* Emphasis in original…
Dear [Redacted],
As you have likely heard by now, last night the motion to override Governor Rauner’s veto of SB 1229 failed in the House of Representatives by a slim margin of three votes. Click here to see how your legislator voted. The override motion had already passed in the Senate.
Thousands of state employees—as well as friends, families and neighbors—rang legislators’ phones off the hook to express support for this common sense legislation that would have provided for binding arbitration as an alternative to a lockout or strike if state contract negotiations break down.
We backed this bill to counter Rauner’s threats to shut down state government—whether by locking out employees or trying to provoke a strike. And we can all be very proud of how far we came in advancing it (virtually right up to the goal line) and in shining a bright spotlight on the disruption and hardship that Rauner’s confrontational tactics would cause.
The governor waged a ferocious campaign of deception and intimidation to defeat SB 1229, trotting out discredited “data” on state employees as “overpaid” with “excessively generous” pensions and health care benefits. He and his allies poured massive amounts of money into paid phone call programs, full-page newspaper ads, and legislators’ campaign coffers.
As a result, not a single Republican state representative voted for the override motion—despite the deluge of calls, emails and letters they received from their constituents in support of the bill. By failing to support SB 1229 they have essentially acted to aid and abet Governor Rauner’s efforts to strip you of your rights on the job and drive down your standard of living.
Just about every Democratic House member voted YES on the motion to override—with one representative checking herself out of the hospital in Chicago and making the difficult trip to Springfield so she could be there to help reach the 71 votes needed. But Rep. Ken Dunkin, another Chicago Democrat, didn’t even bother to show up, opening the door for two suburban Democrats to withhold their support.
Some of the Republican legislators claim that the governor promised them he would not try to impose his harsh demands on employees, but instead negotiate in good faith to reach a settlement at the bargaining table. The question must be asked of these legislators: Given the mountain of lies the governor told throughout the battle over SB 1229, why would anyone believe his promises now?
The Rauner Administration has been holding fast for months to its extreme demands, which include: taking away layoff rights; wiping out limits on mandatory overtime; eliminating all funding for the Upward Mobility Program and other forms of tuition reimbursement; barring negotiations over facility closures; allowing the governor to suspend the union contract whenever he declares an “emergency”; refusing to deduct union dues from paychecks; removing all restrictions on subcontracting; reducing holiday pay; allowing the employer to decrease employee benefits during the term of the contract; and drastically increasing employee health care costs while freezing wages and steps for four years!
Your AFSCME Bargaining Committee will be back at the negotiating table next week—undeterred in our determination to resist the Administration’s unfair and irresponsible demands. We’ll see soon enough whether there’s any indication that the governor will live up to his promise to make a sincere effort to reach a settlement.
Unfortunately, the odds are high that he will not, but instead continue down the path of conflict and confrontation that he’s pursued since Day One of these negotiations.
If that happens, then we will have to begin now to prepare for the strike he is all too likely to seek to provoke.
Our fight has certainly gotten tougher with the defeat of SB 1229. But there’s no doubt that it is a fight we can win. Nearly every union representing state workers—SEIU, IFT, FOP, PBPA, INA, LIUNA, and the Trades Coalition—stood together with AFSCME in support of the veto override and will continue to stand united against Rauner’s efforts to wipe out workplace rights, drive down workers’ wages, and weaken unions.
As more legislators have learned about Rauner’s extreme demands, a growing number have pledged to help in our fight in any way they can. It’s important to remember that despite Rauner spending massive amounts of money and leveraging every last ounce of his political capital, a strong majority of legislators still stood up for state employees and voted IN FAVOR of SB 1229.
And if you travel across this state from one end to the other, our vibrant ‘we support state workers’ signs are a clear indication that the public values the work we do and backs our stand against Governor Rauner’s crusade against working people in our state.
So ignore the governor’s claims of victory today. What counts is what happens in the days to come. If we continue to show the kind of unity and determination that were on full display in the steeply uphill fight that we came so close to winning on SB 1229—then we can without a doubt gain the fair contract that we deserve.
In Unity,
Roberta Lynch
Executive Director
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Zed’s description of yesterday’s session…
* Your own one-word description of yesterday?
Real words only, please.
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* We can debate all day whether the absent Rep. Ken Dunkin was the solely responsible Democrat for the defeat of AFSCME’s “no strike” bill yesterday.
But he most surely was that person when it came to the bill which would’ve rolled back the governor’s administrative rule to dramatically slash the state’s child care assistance program. Gov. Rauner’s rule will block 90 percent of new program intakes by, among other things, lowering the maximum allowable income to just half of the federal poverty level.
All House Republicans stuck with Gov. Rauner yesterday and the bill received just 70 votes. So, if Dunkin had been doing the job he was elected to do, the bill would’ve passed, and it also probably would’ve been pretty tough to keep all the HGOPs off of that roll call when they saw it had enough support.
* From Sen. Toi Hutchinson’s Facebook page…
SB570 failed in the House today by 1 vote. 90% of previously eligible families are now without childcare subsidies. A parent who works full time at minimum wage now makes too much to qualify for childcare help. Keep in mind that the only way you qualify is if you work or are going to school. It failed today by 1 vote. My heart is breaking. I have no words. Thank you Representative Jehan Gordon Booth for being my partner in this. We have to live to fight another day.
As she pointed out, the bill is now on Postponed Consideration, so they can vote on it again. However, considering how difficult it was to get 70 Democrats to town yesterday (subscribers know more), without some GOP support this thing is probably going to remain in limbo for a while.
