* In other news, there’s an unusual disclosure at the tail end of a George Will column today which cheers on Illinois state employee Mark Janus’ fair share case against AFSCME…
This columnist’s wife, Mari Will, is an adviser to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who originally filed the lawsuit that became Janus v. AFSCME.
The Rauner campaign confirmed today that she is advising the governor. I asked how long she’d been with the campaign, but haven’t heard back. Her website doesn’t have a client list and I searched expenditure reports on the Board of Elections site and neither she nor her consulting firm Maseng Communications turned up any hits. So, it looks like her hiring was fairly recent.
Ms. Will previously worked for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s presidential campaign. Gov. Walker was also in that Rauner TV ad.
The Greitens thing and the Will thing aren’t at all related, of course. But, hey, I did some work on that George Will column, then realized it wasn’t enough to post on its own and then Greitens was arrested, so presto. Instant blog post.
* But, then I figured I needed something from Indiana to make this post complete. Gov. Eric Holcomb was the third governor in that Rauner TV ad. The big news in Hoosier Land today is Gov. Holcomb’s pledge to sign a Sunday alcohol sales bill.
* This was a bit weird yesterday, but people were clapping, so whatevs…
A very strange diversity demonstration today as @GovRauner celebrated Black History month. Keynote speaker Tyronne Stoudemire VP for Global Diversity at Hyatt explains what it looks like. @ABC7Chicago#twillpic.twitter.com/qIaDScybr7
In an awkward onstage appearance this week, Gov. Bruce Rauner drank a glass of chocolate milk to demonstrate his belief in diversity.
“It’s really, really good,” Rauner said after taking a sip of the sugary drink. “Diversity!” […]
[Hyatt Hotels diversity and inclusion executive Tyronne Stoudemire] told Chicago Inc. he’s been using the chocolate milk stunt for 16 years as a simple way to illustrate the lack of diversity at the top of Fortune 500 companies. He typically picks on the most powerful person in the room to be his assistant, he said, adding that Rauner “didn’t know what he was getting into.”
He declined to comment on Rauner’s efforts to improve diversity in Illinois government, but said, “I give him credit for his willingness to step up and put himself out there … he could have said, ‘No.’ ”
Rauner’s spokeswoman Rachel Bold did not respond directly when asked whether Rauner was embarrassed by the stunt, but wrote in a statement, ”This was the event moderator’s example of diversity that an audience of all ages could see and understand. It was one of two demonstrations at the event, both of which received ovations from the crowd.”
Gotta be Pritzker’s fault since it was a Hyatt guy’s idea. Then again, by logical extension it would be… Madigan’s fault? We can only guess.
* Anyway, Dictionary.com trolled the governor today…
Diversity. Noun. The inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc.
* I went down a bit of a rabbit hole today after seeing a typo in one of Dan Proft’s papers…
State Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) is portrayed as having “served up” her constituents in the 115th House District in a new Liberty Principles PAC ad on YouTube ridiculing her as a pawn of powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).
“You know Terri Bryant voted for Mike Madigan’s 32 percent income tax hike, but that’s only half the story,” a voice blares in the ad. Branding the tax hike the largest in state history, the video adds “after raising taxes, Bryant sent our money to bail out Chicago Public Schools’ pensions.”
So, you’ve got a Proft paper story that’s purely about a Proft PAC’s ad. How… 21st Century of them. Click here to watch the spot.
* Now, for the typo, scroll down to the end of the story…
Bryant is being challenged in the March 20 Republican primary by Paul Jacobs of Pomona, who is running on a platform of proposed budget reforms and spending cuts.
Citing rising taxes as one of the primary reasons for the state’s spiraling out-migration problem, Griffith has also blasted Bryant over her support for the state’s newly enacted $36.1 billion spending plan.
Griffith? Who dat?
* For the answer, read this eerily similar story about an eerily similar Proft ad written by the same author for a different Proft paper…
With just weeks remaining before the March 20 primaries, a new Liberty Principles PAC ad on YouTube blasts incumbent state Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) as doing a disservice to her 93rd House District constituents based on her constant support of powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).
“You know Norine Hammond voted for Mike Madigan’s 32 percent income tax hike, but that’s only half the story,” a voice blares in the ad. Branding the tax hike the largest in state history, the video adds “after raising taxes, Hammond sent our money to bail out Chicago Public Schools’ pensions.” […]
Hammond is being challenged in the Republican primary by U.S. Army veteran and Abingdon resident Joshua Griffith, who has repeatedly blasted her throughout his campaign over her support for the $36.1 billion budget plan enacted last year. [Emphasis added.]
So, the guy who wrote both of those stories must’ve been typing too fast and got his primary races a little mixed up. It happens, but it made me look around.
* If you click here, you’ll see the Hammond ad is almost identical to the Bryant ad. And Liberty Principles PAC produced two other nearly identical ads. One’s against Rep. Charlie Meier, the other against Rep. David Reis. One of Proft’s papers also has a story up about the Proft ad against Rep. Meier. Click here.
OK, so he does a lot of cookie-cutter stuff. No surprise.
The factory-like production standards did create somewhat of a problem because the ad claims the education funding reform bill was a “Chicago bailout” and notes that Reis voted for it. That’s true, but as Reis points out, his Proft-backed opponent is on record saying he would’ve voted for the bill as well. It’s not a real problem, though, because Proft’s ad is an independent expenditure. So, by law, he’s not supposed to coordinate with the candidate.
* But, wait, there’s more. Three of the four aforementioned Proft-backed candidates have nearly identical websites (Griffith, Moore and Jacobs).
And if you go to the “News” section of each of those sites, you’ll see that most of the posted stories are actually from… you guessed it: Proft’s papers.
Illinois voters could get a say whether the state should legalize recreational marijuana if lawmakers decide to put the question on November ballots.
A state Senate committee advanced the idea on Wednesday, but a ballot question would be non-binding. That means it would work like a statewide public opinion poll and wouldn’t legalize marijuana even if a majority of voters approve. Lawmakers who want to legalize the drug could get a political boost, though, if voters favor it. […]
In voting against the ballot question, state Sen. Chris Nybo, R-Elmhurst, named property tax reductions, redistricting reform and term limits for party leaders as questions he’d rather see on the ballot.
“Of all of the issues that we as a state are facing and that we have the opportunity to present to our citizens in terms of an advisory referendum, I would frankly put this one very low down the list,” Nybo said.
* There was an objection to the question’s language, saying it should stop at “21 years of age” and not include the subsequent mention of tobacco and alcohol, but isn’t that important?…
“Do you support the legalization of possession and use of marijuana by persons who are at least 21 years of age, subject to regulation and taxation that is similar to the regulation and taxation of tobacco and alcohol?”
Gun control advocates are renewing their push to require Illinois firearm stores to get state licenses, saying federal regulations do not go far enough to ensure sales are handled properly.
Legislation to license dealers cleared the state Senate last year, but stalled in the House amid fierce opposition from gun rights groups. They contend that licensing would drive up the price of purchasing a firearm by as much as $300.
Democrats in the Senate are hoping to calm those fears, advancing companion legislation on Wednesday to limit the cost of licensing fees to $1,000 for a five-year period.
* Press release…
State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) along with Attorney General Lisa Madigan and other allied organizations are pushing new legislation, the Illinois Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act which would stop companies from making essential drug prices too high.
“News of Martin Shkreli’s Turing Pharmaceuticals buying a vital AIDS medication and raising the prices from $13.50 to $700 a tablet shocked the world,” said Rep. Guzzardi. “But the sad truth is, that kind of price gouging happens all the time. In fact, more than 400 generic drugs saw price increases of more than 1000 percent between 2008 and 2015. That’s unacceptable, and it’s time we make it illegal.”
The legislation gives the Illinois Attorney General’s office the power to put the brakes on price gouging of essential off-patent or generic drugs. Drug companies that increase prices sharply must show documentation that they are raising prices due to increased production costs. If they can’t do so, they will face civil penalties including restitution to customers and fines of up to $10,000 per violation.
Maryland passed a generic drug bill in 2017, and over half of state legislatures in the country introduced similar bills.
“Out-of-control drug prices have a profound impact on our budget, as the state spends billions each year on prescription drugs through the Medicaid program,” Guzzardi said. “This bill will curtail an egregious practice that’s exploiting the sick and the vulnerable for corporate profit, and bankrupting our state in the meantime.”
In many instances, generic drugs play an important role in keeping healthcare costs down. But a scathing, bipartisan US Senate report described the process by which some generic companies gain monopolies over essential drugs and raise the prices exorbitantly. The Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act takes aim specifically at this behavior.
The bill, HB4900, has been assigned to the House Human Services Committee.
* Press release…
The Annie LeGere Law is another step closer to implementation as an amendment sponsored by State Senator Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurst) seeks to increase participation of medical professionals in the program that would place epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens) in the hands of law enforcement across the state. The amendment was approved unanimously by the State Senate on February 21.
“The EpiPen program is a vital public health measure that has a proven need, and can truly mean the difference between life and death in the case of a fatal allergic reaction,” said Nybo. “Elmhurst Police Department has already budgeted for the EpiPens and extensive device training—the only challenge presented is the hesitance from health professionals to provide the prescriptions and approve the training courses. After hearing their feedback, I believe Senate Bill 2226 will offer them the liability protection and coverage they need to join our initiative.”
The amendment specifies that any physician, physician’s assistant or advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority who issues a prescription or standing order for epinephrine to an Illinois police department will not be subject to civil or professional liability for law enforcement’s misuse of the medication.
The Annie LeGere Law, effective as of January 2017, allows for Illinois police officers to carry and administer EpiPens on duty as an emergency measure to reverse life-threatening allergic reactions following proper training and procedural requirements. The legislation was inspired by Elmhurst’s own Annie LeGere, a 13-year-old who passed away from a fatal allergic reaction that could have been prevented by epinephrine.
