* I was hanging out with a good friend the other day who told me about a recent conversation he’d had with a non-political friend. His pal was very impressed with Sen. Daniel Biss’ first TV ad (click here to watch it if you haven’t seen it). Why did he love the ad so much? The reason can be found in this scene…
The guy said that anybody with an ironing board right off the kitchen had to be a regular person.
* The Question: Where do you think the ironing board is in the homes of the other gubernatorial candidates? This question applies to both parties and you can guess the ironing board locations for as many or as few as you wish. Have fun.
Today, Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration appeared before a legislative body investigating the state’s botched response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at a state-run veterans’ home in Quincy. Over three years, 13 people died. At a hearing last month, lawmakers asked the administration to turn over more information about the state’s response to the outbreak.
Well, lawmakers will have to wait longer. According to the Associated Press, Rauner’s administration required lawmakers to file public records requests, then denied the requests as “overly broad”:
“Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Nirav Shah…told a joint House-Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Wednesday that Sen. Tom Cullerton’s request for communication surrounding the crisis that has led to the deaths of 13 residents and sickened dozens more is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. He used an exemption for “overly broad” requests to deny the request from Cullerton. He invited the Villa Park Democrat and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman to narrow the request.”
Today’s hearing also revealed the workers at the state-run Quincy home only learned about the Legionnaires’ outbreak through media reports. Rauner’s administration already came under fire after it was revealed the state waited 6 days before telling residents and the public about the outbreak.
“Thirteen people died at a veterans’ home and Bruce Rauner’s administration is hampering an investigation into why it happened,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “It took a major investigation to force Rauner to even admit there was a problem at Quincy. Now it appears his administration is more interested in protecting themselves than finding answers as to what happened.”
Illinois Public Health Director Nirav Shah told a joint House-Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee that his agency denied Senate committee chairman Tom Cullerton’s demand for communication about the crisis under an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act. […]
“I didn’t realize that as a senator, I had to file a full FOIA request for an agency that the General Assembly is responsible for doing an appropriation on,” Cullerton said.
No public body is obligated to follow FOIA. The preamble to the law states a presumption that all government records are public. The law exists to ensure that taxpayers have recourse to get public records from reticent government bodies.
“We’re asking you to answer a request to fix a problem where not just one person died … 13 people died on your watch and you didn’t fix it,” said Sen. Michael Hastings, a Tinley Park Democrat. “And you want to play hide the ball?”
“My request wasn’t a FOIA request. I set it up as just a follow-up to the answer where (Shah and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Erica Jeffries) said ‘yes we will provide the information,‘” said Cullerton. “I filed a follow-up, just reminding you and saying ‘could you please provide the information?’”
When questioned by Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, on when public health would release the requested emails, Shah said they would when public officials discuss how to narrow the request with representatives of Cullerton and Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“It seems to me there’s some kind of a cover-up,” said Welch. “We’re in 2018, and there appears to be way too many deaths of veterans. One is too many. And yet it seems to me that you guys are withholding information and avoiding answering questions.”
“I’m going to be very clear for the record and everyone in the gallery, too: Your assumption that there is a cover-up at play is 150 thousand percent unfounded and is wholly rejected,” Shah retorted.
There’s at least one other interesting story from today’s hearing. More later.
* According to the Secretary of State’s office, Legionella bacteria was found in a humidifier that serves the south end of the Capitol Building, which is the House’s side. The humidifier, I’m told, has been shut off.
From a memo…
TO: All Capitol Complex State Employees
FROM: Mike Wojcik, Director of Physical Services, Secretary of State
Trey Childress, Deputy Governor & Chief Operating Officer
SUBJECT: Update on Water Testing for Legionella Bacteria
DATE: February 7, 2018
Reliable Environmental Solutions, Inc., in concert with the Secretary of State Physical Services Department, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), BRiC Partnership, LLC Consulting Engineers, the Capital Development Board (CDB) and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (OAC) continue to test the water throughout the Capitol Complex. We provide you this update because thus far, of more than 300 preliminary water test results, four have indicated a positive reading for the presence of Legionella bacteria. Water testing is ongoing and final results are expected within two weeks.