* I asked Emily Miller of Voices for Illinois Children and folks at some other groups why they didn’t put out a statement on the bill’s defeat yesterday and to please send me something I could use today. Here’s Emily’s response…
Hi Rich-
Sorry I didn’t get anything out earlier. I think that I was totally blown away by what happened, and I really did not see the failure of the child care bill coming. I never expected that child care would become such a partisan issue, and I needed to take a beat to figure out where we go from here.
The child care assistance program is a linchpin of the welfare to work program. It’s something that Republicans and Democrats have agreed on for decades. It’s common sense- If people to go to work and move off of welfare, you have to give them the tools they need to be able to do that. That means they have access to safe, quality child care.
Now we are left with the governor’s cuts intact. 90% of new applicants to the child care program will continue to be denied.
We are going to keep up the fight to get the governor’s office to roll back the devastating child care cuts on their own. We are going to continue to show lawmakers and members of the public that the cuts are ruining lives.
Child care is a necessary tool to keep low and middle income families out of poverty. We hope that lawmakers will come to their senses and pass a bill that saves child care in Illinois.
Emily Miller
Voices for Illinois Children
* And here’s the response from Illinois Action for Children…
Illinois Action for Children is disappointed and frustrated that SB 570, Amendment #1 fell one vote short of the required 71 votes yesterday in the House. The bill was introduced in response to Governor Rauner using his executive powers to enact emergency rules to significantly restrict access to the state’s IDHS CCAP; a program designed to support working parents’ access to quality care for their young children. The changes that went into effect on July 1st eliminate access for an estimated 90% of families otherwise eligible - families who are in desperate need for assistance to pay for child care when they are working or in an education or training program.
While we hope to work with Rep. Gordon-Booth to bring this bill back to the House for another vote, its failure yesterday means that parents who finally receive a long-sought job opportunity will be forced to turn it down, school-age children will likely go home alone instead of to a quality Afterschool program, and child care programs who are losing on average 25% of their enrollment to children aging out of the program (and going to school) will continue to close classrooms and programs. The infrastructure to deliver care that Illinois has invested millions of state dollars - in combination with federal funds - and which employs thousands of people will continue to crumble as a result of this failed vote.
It is a sad day when low-income children and working families are being held hostage in the Governor’s quest for his ‘turnaround agenda’ that has resulted in the worst budget impasse this state has seen in many decades. Child care has always been a program with bipartisan support because legislators know, regardless of party affiliation, that investing in our state’s youngest learners has an immediate return on investment for their working parents, and has a lifelong impact on a child’s success in school and in life. Investing in our children is vitally important to this state’s economy and its future.
I also asked Mrs. Rauner’s Ounce of Prevention Fund for comment, but haven’t heard back.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Ireta Gasner, assistant director of Illinois Policy at Ounce of Prevention…
We are disappointed that the House of Representatives failed to pass SB570, legislation that would have reversed harmful changes to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) put into place through emergency rulemaking by the governor’s administration. Vulnerable children and families were once again held hostage by the budget impasse and political stalemate in Springfield. We commend Senator Hutchinson and Representative Gordon-Booth for their leadership on this issue vital to children’s healthy development and our state’s economic future. Fortunately there are still several opportunities for our elected officials to do the right thing for working families:
1. First and foremost, we encourage Governor Rauner to rescind the eligibility changes that are locking 90% of previously eligible families out of the system.
2. We ask the legislature to seek another opportunity to legislatively rescind the eligibility changes.
3. We call upon the General Assembly and governor to work together to approve a fair, fully-funded budget that adequately funds vital programs like CCAP.
4. We urge the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to vote against making the emergency rules permanent.
Every day this continues, families are being forced to choose between providing for or caring for their children, children are not receiving the quality early experiences they need to thrive, centers are unfilled or closing, and employees are losing their jobs. This must stop. We call upon all our elected officials, from the Governor to the General Assembly, to ensure the viability of families, communities and our state
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Jehan Gordon…
What was often viewed as neutral ground in the budget making process, the Childcare Assistance Program, has unfortunately become a political football. It is incredibly disheartening to know that we could not get the requisite votes to allow thousands of poor, working families across the state access to childcare. Denying access to 90% of those previously eligible is just not the Illinois that I know. Falling one vote short is just unacceptable. We can do better. For that reason, Senator Hutchinson and I will continue to fight for working families, primarily women head of household, for their opportunity at one day having the American Dream.
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Lang, Rauner to negotiate new med-mar bill
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lou…
House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie) today issued the following statement regarding an amendatory veto override motion on House Bill 3299, legislation on which Governor Bruce Rauner had, via amendatory veto, reduced the extension of the state’s medical marijuana pilot program extension from two years to four-months.
“Based on a pledge from the Governor’s office to engage in a substantive negotiation to reach a mutually acceptable compromise, I have decided not to seek an override of the Governor’s amendatory veto. I salute the Governor’s willingness to negotiate an agreement that will best serve the interests of patients who are depending on this legislation.”
That’s very good news.
We need more like this, please. The hyperpartisanship this year has been just too much to bear.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Exelon just received an additional $275 million from the PJM Capacity Auction process – this time for the 2016-2017 transitional auction. This comes on top of last week’s 2018-2019 PJM Capacity Auction which resulted in $650 million in total capacity revenue. As the Tribune reported, Exelon “lobbied hard for the new [auction] rules” and they are reaping the results. More highlights:
- $675 Million REVENUE INCREASE for Exelon – Exelon is now approaching $1 BILLION dollars in additional revenue for its Illinois nuclear fleet, with one more auction coming September 9th.