“Pending the approval of the House of Representatives and the signature of the Governor, law enforcement officers could begin training on EpiPens and carrying them this year,” said Nybo. “We’ve suffered losses in past years from police departments being without these life-saving devices. Together with members of law enforcement, state and local government, the medical community and the public, let’s all take a step in the right direction—and as soon as possible.”
Senate Bill 2226 was approved by the State Senate, and now State Representative Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park) will sponsor it in the House of Representatives.
As we read recent headlines about the kinds of inappropriate and disgusting behavior that have been tolerated for years by the Madigan/Democrat machine, I write you today about similar behavior by a current candidate running under our Republican Party label. In particular, I’m writing you because your name has been associated with that individual, potentially without your permission.
You may have heard over the past few months about a meeting in which an unnamed Republican township chairman directed offensive questions and comments to Erika Harold, a Harvard attorney and former Miss America, who is our party’s leading candidate for Attorney General. That chairman asked Ms. Harold personal questions about her marital status, and even her sexual orientation, going so far as to inquire whether she was a “lesbo.” The chairman also used the full n-word repeatedly in front of Ms. Harold and her assistant, asking whether she found its usage offensive.
After the initial reports, it was confirmed that the chairman in question is Burt Minor, of Winfield Township. Mr. Minor later filed petitions to become a candidate for State Representative in the 42nd District, the seat currently held by Representative Jeanne Ives.
At an in-person meeting that Mr. Minor requested with me, with a witness present, Mr. Minor confirmed that he had asked Ms. Harold if she was a lesbian and that he had used the full n-word in her and her assistant’s presence. He explained this away by claiming that Ms. Harold “wanted him to ask the question” about her sexual orientation and claiming that Ms. Harold asked him to say the full n-word. Suffice it to say, this is not how the other participants to the meeting heard or understood the statements, nor how they reported those statements to others both immediately after the meeting occurred and consistently in the months since.
While this conduct is not appropriate for anyone in our Party, it is especially outrageous for a declared Republican candidate for Illinois General Assembly.
The General Assembly’s unified endorsement of “#MeToo” and “#TimesUp” isn’t just lip service–it’s a recognition and demand that the culture of sexual harassment in Springfield is, and must be, finished for good. Additionally, revelations like the FBI wiretaps of conversations between Democrat gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker and disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich demonstrate that we still have a long way to go in addressing race discrimination in Illinois politics.
Mr. Minor’s boorish behavior is beyond the pale on both fronts. I would respectfully contend to you that a person willing to engage in this sort of speech–the casual use of vile racial epithets–and line of inquiry–asking unmarried women highly personal questions about their sexual orientation–is not fit to serve in the House Republican Caucus. And I am certain that my fellow caucus members agree.
Since Mr. Minor’s actions came to light, many in our Party have urged Mr. Minor to withdraw his candidacy for state representative. However, he has continually refused to do so. And, just as with the white supremacist currently running as an alleged Republican in the 3rd Congressional District, we appear to have no means to have Mr. Minor thrown off the ballot.
The reason I bring these concerns specifically to your attention is that Mr. Minor has used your name as one of his alleged endorsers. And in numerous consultations with others whose names Mr. Minor listed in his fundraising solicitations and on his web site, I have learned that he fabricated a not insubstantial number of those endorsements, including alleged endorsements from my own colleagues in the Illinois General Assembly. Some of those individuals have since asked to be removed from his solicitations, his website, and any campaign literature.
If you fall into the category of those whose names are being used without their permission, then I would respectfully request that you contact Mr. Minor directly and instruct him not to use your name as an endorser. I know that some individuals in this category have not reached out to Mr. Minor as of yet, because they do not want to risk recrimination from him, but at this time and under these circumstances, I would urge that his unauthorized use of your name gives an impression of support for Mr. Minor that is undeserved and unwarranted.
If you did give Mr. Minor permission to use your name as an endorser on his solicitations, then I would respectfully request that you withdraw your endorsement, because he is not fit to serve as a Republican nominee for the General Assembly.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
Peter Breen
House Republican Floor Leader
State Representative, 48th District
* Erika Harold’s campaign and Breen’s witness, Kevin Fitzpatrick, both confirmed the two conversations.
“She found [Minor’s comments] offensive when he said them and she told him at the time they were offensive,” said Ms. Harold’s spokesperson Jason Heffley.
Fitzpatrick said Minor explained to Breen during their meeting that Harold wanted to be asked about her sexual orientation because “she wanted to get it on the record” that she was straight.
Asked if Harold wanted Minor to ask the question about her sexual orientation, Heffley flat-out denied his candidate ever did such a thing.
During the follow-up meeting with Breen, Fitzpatrick said that Minor explained he used the n-word while “discussing a radio show” hosted by Joe Walsh. Heffley confirmed that Minor used the word several times in his meeting with Harold.
*** UPDATE 1 *** React is coming in. From GOP Rep. Dave McSweeney…
Minor needs to drop out of the race now! I hope that Tim Schneider, Chairman of the Illinois Rauner Party, immediately seconds my call for Minor to exit the race.
* From GOP Rep. Mark Batinick…
A few weeks ago I became aware of very troubling statements made by township chairman Burt Minor who is a Republican State Representative candidate. I have since had those statements confirmed by multiple sources and have been working with party officials in an attempt to remove him from the race. It is my understanding that those attempts have been futile. This sort of conduct does not belong in our party and will not be tolerated. He needs to immediately withdraw.
*** UPDATE 2 *** House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
Mr. Minor’s statements are offensive and beyond unacceptable. I call on him to withdraw from the race immediately.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From GOP Rep. Grant Wehrli…
Racism in any form cannot be tolerated anywhere. Burt Minor must withdrawal from this race immediately. After learning of his disturbing comments I can no longer support his candidacy
*** UPDATE 4 *** From Gov. Rauner’s campaign spokesperson Will Allison…
Erika Harold is a star attorney and candidate who is a bright part of the future of the Republican Party in Illinois. Burt Minor’s racist and demeaning language has no place in the GOP or our society. He should drop out of the race.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Gov. Rauner and Rep. Jeanne Ives agree on something…
Based on the letter from my colleague Rep. Peter Breen and the corroboration of the accusations against Burt Minor, I join my colleagues in calling for Mr. Minor to withdraw from the primary election to be the nominee for the seat I currently hold. Mr. Minor’s alleged comments are inexcusable, indefensible and disqualifying.
*** UPDATE 6 *** Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider…
I was appalled to learn today of Mr. Minor’s deeply offensive comments. His words do not represent the views of the Illinois Republican Party. Racial and gay slurs have no place in our political discourse and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Mr. Minor should withdraw from the race for State Representative in the 42nd House District and immediately issue an apology to Erika Harold and to all Illinoisans he offended by his disgusting choice of words.
“We had a meeting with [Winfield Township Republican Chairman] Burt Minor, and during the course of the conversation he asked me if I had children. I said no. He asked me if I was married. I said no. He then asked me if I had ever been married. I said no.”
Harold said Minor then asked her if she was a lesbian, using a slur.
Harold said she told him no.
“But then I also made it clear that someone’s sexual orientation should not be used to disqualify them for running for office,” Harold said.
Harold said Minor seemed “surprised” that she was standing up for herself.
Within the same conversation, Minor also asked Harold whether it was ever appropriate to use the n-word, “but he said the full word,” she said.
*** UPDATE 8 *** From Minor…
STATEMENT FROM BURT MINOR
Candidate, 42nd House District
Last October, I met with Erika Harold in my capacity as Winfield Township Republican Chairman, at her request, to discuss the challenges she might face in her campaign for the Republican nomination for Attorney General. Our meeting has been greatly misrepresented.
Not all Republican voters are comfortable discussing issues of race and sexual orientation. I wish it were different, but it is a reality those of us active in the Republican Party’s leadership confront, not infrequently.
My discussion with Erika was an attempt to point out this unfortunate reality, it was in no way meant to be offensive. I honestly left our meeting unaware that our conversation might have made Erika uncomfortable. My apologies to Erika if she was in any way offended.
Erika is a great candidate who has a bright future in the Republican Party.
Throughout my 23 years in the military, I worked alongside people of all faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds. We worked together to get the job done, and that is the way it should be. Period.
Ironically, at the 2016 Illinois Republican State Convention I was vilified for defending fellow Republicans who were advocating for a more inclusive and tolerant Illinois Republican Party Platform.
I was also upset with Gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives recent television advertisement. Interestingly, many of the individuals criticizing me over this misunderstanding remain silent about that disgustingly provocative television ad. The hypocrisy is stunning.
Peter Breen and Kevin Fitzpatrick, who are attempting to capitalize on this misunderstanding for the benefit of one of my opponents, tried to bribe me months ago with the offer of a government job if I were to get out of this race. They told me that they wanted another candidate to win because Peter Breen would be able to control her. When I declined the offer, they said they would support my daughter if she were ever to run for higher office. This morning, when Peter sent his letter to the media he attempted to follow through on a promise to destroy my reputation.
I completely understand the fierce reaction this misunderstanding has generated, but I wish those who rushed to judgment would have gotten all the facts first. I intend to discuss those facts and the many issues of importance to the residents of Illinois’ 42nd District in the days leading up to Election Day. So there is no further misunderstanding, let me be clear, I believe there is no place for racism or intolerance in the Republican Party and the State of Illinois.
*** UPDATE 9 *** Sen. Kwame Raoul…
I applaud the Republican leaders and others who have joined together to speak out against this incident. No one who’s putting themselves forward as a candidate - in politics or in the workplace - should be subjected to what Erika faced. Unfortunately, this incident represents a broader reality of what individuals face everyday and we all need to join together to put an end to it.