As a result of the positive findings, remedial efforts are underway to drain and disinfect those areas that have preliminarily tested positive for the bacteria. Also, a water flushing program has been instituted throughout the Capitol Complex to maximize fresh water running through the pipes and fixtures. The Secretary of State Physical Services Department previously removed aerators and disabled the showers in the Capitol Complex. Removing aerators allows for a non-aerated and thinner stream of water for hand washing.
Legionella is the bacteria that can cause Legionnaires’ disease. We are not aware of any reports of Legionnaires’ disease among Springfield state employees or the general public. We have been advised by experts that the transmission of this bacteria in normal, day-to-day office operations is unlikely. This is an issue we continue to take seriously and the health and safety of state employees and visitors remains our top priority. We will pass along relevant updates as they become available.
For more information regarding Legionella bacteria, please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website:http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/legionellosis.
Two of the four locations were in the cooling tower at the CMS Computer Center on West Adams St. The other was in the women’s restroom in the Howlett Building’s basement.
Kennedy said, “there was no requirement to put in affordable housing” at his Wolf Point development because the property was grandfathered in under rules that applied before adoption of the city’s affordable housing ordinance. […]
Nevertheless, Kennedy is correct in stating no legal mandate required him to include affordable housing at his Wolf Point development. We rate his claim True.
A source familiar with the casting decision, however, said that Talent Group, which bills itself as “Chicago’s leading nonunion talent agency,” provided several cisgender male actors who auditioned for the transgender woman role, and that the Ives campaign selected the actor who appeared in the ad.
[Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti] and Ives briefly served together on the Wheaton City Council before Ives entered the Illinois House and Sanguinetti later became lieutenant governor. Sanguinetti said she and Ives are “not friends.”
“The Jeanne Ives that you folks are seeing in that commercial, that sort of spirit, is the same Jeanne Ives that I have known for the last seven to eight years,” Sanguinetti said. “I saw it from the dais, I’ve seen it in my community and now all of you are getting a taste of it, and I’m hopeful that that will be rejected.”
Sanguinetti said Rauner’s new ad was inspired by the sit-down at the Tribune.
“I think we were all surprised that she had good things to say about Speaker Madigan,” Sanguinetti said. “That was a shocker, not only to us, but to the rest of Illinois … that warranted a response.”
As a follow-up to an interview earlier this week, today, Scott Drury, Democratic candidate for Illinois Attorney General, began releasing on Twitter (@Drury4IL) documents and records of his interactions with Mike Madigan and his leadership team. Today’s records relate to a dinner meeting in October 2016 when Madigan requested approximately $60,000 from Drury, as Drury sought to pass child protection legislation that had stalled in the House.
During a radio interview on Sunday, Drury provided details of the dinner meeting, including Madigan’s request that Drury funnel the contribution through an entity known as LIFT PAC – a super PAC to which Madigan had no nominal connection. Madigan’s spokesman later claimed he could not verify the accuracy of Drury’s account. Drury believes he can assist with that. “Like James Comey, I, too, thought it wise to keep records of interactions with a power hungry leader used to getting his way,” said Drury.
According to Drury, he refused to be part of what he viewed as a money-laundering scheme and did not contribute to LIFT PAC. Undeterred, Madigan later proposed that Drury make the contribution through an array of Democratic candidates under Madigan’s control. For similar reasons, Drury refused.
So far, Drury has released an October 7, 2016 voice message from Madigan to Drury which led to the dinner meeting.
* Not much here except Madigan asking for a call back…
On Sunday, I described a series of meetings with Mike Madigan involving his request for approximately $60,000 to be funneled through a SuperPAC. His spokesperson questioned the validity of the allegations. Like @JamesComeyFBI , I kept records. This voicemail started it all. pic.twitter.com/d39XeqNWtL
By the way, I asked the Daniel Biss campaign this morning to respond to Drury’s allegations of a “money laundering scheme” at the LIFT PAC. Biss, you will recall, ran that political action committee. So far, no response.
*** UPDATE *** From the Biss campaign…
“Daniel was as committed to defeating Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner and their right wing agenda in 2016 as he is today. You’d think all Democrats would feel the same.”
Shocking testimony at a General Assembly investigatory hearing this morning revealed that Bruce Rauner left the staff at the Quincy Veterans’ home in the dark about the Legionnaires’ crisis, with those on the ground only learning of the outbreak from media reports.