- Byron Cleared Both Auctions – Will Run Through At Least May 2019 –According to a Crain’s analysis, Byron, which Exelon characterized as troubled and in danger of closing just weeks ago, now “…stands to reap profits of around $26 million even if future energy prices remain this low.”
- Quad Cities Cleared 2016-2017 Auction, Earning More Than $80 Million – Quad Cities cleared the 2016-2017 Auction, ensuring it will run through at least May, 2017. Perhaps Exelon should answer how it was able to offer and clear Quad Cities’ for a fraction of the price for the 2016-2017 auction, but couldn’t offer at the same price for 2018-2019. Is Quad Cities in danger of closing because Exelon chose a different bidding strategy?
Exelon ginned up the new rules and has now received its “market-based” bailout. It doesn’t need another $1.6 billion more from struggling ratepayers. Enough is enough.
Just Say “NO” to the Exelon Bailout
BEST Coalition is a 501C4 nonprofit group of dozens of business, consumer and government groups, as well as large and small businesses. Visit www.noexelonbailout.com.
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Today’s number: 601
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The previous record for comments on a single blog post here was 422, set on December 30, 2008.
I was having a nice leisurely lunch in South Beach that day, and when I finished I decided to take a stroll along the water.
And then after just a few short strides I suddenly realized that it wasn’t New Year’s Eve, when I figured I’d probably be safe from any major Rod Blagojevich announcements (he wasn’t trying to bury any news back then). It was only the 30th.
Oops.
So I sprinted back to my hotel, dashed up the stairs instead of waiting on the elevator, pulled my mobile phone out of the room safe and saw I had a ton of missed text messages and phone calls.
Gov. Blagojevich was about to appoint Roland Burris to the US Senate.
After blogging in my room for a while, I moved to a nearby bar and had them change the channel to CNN. They wouldn’t turn on the sound, though, so I missed some important things. And since I was sitting in a beach bar I had more than my share of cocktails, so the post is pretty much a rambling mess. I should’ve broken it up into several smaller posts, but I didn’t for whatever reasons. And now I cringe every time I look at that monster.
* Anyway, I told you that story because y’all smashed the old record with your 601 comments on yesterday’s post about Rep. Dunkin’s absence.
I thought about opening up a fresh thread late yesterday afternoon, but then I decided I’d wait and see if you broke the record so I wouldn’t have to look at that awful Burris post ever again.
Thanks!!!
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Six Repubs break with Rauner
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Because of all the hoo-rah over the AFSCME bill yesterday, an important news item was all but completely missed.
Six House Republicans (Batinick, Bryant, Jesiel, Hammond, McAuliffe, Unes) broke ranks with Gov. Bruce Rauner and their party leadership to help pass HB2482, which blocks the governor’s attempt to change the determination of need scores for a whole host of programs, including the Community Care Program, the Home Services Program, the supportive living facilities program, and the nursing home prescreening project. Also in the legislation…
Provides that the State shall not implement an updated assessment tool that causes more than 1% of then-current recipients to lose eligibility; and that anyone determined to be ineligible for services due to the updated assessment tool shall continue to be eligible for services for at least one year following that determination and must be reassessed no earlier than 11 months after that determination… Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that no individual receiving care in an institutional setting shall be involuntarily discharged as the result of the updated assessment tool until a transition plan has been developed by the Department on Aging or its designee and all care identified in the transition plan is available to the resident immediately upon discharge.
* Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) issued this press release yesterday…
“We cannot in good conscience change the eligibility standards for our citizens who rely on daily essential services. Keeping the eligibility score at 29 will allow Illinoisans to stay in their homes and receive minimal care instead of forcing people into costly nursing home facilities.
This bill protects 24,000 adults in the Community Care Program and 10,000 persons with disabilities in the Home Services Program by allowing them to keep their care. I applaud its passage and I look forward to its ultimate signing into law.”
Through the safeguards created by this prospective law, service recipients are protected should the eligibility tool change or a new tool be implemented to determine need, which will allow for a gradual transition and less disruption of services.
The legislation has passed both Houses and now moves to the governor’s desk.
* From SEIU…
“This vote provides necessary protections to seniors and people with disabilities who were being forced by the Rauner administration into long-term care or nursing homes and placed in positions that threatened their health and welfare. Kicking 34,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities to the curb was downright cruel. And it was shameless for the Rauner administration to do so administratively when they knew they could not possibly achieve this end through proper legislative channels.
“It’s a shame that this vote was needed in the first place and hopefully serves as a lesson that, in bipartisan fashion, the people of Illinois are not prepared to sacrifice the welfare of our most vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities to a cheap and unprincipled political agenda.”
The governor’s office declined comment this morning.
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* Sun-Times…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is poised to raise property taxes by $500 million for police and fire pensions and school construction and impose a garbage-collection fee to generate $100 million more, City Hall sources said Wednesday.
The $500 million property tax increase will cost the owner of a home valued at $250,000 roughly $500 more each year. The garbage fee — widely viewed as a back-door property-tax hike — will be a monthly assessment of roughly $11 to $12 per household.
The mayor’s 2016 budget also will include a tax on e-cigarettes and other smokeless tobacco products — roughly equivalent to the $7.17 tax slapped on a pack of cigarettes purchased in Chicago — and a $1 a ride surcharge on Uber and other ride-hailing services. […]
Emanuel has offered to raise property taxes by an additional $170 million for the schools, but only if teachers accept the equivalent of a 7 percent pay cut and the state reimburses CPS for “normal” pension costs. […]
But sources said the mayor is unwilling to put that money on the table until the union and the Illinois General Assembly step up to the plate. That will obviously have to wait until the budget stalemate between Democratic legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has been resolved.