*** UPDATE 10 *** Rep. Peter Breen…
Burt Minor’s statement makes clear that he doesn’t deny the allegations against him, nor does he see any problem in his repeated use of the full n-word in conversation or his questions to an unmarried woman about whether she is a “lesbo.” He now shifts the blame to the victims of his vile actions for being “uncomfortable,” with a half-hearted apology to Ms. Harold, “if she was in any way offended.” Burt Minor should take ownership of his outrageous and offensive statements, apologize for making them, and return to private life away from any public involvement with the Republican Party.
Burt Minor lied in his fundraising solicitations by claiming the endorsements of numerous elected officials who had never given him permission to use their name, including falsely claiming an endorsement from our Republican Leader Jim Durkin. His accusations today are more lies.
At no time was any government job offered to Mr. Minor by anyone, and certainly not by me or anyone on my volunteer team. As a state representative, I have the ability to appoint a single Legislative Aide—and I have one of the most qualified and experienced Legislative Aides in the state in that position today.
Even if I had control over 1,000 jobs, I wouldn’t willingly put a person like Burt Minor anywhere near my family, my volunteers, or any of the residents of my district. As for Mr. Minor’s daughter, I couldn’t pick her out of a lineup and have never made any statement about her, whether in regards to her apparent political ambitions or otherwise.
All of his other accusations are false, and in particular, Burt Minor now insults and slanders yet another strong female candidate—respected DuPage County Board Member Amy Grant—by claiming she would somehow be “controlled” instead of serve the people of the 42nd District. Folks in the district know Amy as an accomplished community leader, wife, and mother of two great kids. She doesn’t deserve Burt Minor’s insults.
Shame on Burt Minor. He is unfit to serve in any position of public trust.
* Bernie Sanders is having a Chicago rally this afternoon, so good timing for Biss, but notice there is no endorsement by Sanders himself. He’s said he’s not making a personal endorsement in this race. Press release…
Today, Daniel Biss announced the endorsement of Our Revolution, following the endorsement of the organization’s Illinois chapter in January.
“Our Revolution is proud to endorse Daniel Biss for governor of Illinois,” said Our Revolution President Nina Turner. “Daniel will be accountable to middle-class and working families, and to people who have been ignored and pushed aside for generations. He’s committed to co-governing and will put our shared progressive vision first in everything he does.
“FBI tapes released by the Chicago Tribune have told us all we need to know about JB’s character: he views representation as a PR stunt and will only give us a seat at the table when there’s a camera around. We deserve better—we deserve leaders who will include us at every level and tear down the broken systems that hold us back. That’s why we’re joining with Daniel in this race, and why we’re working all across the country to build a powerful, grassroots movement.”
“I’m honored to receive Our Revolution’s endorsement,” said Daniel Biss. “Our Revolution was founded to mobilize the nation around an ambitious, progressive agenda that transcends a single candidate or election cycle—and that’s just what we’re trying to do here in Illinois. As we organize around a bold vision for Medicare-for-all, living wages, free higher education, we’re transforming the Democratic Party from the ground up. I’m proud to partner with Our Revolution to build a state and a nation that put middle-class and working families first.”
In endorsing Daniel Biss, Our Revolution joins other progressive leaders and organizations including Sierra Club Illinois, National Nurses United, MoveOn, BlackRoots Resistance, Reclaim Chicago, U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly, former Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, State Representatives Kelly Cassidy, Carol Ammons and Will Guzzardi, and many more.
On Tuesday, Wauconda village hall got its first phone call from somebody yelling “Wakanda Forever.”
It’s the thrilling battle cry from the smash hit movie “Black Panther,” which opened over the weekend.
“We had a guy call and [he] was shouting that. I was a little confused,” said Alise Homola, who works at the village hall in the far northwest suburb.
“He was joking around about it,’’ she said. “He just said that ‘I was searching the Wakanda from the movie, and your village came up, so I thought I’d call you and give you a hard time.’ ” […]
To be clear, Wauconda is not the futuristic vibranium-filled African utopia of “Black Panther.” It’s a town in Lake County with a landmark nature bog.
But that hasn’t stopped comic book geeks and fans from joking on social media that the smash hit film about Wakanda might make Wauconda seem cooler than it is.
* Not a bad idea…
The people have spoken, so let's get to work on creating the Wakanda Visitors Center in Wauconda. ILGA Tweeps, let's make sure this is in the next capital bill. https://t.co/4JOnOc9lTk
In the last 30 days, Stephen Schuler became Biss’ second largest donor with a $250,000 donation in that period. Schuler is an interesting donor because his company Final Finish Inc. gave $5,000 to Gov. Bruce Rauner on Feb. 6 then gave $25,000 to Biss on Feb. 7. Schuler’s also donated to other Republicans, including the Republican National Committee, Mitt Romney and John McCain.
Given Biss’ positioning as the progressive in the race, we asked: what gives?
Here’s Biss campaign’s explanation, from spokesman Tom Elliott:
“There’s no conspiracy theory. Schuler personally gives to a lot of Dems. His company, Final Finish, is a medical marijuana group so it makes sense that they would give money to the Governor who controls the outcome of their industry in Illinois.”
I don’t really care too much about campaign contributions like that. And I checked around and was told the guy is not hatching some evil plan to back both Rauner and Biss. It was apparently a chance to have dinner with the governor and he took it. So I took a pass on the opportunity.
* But… did that really come out of the mouth of a Daniel Biss person? Hasn’t Biss said time after time that this is supposed to be “an election not an auction”? Yep.
And now his campaign is rationalizing a contribution as no big deal because it’s just Statehouse business as usual? Again, it is probably no big deal and I really hope that Schuler talked to Rauner about med-mar at the dinner because Rauner has been so darned awful on the issue. But this is the holier-than-absolutely-everyone progressive campaign we’re talking about here. SMH.
Pritzker criticized Biss for voting for the 2013 pension reform legislation that was later declared unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court, saying it contradicts his “middle class” governor narrative.
“Dan Biss introduced a bill that took pensions away from 450,000 workers across the state, including teachers and nurses. And I don’t think that’s good for the middle class,” Pritzker said. “It’s a contract we make with those folks, and it’s time we stand up to the plate and pay what’s owed to them.”
Biss said the vote was a mistake that he has since learned from, but shot back at Pritzker for donating money to a political action committee that also received contributions from Gov. Bruce Rauner and that pushed the pension reform bill.
“I was a legislator in early 2011 when there was a huge budget crisis,” Biss said. “I was trying my best and fell for a false choice on what this problem was. I’ve learned that lesson, and that lesson is visible in my voting record for years since that time.”
* Pritzker campaign press release during last night’s forum…
Despite using We Mean Business PAC as a talking point, Dan Biss cashed two checks totaling $15,000 from the very same organization. Those contributions came as Biss was writing and passing the unconstitutional pension bill that cut benefits for 467,000 teachers, university workers, and state employees. Since the bill was blocked by the Illinois Supreme Court, Biss has taken heat for his “flip-flop” as he tries to back away from the same bill he wrote.
REALITY CHECK:
After flip-flopping on pensions at the Crain’s editorial board, Biss was asked, “if you can so completely change your opinion on something you spent so much time and energy on, what can people trust you not to change your opinion on?”
Dan Biss received two contributions totaling $15,000 from We Mean Business PAC.
Biss “helped write” and led efforts to pass the pension bill that was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and cut pension benefits promised to over 467,000 state workers.
While Biss attacks JB for donating to We Mean Business PAC, the donation came two years before Biss authored the unconstitutional pension bill.
At tonight’s Illinois Democratic candidate forum hosted by the State Journal-Register, WMAY and the University of Illinois in Springfield, the Pritzker panic continued as JB Pritzker recycled his sloppy attacks against Daniel Biss.
Let’s check the facts.
Pritzker Panics on Pensions
JB Pritzker brought up Daniel Biss’ record on pensions. Pritzker neglected to mention that he funded the pro-business PAC that lobbied for a far more extreme bill.
Pritzker donated $20,000 to the We Mean Business PAC, which supported the passage of SB512, a bill designed to benefit wealthy business people over workers. Daniel Biss voted against this legislation despite Pritzker’s PAC’s pressure.
“Pensions are a promise, and I’ve been very open about my record on this issue, and what I’ve learned about it,” said Daniel Biss during the debate. “I was a legislator in early 2011 when there was a huge budget crisis. I was trying my best and fell for a false choice about the right way to solve this problem. I’ve learned that lesson, and that lesson has been visible in my voting record for years since that time. As governor, I’m going to pass fair tax policies to fund our pensions and make sure we can guarantee them.
“What I want to say about the breathtaking hypocrisy of JB Pritzker, my god, what was he doing? At that same time that I was doing something that I’ve said I learned a lesson from, he was funding a right wing organization that was attacking me from the right and trying to do away with pensions altogether. He hasn’t said he learned a lesson, he hasn’t acknowledged it, he hasn’t admitted it. It’s pure hypocrisy, it’s a failure of leadership.”
Daniel Biss has addressed his role in passing SB1 and acknowledged his error. He has explained his reasoning, the lessons he learned from it, and how his approach to the issue has changed. JB Pritzker has not.
* Chris Kennedy met with the Southern Illinoisan’s editorial board earlier this month and said this about Cairo’s school…
“Zero percent of kids in Cairo are college-ready. Seventy-five percent of high school graduates need remedial education,” Kennedy said. “The problem with Cairo is not with the housing authority. It’s with the school. It needs to be fully funded by the state.”
The senior class disagrees. In fact, 10 of the 24 members of the Class of 2018 are taking college classes this semester through Shawnee College Escrow Program. About half of them will graduate with a full year of college credit or close to a year. They will start college in the fall as sophomores.
In addition to their classes, several students have been accepted to SCC Phi Theta Kappa international honor society for two-year colleges and academic programs.
Cairo seniors have received scholarships and been admitted to colleges and universities across the country. Eight seniors spoke on behalf of their class. They started by talking about the colleges that accepted them.
