Government is complicated, it’s weird; it’s not business. I think the notion that just being successful in business means that you’ll be effective as a government leader is frankly absurd. I know the legislators, I know the legislature, I know the agencies, I’ve sat in many of the state agencies and had detailed conversations about specifics of what they’re supposed to be doing to improve their public service.
Coming into office and not knowing that stuff just makes you an empty shell, that could be filled by anybody else. And I think if we’ve learned anything about J.B. Pritzker during the course of this campaign, it’s that indeed he is an empty shell, and right now that empty shell is being filled by whatever Mike Madigan wants to put in it. And when he becomes governor, it would be that much worse. Where the already most powerful person in state government would then, for the first time since he became speaker in 1983, have the opportunity to himself to govern.
If we are concerned with the way state government has gone since 1983, if we think that the concentration of power is too great in the state of Illinois, if we think that the fabled political machine that has screwed so much stuff up over the course of these many decades, is too powerful, electing J.B. Pritzker governor is literally the worst thing we could possibly do.
So, Pritzker would be an empty shell that Madigan would completely fill? Whew. And electing Pritzker governor is “literally” the worse thing we could do, including, oh, I dunno, mass self-immolation?
Hey, the dude said “literally.”
* Speaking of harsh Madigan-related stuff, check out Gov. Bruce Rauner’s new attack ad against Rep. Jeanne Ives…
Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy on Friday night escalated his attacks on Speaker Michael Madigan, saying he would not want any of his daughters to intern in Springfield following disclosures of harassment in the Illinois House leader’s political operation.
“I have three daughters, one of them interned in Washington, D.C. I don’t think I’d encourage any of the three of them to intern in Springfield,” Kennedy said. “They might do that on their own. They’re, you know, very independent. But that’s not a place I’d want a family member and I can tell you that.”
Springfield has its problems and they’re serious, but DC isn’t exactly a harassment-free zone.
One day after not knowing the price of a monthly CTA pass — Biss turns that into a Pritzker attack.
“I learned that when JB Pritzker’s campaign spends $17,000 a day, to try to buy this nomination, they’re buying slightly over $1,600 monthly CTA passes.”
Kennedy, whose campaign donations are on the rise, looks to separate himself from Biss when asked about recruiting Amazon to Chicago.
“I wouldn’t give the sweetheart deals that Daniel Biss has voted for groups like sears or the mercantile exchange,” he said.
Zing.
* The candidates were asked what they’d say if Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was in the audience…
Businessman Chris Kennedy agreed he’d prioritize the HQ2 pitch, but he said he’d first ask Bezos why the company hadn’t announced changes to its gun sales policy as other companies had in the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting.
“I’d have that hard conversation with him, absolutely,” Kennedy said.
In fact, Amazon does prohibit “the listing or sale of all firearms,” according to its seller guidelines, though BB and pellet guns are offered.
* I’ve been trying to get the new anti Scott Drury ad, but had no luck. I’ll post it if and/or when I get it.
* Meanwhile, click here to watch the Democratic candidates for governor debate at 7 o’clock tonight on ABC 7. I’ll post a coverage roundup over the weekend.
It appears House Speaker Mike Madigan’s call for all legislative leaders to follow his lead and release a list of the complaints involving harassment, intimidation and retaliation involving their caucuses has fallen on deaf ears. […]
But Senate Democrats will not be releasing a list of harassment or retaliation complaints anytime soon, they said.
“In the Senate, our personnel policies spell out that any complaints are to be treated in as confidential a manner as possible in order to protect the privacy and rights of the victim. Our priority is a professional work environment in which anyone who feels victimized can come forward with confidence knowing that their rights and privacy will be protected,” John Patterson, a spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton, said. […]
As for the Republican leadership, Eleni Demertzis, a spokesman for House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, said there will also be no list of harassment complaints released to the public.
“The House Republican Caucus has a zero tolerance policy for all forms of harassment to ensure a safe environment throughout the Capitol,” Demertzis said. […]
Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady, will not release a list either.
