Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton announced Wednesday that Senator Ira Silverstein will no longer serve on the Senate Democratic leadership team. Senator Silverstein resigned from the Majority Caucus Chair post effective immediately.
The post carries a $20,649 annual stipend. It will remain vacant for the immediate future.
Cullerton also announced that a professionally led sexual harassment awareness training seminar for senators will be scheduled for next week. The Senate is in session next week.
In addition, Cullerton anticipates an interim legislative inspector general will be named as soon as next week to fill a vacant investigative post. Cullerton said the expected hiring comes after three candidates had turned down the job in the past year. All four legislative leaders must approve the hiring of a legislative inspector general.
“It’s our duty to fill that post. I take responsibility for my role in that lapse, and I apologize for it,” Cullerton said. “These corrective actions are a first step in changing an unacceptable culture that has existed for too long.”
As a member of the Legislative Ethics Commission, I’ve been frustrated with the fact that no Inspector General has been appointed despite candidates’ names to take that role having been submitted. Nonetheless, the recent public exposure of accusations about disturbing behavior by a State Senator has led to even more concerns about the methods and means under which this important Commission operates.
Today, my worst fears became reality when I found out that committee members have had important information withheld about allegations that go far beyond one individual.
As late as this week, and after repeated inquiries by myself and others, members were assured that there were “no pending cases” before the Ethics Commission. Today, I discovered that staff is, in reality, holding up to 27 separate complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly, and have used the fact that no Inspector General has been named as the reason there are—technically—no pending cases since it only becomes a “case” when it is reviewed by the Inspector General.
Upon discovering the fact that files containing serious accusations have been withheld from the Commission, I placed a call to Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office to inform them of the situation and ask for guidance on how we can pursue a remedy. I have also formally asked Commission Chair State Senator Terry Link to convene an emergency meeting as soon as plausible to put this situation on the table to be resolved.
Since joining the General Assembly in 2013, I have never witnessed a more serious abuse of the public’s trust, and firmly believe that the only way to fix this is by exposing what really goes on in these matters to the public. Please note that many of my colleagues were kept in the dark as well, and this information about possible ethics violations is controlled by a small handful of people who must now explain to taxpayers why the information was withheld, who directed them to do so, and all other pertinent details.
We will not get past these problems until full public disclosure takes place, and it must start NOW.
Whoa.
* And, once again, keep in mind this claim from just last week…
(T)he office of the state’s legislative inspector general sits empty. The Legislative Ethics Commission’s executive director, Randy Erferd, attends only to the group’s administrative needs and did not return calls for comment by publication.
Despite this, $312,500 were appropriated for the Office of the Legislative Inspector General in this year’s budget. The same amount was appropriated in 2013, 2014, 2015, and for the 2016-2017 year. A total of $1,875,000 million has been appropriated for an office which has not been occupied and to pay for a staff which doesn’t exist. […]
“We haven’t found an appropriate person but I want to hasten to add that there have been no reports of ethics violations during that period of time so it’s not like there’s something that hasn’t been done,” [Rep. Lou Lang] said.
*** UPDATE *** I missed this yesterday, but Speaker Madigan read out the number of complaints filed in the past few years during the committee’s question and answer period…
2015: 15 complaints
2016: 8
2017: 3
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile…
Rep. Chad Hays sits on the Legislative Ethics Commission which appoints the Inspector General. He blames Speaker Madigan for the vacancy. pic.twitter.com/VmVWMaDbmv
Madigan spox: "Mr. Hays claim has no basis in fact. Work of the commission is done on confidential basis to prevent partisan attacks." https://t.co/mdvyFDDXGS
Carrying signs that read “Babies Before Bezos,” about two dozen union workers called on Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner to spend more on child care subsidies, citing $2 billion in incentives dangled to lure Amazon to Chicago.
The Service Employees International Healthcare union on Wednesday used the high-profile Amazon HQ2 bid to draw a distinction between what they said is elected officials’ willingness to empty the bank to court company CEO Jeff Bezos while many Chicago families can’t afford care for their young children.
“This decision by our elected officials to give $2 billion in city, state and county tax incentives to Amazon shows this is not a matter of money,” said Brynn Seibert, director of the union’s child care division, said the money is there. “It’s a matter of choice.” […]
Chicago’s bid for Amazon to build its second headquarters in the city included what sources said was $1.32 billion in EDGE tax credits and $172.5 million in sales tax and utility tax exemptions from the state; $61.4 million in property tax discounts from Cook County and Chicago; and $450 million in to-be-determined infrastructure spending from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Transit Authority and other agencies.
