* Tina Sfondeles…
Gov. Bruce Rauner plans to sign an executive order on Friday to consolidate the Human Rights Commission into the state’s Department of Human Rights — a move his administration says will help to expedite discrimination complaints.
Rauner’s administration says there are more than 1,000 cases pending at the Human Rights Commission, which adjudicates complaints of civil rights violations based on protected classes in employment, real estate transactions, financial credit, public accommodations and education.
The average time after filing a charge of discrimination is more than four years, the administration says. And the backlog is being blamed on “inefficient communication and sharing resources” between the two entities.
“I think this will be better for people who have been discriminated against, and also better for employers so their liabilities aren’t growing,” said Jay Shattuck, executive director of the Employment Law Council. The council represents Illinois businesses on employment law topics. […]
While the two are meant to act as checks and balances to one another, the administration says the consolidation will not compromise the commission’s independent review of the cases.
Jay is a very pro-business type.
* JB Pritzker weighed in…
Hmm. Maybe now that he’s weighing in on state policy, he can answer my question about legalizing pot.
* Anyway, the ILGOP quickly fired back with some oppo…
A political party claiming that money buys appointments. OK.
* Either way, Pritzker was appointed to the commission in 2003. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections’ website, Pritzker gave RRB $10K in 2002. The rest of his contributions came in 2005 and 2006. He left the commission in July of 2006.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:32 am:
===Says the person who bought that appointment w $120k to Blago. Rauner’s plan is modeled after other states, improves the process===
Says the party owned by the guy that lives in Winnetka but got his daughter into a CPS school how exactly?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:36 am:
Dear Raunerites…
The Rauners, after their denied Winnetka-living daughte was clouted over a more worthy student, Diana and Bruce donated $250K…
Hmm.
- Anon - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:38 am:
Seriously, if he was a Blagojevich money guy and all he wanted was to chair the human rights commission, I think that says volumes about who JB is. So many pigs asked for more than they deserved, or things that they were unqualified for. JB supported blago because he was a democrat and would fight for the right things. JB heading the human rights commission was his way to ensure that Illinois was a place where intolerance would not be tolerated. I hope people think about this hit when the republicans dredge it up, and I hope JB is prepared to answer it and put these people back on their heels.
- Cook County Commoner - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:49 am:
A four year backlog, if accurate, indicates many cases of justice denied and agency inefficiency, probably exacerbated by the state’s long standing fiscal mismanagement.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:51 am:
Would purposely going into wrong bathroom to prove a political point be a civil rights violation?
- wordslinger - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:53 am:
Yeah, that pay-to-play to get on the Human Rights Commission was a real score for one of the richest men in the country. Just think of the paydays.
Honest simple folk just drop millions on incumbents from both parties while they’re hustling government business.
- red rider - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:54 am:
its always what other states do. as my first grade teacher said–if Bruce jumps off a bridge are you also jumping?
- MQ - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:59 am:
I would interested in hearing an explanation of how the administration plans on doing this via executive order. Both agencies were created by statute so…
- hot chocolate - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
I’m JB Pritzker and I am a firm believer in duplicative government services. I’m JB Pritzker and I am a firm believer in duplicative government services.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:18 pm:
Yah, if JB only gives money so he can get something in return, what was with all that dough he dropped on Diana’s organization?
- Fax Machine - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
Speaking of Consolidation, will the coterminous township elimination bill tgat passed the House yesterday (HB 496) pass the Senate?
- Rocky Rosi - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:28 pm:
===Says the person who bought that appointment w $120k to Blago. Rauner’s plan is modeled after other states, improves the process===
Looks like the bully as someone with money and muscle to fight back! They need a budget and not tweets.
- Keyser Soze - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:28 pm:
Rauner’s explanation makes perfect sense. Credit where it is due.
- Hit Em With the Hein - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:56 pm:
Come on JB, get into the race. We need a rich guy who never drops anything (g’s, mics, forks)!
- Fixer - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:58 pm:
If that’s their logic, then it follows that Munger must having a cushy landing spot for her and her staffers must have been a quid pro quo for her activities as Comptroller.
- Politically Incorrect - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 1:17 pm:
There is a serious question. Why not abolsh both and let people go straight to court? Right now a claimant has to go thru a 1- year investigation process that does almost nothing except delay the right to sue. The Commission backlog according to the Governor’s own CMS task force is 6+ years. Save money and get rid of these unnecessary agencies.
- A Jack - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 2:44 pm:
I am fairly certain that the GA can block this if they choose to do so. It’s been awhile since I looked into those statutes.
- Sue - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 4:13 pm:
Lengthy delays have been a problem for years at the IHRC as have the totally incompetent staff and ALJ’s. Anything to improve that place shouldn’t be discarded. Just maybe Rauner knows how bad that Sgency is and has been for decades