“Harassment in the workplace is unacceptable. Those who come to work must be able to do so in a safe, harassment-free environment,” his spokesman Jason Gerwig said. “Our personnel policy clearly prohibits sexual harassment and ensures that complaints are handled in a confidential manner in order to protect the privacy and rights of victims.”
* Click here for background to this press release…
Despite telling the Crain’s editorial board the he has no regrets about his fatal mismanagement of the Quincy Veterans’ Home, Bruce Rauner’s administration admitted today that the home is facing a “health crisis” in a Friday news dump.
Bruce Rauner once again failed to take charge and passed the buck to another administration official to put an end to his fatal crisis. The failed governor made the announcement years after the Rauner administration noted the situation looked like the “beginning of an epidemic” and months after WBEZ published its investigation into the crisis.
“Bruce Rauner fatally mismanaged the Quincy Veterans’ Home and took years to admit he created a health crisis that he still refuses to fix,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Instead of taking swift action when this began, Rauner let 13 people die on his watch and is now doubling down and not taking charge.”
* From the twitters…
One voice: @ChicagosMayor & all 50 Chicago aldermen sent @GovRauner a letter calling on him to sign the Gun Dealer Licensing Act immediately. "After years of firearms continuing to come into the hands of dangerous criminals, Illinois should not have to wait another day." pic.twitter.com/KYmw3fGnWZ
* And, finally, did Sen. Daniel Biss look a bit, I dunno, “pausey” during last night’s debate? I’m not the only one who noticed. Make sure to watch this all the way to the very end…
The PAC is headed by Operating Engineers Local 150 President Jim Sweeney, a staunch ally of House Speaker Michael Madigan. The entire $675K contribution came from the Fight Back Fund, which lists the same address as both Local 150 and the Fight Back for a Better Tomorrow PAC.
So… what’s going on?
* Check out their new B-1. They’re spending $600K on TV ads opposing Rep. Scott Drury, who is running for attorney general and is a noted Madigan foe.
…Adding… A couple of recent Drury press releases. Yesterday…
Earlier today, Scott Drury’s campaign for Attorney General announced the endorsements of three leading Illinois criminal justice reform advocates:
· Thomas P. Sullivan – former United States Attorney, Northern District of Illinois and Co-Chair of the Commission on Capital Punishment and the Illinois General Assembly’s Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee whose reports were influential in the decision to abolish the death penalty in Illinois;
· Rob Warden – co-director of Injustice Watch, an investigative journalism organization dedicated to criminal justice reform; director emeritus of the Center on Wrongful Convictions (CWC) at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; and a founding director of the Innocent Network, an international affiliation of organizations providing pro bono legal services to convicted persons with claims of actual innocence;
· Leonard C. Goodman – an attorney committed to representing the indigent, who has won awards for his work on behalf of the wrongfully convicted and on behalf of an Afghani man detained at Guantanamo Bay without charges or evidence of any wrongdoing.
“I am proud to have earned the support of these leaders in the criminal justice reform movement,” said Drury. “These endorsements are a testament to my long-standing commitment to fix Illinois’ broken criminal justice system.”
Criminal justice reform is a major issue in the Attorney General’s race. As a State Representative, Drury was responsible for the passage of groundbreaking legislation designed to end wrongful convictions in Illinois. As a result of his efforts, Illinois now has best-in-the-nation laws regarding the recording of custodial interrogations and eyewitness identification procedures.
In announcing their endorsements, Warden, Sullivan and Goodman had this to say about Drury:
“As someone who has worked more than three decades for criminal justice reform, I am looking for an Attorney General who has demonstrated a commitment to fixing the dysfunctional Illinois system,” said Rob Warden. “That is why I am endorsing Scott Drury for Illinois Attorney General. I have worked closely with Scott on a number of criminal justice issues and have seen his dedication to meaningful reform. Illinois needs a leader like Scott Drury.”
“I do not often get involved in politics,” Thomas Sullivan stated. “However, having worked with Scott Drury and witnessed his steadfast advocacy for criminal justice reform in the face of intense opposition, I proudly endorse him for Illinois Attorney General. Having personally worked to end the death penalty and wrongful convictions in Illinois, I know how hard it can be to enact these types of reforms. Based on my personal experience with Scott, I am confident he is the best qualified candidate to get the job done.”
