Illinois state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, wants Illinoisans to pay higher gas taxes to fund public construction across the state.
Brady didn’t specify exactly how much in new taxes he wants. But he thinks “that [a gas tax increase] may absolutely be where we can come together. Whether that’s a five percent increase, I don’t know. That’s going to be the ultimate debate.”
* There were two issues with the story. One of them was fixed…
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified state Rep. Dan Brady as Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady.
Best Team… nevermind.
* But the piece has also set off former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady, a close ally of Gov. Bruce Rauner…
Idiots at Illinois Policy institute publish factually wrong piece on cuz Rep Brady #johnmichaeltilman
* The piece in question was based on a story by the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
An Illinois Republican lawmaker says the question isn’t whether the state should increase its gas tax to raise new revenue for roads and other capital projects. It’s a matter of how high it should be raised.
State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said there’s been plenty of talk at the State Capitol about raising the state’s gas tax. Now, those talks are narrowing in on how high the state will raise the tax.
“I don’t know how high we’re going to go,” Brady said. “But certainly the governor and others want a capital bill. We want a capital bill. Our infrastructure is crying for a capital bill in the state of Illinois.”
Brady isn’t sure when lawmakers may sit down and formalize the plan to raise gas taxes in order to build new roads. But those talks may not be too far off.
“I think that [a gas tax increase] may absolutely be where we can come together,” Brady said. “Whether that’s a five percent increase, I don’t know. That’s going to be the ultimate debate.”
So, I suppose you could say that Rep. Brady doesn’t really want a tax hike, he just thinks one is inevitable and do-able (and I wouldn’t be so sure of that, either).
* The word’s been going around all day that Sen. James Clayborne (D-Belleville) would announce his retirement today. He just now called me back to confirm. He was up for reelection next year.
“I’ve been doing this for 22 and a half years,” Clayborne said when I asked him why he was leaving at the end of this term. Plus, he said, the next term would be for four years. “I never planned on being here 28 years.”
He said it was simply time to “step aside and allow someone to come in.”
“I’ve made a lot of progress and benefited my district and it’s time to move on to the next chapter in my life,” he said.
Asked whether he had a replacement in mind, Clayborne denied it, saying he’s “working to help the party find someone.” But I’m told he may indeed have a preferred candidate.
“I want to thank my constituents over the years for allowing me to serve them in Springfield. In collaboration with my constituents we have worked together to improve the quality of life in the 57th Senatorial District by increasing education funding, building new schools and improving access to technology in the classroom.
“Additionally, we have worked together to provide greater resources through grants to our local police and fire departments to improve public safety. Our hard work has led to an improved transportation system and increased economic opportunities for all.
“I have decided that I will not be seeking re-election next year. I am going to focus on my family and my life out of public service. I look forward to this new chapter in my life and would once again like to thank the people of the 57th District for allowing me to be their voice in Springfield.”
Clayborne has represented the 57th Legislative District since 1995. The district is located primarily in St. Clair County, while also containing parts of Madison County.
Clayborne has also served as the Senate Majority Leader, the second highest ranking member of the Senate, since 2009.
The candidate filing deadline for Cook County Board seats is still about two months off, but the beverage industry has sent a signal to those who support the controversial soda tax.
Soda makers, bottlers and distributors earlier this month contributed a total of $111,000 to the Citizens for a More Affordable Cook County Political Action Committee, which has pledged to back commissioners who support repealing the tax.
Coca-Cola North America in Atlanta, Great Lakes Coca-Cola in Rosemont, Pepsico Inc. in Purchase, N.Y., and the Dr Pepper-Snapple Group PAC based in Plano, Texas, each contributed $22,200 to the fund. That’s the maximum amount state law allows each of them to give
* Chicago cable TV buys for this week, via Comcast…
Bloomberg’s ad buy is just for Friday through Tuesday.
And keep in mind that’s only his cable buy. Network is larger.
* The advantage the pop companies have is the public is on their side. They just don’t need as much money as the pop tax proponents. The companies can also give directly to individual candidates. And once Bloomberg starts spending money on political races, he’ll likely… um… pop those campaign caps.
