* From Senate President John Cullerton’s inauguration speech yesterday as prepared for delivery…
The state needs a budget. Period.
This has become nearly as ridiculous as it is frustrating. People – real people in the real world — are fed up. And they blame all of us.
I’m prepared to do something about this, and so is Leader Radogno. We have made it clear that the Senate will offer solutions and leadership. Today, we are filing more than a dozen proposals containing the contents of our budget and reform plan. The intent is to quickly pass them in this new session.
It is my hope that the Illinois House and you, Mr. Governor, will join us.
From Cullerton’s office…
The Senate Assignments Committee assigned the components of the so-called “grand bargain” plan to the following committees. This was done to position them for public input and committee hearings later this month.
Believe me, I recognize that this is not an easy task. But it’s time for the Senate to step up and provide leadership.
We’ve done this before.
Eight years ago today, the Illinois Senate ushered in a new era when Senator Radogno and I were first elected to lead our caucuses.
Many of you may have forgotten, or perhaps were lucky enough to have never known the personal political wars that had consumed this chamber and much of state government at the time.
A governor by the name of Blagojevich presided over that 2009 inauguration ceremony. And right after we got the gavel away from him, we – the Illinois Senate– began an impeachment trial that would remove him from office.
So we’ve seen some pretty bad times. And we’ve gotten through them by working together.
That was the promise Leader Radogno and I made eight years ago. And together … we have worked. We’ve made historic changes in Illinois.
Look, I’ll be the first to complain that we – the Senate - don’t get the credit or attention we deserve.
That could be because we tend to cooperate rather than tear each other apart.
Too often, if there’s no conflict, there’s no coverage.
And as if to prove his point, there were just four reporters in the Senate press box yesterday.
Unfortunately, we find ourselves seemingly mired in a new campaign season before the old one ended. While we call for bipartisanship and compromise, political attack dogs snipe at every development.
There’s plenty of time and issues to campaign on … when it’s campaign season. How about we try governing for a bit? That’s what the people sent us here to do.
As Reid Wilson of The Hill recently found, there are a striking number of U.S. state governors who never held elected office prior to winning their state’s governorship. About a quarter of them — 13 of 50 — won their first electoral victory of any kind to become the top official in their respective states. Those 13 governors are: Rick Scott (R-FL), Bruce Rauner (R-IL), Eric Holcomb (R-IN), Matt Bevin (R-KY), Larry Hogan (R-MD), Rick Snyder (R-MI), Eric Greitens (R-MO), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Doug Burgum (R-ND), Tom Wolf (D-PA), Terry McAuliffe (D-VA), Jim Justice (D-WV), and Matt Mead (R-WY).
While many of these governors did have significant experience in and around politics and government, they, like Trump, bypassed service in lower-level elected jobs prior to winning their current offices. […]
Unlike the 2018 Senate map, where Democrats will be hard-pressed to cut into the Republicans’ 52-48 majority because they already control 25 of the 33 seats up for election next year, the 2017-2018 slate of governors provides many opportunities for Democrats. Republicans currently control 33 of 50 governorships, while Democrats hold only 16 (there’s one independent, Bill Walker of Alaska). Of the 38 governorships being contested over the next two years, Republicans already hold 27 and Democrats control 10 (Walker is also up for reelection). […]
Now, on to the nine Republican-held seats where neither side starts as a clear favorite, the majority of which will be open seats.
Five of these seats are in the Midwest, a region that swung hard to Donald Trump in 2016 with the exception of heavily Democratic Illinois, where Clinton did about a tenth of a point better than Barack Obama did in 2012. It is no surprise, then, that Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-IL) , a wealthy self-funder, is perhaps the most vulnerable incumbent in the country. […]
Republicans start the 2017-2018 gubernatorial cycle in an impressive but vulnerable position. The governorships being contested over the next two years combined with the tendency for the president’s party to lose ground in midterms suggests that the Democrats are positioned to start 2019 with more governorships than they hold right now, but nothing is guaranteed.
Unlimited money for Rauner and some initial liberal Democratic resistance to the idea of a self-funder for their own party could change things in a hurry, however.
* The Question: What other factors bode well for Rauner’s reelection?
Yeah, you may not love the guy, but please answer the question without snark. Put on your thinking caps.
“I, like all of us here, are saddened, sickened and angry with the daily news reports of shootings and murders in the city of Chicago. This must come to an end,” said Durkin, frequently pounding a lectern to accentuate his message.