Quincy AFSCME Union heads say communication is lacking within the Veterans Home. In all 3 legionaries outbreaks they say they and many staff members found out via media reports. pic.twitter.com/viOTCPdlfZ
“Staff on the frontlines of the Legionnaires’ crisis were operating entirely blind because of Bruce Rauner, relying on the media to learn about a deadly outbreak at their own workplace,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Rauner inexcusably failed to notify residents, families, and staff of a disease that took the lives of 13 of our nation’s heroes and spouses.”
I was stunned when I heard that testimony this morning.
Lots more troubling stuff was discussed during that hearing. More later.
* Third party testimonials by better known figures are important for first-time candidates. And lest you think this is being aired now because of the FBI tapes thing, I asked one of Pritzker’s campaign people last week about a vouching ad and was told off the record that something like this was coming soon. Rate it…
* Transcript…
Announcer: Why do so many leaders we trust support JB Pritzker for governor?
Sen. Tammy Duckworth: JB’s the one I trust to fight for women, children and families all across Illinois.
Secretary of State Jesse White: JB’s economic plan will create jobs and opportunity in neighborhoods across our state.
Hardhat-wearing guy: He’s the one we trust to stand up for Illinois workers.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza: JB will beat Bruce Rauner and bring real change to Illinois.
Sen. Dick Durbin: As Democrats, we need to come together. Let’s back the candidate ready to lead Illinois. That’s JB.
State school officials said Tuesday that about $350 million in additional K-12 education money could begin flowing to school districts in April.
At the same time, they said about 20 issues with the new funding distribution formula need to be addressed to clarify what lawmakers intended when they passed the new formula last year. […]
Smith said the education agency still believes the law, as it was approved, doesn’t do exactly what lawmakers think it should do. The ISBE has come up with 20 more changes it believes are necessary for the new formula to accomplish what lawmakers intended.
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, an author of the new formula, wanted to know if those 20 changes would be enough, assuming lawmakers approved them.
“I don’t know,” Smith said.
* From Speaker Madigan…
“After six months of negotiation with the Rauner Administration, House Democrats are preparing to advance a framework for an update of the Illinois hospital assessment program, which must receive federal approval before June 30, 2018. Today, state Rep. Greg Harris filed the amendment to Senate Bill 1773.
“This amendment includes the work of a bipartisan, bicameral working group that has deliberated in good faith to update the hospital assessment program. It also includes some elements still under discussion which will be finalized in coming days. The working group deserves our thanks for this collaboration that is aimed at ensuring the state secures these resources that are vital for our hospitals.
“It has been the goal of House Democrats to push the administration toward an update that expands access to care in underserved communities of color and rural communities alike. The plan we are introducing reflects this commitment by taking steps to help secure hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal funds, and securing both safety net hospitals and rural critical care hospitals.
“As has been our priority, the plan also contains an appeal process for provider claims, and new transparency and accountability measures which recent audit findings show are urgently needed. Despite the Rauner Administration’s failure to account for billions of dollars in claims paid, claims denied, administrative costs, and other basic quality metrics needed to ensure patients are receiving quality care, they continue to operate without oversight. The administration unilaterally handed out some of the largest state contracts in state history to large insurance companies. While these contracts did not require that the administration be held accountable for mistakes within the system, we are correcting that in this bill. Our bill will increase transparency and hold the administration accountable for maintaining accurate records of all receipts of payments. Under our plan, all future purchases of care would also require full and proper vetting as laid out in the state’s procurement code.
“While the administration has not provided sufficient time for Managed Care Organizations to develop networks in the new markets they will be covering, we incentivize hospitals to participate in the Medicaid program, which increases access and helps reduce the overall cost of the program because patients are given a choice.
“This plan is a critical step toward a state health care policy that is guided by what is in the best interests of patients and taxpayers, not big insurance companies and the politically connected.”
Raging debate over increasing the legal smoking age in Illinois from 18 to 21 years old will likely continue after two legislative committees advanced bills on Tuesday.
House Bill 4297 and Senate Bill 2332 were given immense scrutiny by public health groups and advocates for retailers as both bills were reviewed and debated by Illinois House and Senate health committees. Both bills made it through their respective committees and could be added to either chambers’ docket for further debate soon.
