* Kennedy campaign…

Chris Kennedy, Democratic candidate for governor, released his statewide infrastructure plan today while attending events in Peoria and Champaign.

Kennedy’s plan helps ensure that every community in Illinois is connected through roads that are paved and not perpetually congested, a rail system that efficiently delivers freight and connects our major towns and cities with regular and predictable passenger rail, statewide broadband internet access that is critical for 21st century communication, and an effective waterway system that is essential for our freight and shipping economy.

“Our plan reinvests in Illinois’ infrastructure to create jobs in all sectors: from construction workers to electricians, from agriculture to logistics, and from small business to big business,” Kennedy said. “Together we will put our collective shoulder to the wheel, refresh Illinois’ economy and put this state to work.

“Capital projects build infrastructure and offer an entry point to full economic participation that can lift up entire communities.”

Illinois has not had a capital bill for the entire state since 2009. Not only has Governor Rauner refused to advance plans for capital infrastructure investment but he has halted projects that were underway. Countless economic studies have found that investments in infrastructure increase the overall productivity of the economy. In addition, with improved infrastructure comes faster, more reliable transportation which allows companies to move their products faster and more reliably.

“The path to energizing the economy in every region of the state involves a robust higher education system,” Kennedy said. “We will create a steady increase in investments in education, knowing full well that universities are the economic engines of our state. Our public universities support the state’s economy as hubs of innovation, conducting pioneer research and preparing students to join the 21st century workforce.”

The plan also:

Creates a State Grants Office to ensure that the state of Illinois and its employers, research facilities and taxpayers are getting their fair share from the federal government.
Establishes a Deputy Governor for Rail and Intermodal Transportation to oversee freight and passenger railway expansion.
Guarantees the administration partners with other states that border the Mississippi River to lobby the federal government to increase subsidies to upgrade our lock and dam system.
Commits a Kennedy-Joy administration to working closely with the Illinois EPA to protect drinking water and fund wastewater management programs.
Focuses on closing the digital divide.

“In order to have the best economy in the nation, Illinois has to have the greatest infrastructure system in the world,” Kennedy said. “If we invest in our infrastructure, the jobs we will create and the companies we will attract to Illinois will jumpstart our economy and ensure that we remain one of the best places in the world to move to for a job, to own a business, and to raise a family.”

* Biss campaign…

Today the Biss campaign is releasing a new series: “The Billionaire Playbook Play of the Day”. While JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy spend their millions to convince voters they’re different from the other inexperienced billionaire businessmen who hold public office, their records show something different. Like Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner, Pritzker and Kennedy are using the Billionaire Playbook to navigate their way through hypocritical attacks, tax scams, and more. Let’s take a look at the play-by-play:

Today’s Play of the Day: Bullying the Press
Let’s Go to the Tape

Like Donald Trump, JB Pritzker tries to avoid reporters who ask questions that he doesn’t like.

In a move the Chicago Tribune said was “disrespectful to Downstate voters and smacks of faintheartedness,” JB Pritzker ducked out of participating in the only debate that would have reached television audiences outside of Chicago after the media host, WCIA-TV, published stories about his shadowy financial maneuvers to fund his campaign via offshore trusts and shell companies, his championing of charter schools for his own profit, and his hidden donations to Michael Madigan via obscure LLCs. Pritzker has in the past restricted access to NBC Chicago, sending his spokesperson to publicly feud with a station reporter.

Meanwhile, Gov. Bruce Rauner refuses to debate his primary opponent, Jeanne Ives, while avoiding tough questions throughout his campaign.

JB Pritzker and Bruce Rauner cut off access to reporters for asking tough questions, just like Donald Trump does. It’s just another page from their Billionaire Playbook.

* Pritzker campaign…

Instead of apologizing for badmouthing Cairo students and making false claims, Chris Kennedy tripled down on his attacks on public school teachers and students.

Despite being reminded that SAT scores are not a recognized as a metric for college readiness, Kennedy defended his repeated attacks yesterday, claiming “the information I took was right off of a state of Illinois website, and that’s how we’re measuring ourselves.” He then continued slinging insults at hardworking students, saying “the kids who graduate are going to have a hard time making it in this economy.” Cairo students are defending themselves and taking the high road, with one high school senior telling a local TV station, “If he doesn’t think I can make it, I got to prove him wrong.”

WATCH:

“Chris Kennedy insults hardworking students left and right, and won’t back down from his baseless attacks even after he is confronted with the facts,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Students and teachers in Cairo have already stood up to correct Kennedy, but he refuses to learn his lesson.”

TRANSCRIPT

Maxwell: You pointed out recently that in Cairo, down in Southern Illinois, that zero percent of the students there were ready for college according to their SAT scores. That’s correct, but they don’t use that score for college readiness in the state of Illinois currently. Are you running dangerously close to- in the past we’ve seen this issue where you’re calling for more state funding for schools, but also some of the teachers and students there took offense that maybe you were saying they weren’t doing their jobs.

Kennedy: The information I took was right off of a state of Illinois website, and that’s how we’re measuring ourselves.

Maxwell: Can you clarify that comment?

Kennedy: I don’t believe that the tests measure potential or academic success. As the chairman of the University of Illinois, I sat, I sit on a board associated with the University of Chicago. I sit on the board associated with Kellogg, the school of business at Northwestern. I spent 12 years on the board of the Chicago, or the Catholic Theological Union. And so I know test scores are not determinant, but what they are evidence of is massive underfunding of our schools where if you’re in a town without a lot of property taxes, your school is so underfunded that the kids who graduate are going to have a hard time making it in this economy.

* Jeanne Ives…

Political Columnists Greg Hinz and John Kass called out Governor Rauner for lying about Jeanne Ives in political attack ads. A coalition of Republican legislators signed a letter demanding Governor Rauner end his shameful distortions of Jeanne Ives’ record.

To do something Rauner has proven unwilling to do: tell the truth, State Rep. Jeanne Ives, the conservative reform Republican for Governor, released a new campaign TV ad: Ives Won’t. Neither Should You.

The ad is here.

From Politico this morning…

Our Republican president is polling poorly in Illinois and our governor, Bruce Rauner, is polling worse than that.

Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan? Worse still.

And so Jeanne Ives, who is running against Rauner in the primary just launched a new ad using guess who as an attack tool? Barack Obama.

“Bruce Rauner lies so much, he reminds us of another Chicago politician.
President Obama: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period.
Republicans are sick of Rauner’s lies.”

* Rauner campaign…

ICYMI: Governor Rauner Discusses Fight for Illinois’ Future on Fox & Friends

Governor Rauner joined Brian Kilmeade on Fox and Friends to discuss the future of Illinois and the fight against the entrenched political machine in this state.

Watch the full interview HERE and check out some highlights below.

Governor Bruce Rauner: “Illinois has been dominated by a corrupt career politician for decades and I just decided I couldn’t take it anymore. I’m not a politician, I’m a business-builder, but I said I’ll never run away from the state of Illinois. I grew up here, I raised my six kids here. I want to take on the corruption, the career politicians and restore good government in our state again. That’s why I’m fighting so hard.”