the CTA’s operating budget.
Illinois’ deepening budget problems could begin affecting the paychecks of nearly 5,000 prison workers starting in the coming weeks, an analysis of state payroll information shows.
According to records at the Illinois Comptroller’s Office, at least five of the state’s fleet of more than two dozen prisons do not appear to have enough money to meet payroll through the end of the state’s fiscal year June 30.
The analysis by the Herald & Review Springfield Bureau shows prisons that will run short of cash include facilities in Vandalia, Taylorville, Mount Sterling, Sumner and Jacksonville.
* And, finally, Western Illinois University’s president weighed in on the governor’s proposed budget cuts today…
WIU's anticipated cuts are "on the backs of our students" Thomas says. Would mean 65% tuition bump, resulting in less access, more debt.
Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, sponsored the pension reform bill in the Senate, even though he did not agree with all of its provisions. He attended the oral arguments Wednesday and didn’t sound optimistic afterward.
“I think the indications are there won’t be a remand (to the circuit court) and we’ll be back to the negotiating table,” Raoul said.
What is probably back on the table plus some previous ideas:
Normal cost shift for TRS
‘Tier 3′ aka 401K type plan for new hires
Voluntary / optional 401K type plan for the systems that don’t currently offer it. Devil will be in the details.
Voluntary higher contribution rate in exchange for an early retirement option (rule of 75 but at least 10 - 15 years of higher payments first?) for SERS
Voluntary trade of the 3% AAI for a straight CPI
A lot of other small items I can’t remember at the moment.
Not saying any of these are necessarily good ideas or would even save any money but they would probably be legal.
In [the Illinois Supreme Court’s] July 2014 ruling in a case that said Illinois couldn’t reduce retiree health benefits, the court majority offered a sentence that now looms over these proceedings — and over that chronic failure of Illinois pols: “(W)e have concluded that the provision was aimed at protecting the right to receive the promised retirement benefits, not the adequacy of the funding to pay for them.”
The state has a much stronger argument in this pension case, in part because today’s emergency — the enormity of the pension shortfall and its strangulation of spending on other state priorities — is more extensive and more dire than were the stakes in the health benefits case.
We hope the justices appreciate the distinctions between the two cases. They likely will rule this spring. When they do, they’ll speak volumes about the future of a struggling state — and about the likelihood that its pension system will run insolvent.
Justice Robert Thomas, a Republican from Wheaton, noted the state’s pension problems were “arguably” created by the state itself. He asked Shapiro whether a ruling to uphold the law would allow the state to create a financial emergency, then attempt to resolve it by invoking its police powers to change pension benefits.
Thomas also asked Shapiro if it was “incongruous” for the state to allow the Illinois income tax rate to roll back 25 percent on Jan. 1, costing the treasury more than $4 billion a year, while at the same time claiming a financial emergency.
That’s really hard to argue with. Not to mention this. And this. Etc.
He questioned whether the state could simply shortchange other areas of state spending and then walk away by claiming police powers.
“If the court holds that the state can invoke its police powers to violate core constitutional guarantees to respond to an emergency that at least arguably the state itself created, then aren’t we giving the state the power to modify its contractual obligations whenever it wants?” Thomas asked.
Chief Justice Rita Garman to plaintiffs’ lawyer Gino DiVito: “Does the police power ever allow [the state] to impair these pensions under any circumstances?”
DiVito: “Your honor, certainly not under these circumstances. Certainly not. It is absolutely clear that the intent of the drafters, when the General Assembly invoked fiscal problems, fiscal difficulties, not having enough money, it was absolutely clear that that was not a basis that could be relied upon.”
…
Justice Lloyd Karmeier to Solicitor General Carolyn Shapiro: “If sovereign power resides in the people, and the people adopt a constitution which specifically provided for a pension clause having different wording than the contract clause . . . does that not indicate what the people, the sovereign, has given to the Legislature to act within?”
Shapiro: “The constitution restricts the state’s ability to act. [But] it cannot give away certain absolutely core and fundamental attributes of sovereignty, and the ability to protect the public welfare in extreme situations is one of those.”
OK, but how “extreme” is this situation? It’s not like the state can’t raise more revenues. Then again, here’s the state’s response……
“it’s fair to say that the budget situation in our state is not yet fully resolved.”
“Raising taxes alone can’t always be the answer to a fiscal crisis when the state might otherwise want to use its police powers,” Shapiro added later.
“I hesitate to say the Lizzie Borden defense, but I’ve killed my parents. Have mercy on me. I’m an orphan. This is a situation of the state’s making,” said union attorney Aaron Madugg.
Justice Thomas asked what the Court should do, then, with the clear evidence in the Constitutional debates that the delegates intended that there be no benefit cuts in trying times – wasn’t reducing future benefits problematic then? Counsel [for the state] concluded by once again arguing that if the delegates to the Constitutional Convention intended that the clause be absolute in its protection for employee pensions, then the clause violated the Federal constitution.