“We must take the streets back from those cowardly thugs who have destroyed neighborhoods and families. And this must be done with federal, state and local collaboration. We cannot go through another summer like we have witnessed in these past few years,” he said.
Durkin pledged to work with the Democratic majority in the legislature and with Emanuel to make streets safer and to ensure the safety of children following a year that saw more than 760 gun deaths in the city.
“While we have problems with our budget, no one should feel good about what is happening. We need to do more as a legislative body. Society needs to do more as well,” Durkin said.
“So, as I said, I will work with anyone to stop this. It’s personal for so many members of this body. It’s personal for people in this crowd. It’s personal for everyone in the state of Illinois who believes that everyone has a right to grow up safe and to be able to pursue the American dream without danger,” he said.
I talked briefly to Durkin after yesterday’s inauguration and asked if he’d read up on the reported effectiveness of violence disrupters. He didn’t seem too enthused.
* Look, I’m glad that the Leader spoke out on this so forcefully. Too many Statehouse politicians have tried to dodge or ignore the issue. And this is not just a Chicago issue. When otherwise well-meaning people flee city neighborhoods because of violence they can inadvertently bring some of those problems with them. It’s the way immigration works. Some folks find greener pastures and others follow.
Even so, “taking the streets back” from “thugs” sounds a lot like “turn the cops loose.” And, indeed, in our quick conversation Durkin spoke about the low morale of the city’s police force after being second-guessed so often.
The U.S. Justice Department will conclude in a report to be released Friday that the Chicago Police Department displayed a pattern and practice of violating residents’ constitutional rights over years, a law enforcement official said Wednesday.
The official, who is familiar with the findings, spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. He declined to offer details. Based on investigative reports on other big cities, Chicago’s could run well over 100 pages.
The Chicago Police Department has been dogged by a reputation for brutality, particularly in minority communities, so a finding of at least some violations isn’t a big surprise. Chicago has one of the nation’s largest police departments with about 12,000 officers, and the report stems from an investigation launched in 2015 after the release of video showing a white officer fatally shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times. Among the questions Justice Department investigators were expected to examine was whether Chicago officers are prone to excessive force and racial bias.
(I)n an op-ed Wednesday in The (Springfield) State Journal-Register, Madigan also promoted a tax surcharge on income of more than $1 million to fund education and an increase in the state’s minimum wage.
Voters overwhelmingly approved those ideas two years ago in non-binding referendums, yet Madigan hasn’t advanced either concept in bill form since then. He admitted he put those issues on the ballot to increase Democratic turnout (he also admitted it didn’t work out too well), but where’s the legislation?
* Meanwhile, the Senate President has worked out a deal with his chamber’s Republicans that involves a minimum wage increase that’s a dollar an hour higher than Madigan’s referendum proposed. Maybe Madigan could follow his own advice and get on board with that one…
“Let me suggest that as we move forward let us work to end the acrimony and find the best in each other,” Madigan said after he was sworn in.
In accepting a 17th term in the position he has held for all but two of the past 33 years, Madigan laid out an agenda that he said would boost economic growth in the state without competing in a “race to the bottom” on issues like workers’ compensation and collective bargaining, a shot at Rauner’s policy agenda.
Cullerton is working on deals involving those issues. The collective bargaining stuff is basically just what the state has already allowed Chicago to do. And if Cullerton’s liberals (and he has lots of them) can go along with his workers’ comp reforms, then why shouldn’t Madigan also try to engage?
It was a softening in tone for Madigan, who repeatedly has called Rauner’s economic ideas “extreme” and argued they should be considered separately from budget talks.
ILGOP Releases Robocalls
Holding House Democrats Responsible for Their Madigan Vote
House Democrats have a terrible and deceptive habit of following Boss Madigan’s orders in Springfield and pocketing his campaign cash while faking “independence” to their constituents. The Illinois Republican Party is committed to making sure that voters know their representatives sold them out yesterday.
That’s why today, the ILGOP is releasing robocalls in 18 House Districts, informing constituents that their state representative backed Boss Madigan against their wishes.
Hi, this is Chris, and I’m calling to let you know that yesterday your State Representative, Brandon Phelps, chose Mike Madigan over you and the people of the district.
Phelps voted to elect Chicago Political Boss Mike Madigan for a record 17th term as Speaker of the House and extend Madigan’s reign over Illinois.
No one has done more damage to our state than Mike Madigan – but yesterday, Brandon Phelps chose to keep him in charge.
Phelps’ refusal to stand up to Boss Madigan makes clear that the only way we will ever get a new Speaker is by getting rid of legislators like Brandon Phelps in Springfield.