The measures would increase the purchasing age for tobacco products to 21 but decriminalize possession of them by those under 21. Sponsors argue underage tobacco use is a public health issue, not a crime.
“We know that of all the current smokers today that nine out 10 of those current smokers began as teenagers,” said Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, the Senate bill’s sponsor. “I believe it’s time for Illinois to take this action.”
Public health officials and other advocates said the goal is to keep the products out of the hands of teens by cutting off the main supply line: 18-year-olds.
Opponents complained the plan would hurt small businesses and convenience stores, which could be fined $200 for a first offense.
They also argued that the legislation sends the wrong message. While buying tobacco under 21 would be barred, underage possession would not be penalized.
Republican Sen. Sam McCann of Plainview voted against the measure, saying it would make the “product harder to obtain but easier to possess.”
Current law penalizes underage smokers with a $25 fine for a first violation. Chief sponsor Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Deerfield, said the penalties are rarely enforced.
It’s old-hat for State Rep. Joe Sosnowski. The Rockford Republican is back with another effort to strip public notices out of newspapers.
This is an annual right of passage for some Republicans in statehouses across the country. Barring Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, taking up the cause in 2016, Sosnowski has been the go-to vehicle in Illinois for this failed idea: this is his sixth go at it.
Some form of this boilerplate conservative think tank-sponsored legislation has never made it out of committee in Springfield. In fact, only one state has ever passed such a law: Utah snuck it over the line in 2009 only to see it repealed in 2011 after government bodies failed to comply with posting the required information. In short: Utah’s legislation passed a law they were destined to break.
Just how bad are government bodies in Illinois at doing the internet? Pretty bad. A 2014 audit by the Citizens Advocacy Center of 750 units of government showed that only 57 percent of government bodies complied with posting agendas of upcoming meetings as required by law, and only 49 percent of those bodies surveyed maintained any website whatsoever.
Members of the Illinois Board of Higher Education narrowly voted Tuesday to send a $3.47 billion spending plan to the state legislature, a decision that followed weeks of debate questioning how the state’s public institutions can best move forward from two years of severe budget strain.
The endorsed budget was the more conservative of two options floated by trustees and was mostly unchanged from the plan originally presented in December. It seeks a $254.4 million increase over the current fiscal year, including a $100 million boost for Monetary Award Program grants for low-income students, around $31 million to cover inflation, $31 million for veterans grants and $20 million for emergency capital projects.
The contention centered upon the proposed share for Illinois’ 12 public universities, which collectively received about 41 percent of their typical state funding during the two-year budget impasse.
The board initially proposed a 2.2 percent increase, which if approved would send a little more than $1.1 billion to the public universities. University presidents, in an unusually public protest, signed a letter urging the board to present a more aggressive number. The school leaders wanted the budget to propose $1.2 billion, the same amount universities received in 2015, the last year of regular funding before the impasse struck.
But presidents of the state’s public universities had petitioned the board for another $100 million to restore their funding to 2014-15 levels, before the two-year state budget impasse. While recognizing the state’s financial plight, the presidents’ Dec. 11 letter said the recommendations would place more burdens on their schools after a funding cut this year and “two years of financial calamity” before that.
“The two-year budget impasse cost public universities tens of millions of operational dollars, and the lack of capital funding forced institutions to cancel or dramatically cut back on necessary construction and maintenance projects,” they wrote, adding that they have also cut expenses while controlling tuition and fees to respond to criticism about rising college costs. “The divestment in Illinois public higher education must stop now.”
Executive Director Al Bowman said the board understands the universities’ position, and their request is “certainly legitimate,” but the board believes that the recommendation “should reflect the state’s current financial situation. If we’re asking for an extra $254 million, we found it difficult to request an even larger amount, even though the universities need the money.” […]
UI spokesman Tom Hardy said Tuesday it was disappointing that the IBHE “did not concur with the public universities’ recommendation for a reasonable higher education appropriation to return us to the level of funding that preceded the devastating, two-year budget impasse. In the coming legislative session, we will continue to advocate for adequate, reliable funding of public higher education — a critical asset for the welfare and prosperity of Illinois and its people.”