“I’ve been accepted to SIU, SIUE, Tennessee State University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Culver Stockton, and DePaul University. Oh, and Spartan College,” said Mack Hicks.
In fact, most of the students who spoke up on Wednesday have been accepted to several colleges and offered scholarships. Coming from a town that has seen its share of struggle, the teens said they are unfazed by the negative comments. […]
The students said they were a little confused about Kennedy’s comment because, according to the superintendent, 42 percent of the students will enter colleges and universities as sophomores, rather than freshmen. The senior class has 24 students, and 18 of those students have at least 1 college offer. So, they said something about his math doesn’t add up
“What person that is seeking the highest job in the state would even form his lips to say something like this? (It) shows us he is not ready to be our governor,” said Mayor Pro Tem Connie Williams.
“I actually want to thank him for doubting us. It’s going to push me further right now. It makes me think: If he doesn’t think I can make it, I got to prove him wrong,” said senior Shamari Smith.
Kennedy’s campaign told the local TV station that the candidate was referring to SAT scores, which are here.
* Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery, whose union is backing JB Pritzker, was not pleased…
“Chris Kennedy sounds more like Bruce Rauner every day, disregarding the facts and tearing people down instead of seeing their promise,” said IFT President Dan Montgomery, a high school English teacher. “As we’ve been reminded this week, high school students are stronger and smarter than some adults think, and it’s good to see them teaching Chris a lesson in Cairo. Kennedy’s defense – that he was only looking at SAT data – reveals even more. As teachers, we look at students as whole people, not just test scores. We’re proud to stand with JB Pritzker, who has spent decades fighting to expand early childhood education and supporting public school students, teachers, and staff.”
* Pritzker campaign…
“Chris Kennedy ‘applauded’ Bruce Rauner for creating a crisis for public education in Illinois and is now badmouthing the same students impacted by that crisis,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Kennedy’s comments undercut the future leaders of this state and entirely disregard the hard work these students have put in to their own education.”
*** UPDATE *** IEA President Kathi Griffin…
“Chris Kennedy needs a fact checker. During a meeting with the editorial board of The Southern Illinoisan this month, he claimed “zero percent of kids in Cairo are college-ready.” It’s not only false, it’s insulting! It’s insulting to the students and it’s insulting to the hard-working teachers and support staff of Cairo schools. The students there said it better than I could say it myself when they took to the media to defend themselves, pointing out that many of them will graduate high school with a year of college already under their belts, that many of the 24 members of the graduating class have received scholarships and been admitted to colleges and universities across the country. “Our entire class is smart. We’re going places. We will just have to show them, not tell them. We have a small town, a small school, but there is a lot of love here,” Mack Hicks said. Candidate Kennedy owes Mack Hicks, his classmates and his teachers an apology.”
To: Biss for Illinois
From: Brian Stryker
Re: February Statewide Poll Findings
Daniel Biss continues to close the gap between him and JB Pritzker, trailing Pritzker by only 8 points. He has grown his vote by 20 points and caught Chris Kennedy with only two TV ads, and there’s a clear path for Biss to victory if he has the resources to continue to get his message out and build his name ID.
Key Findings
• Biss has shot up in the polls after just more than one TV ad’s worth of airtime.
We polled in the midst of Biss’ second TV ad with major movement for Biss. It’s noteworthy that between our two polls, Daniel Biss has spent roughly less than $2 million on TV while JB Pritzker has spent more than $20 million:
• Biss has a healthy lead among voters who know all three major candidates, often a good predictor of where the race is likely to go. Daniel Biss leads by 9 points among people who can identify him, Pritzker, and Kennedy (35% Biss / 26% Pritzker / 25% Kennedy).
The following findings are based off a poll of n=500 likely March 2018 Illinois Democratic primary voters conducted February 6-11, 2018. The survey was conducted on cellphones and landlines; it has a margin of sampling error of +4.4% and higher for subgroups.
*** UPDATE *** Here’s something I didn’t take into account with the Biss poll until someone called to point it out. Biss may have deliberately sent his pollster into the field on February 6th because it’s the very same day the Tribune published a story about the Pritzker conversation with Rod Blagojevich caught on wiretap about appointing a black person to the US Senate. So, yeah, Pritzker would definitely not be doing well on that day and for several days afterward.
The We Ask America poll of 811 likely voters was taken Jan. 29-30 and shows Pritzker ahead at 29.79 percent, followed by Biss at 17.43 percent. Businessman Chris Kennedy was in third with 11.50 percent. And it shows that 37.95 percent of those polled are still undecided.
* Most of the coverage of last night’s forum centered around this topic. From a Daniel Biss press release…
At tonight’s Illinois Democratic candidate forum hosted by the State Journal-Register, WMAY and the University of Illinois in Springfield, the Pritzker panic continued as JB Pritzker recycled his sloppy attacks against Daniel Biss.
JB has been sloppy in his continued attempts to smear Daniel. Let’s check the facts.
JB Pritzker is Michael Madigan’s candidate for governor. He paid his dues for the Speaker’s support with donations from newly-formed LLCs. Then after Madigan lined up establishment support for Pritzker’s campaign he returned the favor by refusing to call for Madigan’s resignation as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois in the face of his mishandling of multiple allegations of sexual harassment coming out of his office.
“I’ve called for Mike Madigan to step down as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois,” said Daniel Biss during the debate. “I’m a Democratic elected official and I’ve lost my faith in his ability to lead the Illinois House as well. We have an important choice to make in this election. I have a record of independence from Mike Madigan, but JB Pritzker is Mike Madigan’s hand-picked candidate in this race. It took JB Pritzker a week to get permission from Mike Madigan to even name him in talking about the sexual harassment cover-up. We need someone with independence, and I’m that candidate.”
After Pritzker continued to dodge the question, Biss responded.
“I just want to point out that when JB got done attacking me, he said he was going to answer the question but then didn’t, because he hasn’t gotten permission yet from Madigan to answer that question.
“But here’s the truth,” continued Biss. “There’s a Pritzker-Madigan wing of the Democratic Party, and there is a progressive wing of the Party that I’m a part of. And I’ll work with anybody. When I’m in office, I work with both parties and all wings of all parties to move a progressive agenda forward.”
As Pritzker flailed on the Madigan question tonight, he attempted to change the subject to Daniel Biss, criticizing Biss for voting for Madigan for Speaker, and running his PAC.
As a member of the House in 2010, Daniel Biss was presented with two options for Speaker: a Republican or a Democrat. Biss voted for the Democrat.
JB Pritzker doesn’t always support Democrats over Republicans. During President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, Pritzker told Bloomberg that he had to wait and see who the Republicans nominated before he could decide who to support for election, calling President Obama “mediocre.” At the time, the Republican candidates who he considered supporting over President Obama were Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul.
Daniel was offered a chance to fight against Bruce Rauner and Donald Trump’s agenda by heading the Leading Illinois for Tomorrow (LIFT) PAC, which sought to show voters the similarities between Rauner and Trump. JB Pritzker donated $900,000 to the PAC, and Chris Kennedy donated another $50,000.
* We have Biss’ full forum comments above, so let’s look at how Pritzker reacted at the event. SJ-R…
Pritzker, responding to Biss’ criticism, essentially called the state senator a hypocrite for accepting financial support from Madigan in the past while running a super PAC in 2016 that was funded heavily by Madigan allies.
Despite not doing so in his initial statement on the sexual harassment controversy, Pritzker did call out Madigan by name at the debate.
“We need to make sure that there is a fully independent investigation, something that is totally independent of Speaker Madigan’s operation and Speaker Madigan himself,” Pritzker said. “We need to make sure that we stand up for the women who come forward in workplaces across the state of Illinois and, in (running mate) Juliana Stratton and my administration, there will be a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment.”
But Pritzker did not answer a panelist’s question of whether Madigan should give up his party chairmanship, his speaker role or both.
“He hasn’t gotten permission yet from Madigan to answer that question,” said Biss in noting the dodge.
For his part, Pritzker lashed out at Biss and labeled “utterly ridiculous” the lawmaker’s claims of independence from Madigan.
“This is a state representative who got elected with Mike Madigan’s help, who accepted tens of thousands of dollars from him, who ran Mike Madigan’s super PAC and who’s accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Springfield insiders, bankers and lobbyists,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said an independent investigation that Madigan has approved will identify where blame should fall. He labeled Biss’ claim “utterly ridiculous,” contending Biss was first elected to office in 2011 with Madigan’s help and has taken “tens of thousands of dollars” from Madigan-controlled campaign committees and “from Springfield insiders, bankers and lobbyists.”
On his second try, Pritzker still avoided the question, saying an independent investigation prompted by Madigan “will determine who the perpetrators are and who is truly responsible.”
Shaw Decremer became the second Madigan operative to be dismissed this month — his exit coming just seven days after the firing of Madigan’s longtime aide Kevin Quinn after a woman came forward with allegations of unwanted and repeated advances from Quinn, the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn (13th).
“Everybody, I mean, everybody up and down the line, who is responsible should be held accountable,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker may have been lucky that Chris Kennedy couldn’t attend the forum.
*** UPDATE *** ILGOP…
As Illinois Democrats turn up the heat on Mike Madigan for his mishandling of sexual assault allegations within his political organization, one Democrat has given Madigan his tacit support - J.B. Pritzker, Madigan’s candidate for governor.
But media outlets aren’t letting Pritzker off the hook for his refusal to answer a simple question that’s on everybody’s minds - ’should Mike Madigan resign as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, House Speaker, or both?’