The sharpest questioning of Shapiro came from Thomas. At one point, he asked her why the state claimed it wanted an expedited hearing so that the court could rule before lawmakers’ scheduled May 31 adjournment deadline, then asked for the case to be sent back to Belz where it would face months of hearings and another likely appeal.
The four Democratic members of the court, who form a controlling majority, said not one word during the 50-minute oral argument. Not a peep, which isn’t necessarily a sign of anything either. Maybe the cat had their tongues. […]
In a signal of how important the case is, not only to the state but to all Illinois municipalities, Chicago Corporation Counsel Stephen Patton sat front and center in the Supreme Court chambers. […]
All that really matters, though, is what those four silent Democrats — Anne Burke, Charles Freeman, Thomas Kilbride and Mary Jane Theis — were thinking.
Three of those justices are from Chicago. An adverse ruling could easily drop Chicago’s bond rating into junk status.
Quick! Somebody call a doctor! We’re losing him! Oh, the humanity!!!
The actual story is pretty good, but we’ll have more on the pension arguments in a bit. I just thought you might get a chuckle out of that screen grab.
* As you already know, the Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in the pension reform case. Mike Riopell has a pretty good piece about what could happen, so click here to read it.
Our friends at BlueRoomStream.com will have a live video stream. Click here for that. There’s plenty of background material at the Supreme Court’s website, including, apparently, high-rez video, so click here for that. Also, keep an eye on our live coverage post for updates on this topic.
The question to Rep. Aaron Schock was simple: Do you think you’ve broken any rules or federal laws? But the scandal-plagued congressman did not have a definitive answer. […]
During the interview, Schock seemed frustrated with the persistent questions in recent weeks about his lavish lifestyle and seemingly lax accounting of his spending of taxpayer and campaign dollars. He was, at turns, testy, reflective and willing to play the victim. He declined repeatedly to answer whether he ever accepted an improper gift as a member of Congress. […]
In a comment sure to enrage his Capitol Hill colleagues, he argued that if the media spent time digging into the spending of other lawmakers — like they have his — reporters would “find a story to write about any member of Congress.” […]
“Well, I would say I take my compliance obligations seriously,” he said when asked whether he accepted improper gifts. “So, to your point, you know, obviously there’s things that we’re going through and if there need to be amendments to my reports, there will be.”
Asked again if he thinks he has accepted anything for free and not disclosed it, Schock said, “I have not, uh,” and then paused. “I would just leave it at that.”
He was equally evasive about whether he had broken House ethics rules or federal campaign laws.
“Well, I certainly hope not,” he first said. Pressed again whether he could say confidently he has not, Schock replied, “Well, I’m not an attorney.” […]
Asked whether he feels singled out, Schock said, “I’m just simply saying that I think it’s gotten to the point where folks are,” he paused for six seconds, “I’ll leave it at that.”
That’s quite a slanted story, but if Schock didn’t want to answer questions, he shouldn’t have taken any.
In 2010, on the Bravo reality TV series Top Chef he certainly gave the impression that he understood, almost authoritatively, Congressional ethics rules. Season 7, filmed in Washington, D.C., like many seasons of Top Chef, held challenges thematically based on the season’s location. During that one, he was invited to guest judge a challenge inspired by — yes, seriously — ethics rules dictating what members of Congress can and cannot accept as gifts.
In this case, the “gift” was food: an ethics rule passed in 2008 dictated what sorts of food and meals members of Congress could and couldn’t accept. Food at receptions, for example, as long as it could fit on a toothpick and could be eaten while standing up, were kosher. The argument went that lobbyists could buy undue influence by treating members of Congress and their staffers to free steak dinners and the like — but not just by serving a steak on stick. (Citizen.org has a thorough breakdown of the meal restrictions on members of Congress.)
So when host Padma Lakshmi announced that the challenge was to create a gourmet dish that could fit on a toothpick, she tapped Rep. Schock, then the youngest member of Congress. In what now appears to be a completely forgotten and likely regrettable memory, he provided a quick lesson on Congressional ethics rules:
When you become a new member of Congress and win an election, the first day is spent on ethics. Believe it or not, a good portion of that discussion is about food. Basically, the Ethics committee wants to make sure that there’s not too much undue influence between the elected officials and the paid lobbyists in Washington, D.C.
* Usually, I’m not a big fan of organized Statehouse protests. They’ve been done to death and usually make no difference.
But a group called Action Now is holding a big protest today against the new governor’s proposed budget plan. Rep. Greg Harris claims “thousands” are present and posted this pic on Facebook…
Also, if you’re monitoring our live session coverage post, you already know that the group disrupted House proceedings from the gallery and security had to remove them.
* Even though I’m no fan of these sorts of things, this one might be different in that it’s the first really big Statehouse protest of our new governor. To date, most media coverage has focused on Democratic lawmakers’ opposition to the governor’s proposed budget cuts, but this protest might possibly add a new dimension to the way this issue is perceived, both inside and outside the Statehouse.
Or not.
It’s probably too early to gauge the impact, particularly since things are a bit fluid at the moment. So…
* The Question: What do you think of organized Statehouse protests in general? Explain, please. And feel free to also opine on today’s event if you want.