“I proudly endorse Scott Drury for Illinois Attorney General,” said Leonard Goodman. “During Scott’s time in the General Assembly, he was instrumental in passing long-overdue reforms designed to end Illinois’ regrettable history of putting innocent people in prison for crimes they did not commit. Because of Scott’s work, more custodial interrogations are recorded, and police throughout the state must now follow standard eyewitness identification procedures.”
These endorsements follow another major endorsement earned by Drury earlier this week – that of the News-Gazette. The primary election takes place on March 20, 2018.
* Today…
Earlier today, Representative Scott Drury filed House Resolution 890 which calls for the immediate passage of legislation that will allow for the independent investigation many legislators have called for but not pursued. Here is a link to the resolution.
In the preamble, Representative Drury sets forth the various reasons why such an investigation is needed, including the mishandling of, and lack of transparency regarding, allegations of harassment, abuse and misconduct by Illinois Speaker of the House and his staff and attorneys. Representative Drury also sent the attached letter to every member of the General Assembly asking them to co-sponsor the resolution. In the letter, Drury makes clear that legislators’ careers “likely will be defined by how we respond to this issue. The time for blind loyalty has passed.”
The ultimate purpose of the resolution is to put in place legislation that will allow for a truly independent special counsel who can investigate allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct. The special counsel should have the power to issue subpoenas, command testimony under oath and bring appropriate civil and criminal proceedings.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to speak with Representative Drury today or over the weekend.
Governor Bruce Rauner today tapped a key Administration executive to lead the next phase of the state’s response to the health crisis at the Quincy Veterans Home. Michael Hoffman, a retired Marine officer and current head of Illinois Central Management Services (CMS), becomes Senior Advisor to the Governor with operational oversight of the Quincy project.
CMS Chief Operating Officer Tim McDevitt will be promoted to replace Hoffman at the management agency. McDevitt brings knowledge and experience in key areas of CMS’s operations.
“Our response at the Quincy Veterans Home involves multiple state agencies, medical and epidemiological experts inside and outside state government, facilities and engineering experts, local government, elected officials, federal government and more,” Governor Rauner said. “The recent series of highly unusual winter disease episodes and the growing long-range complexities call for a center of operational control. Mike Hoffman is a problem solver. His project management skills and knowledge of the many agencies involved will bring together the people, resources, and ideas that are needed to best serve our veterans.”
Hoffman’s appointment to the team is designed to help achieve two important objectives. It centralizes responsibility and reporting for all aspects of the Quincy Home response. As important, it means that agency directors and staff in the health and veterans departments will have a single point of coordination for their Quincy focused plans and activities.
Prior to his service in state government, Hoffman spent over 15 years on active duty as a Marine Corps infantry officer. During his military service, Hoffman served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was awarded two Bronze Star Medals, one for valor in combat. He has been acting head of CMS since January, 2016. His appointment is effective immediately.
McDevitt named head of CMS
The Governor promoted CMS Chief Operating Officer Tim McDevitt to succeed Hoffman. He previously held positions with the state as Deputy Director of Government Transformation and as Acting Director of the Illinois Lottery. McDevitt has been a senior advisor to the Governor on personnel, procurement, labor relations, and operational improvement initiatives.
“We are fortunate to have an executive of Tim’s caliber at the ready to step in at CMS,” Rauner said. “He has a strong agency management background, is familiar with the multi-faceted nature of CMS operations, and will seamlessly transition to lead CMS. Tim has the expertise to help modernize CMS and to continue important efforts to change the culture of State government.”
Before his state service, McDevitt was a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and a native of Charleston, Illinois. His appointment is also effective immediately.
Hoffman is a strong choice. I, for one, am beginning to feel a little better about this situation. We’ll see if that feeling lasts.
* Meanwhile…
State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) has called another meeting of the House and Senate’s Committees on Veterans Affairs to discuss why the Rauner administration did not take swift action on the 2016 recommendations of an engineering report that was made public last month.
The report, which provides a great deal of information and raises several questions, includes two-year-old recommendations by engineers that the state seriously consider replacing the plumbing in buildings at the Quincy Veterans Home.