Except for the infrastructure stuff, which would likely be bonded over time, they’re not talking about dedicating $2 billion out of existing revenues each and every year to HQ2. It’s reducing what Amazon would pay the government if they moved here over a period of years.
“$2 billion would provide affordable child care for every single child, every single working family in the Chicago metro area,” Seibert said. “We want to see our leaders express the same willingness to invest in children and invest in families that they’re showing in investing in corporations like Amazon. … This is not a matter of money. It’s a matter of choice.” […]
Rauner’s spokesperson Patty Schuh made no apologies for the $2.25 billion Amazon incentive package; the high-stakes competition has produced more than 220 offers.
“We are competing with other regions and other states to land a major economic development project that puts people to work,” Schuh said Wednesday. “The more people who go to work, the more people who are available to pay [taxes] to fund our core priorities.”
* Chris Kennedy went on WVON this week to talk to Maze Jackson and Charles Thomas. From their off-air chatter..
CHARLES THOMAS: So when you going to put some TV on man? When you going to have some TV ads? They beat you to the punch.
CHRIS KENNEDY: C’mon
THOMAS: They’ve got – JB is all over man. JB’s got that saturation bombing going on.
KENNEDY: I know. Didn’t you ever see Ali?
THOMAS: Yeah I saw him rope-a-dope, I saw him rope-a-dope
KENNEDY: There you go. Who do you think’s watching this race? Do you think anybody’s looking at it Charles? Outside of about 10,000 of us?
THOMAS: Well, I mean he’s got a name thing he’s got to deal with ‘cause nobody knows who he is. I mean, people know who you are, or they have an idea. So he’s got to do it.
KENNEDY: I just don’t know that anyone’s paying attention. Ra and I went down to Peoria, the guy says to me, ‘Hey you announced your lieutenant governor? The race isn’t until 2018, don’t you think it’s a little early to be making decisions like that?’ That’s a reporter. It gives you a sense – I mean we’re all in the mix, this is our day-to-day lives.
* Speaking of which, Sen. Daniel Biss was asked about this very topic the other day…
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I haven’t had a chance to see you in person and I don’t know how to expose you more. It’s like, I feel like you’ve already lost, I’m like ‘oh my God he is still running.’ Because – I don’t mean the election I thought, like, you were dropping out already because it’s like I don’t see your name anymore. It’s like all I’m seeing is Pritzker, Pritzker, Pritzker and Rauner, Rauner and I – the other guy dropped out ‘Aywar?’ And, you know, I kind of wanted to give him an opportunity and it worries me that you’re just going to get lost in the shuffle, not get your message out.
BISS: Alright, so that’s a fair question. Depressing, but fair.
* But Pritzker’s money can also be used as an issue against the candidate. Pritzker and his spouse gave a combined $20,000 a few years ago to a group which backed people like former Rep. Dwight Kay. Oppo…
This Monday was the Personal PAC luncheon, where people applauded when speakers said you know where people stand based on the checks they write and where people booed when there was an image of Dwight Kay that popped up during one of the videos projected at the event.
JB contributed to the “We Mean Business PAC” and media reported about the [anti] union angle of this PAC but no one has mentioned yet that this PAC supported 15 anti-choice candidates - most of whom even oppose rape and incest objections.
Personal PAC President Terry Cosgrove sent an email to supporters on May 8, 2017 titled Meet the Real Diana Rauner, where he blasted Diana Rauner for supporting anti-choice legislator Dwight Kay. The PAC JB helped fund, contributed to Dwight Kay.
* OK, let’s go back to the WVON show…
MAZE JACKSON: Tell me, who are the black elected officials in your estimation that you feel like you can work with that are doing a good job?
CHRIS KENNEDY: I think there’s a huge number of state reps and state senators that
JACKSON: Give me some names
KENNEDY: I put people in jeopardy Maze when I compliment them because—
JACKSON: You’re going to be the governor of the state of Illinois and you can’t say, you can’t name black positive legislators who are doing—how do we expect you to govern for us if you can’t—c’mon man give me some names, who ya know?