I have to do some inescapable errands/meetings today (nothing bad, don’t worry), so I won’t be able to update until later this afternoon. Keep an eye on our live session coverage post for updates on the protest.
* The Tribune has a pretty good front page story today on state revenue options (bottom line: there are no “good” options). You should read the whole thing, but I thought we’d discuss this one quote…
Democrats are grappling with what blend of proposals would bring in money more quickly and be politically palatable enough for legislators to support. While Democrats hold veto-proof majorities in both chambers, there’s little guarantee members of the party will stand united to push something through and then override a possible Rauner veto. Beyond that, in recent years Democratic leaders have sought Republican votes on more controversial proposals so that blame can be shared by both parties.
“We can’t raise taxes unilaterally … everything’s going to have to be bipartisan,” said Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, after a speech Monday.
I listened to the audio earlier this week, and from what I remember, Cullerton was inferring that both chambers couldn’t override a tax hike veto on a strictly partisan basis. He might possibly be able to do it (although he does have quite a few targets up for reelection in 2016), but Madigan could not. For one, Jack Franks ain’t voting for a tax hike of any kind. No way. And if MJM loses just one vote, a partisan override dies.
So, there has to be an agreement with the governor (of whichever party, but especially now). And if there’s an agreement with the governor, then the governor will have to put Republican votes on the thing. Ergo “everything’s going to have to be bipartisan.”
In a speech Tuesday, Rauner used the backdrop of a convention of road builders to again call for a massive effort to upgrade highways and create construction jobs.
“We are going to put more money in our infrastructure in the next four years than ever been done in Illinois,” Rauner said, garnering applause from members of the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association. […]
But, the only hint of a plan to pay for billions of dollars in highway upgrades came during a recitation of his pro-business platform.
Rauner, a former venture capitalist, suggested that the state could free up money for more road building projects if he and lawmakers can fix the state’s under-funded pension systems, lower prevailing wage costs and reduce participation in unions at a local level.
“It’s going to free up huge resources,” Rauner said.
As subscribers know, that’s not what he intended to say about capital funding.
* But here’s the thing about groups like the Asphalt Pavers. They may not love unions, but they’re smart enough to know that they need the active participation of the construction trade unions to pass capital bills. They also know that project labor agreements keep labor peace. And prevailing wage laws mean that their playing field is level with out of state contractors. They may grumble about it, rightly believing that lower employee wages would mean more money in their pockets, but there’s also a fairness issue here.
So, check out this raw audio of the governor’s speech. When Rauner praised “right to work” zones and trashed PLAs and prevailing wage laws and repeatedly asked the Pavers to help him pass his legislative agenda, not a single attendee applauded…
* The Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments at 2:30 this afternoon on the state’s pension reform law. We’ll have live coverage at the blog later today, but some folks lined up for the room’s “extremely limited” seats early this morning…
The founder of CeaseFire Illinois warned Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday of the possibility of a flare-up of shootings in Chicago unless state funding for the antiviolence program is restored.
CeaseFire, whose efforts to prevent retaliatory shootings received international attention in the documentary “The Interrupters,” was notified on March 4 that its state grant was suspended as part of Rauner’s budget cuts.
On Tuesday, CeaseFire founder Dr. Gary Slutkin wrote to Rauner that the $4.5 million grant represents most of the funding for CeaseFire Illinois, which he said serves 18 communities in Chicago and six outside of the city. […]
“People’s health and safety should not be relegated to ‘non-essential’ service status and treated like property leases, office space and energy consumption savings measures,” he said.
There’s much debate over whether CeaseFire prevents the violence it claims, but ironically enough, Gov. Rauner gave Dr. Slutkin the state’s highest honor last month, the Order of Lincoln Award…
As Illinois celebrates the 206th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, Governor Bruce Rauner today announced this year’s recipients of the Order of Lincoln, which is the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service.
“This year’s recipients of the Order of Lincoln have helped make Illinois and the world a better place,” Gov. Rauner said. “The work they have accomplished is admirable, and it is our privilege to honor them. Mr. Lincoln would be proud.” […]
Gary Slutkin, Founder and Executive Director of Cure Violence
Dr. Slutkin’s innovative program has worked to reduce shootings and killings, and Cure Violence now has 52 program sites in 23 U.S. cities and eight nations of the world. He is a professor of epidemiology and international health at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, where he seeks to treat violence as he would seek to reverse epidemic disease outbreaks.
The official ceremony is in May.
The governor doesn’t actually choose the winners, but it’s still ironic.
The state of Illinois will have about $1.9 billion less revenue to work with in the next budget than it had this year, the General Assembly’s fiscal forecasting arm said Tuesday. […]
Although there have been times of significant differences between revenue estimates from COGFA and the governor’s office, that isn’t the case so far. COGFA said its estimate is only about $90 million higher than the governor’s office, a difference it called “quite minimal.”
COGFA revenue manager Jim Muschinske warned that could change since Rauner’s budget may overestimate the amount of federal assistance coming into the state.
“That may prove to be too optimistic,” Muschinske said of the governor’s office estimate.