Several federal Centers for Disease Control studies have pointed to biofilm within those aging pipes as harboring the Legionella bacteria that has caused 13 deaths and numerous other infections among residents, family and staff at the Quincy facility.
Last month there were four laboratory-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease at the IVHQ.
NEW: EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) just gave @alainaxhampton "notice of right to sue" Friends of Michael J Madigan and Democratic Party of Illinois, giving her option to file lawsuit #Harassment#twill
State Sen. Daniel Biss released a new television ad Friday, attempting a quick somersault after a slip from the gubernatorial debate hosted by WBEZ and Politico Illinois on Thursday night.
The ad, titled “Chance,” features Biss and his running mate state Rep. Litesa Wallace talking to voters around the state inside restaurants, at campaign rallies and marching in protests as they ask Illinois voters to give them a shot in the race’s final weeks.
“Most people didn’t give us much of a chance,” Biss says in the 30-second TV spot. “But there’s even less of a chance those billionaires will fix a broken system that benefits them.”
The ad comes less than a day after WBEZ reporter and debate moderator Dave McKinney asked gubernatorial candidates to guess the everyday costs of the average consumer, noting that “this campaign has been framed as a battle for the heart of middle and low-income voters” in Illinois.
I doubt that the debate had a huge impact on this decision.
Despite what everyone else is writing, those Pritzker attack ads have had an impact on Biss’ numbers. He needed to respond. Is it enough?
Daniel Biss: A former teacher with kids in public school. A single mom who became a counselor to at-risk youth. I’m Daniel Biss. And against the billionaires, most people didn’t give us much of a chance. But there’s even less chance those billionaires will change the broken system that benefits them. That’s why they’re attacking me. Because we’ll make them pay their fair share in taxes and finally get the chance to level the playing field.
Announcer: Daniel Biss, the middle-class governor.
State Sen. Kwame Raoul will receive the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union Illinois Council as he seeks the Democratic nomination for attorney general. The union represents roughly 150,000 health care, child care and nursing home workers.
SEIU Healthcare Illinois president Greg Kelley cited Raoul’s legislative record and said the group believes Raoul “will fight for us and our core values of economic, racial and immigrant justice for all, not just the powerful few.”
* Biss always comes off as kinda uptight and stiff, so this could be an interesting event…
* Surprise! Longtime House Democrat in hot primary battle against Chuy Garcia ally to introduce resolution on NRA…
Sneed has learned State Rep. Dan Burke, who introduced the Commander Paul Bauer (gun control) Act this week, plans to introduce a new House resolution next week encouraging members of the General Assembly NOT to accept any further contributions from the National Rifle Association.
“I have never supported the NRA agenda or taken money from them,” he said.
“It’s my way of responding to a question asked by a student who witnessed the gun massacre at a Florida high school that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio failed to answer at a recent town hall meeting,” added Burke.
* Always remember that we live in a bubble. We had a gubernatorial primary debate on Chicago Public Radio. At night. More people read about it or watched clips on TV than listened…
With JB Pritzker leading in the polls, the others were looking for that breakout moment.
Pritzker was ready with attacks Thursday night’s debate as well.
So, who won Thursday night? Kennedy’s performance was more focused but no knock out punch. Pritzker still has the advantage.
A nighttime radio knockout punch would have to negate tens of millions of dollars of advertising spending. That would be one heckuva punch.
Gubernatorial debates don’t usually change the course of an election like presidential debates because half the country watches presidential debates. Few watch or listen to gubernatorial debates.
* While we’re on the topic, Chris Kennedy was bluntly honest when asked by reporters last night about the price of a CTA monthly pass…
The CTA is critically important to Chicago and the region, so maybe he should try it?
* Press release…
4th District Democratic congressional candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia released a set of new Spanish language television ads this week.
In “Uno de Nosotros,” Chuy is in conversation with constituents, walking the streets of Humboldt Park, Little Village and Pilsen while 4th District residents voice their reasons for strongly supporting his candidacy.