I already posted most of the links they included, but the party included this powerful clip of Biss after the forum that I hadn’t seen…
Biss continues calling Pritzker, “Madigan’s candidate” after debate wraps up. pic.twitter.com/PxUQpAg0Zd
* I was working on two interesting stories yesterday and they both petered out, so no Fax this morning. But we still have session, so watch it in real time with ScribbleLive…
In a joint statement release today, Republican state legislators called on Governor Rauner to end his “shameful distortions and fabrications of Jeanne Ives’ record.” They further called on Republican voters to look beyond Rauner’s fraudulent ads, and compare Ives’ record to Rauner’s record.
The letter is signed by State Representatives Tom Morrison, John Cabello, Margo McDermed, Allen Skillicorn, and David McSweeney, and State Senators Tim Bivins and Kyle McCarter.
* The letter…
We call on Bruce Rauner to stop his shameful distortions and fabrications of Jeanne Ives’ record. He can’t defend his own policies, so he’s using deep campaign coffers to flood airwaves and mailboxes with bogus attacks.
Mike Madigan’s favorite candidate? It’s Bruce Rauner who enacted key elements of a progressive social agenda, including taxpayer funding of elective abortions.
It’s Bruce Rauner who signaled he’d accept an income tax increase, paired with reforms that never materialized. And it’s Bruce Rauner who just proposed a new budget that relies on those taxes to balance spending, rather than proposing cuts.
Illinoisans are overtaxed, which is why Rep. Ives voted against the 32% income tax increase. Ives argues that property taxes shouldn’t just be frozen at their already high levels but actually rolled back to provide taxpayer relief.
Who is funding and supporting Jeanne Ives’ campaign for governor? It’s thousands of pro-taxpayer, pro-family Illinois residents who have had enough of Bruce Rauner and his capitulation to liberal Democratic lawmakers.
In conclusion, we call on Republican voters to look beyond Bruce Rauner’s fraudulent ads and instead to examine the real Jeanne Ives compared to the real Bruce Rauner. They should decide, as we have, who is the better choice to lead our party and our state. The choice is clear: Jeanne Ives.
Today, attorneys from the Thomas More Society filed a Motion for Direct Appeal in the Illinois Supreme Court, seeking to have the state’s highest court take their appeal against taxpayer funding of abortion in the Land of Lincoln. In seeking a direct appeal, or alternatively, a supervisory order from the Illinois Supreme Court to expedite their appeal, the group of plaintiffs representing hundreds of thousands of Illinois taxpayers are calling out state officials and a lower court for actions that violate the Illinois Constitution.
The taxpayer lawsuit, filed at the end of November in the Sangamon County Circuit Court, was brought by county and statewide pro-life organizations, the Springfield Catholic Diocese, and a group of Illinois legislators from across the state.
Among the points raised in the filing:
· House Bill 40 (“HB 40”) reverses the prohibition on funding of elective abortions by the Illinois’ Medicaid and employee health insurance programs and mandates coverage by Medicaid.
· Under HB 40, approximately 30,000 of the state’s annual 40,000 abortions will become eligible for payment by Medicaid. This will cost Illinois taxpayers at least $10 million, and potentially upwards of $33 million.
· With the next two months, the State of Illinois intends to release funds to pay for elective abortions, despite the fact that the law can’t even be effective until at least June 1, 2018, per the Illinois Constitution and state statute.
· The constitution also requires the General Assembly to estimate revenues and make specific appropriations for all state spending, but there were never any funds estimated to be available nor any appropriation for the tens of millions in state abortion spending mandated by HB 40.
· Because the federal government does not recognize elective abortion as a reimbursable medical procedure, none of the state’s new expense for elective abortions will be eligible for the standard 50% Medicaid match from the federal government. Illinois taxpayers will assume the entirety of the expense for HB 40’s new reimbursements.
The motion also raises the issue of extraordinary public interest regarding the ability of Illinois courts to enforce the state’s Constitution. The Circuit Court previously ruled that the courts had no ability to review or hear cases alleging appropriations to be illegal or lacking an estimate of available funds. The Appellate Court has refused to expedite the plaintiffs’ appeal, which means that millions in taxpayer funds may be illegally spent for elective abortions, before the appeal is even decided.
The defendants in the case are Felicia Norwood, Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services; Michael Hoffman, Acting Director of the Department of Central Management Services; Michael Frerichs, Treasurer of the State of Illinois; and Susana Mendoza, Comptroller of the State of Illinois.
“The people of Illinois reject taxpayer funded abortion, and they shouldn’t be forced to pay for HB 40, especially before the law is even supposed to be effective,” stated Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Special Counsel. “This year’s budget is already $1.7 billion in the hole, and the General Assembly never identified any funds available to pay for HB 40. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will allow our motion, so that we can bring this illegal abortion spending to a swift end.”
Staff members of elected officials would be granted the right to file sexual harassment claims under a measure from Senator Melinda Bush that advanced out of the Senate Executive Committee today.
“The claims that have come out over the past several months have made it clear that we need to change the way we handle sexual harassment and make sure everyone knows where to go to seek justice,” Bush (D-Grayslake) said. “The fact that staff of elected officials aren’t considered employees and therefore aren’t protected under the Human Rights Act is egregious.”
Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, immediate personal staff of elected officials are exempt from the definition of employee and are therefore unable to report human rights violations, including sexual harassment, to the Department of Human Rights. Senate Bill 576 would delete this exemption.
“It’s clear that the system was set up to protect perpetrators and leave victims with nowhere to turn,” Bush said. “Legislative staffers should’ve never been excluded from the Human Rights Act. This measure will give them the same rights as every other employee in the state.”
The pressure continues to mount on House Speaker Mike Madigan after the dismissal of a second high-ranking operative from his political organization. Now the state lawmaker who was the victim of what Madigan called “inappropriate behavior” is speaking out.
* But the story itself is not quite as advertised…
Just last week, Representative Deborah Conroy (D-Villa Park) told Madigan about incidents that happened during her 2016 campaign. Madigan quickly cut ties with lobbyist Shaw DeCremer, one of his top lieutenants. […]
Last week, Madigan fired another top campaign worker, Kevin Quinn, for sending inappropriate text messages to Alaina Hampton, who worked under him. Now there are renewed calls for Madigan to step aside. […]
But Conroy said those calls are about making political headlines. She defends how Madigan is handling things and does not believe he should step aside.
“How can you disqualify somebody from leading a charge to bring for a change when we’re just in it now? I believe it’s changing now. I believe standing up, and what Alaina Hampton said and what’s being done now are all a part of changing your culture, so you can’t condemn someone’s attempt to change something when it’s just starting,” Conroy said.
Your thoughts on this? Remember, Conroy herself was an alleged victim.
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Deb Conroy via text…
Hi Rich, I just wanted to point out that while I am working very hard to change an entrenched culture others are seeking political headlines. Interesting that none of those have taken the time to reach out to me.
Chris Kennedy will be unable to travel to Springfield for tonight’s debate.
Kennedy spokeswoman Rebecca Evans released the following statement:
“During routine exercise this morning, Chris Kennedy injured his back. Under instructions from his doctor, Chris will be unable to travel to Springfield to participate in tonight’s debate. He has spoken to the organizers of the debate who have worked so hard to put together this important forum and sent his regrets. He also sends his regrets to campaign volunteers who helped organize more than a dozen debate viewing parties throughout the state. Chris will return to the campaign trail very soon and looks forward to next week’s debate on ABC 7 Chicago.”
Dr. Joseph Alleva, Chief, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at NorthShore University Health System, issued the following statement:
“During exercise this morning, Chris injured his back. In order to fully recover, he cannot travel to this evening’s debate. The travel would only cause the condition to worsen. With our treatment strategy, I am confident Chris will be able to resume a full campaign schedule in the next few days.”
Dude finally gets a couple of boosts today from the Pritzker poll and the Trib nod and he injures himself. Oy.
…Adding… Kennedy reportedly believes he will be back on his feet and campaigning by tomorrow, but his doctor thinks it could be a couple of days. Bernie Sanders is having a rally tomorrow and there’s been a rumor going around that Chuy Garcia (who has endorsed Kennedy) could bring him on stage even though Sen. Daniel Biss was endorsed by Sanders’ group Our Revolution Illinois.
…Adding… Seems reasonable…
I'm told @Ra_Joy asked forum organizers if he could fill in for Kennedy's absence. They said no. Not the first time Kennedy's health has become a concern on the campaign trail. Campaign insists he's in good health, just a minor accident. Won't commit to releasing a full physical. https://t.co/0At9qGO6yX
“Get them out of that home NOW,” Jeanne Ives, a conservative reform Republican for Governor, demanded in a press conference todaycalling for executive action in the legionella crisis that has continued unabated in a Quincy veterans home.
Since July 2015, 13 have died from Legionnaires’ disease. Eleven families have sued the state for negligence.
In July 2016, Governor Rauner said his administration was “really on top” of the situation at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.
After that pronouncement, 3 more people got sick. A Korean war veteran died.
Recently, after his January PR stunt of staying at the home, Rauner told the Crain’s editorial board in response to a question as to whether he would’ve done anything differently in handling the crisis, “We handled it exceptionally well and we would not do anything different.”
Since that pronouncement, 4 more people have gotten sick.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), yesterday, reported the fourth laboratory-confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy (IVHQ).
“What the hell is wrong with this Governor,” asked Ives, who has used her platform as a candidate to bring attention to the crisis. “Veterans and their families are getting sick and dying, Governor. Get them out of that home NOW.
“This is as uncomplicated as it is preventable and tragic. All the talk from politicians like Rauner about how much they value our veterans, about keeping our promises to our veterans, about respecting their service, about helping them when they’re in need whatever they need…all that talk.
“13 dead. And people keeping getting sick. And the governor who says he’s not in charge is living down to that description.
“There’s nothing left to say. On March 20, Illinois families will have their say.”
* DGA…
Nearly a month ago, Rauner infamously declared that he “would not do anything different” in the aftermath of a Legionnaires’ outbreak at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. Since then four residents have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ and new reports keep raising questions about Rauner’s response to the crisis.