Laura Fine, Anna Moeller, Fred Crespo, Deb Conroy, Marty Moylan, Michelle Mussman, Elaine Nekritz, Carol Sente, Sam Yingling, Michael Halpin, Stephanie Kifowit, Sue Scherer, Natalie Manley, Dan Beiser, Jay Hoffman, Katie Stuart, Jerry Costello, Brandon Phelps
After two years, there are indications that Illinois may begin to address the issues that have led to an extended budget stalemate, credit deterioration, and Fitch Ratings placing the state of Illinois’ current ‘BBB+’ Issuer Default Rating (IDR) on Rating Watch Negative. Although the legislature did not take action during the “lame duck” session that ended with the installation of the new legislature today, the state senate has put forth a series of bills that have the potential to lead to a compromise that will resolve the impasse.
Fitch has stated that failure to enact measures that lead to ongoing budget balance would trigger a downgrade. The Senate bills reportedly include raising the state income tax and other revenue measures, debt issuance to reduce accumulated budgetary liabilities, pension reforms, aid to Chicago public schools, and non-budgetary reforms sought by the governor, including a freeze on property taxes, workers compensation reform, and some form of term limits. These proposals, if they proceed through the full legislature and are signed by the governor, have the potential to stabilize the Illinois IDR and related ratings if they lead to a structurally balanced budget and reduce accumulated budget liabilities. However, Fitch notes that previous signs of progress have not always come to fruition. Fitch will assess any legislation enacted by the state to determine if it provides permanent, comprehensive solutions to the budget stalemate and sets the state on a path toward ongoing budgetary balance.
Fitch has previously indicated that the Rating Watch would be resolved by the end of January. The expected timing of Fitch’s review is unchanged.
I really doubt this will be resolved by the end of January, but we’ll see.
* Meanwhile, from Moody’s…
While unfunded pension liabilities will continue weighing on the City of Chicago’s (Ba1 negative) credit profile, plans to significantly increase contributions with higher taxes is a favorable departure from prior funding practices. However, the liquidity crisis at Chicago Public Schools (CPS – B3 negative) is worsening amid a continued budget impasse at the state level, Moody’s Investors Service says in two new research reports released today.
While Chicago and CPS are legally separate entities with distinct credit profiles, they share the same tax base and have some overlapping governance.
In “City of Chicago: Frequently Asked Questions,” Moody’s says despite the city’s expanding economy, revenue growth, and healthy liquidity, its pension burden is likely to remain among the highest of any rated, major local government for many years.
“While Chicago’s recent tax increases will provide revenue to significantly increase pension funding, the city’s unfunded pension liabilities exceed seven times its revenue and are projected to grow for at least 15 more years,” says Matt Butler, Vice President of Moody’s.
Moody’s says there is a limit on Chicago’s ability to raise taxes on its citizens and businesses, because each increase tempers the appetite for further tax hikes that could be needed. Within the last two years, there has been numerous tax increases by overlapping governments, including Chicago, CPS and Cook County, IL (A2 stable), with new revenue slated for funding pensions instead of government services.
In a separate report, “Chicago Public Schools: Frequently Asked Questions,” Moody’s states CPS’ fiscal pressures are intensifying due to depletion of reserves following years of imbalanced operations, unrealistic budget assumptions, and escalating pension costs.
“CPS’ deteriorating credit profile reflects years of budget imbalance which have completely drained operating reserves, leaving the district with minimal protection against further budget pressures,” said Naomi Richman, Managing Director of Moody’s.
Coinciding with the sharp drop in fund balance, CPS’ liquidity has fallen considerably and the district has turned to issuing short-term tax anticipation notes to support its operations. Its recent $730 million offering is strictly for capital improvements and cannot be used for operating expenses.
CPS has also assumed material growth in state aid that for the last two years has not materialized, worsening its budget imbalance. Rising pension costs have also exacerbated CPS’ finances and these costs will continue to grow annually.
Moody’s says CPS could consider more difficult options to address its finances should the State of Illinois (Baa2 negative) be unable or unwilling to provide additional relief: levy for debt service on GO alternate revenue bonds, stop making employer pension contributions, or seek state authorization to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
As CPS’ credit deteriorates, it could have an impact on the city’s credit profile. CPS is integral to Chicago’s economy and tax base, and CPS’ budget pressures could impair the city’s ability to raise revenue.
Should CPS levy for debt service, the subsequent property tax increase for Chicago residents and businesses could weaken the city’s political and practical ability to increase tax revenues in the future.