* From a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections from Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin’s campaign treasurer…
I am writing to make the State Board of Elections aware of an issue with the Friends of Richard Boykin campaign required A-1 reports. On Monday, September 18th I, the campaign treasurer, became aware that A-1’s I had filed (using NGP software) in August and early September were not showing up on the State Board of Elections website. After speaking with Tom (no last name was provided) he encouraged me to file the missing August and September A-1’s. I did so on that day. I immediately began to investigate how this happened and have discovered that the problem was much larger than ever imagined.
* So, what happened? It seems to be a problem using NGP, which is used by Democrats…
Attached to this correspondence is each A-1 I filed with NPG that were never properly transmitted to the Board of Elections. Included on each A-1 is the signature date as well as the date and time stamp which was provided in my history log of all completed filing on NPG. You will see that each A-1 was indeed reported within the required time frame
What I believe has transpired and resulted in the confusion is the following. NPG has a 3 step process for filing quarterly reports and A-is. The first step is to create the form/report. Step 2 is to review the form and approve it for filing. This step requires the user to input a password. Step 3 allows the user to check a box that reads “mark as filed”. Once the report is “marked as filed” it then is added to the “history” log under a compliance tab. I completed all of these steps; however, NPG explains that “sometimes” if the user hits the “mark as filed” too quickly after completing step 2 the transmission to the board is interrupted. However the NPG software still allows the user to check the “mark as filed” box and allows the file to become part of the “history” log.
I spent an hour on the phone with Monique, our auditor from the State Board of Elections, today. She was fantastic! I explained to her concern with the fines as it appears the campaign has made several violations; however, I assure you that at the time of completing these A-1’s I 100% believed I had followed the proper procedure and that the reports were filed.
I called NGP and left a voicemail with its communications person. I also DM’d him on Twitter a while ago. No response yet.
* Political tech wiz Scott Kennedy tweeted about this today…
I didn’t know this until I started calling around to people about their own problems using that software (”It’s always been a pain in the a** for our people,” said one), but our old pal Dan Johnson has started a competing business to NGP called Campaign Filer. According to the website, you can file Illinois campaign finance reports for free. But he only takes Democratic clients.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Lou Levine general manager of Fundraising & Compliance…
“This was a simple case of user error. We’ve been happy to work with the client to resolve any issues they have.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Another letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections from the campaign treasurer, who I spoke with earlier and who was kind of aghast at being pulled into this controversy and not meaning to suggest that it was all the company’s fault…
September 21, 2017
State Board of Elections 2329 S. MacArthur Blvd Springfield, IL 62704
Re: Clarification
To Whom It May Concern:
On September 20, 2017, I submitted a letter of correspondence regarding errors in filing A l s. As a follow up to that letter, especially in light of the fact that is public information, I would like to clarify that my sole purpose in mentioning the specific name of the software we are using, NGP, was to explain what process I used to file the reports and how I fully believed they were filed in accordance with all rules. I intended my letter to show our commitment to following all election and contribution rules. Further, as of today, I used the system without error to file another A-1.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Bruce Rauner is digging himself a deeper hole with his latest non-response to Republicans’ disastrous healthcare plan. After twice failing to join other Republican governors in a public letter opposing Trumpcare, Rauner claimed he had “expressed” his “concerns to members of Congress and members of the administration” — but he’s refusing to even say who he has contacted.
American Bridge Spokesperson Lizzy Price made the following statement:
“Yet again, Bruce Rauner has shown he’s not up to the task of standing up to Trump. Rauner’s response is too little, too late, and driven purely by his personal interests after coming under mounting political pressure. Voters will see through this.”
* DGA…
As the U.S. Senate moves closer to a vote on the Graham-Cassidy health care overhaul, Rauner continues to take a back seat on the issue, putting political considerations ahead of Illinois families. This morning’s Sun-Times Editorial enumerated the consequences for Illinois, like the $153 billion the state will lose out on over 16 years. The Sun-Times also wrote: “Dismayingly, Gov. Bruce Rauner was not among a bipartisan group of 10 governors who sent a letter asking Congress to back away from the bill.”