Yesterday, Rauner’s administration dodged a legislative committee who wanted to know why the state never acted on a recommendation to replace water pipes back in 2016. After a WBEZ investigative report into the home, which prompted a Rauner stay at the home, his team requested an updated report. And they asked for the plumbing replacement as an “emergency project” since “frail, elderly residents at the home (are) still becoming sickened.”
Rauner told Crain’s Chicago this month, “We’ve handled it exceptionally well and we would not do anything different.”
Does that still hold true?
“Bruce Rauner’s team sat on a report for 18 months, but he still praises the state’s response to the Quincy Legionnaires’ outbreak,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner’s refusal to admit mistakes shows his failure to lead. Rauner owes the public an explanation why his administration failed to act on a water pipe replacement recommendation a year and a half ago. Instead, his team continues to play blocking games as more residents get sick.”
Gov. Rauner: It’s heartbreaking. We need to keep our veterans safe. We have done everything that the National experts from the CDC have recommended. They are baffled as we are why we’ve had a few more cases. We will be relentless. We are going to protect our veterans. We’ll be taking additional action. We’ll be announcing additional steps here in the very near future.
Reporter: Governor, there are increasing calls for the veterans to move out of that facility… Is it time, I know you’ve expressed concerns about their age, to move them, but is it finally time to take that step?
Gov. Rauner: Well, we will be evaluating every option, every day. Moving the veterans is an option that we’ve evaluated in the past. We will begin evaluating it again now and at all times. We are evaluating every possible opportunity to keep our veterans safe. Here’s the issue: Our veterans are very vulnerable. They’re very susceptible to injury, to illness. They’re very fragile. Moving them increases significant risk for infections and other physical ailments. Whatever we do we need to be very thoughtful and very careful about it. We don’t want to increase their risk of damage to their health.
* He makes some very good points. The state can’t move everyone. But veterans and their families should be allowed to make an informed medical choice. If they decide they want to leave, the state should pay to move them. Period.
It’s time to stop worrying about losing votes because of lost jobs or to avoid the political horrors of admitting that mistakes were made.
The residents of that veterans’ home are the reason the home is there, after all. They did their duty for us, we need to do our duty for them. /rant
…Adding… An Ives supporter, but he’s right about this one…
We had a hearing on Jan. 8th in which I and other members demanded that Governor Rauner immediately give us a detailed plan to construct a new facility in Quincy. Instead, we got a task force. Our heroes in the Elmore Building need to be relocated until a new facility is built.
Democrats are escalating their calls for a series new statewide gun control measures in the wake of last week’s mass school shooting in Florida, including bans on assault weapons, “ghost guns” and bump stocks, a mandatory license for gun dealers, and a new move to grant courts power to seize weapons from someone flagged as a danger to themselves or others.
“Do we have to wait until a Parkland happens in Illinois for us to take action or for us to take ownership of it,” Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) asked. “There is no reason for anyone to have an assault weapon. There just isn’t. It’s a military grade gun. It is not used for protection. It is not used for hunting. We need to ban those and let communities start piece-by-piece doing that until the federal government to figure out how they’re going to do it at the national level.”
Former NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde, who now represents gun dealers, opposes a ban on assault weapons and says he uses an AR-15 to hunt deer, coyotes and prairie dogs.
“I hope he enjoys eating that meat when it’s all full of bullet holes,” heckled state representative Marty Moylan, a Democrat from the Chicago suburbs. Moylan previously proposed a ban on assault weapons in the House, but it fell flat.
* Press release…
In a response to the massive Equifax data breach, the Illinois Senate Financial Institutions Committee today favorably reported out House Bill 4095 with a unanimous bipartisan vote (8-0). The legislation bars credit reporting agencies from charging consumers a fee to place or lift a freeze on their credit report. The bill, sponsored by Representative Greg Harris, passed with unanimous bipartisan support (109 yes, 0 no) in the House last fall. Senator Bill Cunningham is the Senate sponsor.
“The Equifax data breach impacted approximately half of all Americans, and the most effective way for people to prevent identity theft is to place a freeze on their credit reports,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. “But people should not have to pay for credit freezes, particularly when they cannot choose whether to do business with the credit reporting agencies.”
A credit freeze prevents new account identity theft by stopping credit reporting agencies from sharing a consumer’s credit report with potential new creditors. Most creditors will not issue new credit to a customer without a credit report from at least one of the big three credit reporting agencies. Credit monitoring services, often peddled to consumers in the wake of data breaches, provide inferior protection: they only alert consumers once identity theft has occurred.
“Making credit freezes free for all Illinois residents is the first of multiple steps the General Assembly should take to respond to the Equifax breach, which placed an estimated 5.4 million Illinois residents at heightened risk of identity theft,” said Illinois PIRG Director Abe Scarr.
House Bill 4095 makes it easier for consumers to protect themselves from identity theft by eliminating the fees charged by credit reporting agencies to place or lift a freeze on their credit report. Current state law allows credit reporting agencies to charge consumers $10 to freeze or thaw their credit report; fees are currently waived for residents 65 and older, active service members, and victims of identity theft with a police report. Indiana, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina already allow all residents to freeze and thaw their credit reports for free. Illinois is on track to be the first state to revise credit freezelaws in response to the Equifax breach.
In written testimony provided to the committee, Illinois PIRG suggested further policy changes the General Assembly should consider, including making credit reports frozen by default, creating a one-stop shop where consumers can freeze their report with the three major credit reporting agencies at once, and shortening the time credit reporting agencies have to respond to a freeze request from days to minutes.
The free credit freeze legislation is supported by Attorney General Lisa Madigan, AARP Illinois, Center for Changing Lives, Citizen Action Illinois, Digital Privacy Alliance, Heartland Alliance, Housing Action Illinois, Illinois PIRG, Navicore Solutions, Working Credit and Woodstock Institute.
In times of emergency, hospitals are where we go to feel safe and get help. But, some say lax security could turn them from safe havens to crime scenes.
Now, one lawmaker wants every hospital in the state to use metal detectors to keep all weapons out. It’s unfortunate the lengths we have to go to, but it’s a reminder of the day and age we live in.
The legislation was filed before last week’s shooting in Florida. It’s to protect nurses and other healthcare workers from acts of violence. Now, in the wake of Florida’s shooting, the bill’s sponsor says it’s needed now more than ever.
Whether you’re fighting a cold or fighting for your life, hospitals are there with open doors, 24/7. But, that open door policy is becoming a point of concern.
“It’s hard to know exactly who’s coming into the hospital and exactly what they may have on them.”
* I received several text messages about this the other day…
Yesterday Liberty Principles PAC filed a B-1 for $480K for IE spending on behalf of many of the candidates they are supporting but it also included $12K for mail supporting Mike Madigan. Very unexpected.https://t.co/MzgOymaMbj
Along with over $400,000 other expenditures on behalf of Liberty Principles PAC-backed candidates, the report mistakenly says a mailing Proft made in Madigan’s 22nd District was on behalf of Madigan, causing a bit of an uproar among Illinois political insiders Monday afternoon.
And one that Rauner’s campaign could easily - albeit deceitfully - use to mislead voters into thinking Ives’ associate Proft is working behind the scenes to assist the Democratic Party Chairman.
It was a clerical error that has since been corrected or is in the process of so being, Proft told Illinois Review.
“RHA Marketing is a direct mail fundraising firm I use. A clerical person who works for my election attorney (and doesn’t know IL politics) made a data entry mistake because the direct mail fundraising letter in question mentioned Mike Madigan–as in winning the 9 seats we need in the House to depose Mike Madigan as Speaker–so she thought it was on his behalf,” he explained.
“No mailing was sent out on behalf of Mike Madigan. Again, in fact, it was a letter to raise money for my PAC for the explicit purpose of defeating Mike Madigan-backed House candidates and removing him as Speaker. It was an innocent, clerical error. That’s all,” Proft said in an email.
Today Republican Gary Grasso, candidate for Illinois Attorney General, launched a new radio advertisement called “Conservative Choice” highlighting the major differences between the two candidates. The :30 second spot points out the fact that Miss Harold has never tied a case since her graduation in 2007.
Republicans, you do have a choice in the race for Attorney General – the tested, experienced and conservative Gary Grasso or the unproven, untested, liberal Miss Erika Harold.
Gary Grasso has been the lead counsel for hundreds of law cases, while Erika Harold has not even tried a single case.
Grasso, a former two term mayor, is proud to be pro-life. Grasso also opposes Illinois’ sanctuary state law.
Vote for Gary Grasso, the clear, conservative choice for Illinois Attorney General.
“J.B. Pritzker is spineless. Even as top Illinois Democrats and two of Illinois’ leading newspapers call on Mike Madigan to resign his post as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois for his mishandling of a sexual harassment scandal, Pritzker remains silent. Why? Because Mike Madigan is the man behind J.B. Pritzker’s campaign for governor.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
In what may be unprecedented editorials from two of Illinois’ top newspapers, the State Journal-Register and Chicago Tribune called on Illinois Democrats to force House Speaker Mike Madigan to resign his post as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois in light of Madigan’s mishandling of sexual harassment complaints within his political organizations.
From the State Journal-Register editorial:
.
..But it took public complaints for Madigan and company to act — an illustration of how unimportant it was for them to have a legislative inspector general until it became politically unpopular for there not to be one.
And now, Madigan faces similar issues about how his political operation is run. Once again, it appears it took negative public attention to push Madigan into motion.
…Organizations reflect their leadership. Even if Madigan was not initially personally aware of these allegations in his political operation, he has allowed an environment to flourish that allowed harassment and bullying.
…The concentration of power that Madigan holds isn’t healthy for Illinois Democrats. They should no longer accept that the speaker can also be the party chairman. It’s time for the state’s Democrats to demand change. They can start by insisting Madigan step down as chairman.