* Tribune…
Pension payments this year total about $478 million. Next year, payments to police and fire pension funds will increase by $538 million under current state law, although Emanuel is hoping Gov. Bruce Rauner signs a bill that would allow the city to phase in the higher payments more gradually. Lawmakers approved that bill at the end of May, but have yet to send it to Rauner amid a broader stalemate at the Capitol.
The property tax increase Emanuel is mulling would far exceed what the mayor himself said during the campaign was the largest property tax increase in Chicago history. In 1987, under Mayor Harold Washington, property taxes rose by $79.9 million, which would be $167.8 million in today’s dollars after adjusting for inflation. In 2008, under Daley, property taxes increased by $86.5 million, or $96 million in today’s dollars.
During the campaign, Emanuel attacked his runoff challenger, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, for voting for the Washington-era property tax hike. Now Emanuel is weighing a property tax hike that could triple the one his opponent backed.
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IllinoisGO belatedly weighs in
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Illinoisans for Growth and Responsibility (IllinoisGO) Chairman Anthony Anderson released the following statement regarding the House’s failed veto override of SB 1229:
“House lawmakers did the right thing yesterday. SB 1229 was just another political distraction from solving the real financial problems facing our state. With a $6 billion dollar state budget deficit, each and every line item in the budget must be considered, including the state payroll, and this bill would have made our problems that much harder to solve. IllinoisGO thanks the lawmakers who took this tough vote and urges the General Assembly to get back to addressing the challenges facing our state and to showing real leadership towards enacting solutions.”
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It’s not all on Dunkin
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
The only Democratic no-show on Wednesday was state Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago. State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, voted “present.” And Rep. Scott Drury, D- Highwood, was the lone Democratic “no” vote. […]
Madigan said the two other Democrats who didn’t support the bill did so because Dunkin’s absence left an opening.
But that’s not the case, Drury said. He said he researched the issue and consulted with labor experts and decided the long-term implications of the measure were too great.
“I came to the conclusion that this bill was bad policy for labor,” he said Wednesday evening. “The right to strike is sacrosanct.”
“In looking at this bill, whatever short term benefits there may be toward the negotiations today there is a hefty price to pay, which is giving up the right to strike,” he said.
* Reboot…
This year, Drury voted for the labor-backed legislation initially, but dug into the topic as the rhetoric intensified, researching it like the former assistant federal prosecutor he is. Drury said he consulted with expert labor law professors at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University and the University of Illinois.
First, he said he learned that Rauner’s claims that arbitration results in higher wages were false. Since the 1970s, nonpartisan academic research shows wages achieved through arbitration and those resulting from collective bargaining are about the same. […]
At one point, he said, he asked a teachers’ union member if they would sacrifice their right to strike if the proposal were amended and teachers were included in it and the answer back was a swift, “Absolutely not.” […]
And while Madigan told reporters state Rep. Ken Dunkin of Chicago’s unexcused absence was to blame for the bill’s failure because it gave other Democrats an excuse to peel off the union plan, Drury tells a different story.
He might have told a House Democratic staffer he still was doing his research, but Drury said he never indicated how he’d vote and never talked to the Speaker about how he might vote.
* NW Herald…
Franks said he voted present because he couldn’t agree with either side on the matter – he did not vote on the bill when it first came to the House, either. He said he worked “furiously” to convince Rauner and AFSCME to come to a compromise.
“I didn’t support the override, or either side. I wanted these guys to work it out,” Franks said after the vote.
* And it’s not all about the Democrats, either. Erickson…
The 68-34 vote was a tough one for some Republicans, many of whom represent areas with large union voter blocs.
State Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, was in the chamber but did not cast a vote. She is a former member of AFSCME.
State Reps. Tim Butler and Raymond Poe, both Springfield Republicans with large state worker constituencies, voted “present.”
Not casting a vote is just plain ridiculous. I mean, the constant “Present” votes are bad enough, but pick a lane, already. Sheesh.
* Kasich…
“Had Mister Dunkin been here there would have been 71 Democrats voting for it,” said Madigan. “He should have been here today, voting on this bill for labor peace. Like all members of the General Assembly he makes his own decisions.”
He declined to say whether Dunkin would lose his committee chairmanship as a result of his absence.
“Look, I’m not going to go there,” he said.
* But…
It wasn’t the first time Dunkin, a 13-year veteran lawmaker, was absent for a high-profile vote. In 2009, Dunkin missed the impeachment of then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The lawmaker, who was a Blagojevich ally, was on a cruise in the Caribbean, according to reports at the time.
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Rauner react
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Governor Bruce Rauner issued the following statement following the House’s vote to sustain his veto of SB 1229:
“I want to thank every House member who stood with taxpayers today. It is encouraging that many legislators recognized the dire financial impact this legislation would have had on our state.
While House members chose to help us avoid digging a deeper financial hole, we still have a lot of work to do and time is of the essence. We have now entered our third month without a balanced budget, which only the legislature can pass, and court orders have shown that I can’t simply reduce the budget and balance it without legislative changes.
I hope today’s action marks the beginning of serious negotiations over how we can deliver needed structural reforms and a balanced budget.”
* The Illinois Chamber also issued a release…
“The Illinois Chamber of Commerce commends the legislature for standing up to its responsibility to hold the line on spending. Because of this vote, state government will not require binding arbitration for impasses in state employee union negotiations. If it had passed, state employee pay raises would have been on cruise control, careening the state further into the red when the state needs to cut costs to meet revenue. At a time when private sector employees are lucky to see small raises if any, state government union contracts can demand double-digit raises during the life of a contract. We can’t have that anymore.