A full review shows Governor Rauner is even more of an outlier than that. As of this morning, eight Republican governors have come out against Graham-Cassidy:
Except for Governor Kasich, all the governors listed are executives of “Clinton-won” states. The only governors missing of that category are Governor Paul LePage, a close Trump ally who supports the overhaul, and Governor Bruce Rauner.
He truly is one of a kind.
“Bruce Rauner’s abdication of leadership is truly unique,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Governors all across the country are actively fighting the latest and worst attempt by President Donald Trump to destroy health care, that is except for Bruce Rauner. Time and time again he has failed to show leadership on issues that might hurt his reelection campaign. Bruce Rauner is lucky that cowardice doesn’t count as a pre-existing condition. But Illinois families with pre-existing conditions could face skyrocketing premiums under the Cassidy-Graham bill.”
* Yesterday from the Pritzker campaign…
Yesterday, as a bipartisan group of governors condemned the latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Bruce Rauner offered nothing but a half-hearted critique of the callous Graham-Cassidy bill.
The failed governor’s refusal to stand up for the Illinoisans who will be harmed by the law comes on the heels of reports laying out the law’s devastating effects. The latest estimate shows Illinois losing $18 billion in federal funding by 2027, with even steeper cuts projected afterwards. The report also warns of protections for pre-existing conditions being scrapped, devastating Illinoisans currently protected under the ACA.
“If Bruce Rauner was ever going to grow a spine and stand up for Illinoisans then now is the time to do it,” said Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “This is a moment when bipartisan governors across the country are standing up to Donald Trump and speaking out against this devastating healthcare bill, but Rauner is asleep at the wheel.”
* But it’s not just partisan Democrats. From the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless…
Millions would lose health insurance coverage under Graham-Cassidy, a bill many are calling the most harmful repeal measure yet. Homeless and low-income adults would immediately lose coverage in Medicaid expansion states, including Illinois. It would eliminate insurance subsidies paid to moderate-income workers who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. Over time, families and children could also lose coverage. Illinois is projected to lose $8 billion in federal Medicaid funding by 2026, $153 billion by 2036.
Graham-Cassidy also would hurt those of us who are insured, allowing insurance companies to charge a person more based on medical history. Leading patient advocates, the AARP, hospitals, and medical groups have strongly criticized the bill.
Twelve governors, including five Republican governors, have spoken out against Graham-Cassidy in recent days — but Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has failed to publicly oppose the bill, as he did during his previous repeal efforts. Please call Gov. Rauner at (312) 814-2121 and tell his office:
“Gov. Rauner must speak out publicly to oppose the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill. Too many people would be hurt if this bill is passed, including the most vulnerable residents of our state.”
* And it’s not all about Rauner. This is from the Illinois Hospital Association…
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association opposes the latest Senate proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would do great harm to patients, hospitals, the healthcare delivery system, and our state budget and economy. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson bill is even more damaging than the previous Senate and House repeal proposals. Not only will it result in the loss of healthcare coverage for up to one million Illinoisans, but it will erode key protections for patients and consumers and will cut federal healthcare resources to Illinois by more than $150 Billion.
IHA also opposes changing Medicaid to a capped funding model. Illinois already ranks 50th in the country in federal funding support per Medicaid beneficiary. Capped funding would lock Illinois into low, insufficient federal funding levels and shift costs to the state.
Illinois cannot absorb additional financial burdens that would be imposed on the state and would be forced to reduce eligibility, covered services, and payments to providers. The magnitude of these cuts and changes to Medicaid is staggering.
We were encouraged by recent bi-partisan negotiations to stabilize the individual marketplace. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson bill will do nothing in the short or long term to create marketplace stability.
We urge the Senate to reject this proposal, and we implore the members of the Illinois House Delegation to oppose the bill if it passes the Senate. There is a great deal at stake for the health and well-being of the people of Illinois.