* Drury has been saying all along that Speaker Madigan is behind the effort to kick him off the ballot. Hiring Madigan’s top election lawyer will only buttress his argument…
The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 announced today that it has retained election attorney Michael Kasper in the ongoing challenge of Representative Scott Drury’s candidacy for attorney general in the upcoming Democratic primary. Following a challenge by Local 150 member Thomas Rottman, a Cook County judge ruled last week that Drury’s name should not appear on the ballot, and Drury vowed to challenge the ruling.
The following statement can be attributed to James M. Sweeney, President-Business Manager of IUOE Local 150:
“We are challenging Scott Drury’s candidacy on behalf of working men and women across Illinois because when it has mattered most, Representative Drury has sided with Governor Rauner against middle-class families. Drury refused to stand up to Governor Rauner’s ‘right-to-work’ agenda when workers were counting on him, causing a vital veto override to fail by a single vote.
“Our challenge is based in the simple fact that Representative Drury failed to abide by the same election law we expect every candidate to follow. Illinois families cannot afford an attorney general who will side with Bruce Rauner’s extreme agenda, and we deserve an attorney general who pays attention to detail.
“Because Representative Drury will use the tens of thousands of dollars he has taken from wealthy Republicans to find a loophole in the law, we have retained Mike Kasper, a top election attorney, to ensure that Drury is held accountable for his faulty filing.”
Representative Jeanne Ives, challenger to incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner, has released a new radio ad statewide. The :60 second spot, Lead the Charge, contrasts Ives record as a conservative reformer with Rauner’s record of betrayal.
My name is Jeanne Ives and I’m the conservative Republican running against Bruce Rauner for Governor.
I’m an economic liberty, pro-family West Point grad.
I’ve spent the last five years battling Chicago Democrats.
I didn’t think I’d have to spend so much time battling Bruce Rauner.
But when Rauner betrayed conservative families, that’s exactly what I did.
Rauner made Illinois a sanctuary state. I voted against it.
Rauner made you pay for abortions in all nine months of pregnancy. I voted against it–and so did every other Republican legislator.
Rauner took money from your schools to bail out the Chicago Public Schools. I voted against it.
National Review has called Rauner the worst Republican governor in the country, because he is.
Rauner betrayed us.
I honor who we are as conservatives.
Rauner can’t win re-election.
He said he’s not in charge.
With your help, I’ll lead the charge.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I was sent this new Personal PAC social media ad last night and forgot to post it today…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Statement in response to Ives ad from Jennifer Welch, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action PAC Chair:
“The latest misleading ad from Jeanne Ives further perpetuates falsehoods about abortion care in Illinois. Ives continues to attack a legal medical procedure by making untrue claims about specific details that are not a part of House Bill 40. To be clear, HB 40 did not include any language regarding when abortions are performed. Illinoisans expect their elected officials to tell the truth. Rep. Ives is falsely representing a law and misleading voters.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Press release…
The following can be ascribed to Colleen K. Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois:
Seeking the Governor’s office in Illinois, Representative Jeanne Ives seems determined to mislead the electorate. Her campaign’s new radio advertisement ignores the reality that House Bill 40 – passed and signed into law over her objections – simply ensures access to health care (including abortion care) for low-income women and some state workers in Illinois. It did nothing – nothing – to expand or alter when abortion care is legal in our state. She may have opposed the legislation, but she cannot mislead people as to its actual meaning and intent.
State Rep. Jeanne Ives said Tuesday she’s not concerned about winning over those offended by a controversial TV ad she released last weekend.
“It’s a 50 percent plus one race; of 800,000 primary voters, I need 400,000 plus one. Same thing in the general,” said Ives, who is running in the GOP primary against incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“The purpose of that ad was to explain who Gov. (Bruce) Rauner has sided with,” she said in a meeting with the Herald & Review Editorial Board. […]
Ives said she wants to be the unifier that Rauner hasn’t been, building coalitions to get her agenda passed. She said he “got nothing done and then only put in a progressive social agenda that is completely against our party platform.”
The running mate of Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives says a controversial ad was created to draw attention to the campaign, but says the content is not racist.
“We knew when we released this it would draw a lot of attention because it’s so in your face,” said Rich Morthland of Cordova, who is running for Lt. Governor with Ives.
“But, I don’t think it’s racist. What I think is wrong is to have an incumbent running away from his own record and he has allies and surrogates trying to defend him and derail this ad,” said Morthland in an interview Monday with WQAD-TV. […]
Morthland says he doubts the controversial will be pulled, and said it has accomplished what it set out to do.