From the Chicago Tribune editorial:
It’s proper that House Speaker Michael Madigan acknowledges his failure to be a leader in the fight against sexual harassment and bullying in Illinois government and politics. It’s also stunning, given his clenched grip on power and his reluctance to take responsibility for the state of this state. We can’t remember the last time Madigan publicly displayed such humility.
…Now we are witnessing a political uprising against Madigan by a force he cannot ignore and may not outmaneuver: Female Democratic politicians — at first disappointingly, almost deafeningly quiet — have begun telling Madigan his promises to change the culture in Illinois aren’t enough. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago wants an independent investigation of Madigan’s organizations to “rip the Band-Aid off” mistreatment. So does state Sen. Melinda Bush of Grayslake. Other Democrats, some in the thick of the primary campaign, are chiming in. Candidate for governor Chris Kennedy wants Madigan to resign as party chairman. So does Marie Newman, running for Congress against Madigan ally Rep. Dan Lipinski.
…It’s on other Illinois Democrats — his caucus members, other officeholders but also voters — to force Madigan’s hand. At minimum here must be an independent investigation of his legislative offices and political operations to detail precisely how he handled allegations of harassment and bullying. Beyond that, Democrats have to decide whether, for the good and reputation of their party and the legislature, Madigan should shed some of his titles.
Top names in the Democratic Party of Illinois are joining the State Journal-Register and Chicago Tribune in calling for Madigan’s resignation as party chairman as well:
Chris Kennedy:“[Madigan] no longer can lead our party.”
State Sen. Daniel Biss: Sen. Daniel Biss has called for Madigan to step down from his dual position as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois
State Sen. Kwame Raoul: “Is it time for new leadership in the party? Yea, I believe in passing the baton…”
State Sen. Melinda Bush: Madigan “should seriously consider” resigning as party chairman.
State Rep. Litesa Wallace: Rep. Litesa Wallace says that House Speaker Mike Madigan should resign as Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, and is also questioning whether he can remain as Speaker.
State Rep. Scott Drury: Democratic attorney general candidate Scott Drury doubled down on his previous call for Madigan to resign.
Sharon Fairley: “Speaker Madigan should step down as the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois - and as House Speaker…”
Marie Newman: “It is time for Michael Madigan to resign as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.”
Noticeably absent from the Democratic chorus demanding Mike Madigan’s resignation is J.B. Pritzker, Madigan’s candidate for governor.
When will J.B. Pritzker grow a spine and demand Madigan resign his post as party chairman? Most likely never because Madigan is the man behind Pritzker’s campaign for governor.
* That Kwame Raoul quote seemed like “new” news to me, so I checked. Here’s the full quote from an Illinois News Network (formerly Illinois Policy Institute) piece…
“Is it time for new leadership in the party,” state Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, said Tuesday. “Yeah, I believe in passing the baton independent of scandal, right. I think it’s healthy for us to push a refresh button and bring new leadership.”
* I asked the Pritzker campaign for a response and they referred me to a statement they’d sent me earlier…
“I stand by Alaina and the women who have bravely come forward to share their story and as I’ve said, it’s clear that not enough was done and there needs to be a completely independent investigation to get to the bottom of what took place and hold the right people accountable. I agree with Rep. Kelly Cassidy and believe the people investigating Speaker Madigan’s operation should have no political or other ties to the Speaker. I am also glad that a task force has been set up and know that Congresswoman Bustos, Comptroller Mendoza and Representative Ammons will help make our party and our state stronger, just as they always have. In Juliana and my administration there will be zero tolerance for harassment of any kind and we will ensure there is an independent and external body to investigate all allegations in a timely fashion.”
Now, as [in 2015], Rauner argues the state can save more than $700 million from the insurance changes he wants to make. That includes $470 million by forcing state workers to pay more of their health insurance costs, $125 million by eliminating a subsidy for the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Program and $4.4 million from eliminating the same subsidy to an insurance program for retired community college employees.
Rauner said another $105 million can be saved by shifting some group health insurance costs to universities.
He couched the changes in a populist message meant to appeal to non-public workers.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for government health insurance policies that are richer than ones they can afford for themselves,” Rauner said. “It’s not fair.”
Health insurance for active state workers and retirees is being targeted for big savings in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget plan.
Rauner wants to save $700 million by negotiating new insurance plans for active workers.
His budget also calls for an end to state subsidies to the health insurance programs for retired downstate teachers and community college workers.
“By bringing health care benefits more in line with those received by the taxpayers who pay for them, we save an additional $700 million,” Rauner said Wednesday in his budget speech.
Retired state workers stand to pay more for health insurance that thousands of them now get for little or nothing under legislation the Senate approved Thursday and Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign.
The 31-20 vote represented the first major test of whether lawmakers trying to put together a new state budget can make deep cuts that will anger a large segment of voters in an election year.
“I am encouraged that legislators have taken this step toward restoring fiscal stability to Illinois,” Quinn said, adding that he will sign the bill into law. “This legislation will help ensure that our retirees continue to have access to quality health care while also lowering the cost to taxpayers.” […]
In urging colleagues to scale back retiree insurance, sponsoring Sen. Jeff Schoenberg said the escalating costs of the program could hit $1 billion in the budget year that starts July 1 if nothing is done now. The Democratic senator from Evanston said the costs are approaching $880 million this year alone, and the goal is to save $300 million or more.
…Adding… I didn’t notice this before, but the Pritzker people pointed to a weekend press release which includes this link from May 9, 2012…
The Illinois House voted Wednesday to pull free, taxpayer-funded health insurance from nearly 80,000 state retirees and retired suburban and downstate teachers, lawmakers and judges, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
SB 1313 was approved by a 74-43 vote. It takes aim at an $876 million annual subsidy that had been one of the most lucrative perks of public employment. See how the House members voted in the interactive graphic below, sorting by district, party and how they voted. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Tens of thousands of retired state employees could be stripped of their free health insurance benefit under legislation pending in the Illinois House.
House Speaker Michael Madigan and House Minority Leader Tom Cross said the $876 million cost is unsustainable at a time when the state budget is billions of dollars out of whack because of rising Medicare costs and employee pension problems.
On a unanimous vote, the House Executive Committee forwarded the proposal to the full House for further debate. It would allow a state benefits administrator to set the health insurance premium rate for 78,000 retired judges, lawmakers, prison guards, university workers and others.
Gov. Pat Quinn wants to eliminate state funding for two health insurance programs that provide coverage for retired schoolteachers and community college instructors across Illinois.
The idea, part of the new spending plan the governor unveiled last week, would cut roughly $92 million from the Teachers Retirement Insurance Program and the Community College Insurance Program. […]
Senate Republicans say state law requires the teacher retirement insurance money to be paid. Unless there’s a vote to change that law, they argue, Quinn’s proposed cut is artificial and won’t reduce spending.
State workers and public school teachers could face smaller paychecks under the budget proposal presented by Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday. […]
Increasing employee health-care contributions would bring in $200 million into state coffers. This would cost employees an average of $1,300 more annually, according to AFSCME.
Gov. Bruce Rauner today announced that Executive Inspector General Maggie Hickey will leave the administration in March to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. She will join Schiff Hardin, a general practice law firm representing clients across the country and around the world.
“Inspector General Hickey has served the residents of Illinois with integrity and enhanced the accountability of agencies under her jurisdiction,” said Gov. Rauner. “For the past three years, state employees and the public could count on Maggie for timely and thorough investigations. Her objectivity and fairness can be a model for public servants. I wish her the very best in her next endeavor.”
Hickey oversaw a number of successful programs including the Governor’s Illinois Health Care Fraud Elimination Task Force, which saved the State more than $450 million in fraudulent or wasteful spending in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. She also led the creation of the Division of Hiring and Employment Monitoring (HEM) to ensure that State agency hiring decisions are compliant with governing authority.
Prior to joining the administration in 2015, Hickey worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois for ten years and also served as chief of staff to Republican U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois.
The executive inspector general investigates misconduct complaints against the executive branch, multiple state agencies and more than 300 boards and commissions. A replacement will be announced closer to Hickey’s mid-March departure date.
The harassment issue comes at a time of a surging progressive movement within the Democratic Party that threatens the stability of a party establishment that has ruled for decades. Those battles are playing out across the Democratic primary ballot, including contests for governor, Congress and even Cook County assessor.
There is no better example of the fight between the new-guard progressives and the old-guard, Madigan-led establishment than the speaker’s backyard — the Southwest Side and suburban 3rd Congressional District, home of Madigan’s 13th Ward organization.
On Tuesday, Democratic challenger Marie Newman added her name to the list of those calling for the speaker to give up his party chairmanship. Newman is taking on 13-year Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, who succeeded his father, William, a 22-year congressman.
“It is time for Michael Madigan to resign as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Anything less would put the Democrats’ political prospects at risk in November — and more importantly, would send a signal to all victims that their voices don’t matter, and that the status quo will never be disrupted,” she said.
Lipinski, however, said Madigan has taken responsibility and admitted he must do better: “He appears to have taken a number of steps to ensure that women are better protected in the statehouse and on the campaign trail and that action will be taken against perpetrators,” Lipinski said. “I have confidence that Mike Madigan in his roles as Democratic Party Chairman and Speaker of the House will be a powerful force for change for women.”
Ald. Marty Quinn (13th) showed his face at City Hall Wednesday for the first time since his brother was fired, but refused to answer questions about the sexual harassment scandal swirling around his ward committeeman and powerful political mentor, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
With Curtis Franklin, the City Council’s burly assistant sergeant-at-arms as lead blocker, Quinn blew past reporters on his way into and out of a meeting of the City Council’s License Committee.
Quinn twice said, “good morning, everybody,” but otherwise remained silent and stared straight ahead as reporters asked him to comment about the sexual harassment allegations made against his brother and about the burgeoning scandal surrounding Madigan, the alderman’s political patron.