Rauner, who presided over the Senate inauguration, wasn’t scheduled to make any remarks, but he offered some nonetheless.
“As my grandfather used to tell me every time I’d come to get advice, he’d say ‘Bruce, reasonable people can reasonably disagree.’ There are different ways to solve problems, different ideas, different solutions,” the governor said. “We all need to battle for what we firmly believe is right, but I hope the Good Lord grants us the wisdom to find common ground … to listen and respect to (sic) the other ideas, to come to the solution for a better future.”
That’s pretty much what I’ve been saying for the past two years in response to the governor’s relentless Turnaround Agenda push. Remember “Find another way”?
I’m glad to hear him finally mouth the words, but let’s hope he’s not just faking it for the cameras.
Rauner complimented all senators for their service. He was in his drop-the-g’s mode, as he said he believes what TEDDY ROOSEVELT believed, that it is “necessary and important to be in the arena, covered in blood, covered in mud, covered in sweat, gettin’ hit and attacked and sufferin,’ but in there workin,’ in there battlin’. … You’re in there takin’ the arrows. And I know how hard it is. … Thank you for your service.”
A group of people including one dressed in a giant fake head resembling that of House Speaker Mike Madigan didn’t get what they wanted.
The current leadership in the General Assembly including Madigan, John Cullerton, Christine Radogno, and Jim Durkin is staying as is. Much to the chagrin of the Illinois Policy Institute, which organized a protest outside the House inauguration ceremony at UIS. […]
The protest came complete with a man dressed in a Mike Madigan oversized cartoon head — same one the Institute — which has received money from Governor Rauner — rolled out prior to the election when they produced a documentary largely critical of Madigan.
Outside of the Sangamon Auditorium Wednesday, where newly elected House members were sworn in to start the 100th General Assembly, the conservative Illinois Policy Institute staged an anti-Madigan demonstration. However, they appeared to be both outnumbered and outshouted by union demonstrators chanting “We like Mike” and other pro-Madigan slogans.
According to WTTW, there were hundreds of pro-Madigan demonstrators, mainly from the Laborers Union, but also from other unions. A pic is here.
* The other day, I wondered aloud when the governor would start pushing for substantive education reforms - an issue that got him involved in politics to begin with. Could this be the start of it?…
Former state Rep. Ron Sandack — who abruptly resigned last year amid an extortion scam involving “inappropriate online conversations” — is Springfield’s newest lobbyist.
Sandack, who was lured into a scheme that ended in him feeling compelled to send money to a woman he met online, was listed as registering as a lobbyist on Tuesday, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s lobbyist database. He is registered with the firm Gaido & Fintzen, LLC. Sandack intends to lobby the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office, according to records. The firm, where Sandack is a partner, had previously not done lobbying in Springfield.
After going dark on social media for several months, Sandack reappeared in November. Sandack on Wednesday in a Facebook post congratulated the members of the 100th Illinois General Assembly.
“After the celebrating is over, I hope all can finally work together to truly address Illinois’ dire financial challenges; our great State deserves no less. Cheers … now get to work,” Sandack wrote.
Up until a few years ago, Sandack was pretty highly respected in the House. But he made a ton of enemies with sharp and often personal attacks on the floor when he became the governor’s de facto floor leader. Not a lot of tears were shed when he abruptly departed.
Unsurprisingly, his lobbyist registration form shows he doesn’t yet have any actual Statehouse clients. If he does somehow succeed at this new endeavor, it’ll be one of the greatest comebacks in Springfield history.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Criminal Justice Reform Commission delivered its final report Tuesday that aims to reduce Illinois’ prison population and improve public safety.
The report includes 13 new recommendations to expand on what the commission gave to the governor last year, with 27 proposed changes total.
“The commission identified a number of avenues to transform Illinois’ criminal justice system to safely reduce the prison population,” Rodger Heaton, the commission’s chairman and state’s public safety director, said in a written statement. “These recommendations if implemented fully and executed effectively will achieve the governor’s goal of reducing the prison population by 25 percent in 10 years.” […]
Some of the new recommendations include increasing rehabilitative and treatment services in high-need communities; collecting data on race and ethnicity at every point of the criminal justice system for analysis; training on racial and ethnic bias for employees working in the criminal justice system; and readjusting sentence recommendations to focus on rehabilitation while still holding people accountable for their crimes.
The full report is here. Go check it out and tell us what you think.