“Juntos” outlines Chuy’s progressive vision to move the communities of the 4th District forward, and urges voters to elect his team of progressive Democratic candidates, Aaron Ortiz – running for 1st District State Representative – and Alma Anaya – running to fill Garcia’s seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
The 30 second ads, airing on Univision Chicago and Telemundo, can be viewed here:
For nearly two decades, suburban Republicans had a political name brand on the ticket in a North Shore congressional district as Mark Kirk won five straight times and Robert Dold won twice and lost twice.
Now the party is trying to rebuild in the 10th District, a rare swing seat that Democrats have had a tough time winning in non-presidential years.
I dunno. Something tells me this off-year could be different than the last two.
President Trump’s job approval was 36% positive and 62% negative. These totals included 54% who strongly disapproved, 8% who somewhat disapproved, 18% who strongly approved and 18% who somewhat approved of his performance in office. In shorthand terms he was 26% “underwater.”
Governor Rauner’s total positive rate was 31% who either somewhat approved (23%) or strongly approved (7%). His total negative rating was 63% with 39% who strongly disapproved and 24% who disapproved. This put him at 32% underwater.
“It is notable that Governor Rauner’s job approval in Illinois is somewhat more negative than President Trump’s. This is the opposite of the more usual finding of other polls in other states”, said John Jackson of the Paul Simon Institute, one of the directors of the poll.
Speaker Madigan fared somewhat worse than Governor Rauner at a 21% approval rate with 18% who somewhat approve and 3% who strongly approve. He is at 68% total disapprove with 49% strongly disapprove and 19% who somewhat disapprove.
This is the second poll in the past few weeks to show that Trump is less unpopular than Rauner.
And that Madigan issue is golden for the GOP and Democrats and will remain golden. The crosstabs show his job disapproval rating among Democrats is at 58 percent, among blacks it’s at 53 percent and among labor union members it’s at a whopping 66 percent. But be careful with those last two numbers because sample sizes were pretty low.
…Adding… DGA…
.@BruceRauner's at 55/39 job approval with REPBULICANS walking into primary.
The respondents were next asked, “Has President Donald Trump’s record in office made you more or less likely to vote this year for a Republican for Illinois executive offices including: Governor and Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, or Attorney General?”
Overall, 27% said more likely; 55% said less likely, and 11% said neither. There were 17% who said much more likely and 10% who said somewhat more likely while 13% said somewhat less likely and 43% who said much less likely.
This was followed by a similar question of whether President Trump’s record in office made you more or less likely to vote for a Republican for U. S. Congress from Illinois this year. A total of 30% chose more likely with 20% who said much more and 10% said somewhat more likely. 57% of the respondents chose less likely with 47% saying much less likely and 11% somewhat less likely. 9% said neither.
Another question asked if Trump’s record made them more or less likely to vote for a Republican for the Illinois General Assembly this year. 29% chose more likely; 56% chose less likely and 10% chose neither.
43% said much less likely and 13% said somewhat less likely. 10% said somewhat more likely and 18% selected much more likely.
If you’re one of those people who still questions why Democrats are attacking Trump in their advertising, now you know.
The margin of error of the entire sample of 1,001 voters is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the population proportion would be within plus or minus the reported margin of error for each subsample. For subsamples, the margin of error increases as the sample size goes down. The margin of error was not adjusted for design effects. Among self-identified primary election voters, the margin is plus or minus 6 percentage points in the 259-voter sample of Republicans, and 4.5 percentage points in the sample of 472 Democrats.
Live telephone interviews were conducted by Customer Research International of San Marcos, Texas using the random digit dialing method. The telephone sample was provided to Customer Research International by Scientific Telephone Samples. Potential interviewees were screened based on whether they were registered voters and quotas based on area code and sex (<60% female). The sample obtained 51% male and 49% female respondents. Interviewers asked to speak to the youngest registered voter at home at the time of the call. Cell phone interviews accounted for 60 percent of the sample. A Spanish language version of the questionnaire and a Spanish-speaking interviewer were made available.