KENNEDY: That’s not what I’m saying, let’s not throw me under the bus like that. Let’s say that those state reps and state senators are under incredible pressure from the Democratic Party of Cook County, the Democratic Party of the state of Illinois and their own leadership in the House and sometimes in the Senate and if I say they’re my friends those are the people I admire they get pressure the next day from other campaigns.
JACKSON: So what happens when you’re governor and you’re asking them to do these things that you’re talking about?
KENNEDY: I speak to them all the time, I have a great relationship with a large number of elected officials and I have that relationship
JACKSON: So they’re supporting you behind the scenes?
KENNEDY: They’re supporting me behind the scenes, they’ll take the other fella’s money and they’ll give me their vote.
* Looks like she’ll have a clear lane through March. From a press release…
Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon released the following statement on his decision to endorse Erika Harold and not to seek the Republican nomination for Illinois Attorney General:
“For the past several months, I have explored the idea of running for Attorney General of Illinois. I have decided that now is not the time for me to seek other public office and have decided to throw my full support behind Erika Harold because she is best equipped to change business as usual in Springfield and take on the career politicians who have run Illinois into the ditch.
As Kane County State’s Attorney, I have seen first hand the problems we face as a state and look forward to continuing my role serving the people of Kane County while also working with the Harold Campaign on the many issues facing suburban families.
Erika represents the best of Illinois and I look forward to helping her over the next year as she fights to take our state and the office of Attorney General in a new direction.
Thank you for the freedom to explore a possible run for attorney general and the support that so many across the state of Illinois have expressed. I have an incredible job; one that I am thankful for and I intend to fulfill my commitment to the people of Kane County and the People of the State of Illinois as state’s attorney for Kane County.”
Republican Attorney General candidate Erika Harold offered the following statement following Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon’s announcement:
“I would like to thank Joe for his support and everything he does for the citizens of Kane County as their state’s attorney. I look forward to working with him to address the challenges state’s attorneys face as they protect families across the state.”
* Mayor Emanuel’s City College revamp promised an intense focus on helping students pursue careers and much less emphasis on generalized degrees. So, what happened? As this new BGA investigation shows, tuition went up, enrollment plummeted and sketchy Associates degrees in General Studies skyrocketed…
Since 2010, City Colleges has watered down its curriculum, violated its own rules on what constitutes a degree, changed the way it counts statistics and bestowed thousands of degrees — sometimes in multiples to the same person — to current and former students who in many cases neither requested nor wanted them, the investigation found. […]
Critics of the system under Emanuel say much of this was done to create an appearance of success at a college system where enrollment this year hit a 25-year low. […]
There is no debate over whether graduation rates and completion numbers are up — they are. But the investigation found that largely the result of a systematic campaign to boost metrics that has given Emanuel ammunition to proclaim in frequent appearances across the nation that the City Colleges’ overhaul is a trend-bucking, higher-education success story.
What Emanuel doesn’t talk about is an enrollment freefall at the colleges. The 2017 count of students stood at about 83,000, down 35 percent since he took office in 2011. […]
Records show hundreds of degrees were awarded to students who hadn’t taken classes in years. Some said they were unaware of those degrees — even though the school is required to get recipient consent. […]
A second degree also came as a shock to Marquetta Martin, 26, a sales associate at an athletic apparel store. Martin said she earned an Associate in Arts degree in 2014, but was surprised to learn that college records reflect that in 2015 she was awarded an Associate in General Studies, or AGS.
“What?” Martin said in a September telephone interview. “I never got that degree. All I got was an AA…nobody ever called me. Nobody ever said anything to me. All I have is an AA framed on my wall, I swear.” […]
Of the 97 different degree programs listed as part of Emanuel’s College to Careers, only one offers an AGS, according to City Colleges’ website.
Still, the AGS degree is experiencing a boom under Reinvention, according to City Colleges records. In 2010, the college system reported handing out just 150 AGS degrees. At its height in 2014, the official count had soared to 1,417. […]
While City Colleges argues its campaign to promote the AGS falls within the best practices nationally among community colleges, records show the 41 other community colleges in Illinois did not share in the enthusiasm. In 2014, nearly one-third of all degrees awarded by City Colleges were AGS. By contrast, the AGS accounted for just 7.5 percent of degrees awarded by all other community colleges in Illinois, records show. […]
City Colleges reports it issued a total of 2,828 “retroactive” degrees to former students from 2010 through 2016 as part of what it calls an automated conferral program. It marks a massive increase from previous years. Almost half, 1,379, were AGS degrees, records show.