* Until yesterday when a buddy told me, I didn’t realize that Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) doesn’t have a legislative district office. So, I reached out to her today and she was kind enough to respond with a very reasonable and thorough explanation…
Rich,
In the four years that I had a District Office I had maybe 5 people cold call - just walk in to find me and most the time I wasn’t there. My assistant would take a message or help them if she could. My office became a place to store a bunch of government brochures paid for by taxpayers (with my name on them) that no one was really interested in and to meet primarily with other government officials to discuss policy. I did have some constituent meetings as well, but not an every day or even every month occasion as often times we handled problems over the phone.
So, I got rid of the office saving in my estimation $80,000 a year for taxpayers. We are allotted $69,000 to run our office - and I always returned some of the money each year, but if you had a full time staffer, the state picked up healthcare and pension costs on top of that allotment, easily approaching 80k.
I have a full time assistant in Springfield who now takes constituent calls for me (admittedly we are not a busy office), she books appointments for me, and handles any other work I need done. Also, each Republican Rep has a communication staffer (shared), access to policy staff on any question we have, and access to legal staff.
I meet with constituents now at my local library - similar to what other state reps with large geographical areas do when they have remote office hours - and I am posting my office hours today or tomorrow - I am just re-checking the dates on that now. I have met with constituents many times already this year with no problems.
Prior to getting rid of my office I had LRB give me a report on our state legislator compensation, including office allotment, compared to certain other states. No surprise, our benefits are very generous. I have attached that report to this email.
I thought during this budget crisis I should do my part. This was an easy cut to make - and if everyone did it I believe it would be over $14 million saved. As far as being available to constituents, I have hosted 5 open town halls this year and 2 more at retirement homes.
FYI - I also filed a bill to reign in the excessive stipend given to committee chairs and minority spokesperson. HB 1857. Also attached is a spreadsheet on how infrequently most of these committees meet - on average in 2016 - 4 times and some of them never. That is an average of over $2500/meeting - and many of them no action was taken. I have written op-eds about this too.
Call if you have questions.
Jeanne
The LRU study is here. The committee meeting report is here.
This obviously works fine for her district, but perhaps not in others. Your own thoughts?
Also, try to take a breath before you comment. Some of y’all really don’t like Rep. Ives, but she took the time to respond and I think she justified her decision well. She also hasn’t grandstanded about her decision. I’m only posting this because somebody told me about it and it’s unusual, so I was curious and asked her.
During the reception in Secretary of State Jesse White’s office after the Steve Schnorf “celebration of life,” a loud alarm went off. People barely looked up. Nobody left as ordered. Instead, one of his top employees made a call to see if the alarm was real.
State Representative Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee) and Kankakee County Board Chairman Andy Wheeler met with representatives from the Governor’s office, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to request Kankakee County’s inclusion in Illinois’ statewide proposal for Amazon’s ‘HQ2’ this morning.
“The Kankakee County proposal offers an inspired, inventive, imaginative, and innovative plan quite different from most submissions. Plus, Kankakee County is the ideal location for transportation, water resources, workforce, accessibility, and other opportunities. Our workforce has a ready to work attitude and an unmatched desire to grow and develop a thriving economy,” Rep. Parkhurst stated.
Amazon’s ‘HQ2’ is accepting proposals for a second headquarters and Illinois is in the running. The ‘HQ2’ would provide tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investments.
“Chairman Wheeler presented a visionary, comprehensive, and conceptual plan as a candidate for a potential ‘HQ2’ location in Illinois’ Amazon’s ‘HQ2’ proposal,” said Rep. Parkhurst.
The statewide proposal is due October 25th to Amazon.
Parkhurst defeated an incumbent Democrat last year, so press pops are always in order.
* Steve McClure, a former assistant state’s attorney whose father was commerce director under Gov. Jim Thompson and whose late mother held important positions with Jim Edgar, kicked off his GOP primary bid against Sen. Sam McCann this week…
McClure said McCann made a mistake this summer when he voted for the spending plan that ended the state’s two-year budget impasse “because it came with a 32 percent income tax increase.”