“To draw attention”, he said. “Drastic times, they call for serious measures.”
The ad is not subtle. It’s harsh. Several actors appear in the spot, including a young woman in a pink cat protest hat who thanks Rauner for expanding taxpayer-supported abortions, and a man whose face is covered by a kerchief who thanks Rauner for protecting “illegal immigrant criminals.” The portrayals are demeaning. […]
Yes, the ad is directed at Rauner and lampoons his political record. We get that, and we get that campaigns are rough and tumble. “The commercial does not attack people, it tackles issues,” Ives said. That’s where she’s wrong. The Ives campaign created a TV ad with bouncy background music that featured cartoonish liberal characters, and included a man in a dress who claims he can now use the girls bathroom. The ad goes well beyond tweaking Rauner. It mocks and belittles Illinois residents who shouldn’t face derision from a gubernatorial candidate. Ives is punching down, and in a way that strikes many voters as intolerant of people who already face a lot of that. […]
She wants to be governor of all the people, yet she reveals a side of her character that’s unbecoming of an elected leader. Ives disparages the LGBT community to ignite her campaign.
What’s offensive? The ad doesn’t dwell on her policy positions. Its scoffing tone shows that Ives believes people who are different from her are fair game for ridicule. That’s a problem for someone who wants to be governor.
“Thank you for signing legislation that lets me use the girls’ bathroom,” the man in the dress says to Rauner in the ad, referring to a bill Rauner signed. The bill actually said nothing about transgender bathroom rights. Instead, it allowed transgender people to change their gender printed on birth certificates with a doctor’s approval.
Can this kind of stuff get you elected in a Republican primary? Who knows? Donald Trump won the White House by, in part, bashing undocumented immigrants, who are largely law-abiding, as a bunch of killers.
And taking the low road has earned Ives another $2 million campaign donation from the conservative Lake Forest donor Dick Uihlein — the same enlightened guy who bankrolled creepy Judge Roy Moore’s campaign in Alabama.
“What’s the big deal?” Ives asked on Monday, responding to critics of the ad.
Jeanne Ives’ new political attack ad is brilliantly dreadful and dreadfully brilliant.
Dreadful because it trots out ugly stereotypes and peddles brazen lies.
Brilliant because, by provoking an indignant response not only from liberals but also mainstream members of Ives’ own Republican party, the ad is giving her a big shot of what her campaign now needs most: Publicity.
The governor was also asked if he had any thing he wanted to “do-over” from his first term. […]
He also said he would have spent “even more time trying to get groups of legislators together,” instead of focusing on one legislator at a time.
“The [Illinois House] speaker [Mike Madigan] can rule with an iron fist and fear. If we can get them as groups to stand up. People, the caucus, realizes that. Many of the Democratic members realize what I’m working for and actually would help, but they’re scared. And we need to get them united as groups of people,” Rauner said.
Groups of legislators? Like what? The Black Caucus? The Downstate Caucus? Women? Chicagoans? Greens? Which one of those groups would unite with him against Madigan?
When Don Moore, a Republican vying to run for state representative in the 108th Illinois House district, started his fundraising committee in January, he had a little more than $1,000 in the account.
Since then Moore, a Troy resident and Madison County Board member, has reported only a $2,000 in-kind contribution from the Chicago-based Illinois Opportunity Project, which paid for consulting services.
However, commercials supporting Moore, who is challenging state Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, have been running on cable television in the area as well as online.
So how does someone with little money in his campaign account have so many 30-second TV commercials, including a two-week set of advertisements with cable provider Spectrum Reach in Madison County for 282 spots?
* The answer is Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC, which has busted the caps in that primary race by doing independent expenditures with ads like this…
I gotta say, I kinda like that ad. It sticks with you.
Rep. Meier voted for the tax hike, but voted against the veto override.
* Related…
* Tom Kacich: Ives’ strategist backing more than one horse: Dan Proft, a Chicago radio host and head of the Liberty Principles Political Action Committee, has directed $105,610 into the campaign of Dan Caulkins, a former Decatur City Council member and current Eastern Illinois University trustee. Proft, formerly an ally of Gov. Bruce Rauner, now is advising the Ives campaign… The unusually sizable Liberty Principles PAC expenditures, which went to mailings, television advertising, social media and digital advertising on Caulkins’ behalf, also remove overall contribution limits for all candidates in the 101st District race.