I appreciate the lawmakers who voted no so that Gov. Bruce Rauner and his administration will be in charge of determining what taxpayers can afford when it comes to salaries and benefits. This bill would have represented an irresponsible abdication of responsibility in managing state costs. It makes sense that the person ultimately elected in Illinois to manage the state’s expenses have the authority over negotiations. ”
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Organized labor’s response
Thursday, Sep 3, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Rauner’s political assault defeats fair arbitration bill
By slim margin, House fails to override veto after unprecedented threats to legislators
Following an intense barrage of false claims about the fair arbitration bill by the Rauner Administration, naked threats of political retaliation by the Republican leadership and paid attacks by right-wing super-PACs, the Illinois House of Representatives today fell three votes shy of the 71 needed to override the governor’s veto and enact Senate Bill 1229.
Although the bill did nothing more than extend to child protection workers, nurses, caregivers, emergency responders and other state employees the same independent arbitration process provided to police, fire and other public safety personnel in Illinois for more than 30 years, the Rauner Administration justified its veto with an array of false claims about the bill’s provisions, constitutionality and potential cost, as well as unsubstantiated ad hominem attacks on the independence and fair-mindedness of arbitration professionals.
Multi-million-dollar super PACs allied with the governor — including Turnaround Illinois and the Koch Brothers-funded Americans For Prosperity — flooded legislative districts with robocalls and attack ads that repeated many of the same false claims, confusing voters about the bill’s true intent.
In reality, public service workers and their unions supported SB 1229 to help avert the potential conflict, hardship and disruption of a statewide strike or lockout by offering arbitration as an alternative means of resolving contract disputes between state employees’ unions and the Rauner Administration if ongoing negotiations fail to produce agreements.
Finally today, House Republican leadership publicly threatened rank-and-file lawmakers with political retaliation if they voted to enact the bill–a threat that longtime statehouse watchers called unprecedented in its brazenness.
“The governor’s ferocious and false attacks on this moderate and responsible bill clearly show he wants conflict, not compromise,” Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael Carrigan said. “The governor’s assault on this bill may have won the day but poisoned the well for legislators of both parties who want to work together responsibly to solve problems and serve the people of Illinois. It is clear that Governor Rauner will stop at nothing to carry out his scorched-earth agenda against working people, their rights and well-being.”
“Day in and day out, public service workers in state government keep us safe, care for veterans, protect kids and much more,” said Roberta Lynch, executive director of the largest union of state employees, AFSCME Council 31. “State employees don’t want to be forced out on strike, but we’re determined not to let Governor Rauner undercut workers’ rights, jeopardize workplace safety or threaten the economic security of working families.”
As a candidate, Governor Rauner repeatedly vowed to “take a strike and shut down state government for a few weeks” in order to force workers to accept his extreme demands. More recently, the governor has made stripping the rights of workers to bargain collectively a precondition of enacting a state budget. And in a possible signal that he is preparing to provoke a work stoppage, the Rauner Administration has solicited retirees to serve as strike breakers and reportedly considered mobilizing the National Guard.
The governor’s assault on the arbitration provisions of SB 1229 has now derailed the best hope of amicably settling union contracts that are fair to all.
“The Illinois labor movement will remain united,” Carrigan said. “Even though today’s outcome is deeply disappointing, we appreciate that the vast majority of legislators stood with working people and did the right thing. Our fight to protect the middle class from the governor’s extreme agenda is only just beginning.”
* Another one…
Following is the statement of SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Keith Kelleher following the House veto override vote Wednesday on Senate Bill 1229.
“Rauner Inc. spent a lot of time and effort mischaracterizing this legislation, which would have prevented damaging service disruptions forced by the bargaining approach Rauner has chosen, specifically in hopes that no deal will be reached. Yet despite Rauner’s threatening and bullying of both Democrats and his fellow Republicans in unprecedented ways - leveraging limitless money and every last ounce of his political capital - a strong majority still voted to in favor of these common sense reforms.”
“Now that this fight is over, we hope that Bruce Rauner heeds the advice of Gov. Jim Edgar and other Republicans to abandon his “my-way-or-the-highway” approach and come together with legislative leaders to fashion a budget that benefits all Illinoisans-not merely a political document that punishes his enemies and satisfies his extreme ideology.”
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Chris Crane: New Plan Will Help Ensure Reliable Power
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The following is excerpted from a Daily Herald op-ed by Exelon Corporation President and CEO Chris Crane:
“Keeping the lights on, safely and reliably, is Exelon’s primary responsibility to customers. Part of that is planning ahead to make sure we have enough power to meet our region’s needs for years to come.
Over the past decade, the power generation system has dramatically changed. The grid was once powered almost entirely by highly reliable power plants like nuclear and coal, which have fuel on site and can run 24/7 in all weather conditions. Today it has moved toward natural gas, which is subject to supply disruption if home heating becomes critical or the gas delivery system freezes, and renewables, which only run when the sun shines or when the wind blows. …
While this shift has helped provide cleaner power, it has led to a major unintended consequence — the system is no longer sufficiently reliable, especially during extreme weather.
The challenges became clear during the 2014 polar vortex, when PJM, which operates an electric grid from northern Illinois to the mid-Atlantic, lost 22 percent of its power generation and came dangerously close to a large-scale blackout. A recent decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the agency charged with ensuring the reliability of the grid, will help avoid such a crisis. …
The plan, known as capacity performance, only pays power plants that deliver power when promised — especially in the hottest or coldest weather — and imposes financial penalties on those that don’t. …
[A]uctions under the new plan [will] ensure enough supply for customers’ needs in years to come. …
Importantly, any auction proceeds will be reinvested in improving the reliability of our power plants…
Exelon is constantly investing in its nuclear power plants, spending nearly $1 billion annually to add the latest technologies and keep them operating safely and reliably. …
Now is an opportune time to implement these reforms for a more reliable grid that will keep homes lit and warm, businesses running, and our economy growing.”