McCann voted for the spending plan, but voted against the income tax increase. McClure said that didn’t excuse the vote for the budget.
“That’s typical of my opponent,” he said. “He likes to spend money, but not pay for things. In this case, I think there’s no question that for the budget, that went along with a 32 percent income tax increase.”
McCann said Tuesday he was proud of his vote for the budget “since the governor has abdicated his duty for three years in a row by failing to introduce a balanced budget. The legislature had to take matters into its own hands.”
McClure will be a tough opponent for McCann. And McCann doesn’t make it easy on himself. Lots of financial oppo.
Additionally, he said that he has seen first-hand friends and family leave the state because of the exodus of businesses. McClure said he sees the environment for businesses within Illinois as “toxic” and that the only way to bring more families into the state is to focus on attracting business through incentives.
“There are lots of things that are necessary to turn the state around,” he said. “We need to keep taxes low. We need to turn state finances around. One of the things that drives businesses away is that they want to be in a state location where the government is stabilized, taking care of bills and staying on top of debt. Right now we don’t have that. We have a government that is absolutely out of control.”
It was “absolutely out of control” when we didn’t have a budget, which he apparently opposed. It’s somewhat better now.
The 2017 growing season was supposed to be the year of “spotless” soybean fields after Monsanto introduced a new generation of soybeans – the largest single biotechnology launch in the company’s history.
The new soybeans can tolerate the use of dicamba, a traditional herbicide used on corn that spreads easily and has historically harmed soybeans.
But the idea was that dicamba would make quick work of the “superweeds” wreaking havoc in fields across the Midwest. Over the past years, the weeds had developed a resistance to glyphosate – the active ingredient in Roundup, the most widely used herbicide in corn and soybean production.
Monsanto and German chemical company BASF also touted a new, less volatile version of dicamba that wouldn’t drift like traditional versions.
But where the companies saw a solution, Illinois crop scientist Aaron Hager saw major problems coming.
Instead of weed-free fields, the dicamba herbicide drifted off target throughout non-dicamba-resistant soybean fields in the Midwest and South. Leaves cupped in nearby fields. Growth was stunted. Some plants withered and died.
As a result, the Illinois Department of Agriculture has received 368 complaints so far in 2017, which are more alleged pesticide misuse complaints than in the previous three years combined, according to a review of a statewide database of complaints by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting.
239 of those complaints were about dicamba drift.
Warren Goetsch, acting director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s bureau of environmental programs, told the news outlet that the department is investigating the complaints, but it could be months before that was completed.
* One estimate by the crop scientist mentioned above estimates that at least half a million acres show some damage…
“This was very predictable that this was going to happen,” said Hager, a crop science professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. “We’ve only known for 50 years that soybeans are one of the most sensitive plants to dicamba. I continue to be amazed when people ask, ‘Why is this so common?’ I mean, what did people really expect?”
Frequent denials of payment for substance-abuse and mental-health services in Illinois are creating unnecessary barriers to treatment despite an ongoing opioid crisis, a report released Tuesday says.
“This raises a lot of red flags,” Kelly O’Brien, executive director of The Kennedy Forum Illinois, said during a news conference. The not-for-profit group released the 16-page report with partners that included the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.
Three out of four treatment providers responding to the non-scientific survey in late 2016 and early 2017 said managed-care companies serving patients on Medicaid denied paying for a range of services either sometimes, often or always.
About 60 percent of those providers said Medicaid managed-care companies always or often denied payment for inpatient treatment.
And when patients were covered by private, commercial insurance plans, nearly half of the plans denied coverage for inpatient mental health and addiction at least sometimes, according to the treatment providers.
As part of a current overhaul of Illinois’ Medicaid managed care program, the state will include language in its contracts with insurers addressing the need to cover mental health, addiction treatment and medical conditions comparably, Hoffman said. Medicaid managed care organizations also will be required to prove their compliance with those laws, he said.