*** UPDATE *** From a representative of the City Colleges of Chicago..
Hi Rich: I noticed you posted about the BGA story on City Colleges. It is important that you include CCC’s side of the story because it is a completely distorted piece.
To begin with, on the numbers, if you were to remove all the degrees that BGA questions, the grad rate and the number of degrees awarded still doubled from before the launch of City Colleges reforms in 2010. The success is undeniable due to the multitude of reforms put in place - from more advisors to clear academic pathways to more relevant programs.
Also, importantly, City Colleges curricula is more relevant, not less, as CCC worked to bring its standards into alignment with state and regional accreditors and national best practices.
Attached is a response. Please let me know if you have any questions or expect to use this.
We asked the Rauner campaign if it wanted to respond to Ives’ charge that the governor lied to supporters and taxpayers on public funding for abortions, the Trust Act, and school funding reform.
Spokesman Justin Giorgio emailed the following statement: “Gov. Rauner is focused on fighting for Illinois’ future and defeating Mike Madigan’s machine so Illinois can have property tax relief and term limits, and we can roll back the Madigan income tax hike.”
* And here’s some new non-Madigan-focused oppo to chew on…
Ives Promised Voters That She Would Be In Springfield “Every Step Of The Way” During The Budget Impasse
In A Facebook Post Dated June 15, 2017, Ives Promised Voters That They Could Count On Her To Be In Springfield “Every Step Of The Way.” “The Governor has called a 10-day special session starting on June 21 to work toward actually passing a balanced budget. What the eventual outcome will be is anyone’s guess, but you can count on me to be there fighting for taxpayers every step of the way. Stay tuned.” (Jeanne Ives Facebook Post, 6/15/17)
Ives Skipped Two Session Days In A Row While Illinois Was On The Brink Of Being Downgraded To Junk Status
Ives Skipped Two Session Days In A Row In July Of 2017 While Illinois Did Not Have A Budget. “What’s worse — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie caught lounging with his family on a public beach he had closed or Illinois House members lounging anywhere but Springfield when a crucial budget vote looms? New Jersey has BeachGate. Illinois has HookyGate. Twice this week, the House canceled session days because not enough members bothered to show up. Spare us the excuses: Family vacation? Lake house getaway? Catching up on Netflix? Lawmakers knew months ago they likely would be in session into the summer. They should have stayed in Springfield this week…Based on the official attendance lists, the following lawmakers were listed as missing both Tuesday and Wednesday:..Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton.” (Editorial, “’HookyGate’ at Illinois House,” Chicago Tribune, 7/6/17)
The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board Said That Ives And Other State Representatives Who Failed To Show Up For Session Were “Slackers.” “That’s an embarrassingly long list of slackers. Bad optics — almost as bad as Gov. Christie photographed July 3 on that beach. The behavior of these Illinois House members is similarly arrogant. It’s insulting to taxpayers. And it’s wrong.” (Editorial, “’HookyGate’ at Illinois House,” Chicago Tribune, 7/6/17)
She didn’t really miss anything because the House couldn’t assemble a quorum, but still.
She made her first real news splash shortly after taking office when she said in a radio interview that a homosexual partnership is “a completely disordered relationship.”
Gays who seek to marry are “trying to weasel their way into acceptability so that they can then start to push their agenda down into the schools, because this gives them some sort of legitimacy,” she said, adding that a child being raised by a gay couple is “an object of desire.”
That kind of talk is highly discordant not just to progressives but to many mainstream and moderate voters in a state that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won by 16 percentage points in 2016. But it’s music to the ears of base conservative voters, the sort who now feel energized and betrayed and who will knock on doors and turn out to vote in the primary.
So no matter what smart money is saying, I’m saying that we’re living in such abnormal political times that, if she gets the backing to run, Ives will be even money to topple Rauner next spring.
Don’t expect a lot of her Republican colleagues to support state Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, in her challenge to Gov. Bruce Rauner, says Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth.
“I doubt she’ll get many. She has an acerbic personality,” Mitchell said. “Jeannie is a very intelligent person, and she has a lot going for her, but at the same time she represents the worst, in terms of ideologues, of both right and left. It’s like if you have a contrary point of view, you’re not only wrong, but you’re a bad person.