Learn more about reliable nuclear energy at www.NuclearPowersIllinois.com
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* As I write this at 1:20, the House has voted on two vetoes of bills that passed overwhelmingly during the spring session. Both override attempts failed mainly because Republicans stuck with their governor on general principles, some Dems didn’t support the bills to begin with and because one Democrat is still not accounted for despite clocking in as “Present” on the roll call for attendance. I discussed this with subscribers earlier today. We’ll just have to wait and see if and when Rep. Ken Dunkin shows up, either today or tomorrow. Keep an eye on our live session coverage post for constant updates.
Mary Ann Ahern has a bit more on Rep. Dunkin…
While Madigan has said he has the votes necessary, one key Democrat, Rep. Ken Dunkin, is “unavailable,” according to his office. Dunkin “has been spotted in more places than Elvis,” one source in Springfield told NBC Chicago, but the representative’s staff say they “are not at liberty to discuss” where he is. They did confirm that he is not in Springfield, however.
Subscribers know where he says he is.
* But, as I told subscribers last Friday, there will be Republican votes to override the governor’s veto of Medicaid funding from the heroin treatment bill. Leader Durkin confirmed it today…
Durkin said Republicans will likely stand with House Democrats in an attempt to override a different bill the governor altered using an amendatory veto.
Both Republicans and Democrats are expected to vote to extend Medicaid coverage to pay for federally-approved medications and therapy to treat heroin addiction.
The governor took the brick off after heavy prodding by House and Senate Republicans. That’s very good news.
*** UPDATE *** As expected, the veto was overridden.
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Durkin threatens caucus with “consequences”
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers about this earlier today…
House Republicans have received a very clear message from their leader over whether to support the override [of the AFSCME “no strike” bill]: “Vote against the governor and there will be consequences,” House minority Republican leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Today’s showdown in Springfield pits Rauner against Madigan like no other battle this year.
“There will be consequences for any of our members who vote against our caucus today,” Durkin said Wednesday. He said “consequences” does not automatically mean expulsion, but they will be discussed among Republican leadership.
“This is my decision. And my decision only,” he said. “I believe this will be cataclysmic if passed.”
Wow.
I’ve never seen anything quite like that before.
The House Republicans have taken caucus positions in the past, but they don’t usually talk about it with the mainstream media, and never this brazenly.
…Adding… As always, keep completely up to date by monitoring our live session coverage post.
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[IDVA e-mailed this afternoon to say that 45 people have been diagnosed with the disease, not 46 as reported elsewhere. I changed the headline to reflect the agency’s statement.]
* From a Tuesday press release…
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced the deaths of a total of seven residents at the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy. The seven residents, all of whom had underlying medical conditions, were among the 39 individuals who had been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease to date. Test results are currently pending for other residents.
“While saddened by the loss of our residents, having been at the Home and talking with the staff and our residents, I am impressed with their resilience and spirit,” said IDVA Director Erica Jeffries. “We remain vigilant in monitoring our residents and we continue to follow the guidance of our interagency partners to implement remediation efforts across our Home. The safety and quality of care for our residents and staff are our primary concerns.”
“We continue to work diligently with our public health and Veterans’ Affairs partners to get immediate medical care to residents or staff at the Home who are experiencing respiratory illness,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “Unfortunately, we expect to see additional cases and possibly additional deaths because the incubation period for Legionnaires’ disease can be up to two weeks, and because patients with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of more severe illness.”
On August 30, 2015, IDPH requested aid from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for epidemiology and environmental health assistance. Yesterday, three CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers and one environmental health specialist arrived at the Illinois Veterans’ Home – Quincy to work with IDVA and IDPH in investigating the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. CDC will also provide laboratory support from its headquarters in Atlanta, GA.
IDVA and IDPH continue to work closely with the Adams County Health Department to identify and mitigate possible sources of the Legionella bacteria. Due to the nature of the bacteria, test results can take up to two weeks. Public and environmental health officials are working closely with home staff to implement control measures at the home in order to prevent additional individuals from being infected.
Most cases of Legionnaires’ disease can be traced to plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for Legionella growth, such as hot water tanks, cooling towers, and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems. In order to be infected with the bacteria, a person must inhale contaminated water vapor. Legionnaires’ disease cannot be transmitted person-to-person.
* The diagnosed number rose this morning…
The number of lab-confirmed deaths at the home because of Legionnaires’ disease rose to seven on Tuesday, and the number of confirmed cases of people diagnosed with the disease rose to 39. The number of confirmed cases climbed to 46 on Wednesday morning, according to the Adams County Health Department.
However, for the first time since the outbreak was detected at the home late last week, there was a 24-hour period where no residents were admitted to Blessing Hospital. Some test results for residents are pending. […]
As of Monday, the Illinois Veterans Home had 401 residents spread out over seven residential buildings on Quincy’s northwest side. [Erica Jeffries, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs] said those with the disease lived in different buildings. Another hurdle to identifying the source of the bacteria, Jeffries said, is the old plumbing system in the home, which was built in 1886.
Jeffries says the plumbing system at the facility is unique, creating a “unique set of solutions as well.”
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* CBS 2…
Mayor Emanuel says the city will provide about $9 million to make sure thousands of children from working families aren’t cut off from the state’s Child Care Assistance Program. The mayor says the Bruce Rauner Administration has tightened the requirements for families that qualify for the help.