However, Jeff Myers, president and CEO of Medicaid Health Plans of America, said the report should be taken with a “big grain of salt.” He doesn’t think Medicaid managed care organizations are denying coverage for mental health and addiction treatment services any more than other insurers. He also criticized the way the data was collected, as part of a self-reported survey.
The report’s authors acknowledged in the report that it’s somewhat limited because the nearly 200 Illinois medical practices and organizations that responded to the survey aren’t necessarily representative of all mental health and addiction treatment professionals across the state.
David Lloyd, policy director for the Kennedy Forum Illinois, called the report a “valuable starting point,” providing “more information than we had before.”
* Mark Brown has a really good column about this (of course) that you ought to read in full about the mother of a young man who was addicted to opioids. Here’s one point…
What bothers her even more is the belief that her son would still be alive today if health insurers had made it less difficult for him to access the proper treatment for his mental health problems.
“I think I would have celebrated his 25th birthday,” she said.
Obviously, I can’t speak to whether that’s truly the case, but I believe there’s a lot of truth in her related observation: “They make it real hard for people to get help.”
* The numbers do bear it out, but I’d just make one tiny caveat. This is from the press release with numbers from the actual study in brackets…
Upwards of 75 percent of responding providers reported that Medicaid MCOs sometimes/often/always denied coverage for inpatient treatment [57 percent often, 2 percent always], partial hospitalization [40 percent often, 2 percent always], intensive outpatient treatment [33 percent often, 4 percent always], and medication-assisted treatment [16 percent often, 6 percent always]. Nearly half of responding providers reported commercial insurers at least sometimes denied inpatient treatment.
More than 60 percent of responding providers reported that Medicaid MCOs sometimes/often/ always refused to cover the requested level of care and instead approved only a lower level of care [19 percent often, 5 percent always], while 54 percent of responding providers reported commercial insurers did the same [19 percent often, 8 percent always].
With Medicaid MCOs, nearly 65 percent of responding providers reported that they were told often or always that networks were simply closed. Nearly half of responding providers were told this often or always with commercial plans. The result: with mental health and addiction care providers unable to join plan networks, patients have more difficulty accessing care, due to the narrow network.
More than 90 percent of responding providers report that both Medicaid MCOs [24 percent often, 9 percent always] and commercial plans [21 percent often, 9 percent always] have refused to provide requested medical necessity criteria, despite clear legal requirements that plans do so.
“Sometimes” is most definitely “always” if this happens to you or a loved one. And the numbers for “often” and “always” are way too high on their own. But we need a more thorough, scientific study, particularly since the governor is drastically expanding MCOs for Medicaid. The opioid crisis is all too real and it won’t get any better if we’re not helping people who need it.
* Gov. Rauner’s press conferences are almost always sweet bloggy goodness goldmines. For instance, he said this yesterday…
“I don’t like to borrow to fund deficits,” Rauner said.
* Galia Slayen at the Pritzker campaign…
If Bruce Rauner doesn’t like to borrow to fund deficits, then he shouldn’t create them. Rauner manufactured a 736-day budget crisis on the backs of Illinois children and families and his damage is done.
On Day One of his campaign, the state senator is already fighting back against criticism over his “temperament” on a WVON interview on Tuesday, as well as comments he made to the State-Journal Register about Harold. […]
Asked about the comments, Raoul said he’s a “human being like anybody else.”
“I’m a fighter and I think whomever we elect to be attorney general needs to be a fighter,” Raoul said of the radio interview, while adding the two apologized to each other after the interview. He said he also called co-host and former political reporter Charles Thomas on Tuesday: “We had a very pleasant exchange.”
And Raoul said he would “rewind the tape” on his Harold comment if he could.
“I think Erika Harold has exceptional credentials,” Raoul said. “If I could rewind the tape and not make reference to that certainly I would, but I’m ready to march onto a campaign and if she is the nominee, I look forward to talking about the issues.”