“On some points I agree with her, of course. But she’s just an acerbic personality.” […]
Mitchell said he told Rauner that he will support him for re-election.
“I have stopped circulating (petitions) for state representative,” [Rep. Ives] told “Chicago Tonight” on Tuesday. “We are focused on the governor’s race and when we get on that ballot it will be full speed ahead.” […]
“I don’t know that anybody can say that they’re running for governor until they have the qualified signatures to get on the ballot. Which is why I’ve qualified my response,” Ives said. “I’m confident we’re going to get to the number we need to file with.”
* Meanwhile, this is only accurate if Ives doesn’t run for reelection, but here you go…
With Rep. Ives announcing a run for governor, here’s the updated list of legislators leaving the General Assembly #twillpic.twitter.com/1JEFS8×6Tt
Question: why is the Rauner Campaign running Google ads on the name of the general counsel who left under mysterious circumstances? #ilgovpic.twitter.com/RWiAf77eRS
Silverstein, who is married, told The Associated Press that he could not remember whether he did the things Rotheimer alleged, but also suggested that she might have been unhappy because the legislation has not yet passed.
“There were no mind games, no power struggle,” Silverstein said. “I was working the bill. That was my job, to work the bill. She might not like how bill was proceeding. Maybe that’s the issue here.”
“I apologize if I made her uncomfortable,” he said.
* From Sen. Silverstein’s exchange with Denise Rotheimer on November 21, 2016 at 10:49pm CST…
The legislative inspector general’s office is charged with looking into such complaints but has been operating for several years without an inspector general because lawmakers have been unable to agree on an appointee. The office answers to the Legislative Ethics Commission, a group of lawmakers appointed by legislative leaders. That commission is headed by Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan.
Link said the vacancy in the office’s leadership has not prevented it from operating. He said staff members receive complaints and investigate those deemed worthwhile. Once an investigation is complete, the office must seek permission from the panel of legislators to take its findings to law enforcement such as the state’s attorney or attorney general.
Link said he could not comment on any matters that have been referred to the inspector general or the ethics commission, nor could he say how many cases the inspector general receives or how many cases have been referred to law enforcement. “Nobody can talk about what goes on in that room,” Link said.
Asked if it was unusual for a person to wait for a year or longer to hear back about a complaint, Link said “not necessarily.”
“Some things take a long time,” he said.
Of the eight members on the Legislative Ethics Commission, just two are women. Because the inspector general’s office is vacant, no quarterly reports have been filed since 2014, which would at least give us an idea if there were any pending or recently closed investigations.
(T)he office of the state’s legislative inspector general sits empty. The Legislative Ethics Commission’s executive director, Randy Erferd, attends only to the group’s administrative needs and did not return calls for comment by publication.
Despite this, $312,500 were appropriated for the Office of the Legislative Inspector General in this year’s budget. The same amount was appropriated in 2013, 2014, 2015, and for the 2016-2017 year. A total of $1,875,000 million has been appropriated for an office which has not been occupied and to pay for a staff which doesn’t exist. […]
“We haven’t found an appropriate person but I want to hasten to add that there have been no reports of ethics violations during that period of time so it’s not like there’s something that hasn’t been done,” [Rep. Lou Lang] said.
State Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford, along with her running mate, state Sen. Daniel Biss, announced a measure calling for expanding sexual harassment training last Tuesday.
But it wasn’t Wallace taking center stage at that hearing. Instead, it was powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan, who announced last week he was putting forward his own amendment, promptly scheduled a committee hearing, which he attended, and took the rare move of testifying before.
“I’ll say this, I think that once we see this as an example of the culture of power, and sexism and oppression that leads to the ability for men to maintain dominance - because that’s what this is about - maybe we’ll finally see change,” Wallace told POLITICO. “Here’s a rank and file female legislator who files legislation, here’s a male leader, a house speaker, filing the same legislation. There are very important inferences from what that means.”
OK, first of all, her bill was unveiled along with Sen. Biss’ companion bill via a Biss campaign press release. The campaign has tried since then to make some political hay off the issue by initiating a MoveOn petition to end sexual harassment. But it took down a tweet advertising the petition after receiving criticism for attempting to build a campaign mailing list off the issue and then the campaign killed off its online petition.