“I think the policies by the state, when you look through, you find 90 percent of the children you’re going to kick off… that’s not tightening the standards, that’s basically walking away from the children of the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois,” Emanuel said.
The mayor says the added funding will protect about 5,000 of the 9,000 pre-kindergarten seats affected by the state cuts.
* Tribune…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday accused Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration of “walking away from the children of the city of Chicago” by making it harder for low-income families to qualify for inexpensive child care, while announcing he had set aside $9 million to keep the service in place for some of the kids. […]
Emanuel estimated the change affects about 9,000 children in Chicago, roughly 90 percent of those who used to qualify. The mayor said his administration had “scraped together” $9 million to keep child care programs running for 5,000 kids who lost their eligibility, but called on Rauner to reconsider the new standards. […]
“If you’re going to tighten the standard, it should be about tightening the standard because you thought maybe it went over slightly,” Emanuel said. “Ninety percent means you don’t believe in day care, you don’t believe in early childhood. And I don’t believe that’s (Rauner’s) policy. I believe somebody in the system has this upside down, and they need to be straightened out.” […]
The mayor noted the city’s intervention isn’t a permanent solution. “We can step in to a point. We can’t make up for the failures of the state,” he said. “It is time for the governor to re-evaluate.”
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Today’s number: $1.18 billion
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
Exelon will collect more than $270 million in additional revenue at its Illinois nuclear plants for the year beginning in June 2016, thanks to the results of a special auction just conducted by the grid manager for the 13-state region including Northern Illinois.
The Chicago-based power giant, which is asking lawmakers to hike electric bills throughout the state to keep the company from closing two of its six Illinois nukes, is benefiting from grid operator PJM Interconnection’s new rules for setting the prices consumers pay generators to be available when electricity demand spikes due to extreme heat or cold. […]
PJM’s changing bidding rules are funneling hundreds of millions in additional revenue annually to Exelon’s Illinois fleet, which has been pressured financially by low wholesale power prices. The boon to Exelon may complicate the company’s continuing efforts to lobby the state for even more financial help, courtesy of ratepayers who already will be paying higher prices thanks to PJM. […]
Meanwhile, Exelon’s Illinois fleet will collect an estimated $495 million in capacity revenues in the year beginning in June, rather than the $219 million it would have taken in under the previous auction results.
A recent PJM auction to set the capacity price for the year beginning June 1, 2018, resulted in even higher prices. Exelon’s Illinois nukes will collect an estimated $688 million in capacity revenue then, even though the Quad Cities plant didn’t qualify because it had bid too high. (Quad Cities did qualify for 2016-17 capacity revenue.)
So, they’re up to $1.18 billion with one more auction to go.
And yet they still want the General Assembly to approve another $300 million in additional customer charges to subsidize their nuke plants.
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The most romantic thing I’ve ever seen
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Dave Bakke…
Remember the old joke about going to a boxing match and having a hockey game break out? Well, something like that happened last weekend in Springfield.
Marcus Lucas invited people to his house for a cookout. I know, stop the presses, right? But …
A couple of hours into the party, Marcus disappeared. He came back wearing a white suit. His girlfriend, Jackie Price, had changed from her Dallas Cowboy jersey into a white dress.
Oh, yeah, something was up. People went to a barbecue and a wedding broke out.
“It was the first ‘pop-up wedding’ I’ve ever seen,” Rich Miller, the Capitol Fax guru who was there, wrote via e-mail, “and so incredibly romantic. People have been wondering for years when the two would get married. But instead of eloping to Vegas or having an elaborate ceremony, they kept it low-key and so very personal by just throwing a little party and treating everyone to an incredibly happy surprise. Unlike a lot of weddings I’ve attended, I’ll never forget this one.”
I haven’t had the greatest summer, with the long and grinding overtime session and then my little health scare. But I tried my best to have a “normal” weekend starting Friday. I went to see Tom Irwin play a gig after work, then had a nice dinner at the lake. On Saturday, we went to Clayville for a folk festival and car show. I ran into my doctor near the beer stand and felt like I was being busted by my parents. Thankfully, I had a bottle of water in my hand and I proudly displayed it to my doc, who smiled and advised me to stick to red wine.
I went back home and rested for a while then remembered I’d been invited to Marcus’ party. I was hungry and wanted a glass of red wine (thanks, doc!) so we drove out there.
Marcus sprang the surprise shortly after we finished eating. I haven’t smiled that much since my surgery. The bummer summer dissolved completely away when it became clear that Marcus and Jackie were going to marry each other before our very eyes. It filled everyone’s heart with joy. How could it not?
I’m not sure if they realize it, but those two did their friends a wonderful favor by sharing their life reaffirming moment with us.
I’m actually still smiling about Saturday and I’ll never forget it.
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* The Bond Buyer has a long article about a recent House hearing on legislation pushed by the governor to allow local governments to declare bankruptcy…
In what is viewed as a favorable provision for bondholders, the Local Government Bankruptcy Neutral Evaluation Act would offer them a statutory lien for general obligation and revenue bonds on property taxes collected, or the debt’s pledged revenues. The lien would automatically attach from the time of the pledge with no further action needed and is “valid and binding” from the time of issuance, the proposed legislation says.
With such a statutory lien provision in place “you are making the purpose of the Chapter 9 for one singular purpose…to visit it upon labor,” said William Brandt, the former board chairman of the Illinois Finance Authority and the longtime owner of corporate and municipal restructuring advisory businesses. The sole purpose is the “rejection of labor contracts,” he said.
Gee, what a surprise. The big New York City firms which bought bonds and should’ve known better are protected, while local workers get the shaft.