* WVON host Maze Jackson has also walked it back. From his Facebook page…
I would like to encourage everyone to really think hard about voting for Senator Raoul. He is a qualified candidate, a gentleman, and a scholar. I wish him all the best in his pursuit of the office of Attorney General. He’s an awesome public speaker, thoughtful, and measured in his approach to the voters and media. He has been known to be a champion for criminal justice reform, public education, and opioid addiction prevention.
I think the Sun-Times article leaves room for speculation that there could have possibly been some hostility in the exchange. I thought it was positive experience and I would have loved the opportunity to continue the conversation at a local coffee shop or bar which is what I am sure he meant. He will be a really great candidate and represent Black People well!
Um. Wow. That’s a long way away from all but accusing the guy of assault.
“Illinoisans need not look further than the past few days to know that Kwame Raoul lacks the temperament and disposition needed to serve as the state’s top law enforcement officer,” said RAGA Executive Director Scott Will. “Raoul needed to announce his candidacy today to divert all the negative attention he has received for inappropriate comments and actions he has made since Attorney General Madigan decided to retire last Friday. First, Raoul made an inapt remark aimed at Republican attorney general candidate, Erika Harold, which he later apologized for after others alleged him of being sexist. And just earlier this week, he lost his temper when asked about sanctuary states (which he supports, unwilling to use state resources to carry out immigration policy) on a radio morning talk show, threatening physical harm to an interviewer. These actions are shameful and unbefitting of someone looking to serve as the state’s attorney general.”
Today, the JB Pritzker campaign released a new TV ad, “Stand Up.” The ad comes as Bruce Rauner refuses to support HB 40, a bill that would protect a woman’s right to choose in Illinois if Roe v. Wade were overturned at the federal level.
“Stand Up” highlights Rauner’s cowardly refusal to stand up for Illinois women and JB’s commitment to making HB 40 the first bill he would sign as governor. Two weeks ago, JB and HB 40 co-sponsors Senator Heather Steans and Representative Sara Feigenholtz delivered 4,000 postcards from women across the state in support of HB 40 to Governor Rauner’s office as a part of his ongoing effort to support Illinois women and fight for reproductive rights.
“Illinois women deserve a governor who will protect their healthcare, not one that will stand by as those fundamental rights are under threat,” said JB Pritzker. “As governor, I will be a steadfast supporter of a woman’s right to choose, and HB 40 will be the first bill I’ll sign in office. Every day, I’ll show up and fight for issues that matter to Illinois women and families, just like I have been doing my whole life. With Donald Trump in the White House and Bruce Rauner failing to lead, we need fierce leadership in Springfield – and that’s exactly what I’ll provide as governor.”
VOICEOVER: 1975. Illinois passes the trigger law, meaning if the US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, a woman’s right choose would be banned in Illinois.
This year, the legislature passed a bill to eliminate the law, but Bruce Rauner has promised to veto it.
JB PRITZKER: As governor, I’ll fight to protect women’s healthcare just like I have my whole life.
HB 40 will be the first bill I sign in office because we have to stand up for a woman’s right to choose.
* A text message from GOP state Rep. Dave McSweeney…
Rich - Did you listen to this? It sounds like the Governor is ok with the Madigan tax increase. That would explain why he looked the other way and didn’t work hard against it.
He sent me a link to Gov. Rauner’s comments today and I asked him what the governor said.
* From McSweeney…
On the video, starts at 21:29. He’s crowing about Illinois allegedly having a low income tax rate. He said that he’s working to KEEP it at the new tax rate. Doesn’t sound like he has a problem with it. I stand by my statement above.
“The good news is Illinois still has a lower income tax rate at the high end compared to cities on the coasts. That’s a strategic advantage. I want to work to keep it there and not have our income taxes go up even further. That’s a critical strategic imperative.”
He has, indeed, been promising to roll back the income tax rate to 3 percent since the campaign. And he’s made the same sort of promises since the tax rate went up to 4.95 this year.
So, is the governor now saying he’s OK with the current income tax rate?
* Rauner spokesman Hud Englehart…
Are you kidding? Does the Rep. not remember who vetoed Madigan’s 32 percent tax increase? Where in the definition of the word “veto” are the words “doesn’t have a problem?”