Today, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle endorsed JB Pritzker for governor. President Preckwinkle joins U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Secretary of State Jesse White, State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, and Chicago City Treasurer Kurt Summers in supporting JB’s campaign to defeat Bruce Rauner.
“Toni Preckwinkle has worked tirelessly for Cook County and I’m so proud to have her endorsement,” said JB Pritzker. “From strengthening the county’s healthcare system to reforming its criminal justice system, she has shown a deep commitment to serving the people. While Bruce Rauner slashes funding for critical services and tries to pit communities against each other, I will be Toni’s partner in the work ahead to invest in our communities and lift up Illinois families. I will be a governor who listens, brings people together, and moves our state forward and I am so proud to have Toni Preckwinkle’s support in this campaign.”
“I’ve seen JB’s record and I know what’s in his heart,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “This is a leader who has been there for our communities. From expanding early childhood education and providing school breakfasts to low-income students, to supporting critical organizations like the Center on Wrongful Convictions, the DuSable Museum, and After School Matters, JB has done the real work to build opportunity in our communities. Right now, the only question our community should be asking is who has a record of showing up for us, and I truly believe that JB is that leader.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the ILGOP…
Morning Rich,
Just wanted to flag for you that Toni Preckwinkle has already endorsed Pritzker. See the attached video from WTTW on 10/16/17. It’s a bit disingenuous for them to claim that it’s a new endorsement.
…Adding… The Pritzker campaign accurately points out that they never issued a formal endorsement by Preckwinkle until today.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Meanwhile, this campaign press release sure makes it look like Biss will get the NASW nod today at 10…
On Wednesday, February 7, Daniel Biss will hold a press conference with the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
WHAT: Press Conference with NASW
WHEN: Wednesday, February 7, 10 - 11 a.m.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Today, at a press conference in Springfield, the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers announced their endorsement of Daniel Biss and Litesa Wallace for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois.
“We’re proud to endorse Daniel Biss for governor,” said NASW IL Legislative Affairs Director Kyle Hillman. “Social workers have been on the frontlines of the budget crisis, and we know there’s no forgiving Bruce Rauner for the chaos and destruction he’s brought our communities. At the same time, we know many of our problems began before Bruce Rauner: access to care has long been restricted along lines of race, class, and geography, and decades of lawmakers have failed to raise the revenue necessary to secure funding for social services from one year to the next.
“We’re with Daniel because we’ve seen him take on our broken system as he’s led the fight for a progressive income tax and because he has a track record of passing meaningful reforms, such as banning the unscientific and incredibly damaging “conversion therapy” for minors and allowing social workers to be reimbursed by Medicaid. We’re proud to stand with him in this race, just as he’s stood with us for years.”
“I’m proud to receive the endorsement of the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers,” said Daniel Biss. “We’ve collaborated for years to resist Bruce Rauner’s budget cuts and develop policies to support social workers and the families they serve, and I was honored to be chosen as the NASW IL legislator of the year in 2017. However, as proud as I am of the work we’ve done together, I’m also frustrated at how our agenda has been stifled by Bruce Rauner, his budget crisis, and the broken political system he represents. I’m running for governor to change what’s possible—for social workers, and for middle-class and working families all across our state—and looking forward to working with NASW IL in years to come to make our progressive vision a reality.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner has won the endorsement of the Cook County Republican Central Committee over challenger state Rep. Jeanne Ives, just as her campaign has been gaining money and recognition.
Cook County was important in the 2014 Republican governor primary, when Rauner prevailed by more than 27,000 votes over his nearest competitor, then-state Sen. Kirk Dillard. Rauner won the nomination by fewer than 24,000 votes statewide.
Though the county is a Democratic stronghold in statewide elections, it also had the most Republican primary voters in Illinois that year. More than 168,000 people in Cook County voted for a GOP candidate for governor in the 2014 primary. […]
On Tuesday, the Cook County GOP announced Rauner got 66 percent of its endorsement vote to 15 percent for Ives. Its statement didn’t elaborate on the remainder.