* From NBC 5, here are photos of JB Pritzker’s houses in Chicago and Wisconsin and his Wisconsin horse farm…
* The Question: Do these photos make you more or less likely to vote for JB Pritzker, or does it not matter? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
After taking heat for saying Gov. Bruce Rauner should be “applauded” for speaking truth to power, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Chris Kennedy on Thursday said the Republican is the worst governor in state history — worse than some who have ended up behind bars.
“Gov. Rauner is the worst governor in the United States,” Kennedy said, as he spoke to a gathering of striking YMCA childcare workers in the West Loop.
“He’s the worst governor in the history of Illinois, including governors that went to jail.”
Kennedy also called Rauner “heartless” for throwing “a million people out of government programs,” words he’s used before. But the jail reference appeared to take criticism of the governor to a new level.
“He believes, like some ugly character in a Disney movie, in the pirate philosophy that when you fall behind, you’re left behind,” Kennedy said of Rauner. “That’s not what we think of as Americans. We believe what President Kennedy said, that a rising tide should lift all boats.”
* Meanwhile, the Pritzker campaign has opened up a new front on Kennedy…
While candidate Chris Kennedy recently said that collective bargaining was “a central tenant of the American Dream,” he has a long history of opposing the labor movement.
In 2013, Chris Kennedy said a tenured faculty union was a “threat to the greatness of the University of Illinois.” While faculty at the UIC and UIUC unionized, Kennedy and his Board of Trustees were part of lawsuits to challenge the bargaining units. And back in 1998, Kennedy praised efforts to cut overtime pay, calling them “hugely significant.”
“Chris Kennedy has disparaged unions and workers seeking collective bargaining, undercutting the ability of working families to come together and fight for a better future,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Suing to challenge bargaining units and calling it a ‘threat to greatness’ shows Kennedy has never truly recognized the value of the labor movement in our workplaces, despite his rhetoric on the campaign trail.”
JB Pritzker wants to compare labor records. Happy to do so.
Chris ran the Merchandise Mart with a unionized workforce and his Wolf Point development is done in partnership with the AFL-CIO Building and Construction trades. He joined Cesar Chavez on his hunger strike to fight for workers’ rights. His family’s commitment to the rights of workers to organize for a better life goes back for generations. To question it in the final weeks of an election is a sign of a desperate billionaire whose attempt to buy an election is failing.
Let’s look at JB Pritzker’s record:
J.B. Pritzker is one of the biggest shareholders in, and has called himself “a principal owner of,” Hyatt Hotels, a corporation that UNITE HERE has said “singled itself out as the worst employer in the hotel industry” and “taken the most aggressive role [in the industry] in going after their workers including turning on heat lamps on striking workers.”
J.B. Pritzker owns and is the chairman of a pallet distribution company that fought to prevent workers at its Chicago plant from forming a union and hired an infamous union-busting law firm to try to keep out Teamsters Local 743.
J.B. Pritzker has funded an attack on public employees and their hard-earned benefits, giving $10,000 to a Bruce Rauner-led political action committee set up by business interests specifically to “bankroll candidates who are willing to cross labor unions and vote to reduce pension benefits.”
So anytime JB Pritzker wants to compare his labor record with Chris Kennedy’s, we are game — especially on a day like today, when Chris is joined by Dolores Huerta, one of the most respected leaders in the labor movement.
* This isn’t the most earth-shattering story, but it’s Friday and… well, whatever. JB Pritzker did an interview with WBEZ yesterday morning…
Our first question on Twitter… This is from Elizabeth Lindquist, ‘Please ask Mr. Pritzker why he thinks he’s qualified to lead our state while he has (in caps) NO POLITICAL EXPERIENCE. Why should we believe that he would stand up to Madigan since JB gave to his campaign?’
Great. Thank you. Um, I know that Elizabeth works for Dan Biss, who’s running against me, so I appreciate the question.
OK, I know who Elizabeth Lindquist is because I closely follow the governor’s race on Twitter. I’ve seen her appear on my bookmarked Twitter searches more times than I can count. Her Twitter page is all about Sen. Daniel Biss. She’s even wearing a Biss shirt in her profile pic.
But Pritzker knows who she is too? I mean, she tweets at him a lot, but he checks his mentions?