The alderman spoke during the hearing, but only to explain his proposal to declare yet another precinct of his Southwest Side ward off limits to new listings on Airbnb. Five other precincts are proceeding with the painstaking petition process, the alderman said.
Quinn has been under fire for the go-between role he played in the sex scandal surrounding Madigan’s vaunted and once impenetrable political organization.
* Video…
Alterman Marty Quinn ignores reporters and refuses to answer questions about his brother's firing for harassing a female subordinate in Mike Madigan's political organization @ABC7Chicagopic.twitter.com/MIlBQy9Ky6
WATCH: It's clear that Alderman Marty Quinn is not interested in addressing the issue of his brother Kevin Quinn's inappropriate texts with a female campaign worker that got him fired from Mike Madigan's political organization in the 13th Ward @ABC7Chicago#twill#politicspic.twitter.com/8mXwKhfuE1
A first-time candidate for state representative in an Illinois House district west of Champaign is calling for an independent investigation of sexual harassment in the Democratic Party in Illinois and for Michael Madigan to step down as head of the state party.
But Jen McMillin of Decatur, the only Democratic candidate in the 101st House District, said she isn’t calling for Madigan to step down as Speaker of the House “at this time.” […]
“I believe that we need to have an independent investigation and while that happens Chairman Madigan should step down only from the Democratic Party of Illinois,” McMillin, 32, said Wednesday. “We need to encourage more people to come to the Democratic Party of Illinois and know that we are open and inclusive. And I’m afraid that during this investigation that openness is called into question if Madigan continues as the chairman.”
She cited the appointment of three top Democratic elected officials — U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Moline, State Comptroller Susana Mendoza and state Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana — as leaders of a statewide discussion about the role of women in the party “a wonderful step in the right direction.
Trump won that district by 31 points and Rauner won it by 39. The only statewide Democrat to have won the 101st since 2012 was Secretary White in 2014.
So, basically, McMillin can freely speak her mind because she has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The prayer cards were collected a year ago. Bost delivered them to the White House ten months ago. He and President Trump took a photo together. The White House finally got around to sending Bost the pic the other day, which he then posted on Facebook.
Idiots on parade: In a bizarre and asinine gesture Rep. Mike Bost delivers a big bag of prayers to President Trump after the Florida school shooting.
The outrage was real after Rep. Mike Bost posted a picture of himself delivering a big bag of “thoughts and prayers” to President Donald Trump. Many of Bost’s constituents on Facebook were livid after the Illinois lawmaker posted the bizarre and insensitive photo to his Facebook feed
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been sent that link. It’s totally false.
* If you see something this insane posted on social media, take a few seconds to see if it’s true before launching into your own tirade or forwarding it to your friends.
Today, the Chicago Tribune joined the Daily Herald in endorsing Chris Kennedy for Governor because he is an independent voice willing to stand up to the political insiders in Springfield. He is the progressive, anti-establishment choice to bring change to Springfield.
The Tribune endorsement comes on the same day that JB Pritzker’s campaign released polling information showing Chris Kennedy is surging in the polls, while Pritzker and Biss are dropping.
The momentum behind Chris Kennedy’s campaign continues to build, as voters realize he’s the only candidate with the courage and the vision to bring radical change to our state government.
* Rauner campaign…
Chicago Tribune Slams Pritzker as ‘Yes Man’ and Blagojevich Groveler
In their endorsement of Chris Kennedy for governor in the Democratic primary, the Chicago Tribune clearly articulated JB Pritzker’s complacency with the Democratic status quo. The Tribune labels Pritzker as a ‘yes man,’ dependent on the Madigan Machine for his political success.
The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board has declined to endorse Illinois Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner J.B. Pritzker, citing Pritzker’s extensive moral failings and ties to the state’s crooked Democrat establishment. It’s just the latest piece of evidence that Illinois Democrats are on the verge of nominating a weak general election candidate with extensive baggage ranging from his conduct on the Rod Blagojevich FBI wiretaps to being a “yes man” to House Speaker Mike Madigan.
Democratic primary voters on March 20 will choose from six candidates running for governor: a philanthropist, a state senator, an educator, a physician, a businessman and an anti-violence activist. Any candidate merits another title, “politician.” But some carry it better than others.
Today we endorse the Democrat who has stumbled in that role and, in so doing, demonstrated his authentic and independent character. Chris Kennedy, chairman of a family investment firm and son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, hit the campaign trail without a prepared script. He answers questions bluntly. He can be awkward. To satisfy angry voices within his party, he backtracked after acknowledging that Democrats’ sworn enemy, Gov. Bruce Rauner, should be applauded for speaking truth to power in taking on entrenched Democratic interests (hello there, House Speaker Michael Madigan). We did our own scolding of Kennedy for his over-the-top assertion that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to drive minorities out of the city through gentrification.
So if you’re choosing a nominee for governor based on conventional campaigning, style points and fealty to party poobahs, Kennedy isn’t your candidate.
But if you want an anti-establishment governor who’ll pursue a progressive agenda yet not bow to the Democratic machine, well, Kennedy has done both. He was first to call out Cook County Assessor and county Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Berrios for his clouted, discriminatory property assessment system, and Speaker Madigan for profiting from it. Kennedy rocked the cozy world of valuations and appeals by declaring that, if elected, he’ll seek a ban on elected officials serving as tax appeals lawyers. That’s a dart tossed at Madigan, whose law firm wins assessment reductions for many of Chicago’s most expensive properties.
Today, the Pritzker campaign concludes its new series with a new TV ad, highlighting where Dan Biss’ campaign rhetoric is at odds with his record. Dan Biss says he’s a proven progressive, but he’s had the lowest lifetime rating of any Senate Democrat from the Illinois AFL-CIO. Let’s check the record.
Dan Biss has taken a number of votes to reduce worker benefits and limit collective bargaining rights, earning him a dismal 21% rating from the Illinois AFL-CIO in 2012 and the lowest lifetime rating among Senate Democrats. Biss’ votes include cutting pension benefits from 467,000 teachers and nurses, stripping healthcare from over 80,000 retirees, and weakening collective bargaining rights for some public employees.
“Dan Biss has voted against the interests of working people throughout his career and earned the lowest lifetime rating from the Illinois AFL-CIO of any Senate Democrat,” said Pritzker communications director Galia Slayen. “When you check the record, it’s clear that hardworking Illinoisans know they can’t trust Biss to stand up for them.”
Dan Biss says he’s a friend of working people. But Biss has the lowest lifetime rating from the AFL-CIO of any Democratic state Senator. And he even voted to cut pension benefits from teachers and nurses.
Scott Drury, Democratic candidate for Attorney General, has launched his first television ad. Titled “Imagine,” the ad asks Illinois residents to “Imagine an Illinois without corruption.” Drury has long battled public corruption in Illinois – first, as a federal prosecutor who locked up corrupt public officials, regardless of party; and then as a state representative where he has been an outspoken critic of Illinois’ corrupt culture. The ad addresses the problem of a political machine that is content with the status quo, and Springfield powerbrokers’ real fear of an Attorney General, like Drury, who has demonstrated that he truly works for the public – not politicians. “What are they scared of,” asks Drury, referring to Springfield insiders and machine politicians. “An Attorney General who is not scared of them.”
* I’m hearing he only bought 161 statewide points for the week, but let’s rate it anyway…
* Script…
Imagine – an Illinois without corruption.
Unfortunately, machine politicians like things the way they are.
I’m Scott Drury. I’m a Democrat, but I’m not like those guys.
As a federal prosecutor, I locked up corrupt public officials, regardless of party.
And I’m the only Democratic legislator in the last 30 years with the courage not to vote for Mike Madigan for House Speaker.
Springfield power brokers don’t want me to be your attorney general.
What are they scared of? An Attorney General who’s not scared of them.
Andrea Raila filed papers today on the 12th floor of the Clerk of the Circuit Court to ensure that her name is on the early voting ballots in Cook County and Chicago for the primary election on March 20, 2018.
The first woman to run for Cook County Assessor in 85 years is making history. Kaegi and his inside team may have counted Andrea Raila out, but SHE PERSISTS!
The Board of Elections had a representative on site to take a photo of the filing and sent it to the super site where ballots are waiting to be printed. Andrea Raila’s Name Will Be On The Ballot.
The hearing date for judicial decision is March 2, 2018.
County and city election officials said Tuesday they were sending the ballots to print with Raila’s name on them, even though the election officials last week voted to kick her off and asset manager Fritz Kaegi asked the court to keep her off.
That’s because she appealed that decision in court earlier Tuesday, leaving her status as a candidate uncertain for now.
“We’ve run out of time” to wait any longer, said Nick Shields, spokesman for county Clerk David Orr, who is in charge of suburban Cook elections and certifies the county candidates. “It’s unfortunately about deadlines.”
Kaegi wants a one-on-one matchup against Berrios, and so Kaegi’s lawyers filed a legal motion late Tuesday to keep Raila’s name off the ballot, saying otherwise “voters might be fooled into casting votes which will not be counted.
Clerk Orr is supporting Kaegi, so that had to be a bitter pill.
J.B. Pritzker’s campaign released new internal numbers to POLITICO that show him leading the next closest challenger, Chris Kennedy, by 14 points with Biss in a close third. The Global Strategy Group conducted a live telephone survey of 802 likely Democratic primary voters from Feb. 9-13 asking “if the Democratic primary election were held today who would you vote for?” Results: 37 percent of the those polled backed Pritzker, with Kennedy at 23 percent and Biss with 21 percent.
* OK, let’s compare these new numbers to a poll released by the Pritzker campaign on February 1st…
JB currently leads with 41% of the vote, ahead of Daniel Biss at 22%, Chris Kennedy at 16%, and 20% of voters undecided.
So, Pritzker is down four, Biss is down a point, and Kennedy is up 7.