And it’s not the “same legislation” as Madigan’s. Wallace’s bill just isn’t as fleshed out as the Madigan bill, which was amended yesterday and will likely be amended again before next week’s floor vote.
But, yes, she certainly has a point about a man taking charge while a woman’s sexual harassment bill languishes in Rules Committee. It’s kind of odd that Madigan wants to be so out in front on this one.
* Amidst all the uproar over the allegations against Sen. Ira Silverstein yesterday, this testimony got lost in the shuffle. Take some time to read it…
My name is Katelynd Duncan. I’m a political fundraiser who’s worked in Illinois politics for nearly a decade.
More than a week ago several friends and I, some of whom are with me here today, decided to speak out on an issue that has impacted each one of us over the course of our career: sexual harassment. We published an open letter to share our experiences with this issue; experiences that are shared with thousands more women who’ve worked in Illinois politics over the decades. Approximately 300 people have signed this letter to date in a show of solidarity and support of ending the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in Illinois politics.
Since that time, we have been absolutely floored by the outpouring of #metoo stories from other women who have also worked in government and on campaigns. We are grateful for every single person who shared their story with us both publicly and in private. It is their bravery that has brought us together here today as we discuss ways to ensure that women can work in a safe and secure environment, free from every form of unwanted advances.
Many of the stories shared in our letter, on our Facebook group and in private are horrifying. Many women are still too scared to come forward, even years after the fact, out of fear of retribution. Their stories are heart breaking and difficult to hear.
One woman described a terrifying encounter when a legislator followed her to her hotel room, pinned her against the wall and forced himself on her after she said no.
A former lobbyist described meeting up with her colleagues and other elected officials when another lobbyist drunkenly walked up to her and asked “I’ve always wondered if you spit or swallow.”
And when a legislator was harassing me on a campaign, I tried to report it to management. I was fired immediately for describing his behavior as “inappropriate” and asking him to stop.
These are extreme examples of the type of environment we have been forced to work in, smile through and negotiate in, simply to do our jobs. And on top of it, many others watched this abuse happen and said or did nothing.
I have to wonder how many of us in this room have daughters, sisters or mothers in the workplace. Can you imagine someone treating them like this, just once? How about multiple times? Would we accept this as the status quo? My hope is no. We have to do better for the next generation of women in this industry because this is not a new topic. Women have been giving each other “the talk” for years about which legislators and lobbyists to avoid. No longer can anyone be shocked by these stories or say they didn’t know it was happening.
We are encouraged by the swift action our leaders have taken on this issue and although this bill does not solve the problem, it’s a step in the right direction. We look forward to working with you on making sure that women in this industry feel safe, secure and respected in the workplace. This bill puts elected officials and lobbyists on notice that sexual advances and harassment are no longer an accepted norm and there will be consequences for their actions.
The negative consequences of these assaults are real. It distracts women policy makers, causing them to spend time worrying about how to manage their harassers instead of managing their issues. It diminishes women’s power, by reducing them to sexual objects and turning them into pawns for political gain. It reduces women’s economic opportunities, because women will avoid taking work that may involve harassers in positions of power and politics. It discourages women from public service, causing them to walk away from careers they otherwise love. And in our business, our success is contingent upon our ability to be at the table with power brokers, NOT running away from them in the halls of the capitol.
We recognize that we cannot undo generations worth of sexism, power dynamics, norms and attitudes about sex and women in one week or in one letter or in one piece of legislation. These are institutional barriers that have oppressed women in the workplace for longer than most of us have been alive. We can say however, that before last week, the silence regarding this issue was deafening. Now, we can’t stop talking about it. This is only the beginning. There are no best practices in other states for how governments handle sexual harassment within their own backyards. Illinois has the opportunity to be at the forefront of change in culture and setting the precedent for the rest of the country. We take this challenge very seriously, and we hope our elected leaders do too.
Many people have asked us “what’s your end game?” Our goal is to do everything we can to make sure that the next generation of women in our industry never has to participate in a #metoo campaign. How quickly and effectively we achieve that future is up to all of us. Every single person in this room, in this city, or in this state, has a mother, a sister, or a daughter who deserves a fulfilling, positive life, free from fear and the shame of this antiquated worldview. We look forward to working with you to change behaviors and culture in our political system that make us less than human.