* The plan is to run a constitutional amendment soon, but in the meantime the Senate decided to change its rules right away…
The Illinois Senate approved new rules today placing term limits on the leadership positions of the chamber. State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) issued the following statement:
“New ideas and a fresh perspective are always beneficial to our democracy. By instituting this rule, we can guarantee that the Illinois Senate will always be led by someone with a positive vision for our state. I applaud Senate President Cullerton for his leadership in making sure this rule could become a reality.”
The new rule change would limit both the President of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the Senate to five two-year terms.
Yes, this is a mainly symbolic gesture because the Senate can change its rules whenever it wants.
But every public move like this cranks up the pressure one more notch on Speaker Madigan.
Katie Stuart Betrays Voters, Backs Madigan for Speaker
House Democrats Re-Elect Boss Madigan
“Katie Stuart today chose to put the political machine ahead of the people. She voted to elect Mike Madigan to a record 17th term as Speaker, extending Madigan’s decades of power for another two years. Stuart’s refusal to stand up to Boss Madigan makes clear that the only way to get a new Speaker in Illinois is by getting rid of legislators like Katie Stuart in Springfield.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
Today, House Democrats ignored the will of the people by re-electing Boss Madigan as Speaker of the House.
The Illinois Republican Party will continue to hold accountable the legislators who protect the status quo and empower the Madigan political machine.
I really do wonder what would happen if you polled the populace and ask voters whether they favored Madigan or a Republican House Speaker.
* If you’ve been following our live coverage post, you know that Rep. Scott Drury (D-Highwood) voted “Present” during the roll call for House Speaker. He was the only House member to take that position. Speaker Madigan was re-elected 66-51.
* The Question: What action, if any, should the House Democrats take on Rep. Drury? Please make sure to explain your vote.
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Drury…
Earlier today, State Representative Scott Drury (D-Highwood) did not vote for Michael J. Madigan in the election for Speaker of the House, voting “Present” instead. Set forth below is Representative Drury’s statement regarding the vote:
As a high school student, one of my favorite poems was Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” The poem tells the story of a traveler who finds himself at a point where two roads diverge. Forced to choose, the traveler chose the one less traveled, and “it made all the difference.”
Today, I found myself at a similar divergence and chose in accordance with Frost’s traveler. I did not vote for Michael J. Madigan in the election for Speaker of the House. To my knowledge, no one has taken this action in approximately 30 years. Whether it will make “all the difference” remains to be seen.
I am confident that my vote represents the view of the vast majority of my constituents. In that respect, the decision was easy. Unfortunately, I have learned that what is popular with constituents does not always align with what is popular in Springfield. In the end, I chose the public over politicians.
While my choice was binary – vote for Mr. Madigan or don’t – the vote was not about him. Illinois is in a free-fall into the abyss. My action today should give hope to the hopeless that a new day is on the horizon.
In the weeks leading up to this vote, I seriously explored the possibility of running for Speaker of the House. To my knowledge, no Democrat has ever taken this initial step in the Madigan era. It became clear that for myriad reasons a majority of the General Assembly is not ready for a new Speaker.
Finally, I have been asked if I fear repercussions. With history as a guide, the answer is yes.
Frost’s traveler said the road less traveled “made all the difference.” He was silent on whether taking it was easy. I will let you know.
* We talked again last week about the exodus of Statehouse reporters, which is now up to seven over the past couple of months. I received a few e-mails on this topic from a current and a former reporter that I thought I’d share with you.
This is from a current Statehouse reporter, with a slight edit to disguise the person’s identity…
I think the seven departures from the press room are an unfortunate coincidence. Nobody has said, I can’t take it anymore, I have had it with this administration. The only person who quit the press room that I know of for that reason - the administration was Blagojevich’s.
The ones who will be missed in that group, Jamey, Riopell, and Amanda, are advancing themselves / making more money.
Seth was doing something nobody else was, photography. Not exactly apples to apples imo tho Seth is a great guy.
Ivan was only here a year and, more importantly, apparently won’t be replaced.
Kelsey and Ed are advancing themselves and presumably making more money. Good luck to them. The Kelsey departure would make two folks leaving WCIA, as they have yet to hire someone (as far as I know) to succeed Matt Porter. I say “succeed” because you simply cannot replace Matt Porter!
Amanda’s departure is the end of the world because Amanda.
The more troubling part to me is when organizations decide to quit staffing the press room after people leave.
That last sentence and the fact that Ivan Moreno at the AP may not be replaced are the most important parts as you’ll see in this next e-mail from a former reporter…
There’s always been constant turnover. The difference is corporate media downsizing and the decision to leave positions vacant when that turnover occurs.