* Proponents say the statutory lien language would bring down borrowing costs…
“We’re paying a penalty for the public crisis that we have in finances” at the state level, said State Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, adding she’s been advised that the addition of a statutory lien to state books could cut local government borrowing penalties in half.
* But…
The debate adds to the attention statutory liens have received across the country following Chapter 9 bankruptcies in California and Detroit and legislative efforts to protect bondholders. Fitch Ratings recently warned that despite its growing use in U.S. municipal debt, the presence of a statutory lien will not enhance a municipality’s debt rating.
“While the presence of the statutory lien will enhance a creditor’s post-default recovery prospects, it doesn’t avoid the interruption of payment upon a bankruptcy filing by a municipality,” said analyst Thomas McCormick. “The simple reason is that in a bankruptcy scenario, the pledged tax revenue could be subject to interruption and default would be likely.”
Go read the whole thing.
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AFSCME bill override roundup
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
The House convenes Wednesday to consider overriding Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a proposal that would put a potential labor-contract impasse in the hands of an outside arbitrator, rather than risk a strike or a lockout. […]
Rauner talked with bravado during his 2014 campaign of shutting down the government to save runaway taxpayer costs, but now he promises he will not lock out workers. However, he vetoed the initiative in July, and the Senate overrode the veto in August.
“He believes that the taxpayers should have a seat at the table when bargaining, and this eliminates that seat and turns it over to an unelected arbitrator,” Rauner’s general counsel, Jason Barclay, said Tuesday. “In our view, this bill strips taxpayers of their right to control costs in government.” […]
“We would prefer to reach a settlement at the bargaining table,” [Roberta Lynch, AFSCME Council 31’s executive director] said. “That’s been our goal all along. The purpose of this bill is to make sure that there is an alternative procedure to a strike or a lockout. It is not an alternative to collective bargaining.”
* Tribune…
The campaign-style effort on both sides has featured attack ads, automated phone calls and closed-door lobbying. The fight involving power, loyalty and campaign cash is both the latest example of the ongoing political intransigence in Springfield and a foreshadowing of how next year’s state House and Senate elections may play out. […]
The legislation also goes to a central theme of his new administration in seeking to use the budget impasse to leverage a weakening of collective bargaining rights for public employees at the state and local levels and eliminate prevailing union wage rates on public construction contracts. […]
The measure originally passed the House with 67 votes — four shy of the 71 required to overturn Rauner’s veto. Two Democrats were absent in May. As of Tuesday, at least two other Democrats say they are still on the fence: Rep. Jack Franks of Marengo and Rep. Andre Thapedi of Chicago, neither of whom cast a vote on the bill last time around.
Thapedi said he declined to weigh in because he had unanswered questions and could not understand why AFSCME would be willing to give up its ability to strike. Thapedi said while he has met with union officials about the bill, he has yet to hear from Rauner’s office. […]
Republicans insist their allegiances lie with their new GOP governor. Rauner has made no secret that he is willing to use his personal wealth and that of his allies to enforce discipline and put up primary challengers to those not willing to follow him.
* I think Redfield nailed it…
“Both sides have elevated this to an issue where it’s really about ultimate power within the conflict,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield. “It’s going to set the tone for better or worse of how things are going to go not only in terms of the budget, but also for the next three and a half years.” […]
“It really has been a full-court press on the governor’s part,” Redfield said. “He’s made this a signature issue about his authority and role as governor.” […]
Redfield said the stakes are high for both sides. If the override is approved, he said, “it will be a hit to (Rauner’s) prestige and credibility.” If the governor’s veto is sustained, “it puts (the unions) in a much, much worse negotiating position,” he said.
* And other unions have joined in…
In a conference call Tuesday, Keith Kelleher, president of Service Employees International Union, said the union originally had no position on the legislation, but has since come out in support of it because of Rauner’s strong anti-union positions and the administration’s push to boost health insurance costs for state employees.
“This bill will shut down the shut down threat,” Kelleher told reporters.
Pat Devaney, president of Associated Firefighters of Illinois, said the kind of binding arbitration called for in the proposal has been rarely used by the 15,000 firefighters he represents across the state. […]
“It will allow state employees to continue to provide critical state services,” added Chris Southwood, president of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police.
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Caption contest!
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From left, Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles) and Sen. Matt Murphy (R-No Socks)…
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Dave McKinney lands at Thomson Reuters
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Good news…
Ten months ago, I left full-time reporting.
The respite after 19 years covering Springfield made clear to me that my true professional passion remains with the Fourth Estate, which makes me proud to say today that I’m returning to full-time journalism with a job at Thomson Reuters.
I couldn’t be happier.
The newly created position in Chicago is a big reporting job that will focus on breaking news and analysis on Illinois and Chicago finance, government and politics.
Conditions are tough in Illinois newsrooms. There was no guarantee a terrific opportunity like this would arise, particularly at such a respected media organization with worldwide reach. But it did, and I’m thrilled.
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Governing ain’t easy
Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You spent a fortune to win the big chair. And now it’s time to make a freaking decision already…
Some who suffer from illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, migraines and irritable bowel syndrome have been eagerly waiting to find out if they’ll be able to use medical marijuana.
But the Rauner administration hasn’t yet announced its decision on recommendations by a state panel to add 11 conditions to the medical marijuana program.
The decision was supposed to be made in August after a board recommended in May to allow the conditions to be added to the limited list.
“The recommendations by the state’s Medical Cannabis Board remain under review,” a spokeswoman for Gov. Bruce Rauner said.
She declined to comment on when the administration will announce its decision.
State law gave the governor until the end of August to decide. It’s time to govern.
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