Obamacare health insurance enrollment kicks off on Wednesday, and in the wake of President Donald Trump draining almost all funding to promote sign-ups, Democratic governor candidate JB Pritzker is paying about $1 million to run radio and digital ads to run all across Illinois.
The ads start on Wednesday and will run through the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 15. The site to enroll is www.healthcare.gov.
Pritzker, locked in a Democratic primary, is making the ad buy as Democrats at the local and national levels are trying to fill in the gaps caused by Trump’s attempts to dismantle former President Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Health Care Act. […]
In one spot, Pritzker says,”There are hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans currently benefiting from Obamacare, but one of Donald Trump’s strategies to kill the program is to make it harder to sign up. This year, he’s cut the period to enroll in Obamacare by half and cut advertising to tell people about it by 90 percent. We can’t let Donald Trump win.
PRITZKER: That’s what Donald Trump said, and now that he’s in office, that’s exactly what he’s trying to do. This is JB Pritzker. There are hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans currently benefiting from Obamacare, but one of Donald Trump’s strategies to kill the program is to make it harder to sign up. This year, he’s cut the period to enroll in Obamacare by half and cut advertising to tell people about it by 90 percent. We can’t let Donald Trump win.
If you’re interested in signing up, the enrollment period is from November 1 to December 15. For more information, go to www.healthcare.gov. That’s www.healthcare.gov. Again, this is JB Pritzker. The truth is, there’s a lot that can be done in Illinois to fight against what’s going on in Washington, but Bruce Rauner’s doing nothing. As your governor, I’ll stand up to Donald Trump and always fight for Illinois.
Nothing has rocked Springfield in the past months more than an open letter describing an environment of sexual harassment “ranging from daily microaggressions to acts of pure viciousness”.
Before I go any further, let me say that I have no doubt that sexual harassment goes on in Springfield (though I wouldn’t know a “microagression” from a microwave. It sounds to me like a subjectively insignificant action that would be better handled with a puppy or a juice box). I have no sympathy for it, and if guys want to walk around acting like cave men with a club, count me out.
Last night on Chicago Tonight, four legislators were interviewed and talked about the letter and the need for legislation to address the problem. Carol Marin did her best to get them to describe their experiences and name the person who was the source of the harassment. When it came to naming names, she failed.
Representative Sarah Feigenholtz said that she herself hadn’t been harassed and didn’t know who the perpetrators are. If that’s true, then Representative Feigenholtz doesn’t get around much, because one thing that’s certainly more widespread in Springfield than sexual harassment is gossip. She then went on to put some of the blame on Donald Trump for the recent spike in harassment claims. That’s sure to advance the conversation.
Senator Heather Steans eschewed naming her harasser because it happened in the past. When asked if that let the guy off the hook, she dodged the question and said that witnesses need to be “trained” so they can jump in and object to the activity. She went on to say that training wouldn’t be enough, but we need training nonetheless.
Representative Robin Gabel said that “everyone can make their play, doesn’t go anywhere”, sounding as if everyone is entitled to one freebie. So what is it: harassment from the get-go or establishing flexible guidelines? You can’t have it both ways.
Representative Chris Welch said he heard from a male former staffer who said he’d been propositioned by a female legislator, which at least gives us the perception of gender-neutrality.
I said above that I have no sympathy for those who think that they’re entitled to act like boorish clods. The reason I have no use for it is that I was brought up that way, I had parents who taught me that human nature is imperfectible and it was my job to resist the baser instincts to which we’re all subject. In that regard, Senator Steans is right, training won’t be enough. Nothing will be enough until human nature bends toward androgyny.
But if my colleagues want me to sign on to this, they’re certainly not doing it the right way. I’m not saying I’m blameless, but I’m damned sure not going to allow myself to be painted with their broad brush, nor will I subject myself to whatever “training” is imposed. By implying that I’m part of the problem simply by occupying a seat on the House floor or through the accident of birth of having been born male, they’re giving me every reason to say “no”. I assume the culture extends beyond Ira Silvertein. If they want my support, then name names.
…Adding… This is important to remember when certain blowhards demand that victims go public with names…
…Madigan’s counsel and former ethics officer Heather Weir Vaught testified that in her [ten] years on the job, “I’ve never had a complainant who would allow me to take their complaint public. We’ve had to work behind the scenes.”