Yep.
* That former reporter continued in a follow-up e-mail, which has also been slightly edited…
Consider this …
Don Thompson went from the Pantagraph, to the Daily Herald to AP Sacramento.
When Don left the Pantagraph it opened the door for Kurt Erickson to come to the press corps. [Erickson has since left for a job in Missouri.]
Don leaving the Daily Herald opened the door for John Patterson to move from the Lee Bureau to the Daily Herald.
Those doors have been closed, locked and boarded over.
There is no Pantagraph standalone bureau.
And now it appears there is no Daily Herald bureau.
Despite the fact that the Daily Herald bought a ton of newspapers in southern Illinois, it appears it won’t keep its Statehouse bureau open. And while Lee Newspapers still has a presence, the papers it serves have far fewer reporters. The Post-Dispatch, another Lee paper, also lost its bureau chief a while back.
So, fewer reporters at Lee, the AP and possibly at Illinois Public Radio, while the Daily Herald has gone to zero. We’ll see what happens at WICS and WCIA. The Illinois Radio Network was bought by the Illinois Policy Institute, and it can’t get accredited to cover the House and Senate. The Tribune used to have two full-time folks in Springfield, now it has one. The Sun-Times has a Statehouse reporter, and while she does a very good job, she lives in Chicago.
* I pulled up the 1991-92 Blue Book and checked the section for the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association. We had 47 members back then. It’s a tiny fraction of that today. Times change, and not always for the better.
I was in South Dakota a few years ago and visited the state capitol building. The press room is in the basement, so I went down there to check it out, but it was empty and locked. I was told that reporters were only dispatched to the capitol for session days and important events. We’re not there yet, but that kinda spooked me.
* And yet some folks on Speaker Madigan’s staff still scoff at those who run ads on social media and other online platforms…
According to Matthew Ball, chief of research at Amazon Studio, Americans under the age of 30 now watch almost 50 percent fewer hours of traditional TV than they did in 2000.
Campaigns have to go where the people are. That means knocking on their doors, calling them on their (mobile) phones and advertising on TV. But the internet is now doing to TV what it already did to newspapers and radio…
More subtly, it’s simply easier than ever to watch football now without technically “watching football”—by finding highlights on Twitter and on sports websites. Why spend four hours on the couch when you can get on with your life and catch the most alluring moments in 60 seconds in line at Starbucks?
And it’s not just football. People love to look at the hottest clips instead of watching entire programs. If you’re not online, you’re invisible.
RedEye, the Chicago commuter daily that got its start in 2002, will eliminate print publication on all weekdays except Thursday, doubling up pages that day with entertainment and weekend coverage.
The paper told its readers in a note that it’s making the change to adapt to the “different needs” of Chicagoans who today are equipped with smartphones and social media feeds. RedEye, which is owned by Chicago-based Tronc (formerly known as Tribune Publishing), will publish its last weekday issue on Feb. 3, and the new 40-page weekly will appear Feb. 9, Tronc spokeswoman Dana Meyer said in an email. […]
Meyer declined to say how many employees currently work for RedEye or how many jobs will be eliminated as part of the restructuring. The tabloid’s staff has been shrinking in recent years, along with its circulation, as the newspaper industry contracts in the face of reader and advertiser migration to digital alternatives.
39 states require public employees to take a “cooling off” period after leaving the state before engaging in lobbying activities. Of those, 35 have policies that also place these restrictions on state legislators. These policies serve to prevent special interests from using any increased influence a recently departed employee may have on former colleagues.
In Illinois, there is a one-year “cooling off” period for state employees, as established by an Executive Order signed by Governor Rauner in January of 2015. However, Illinois is one of just four states whose “cooling off” restrictions for lobbying do not apply to members of the General Assembly. ICPR’S research team found that only three other states with a “Revolving Door” lobbying policy do not include legislators: New Mexico, Texas, and Wisconsin.
The length of the “cooling off” period also varies from state to state. Illinois’ one-year waiting period is standard, with 24 states requiring a year break before lobbying. Nine states require a two year period, and two states, Missouri and North Carolina, require only 6 months.
There are 11 states with no “Revolving Door” lobbying policy in place: Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming.
There are two types of laws that are often referred to as “Revolving Door” policies. First, some states ban former state employees and elected officials from working for any company with a state contract that the employee oversaw or helped create. Illinois law includes this type of restriction for state employees. In this study, we focused only on the second type of “Revolving Door” policy, which restricts former public employees and elected officials from lobbying the state for a certain period after their departure.
Governor Bruce Rauner today released the following statement on Democratic leaders embracing economic changes:
“After two years, both Democratic leaders finally agree that we must have a balanced budget with economic changes to increase our competitiveness to grow jobs. That’s an important positive step. Now let’s come together on a bipartisan basis to ensure all proposals truly take the state in a better direction.”
That’s a very good and measured response. The governor focused exclusively on the fact that Madigan has finally appeared to say he’s willing to do some economic reforms along with a real budget.
Madigan’s stopgap budget proposal the House passed this week is likely going nowhere in the Senate, which has its own grand plan. Madigan could pass his property tax freeze plan again and send that across the building along with a stopgap to try and force Rauner’s hand. But it’s highly doubtful that Senate President Cullerton and Senate GOP Leader Radogno would expose Chicago and other municipalities and school districts to a permanent property tax freeze just to get an inadequate 6-month budget. They have their own plan, and they’re sticking to it. Madigan is boxed for now. It’ll be interesting to see what comes next.
* Possible gubernatorial candidate JB Pritzker, at right, shaking hands with President Obama after the President’s farewell speech in Chicago last night. The photo was taken of a TV screen, so it isn’t that great…
* You probably saw something about this yesterday…
Donald Trump asked Robert Kennedy Jr., a proponent of a widely discredited theory that vaccines cause autism, to chair a new commission on vaccine safety and scientific integrity, according to Kennedy.
The stunning move would contradict established science, medicine and the government’s position on the issue. It comes after Trump - who has long been critical of vaccines - met at Trump Tower with Kennedy, who has spearheaded efforts to roll back child vaccination laws.
Trump transition officials did not respond to requests for comment on the commission.
Speaking to reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, on Tuesday, Kennedy said that Trump called him to request the meeting, and he accepted the position on the new commission. It is unclear exactly what role the commission would play.
Team Trump later put out a release calling it an “autism commission,” not a vaccine commission, and claiming that no final decisions have been made at this time.
* Anyway, I told you this story because Robert Kennedy Jr.’s brother Chris is talking about running for governor. So, I wondered whether the two shared Robert’s view on vaccines and autism.
Chris comes from a big family, I was told, and members of that family hold different views on various issues. And on this issue, I was informed, Chris Kennedy does not agree with his brother.
* The US Attorney’s office wants a heads up before indicted former Congressman Aaron Schock spends any money from his campaign account…
In a motion filed Monday, federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough to weigh in on the matter at an upcoming hearing, saying they needed to ensure “there is no further potential economic harm to an alleged victim.”
Schock, 35, of Peoria, is accused of wire fraud, mail fraud, making false statements, filing a false tax return, theft of government funds and falsification of Federal Election Commission filings. In all, it’s alleged that he stole more than $100,000 from the government and his campaign committees. At his arraignment last month, his attorneys told Myerscough there was about $400,000 left in those bank accounts.
Prosecutors say they aren’t opposed to allowing him to use that to pay for his legal bills but want Schock to give them advance notice of where the money is going and how much he is using. Schock’s attorneys say that’s inappropriate. As such, the government asked in its motion for the judge to weigh in.
But on the eve of the vote, as lawmakers closed out a two-day, lame-duck session and some hurried back to Chicago for President Barack Obama’s farewell address, even the lone Democrat who had once publicly suggested finding an alternative to Madigan had backed away from the idea.
“I think everybody who’s voting … has to be aware of the fact that there could be severe consequences if you don’t fall in line, and that’s just a fact of the way in which the General Assembly seems to be run,” said Rep. Scott Drury, a Highwood Democrat who said last month that he was “studying” options for challenging Madigan’s speakership candidacy.
By Tuesday, Drury said he was still considering voting for a candidate other than Madigan should one emerge, but he acknowledged that there was no coordinated effort to put forward an alternative.
Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat and top Madigan deputy, dismissed the notion of a coup.
“We decide as a caucus who our candidate for speaker is going to be, behind closed doors,” Lang said. “And once we decide who our candidate for speaker is, the members of the caucus support the caucus decision.”
That’s true. Democrats are locked in. If Drury votes for someone else despite the caucus vote by acclamation, there will likely be ramifications.
Chances are Mike Halpin will today support Mike Madigan. In so doing, he will delegitimize any previous claim of autonomy.
Make no mistake, even ceremonial opposition to Madigan could damage Halpin’s constituents. Suddenly, the 72nd District finds itself written out of budget lines. Suddenly, Halpin has no power within his caucus. Suddenly, Halpin is isolated and feckless.
But, at the very least, a protest vote for any Democrat willing to challenge Madigan would prove that Halpin meant what he said. Even a simple abstention, should no challenger rise, would send a powerful message.
Madigan won’t release his grip on Illinois voluntarily. Only a rank-and-file rebellion will do.
* According to Speaker Madigan’s spokesman, this op-ed “will be an element of the remarks the Speaker plans to deliver at the start of the 100th General Assembly later today in Springfield.” One of Madigan’s featured proposal here is a retread from 2014, when he also proposed cutting the corporate tax rate in half. And the House already voted yesterday to extend the EDGE tax credit for a few months. The stuff about not giving any special incentives to companies that export jobs to other countries may be new.
Anyway, here’s the Speaker…
The last two years have been extremely difficult for our state. But with the inauguration of a new General Assembly today, we have an opportunity for a new way forward. Regardless of how any of us feel about the proposals laid out by Gov. Bruce Rauner, the elected leaders of our state must face Illinois’ challenges together. Rather than placing blame and looking to find the worst in each other, we should focus on working together and finding common ground to address the issues facing our state.
In that spirit, I think we can all agree that legislators and the governor must take immediate action to address the state’s budget crisis. There are people across Illinois whose lives are forever altered in a negative way because of our lack of a budget. If we have a repeat of the last two years, there will be more people forever harmed across our state. We can all agree that can’t happen.
House Democrats agree with the governor that Illinois can and should improve our business climate. Improving our business climate will create new opportunities for families across Illinois and will provide a better standard of living for many of our state’s residents.
But House Democrats don’t agree that the only way to create jobs is to hurt the people who work in those jobs each day. I would like to suggest a better approach for improving our business climate than those who insist the only way to compete in a global economy is to join in a race to the bottom by cutting wages, and stripping away protections for workers in an effort to increase profits for businesses.
Crain’s Chicago Business columnist Joe Cahill recently studied Donald Trump and Mike Pence’s efforts to prevent the Carrier Corp. from outsourcing jobs from Indiana to Mexico. By committing $7 million in taxpayer incentives, they were able to keep one-third of the jobs in Indiana, but two-thirds of those jobs are still going to Mexico. No state in this country will ever offer lower labor costs than Mexico, which is why Mr. Cahill concluded that our economic development strategy cannot focus solely on costs, but must offer businesses the opportunity for growth.
The attributes that drive economic growth can be found right here in Illinois: We have first-class universities and nationally recognized research labs. We have a highly educated workforce. We have a world-class transportation infrastructure. We are home to innovative projects like Chicago’s digital manufacturing initiative.
To this end, House Democrats will introduce and pursue an agenda that contains aggressive economic reforms to leverage these attributes, create jobs and improve the business climate, without hurting hard-working middle-class families.
If we must use a cost approach to helping businesses in Illinois, we could start by cutting the corporate income tax by at least 50 percent. This would allow businesses to spend more of their resources on creating jobs and improving our economy. However, many of the largest corporations in Illinois pay no income tax, putting the real economic drivers - small and medium-sized employers who do pay - at a tremendous disadvantage. If we cut the income tax rate by half, we should also level the playing field for those small and medium-sized businesses by creating a new corporate tax structure that eases the burden on most employers while ensuring that all businesses pay something.
We can also put Illinois jobs first by reinstating the EDGE tax credit for businesses that create new jobs. While we invest in businesses that invest in Illinois, we should also take the step of outlawing any future tax incentives for corporations that ship American jobs out of our country. I think it only makes sense that we should be investing tax dollars in companies that invest in Illinois.
Positioning Illinois as a place for growth also means investing in a strong middle class. This is why the House Democrats’ agenda for economic growth will include an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit, to help working families keep more of what they earn. And our agenda will include an increased minimum wage.
We will invest in education at all levels. We will work to make our tax code fairer and our schools stronger by requiring the wealthiest in our state to pay a small surcharge only on income over $1 million, with 100 percent of the new revenue going to fund our schools. A well-educated workforce will benefit our businesses in the long term.
We choose this pathway to create jobs, grow our economy and improve the business climate, rather than joining in a race to the bottom and lowering our standard of living by gutting protections for workers hurt on the job through no fault of their own, restricting collective bargaining rights and cutting middle-class wages.
We all see the challenges facing our state. We must address the budget crisis, and we must grow our economy. We can create growth without dismantling the middle class. The oaths taken today by new members of the General Assembly make these challenges ours together. I hope we can work together to address them.