“Yeah, he goes on Twitter,” said a spokesperson today. “He’s a human.”
* It turns out, WBEZ made a mistake. It wasn’t Lindquist’s question after all. It was from this strong Biss supporter…
This was MY question and I don't work for Biss! @JBPritzker didn't address his lack of holding political office, all he says is breakfast, breakfast breakfast
And @wbezsarabia said the question came from @EALindquist and @JBPritzker tried to discredit her by saying she works for @DanielBiss. She doesn’t. She is a super volunteer. JB may not realize this, but we don’t have to pay people for their support.
* The Democrats love to put non-binding advisory questions on the ballot rather than just pass laws themselves. But, whatever. They may not have the votes to pass legalized marijuana right now, particularly if it’s gonna be vetoed, so let’s all have a little show biz instead and maybe gin up some youth turnout…
Voters would get to weigh in on whether Illinois should legalize recreational marijuana under a bill that passed the state Senate on Thursday.
Senate Bill 2275, approved 37-13, would put the question to voters on the November ballot.
As currently written, it would ask Illinois voters, “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?”
The measure is part of a larger effort to explore whether Illinois should liberalize marijuana laws, which has been ongoing as lawmakers obtain feedback from various stakeholders.
Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, has filed, on behalf of the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative, House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 43, which aims to end gerrymandering in Illinois.
This amendment proposes a 16-member independent redistricting commission that will reflect the demographic, geographic and political diversity of our state. Residents from communities throughout Illinois will be included. Communities of color will be represented. Democrats, Republicans and Independents will have seats at the table.
Two members of the Illinois Supreme Court from opposite political parties will choose all the commissioners, keeping the process above the political fray.
Above the political fray? Right.
And what happens if the 16-member commission deadlocks? From the proposal…
If the Commission fails to adopt and file a redistricting plan by August 1 of the year following a federal decennial census, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the most senior Supreme Court Judge who is not elected from the same political party as the Chief Justice shall appoint, by August 8, a seventeenth member to the Commission. The seventeenth member of the Commission must not be affiliated with either major political party.
And if the two can’t agree on a suitable independent appointment? Well, we’re out of luck because there is no provision for that.
Illinois took a significant step toward becoming the first state to ban organized tackle football at the youth level.
HB 4341, also called the Dave Duerson Act, would prohibit any child under 12 from participating in organized tackle football. The measure passed out of the Illinois House mental health committee on an 11-9 vote Thursday and now heads to the House for a full debate and vote.
The bill needed 11 votes for passage.
Illinois is one of four states — New York, California and Maryland are the others — to introduce legislation regulating tackle football.
I’m not saying it won’t pass both chambers and I’m not saying it’s bad legislation. But there’s a reason for the “It’s just a bill” headline. We always see lots of excitable stories this time of year about bills passing committees in the originating chamber. That just doesn’t mean much. Long way to go.
Days after the inspector general in January determined that [Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago] violated the state’s ethics act, behaved in a way “unbecoming of a legislator” and failed to maintain an appropriate professional relationship, Cullerton sent out invitations to host a fundraiser for Silverstein at a bar and pool hall in Springfield.
No, Silverstein’s actions didn’t amount to sexual harassment, the IG said. But still.
Violator of the ethics act. Conduct unbecoming. Unprofessional. Let’s get this guy re-elected! […]
This would be an easy race for Cullerton to sit out. Let Senator Unbecoming make his own case to voters. Several top Democrats have called for Silverstein to step down.
But Cullerton is doubling down, writing generous checks of at least $115,400 from his campaign fund to support Silverstein, along with $6,430 in campaign ads, according to the latest campaign disclosure forms. […]
At a time when some women in the legislature are rising up and demanding respect, Cullerton might as well be patting them on the head and telling them to smile more. Talk is cheap, isn’t it?
* I asked Gov. Pat Quinn’s attorney general campaign yesterday for a copy of their new TV ad and was told I’d have one as soon as possible. As a hedge, I put some Chicago-area friends on alert and asked them to record it with their phones if they saw it.
There are actually two Quinn ads, both 15 seconds in length. Here’s one…
For years I’ve fought the bigshots for everyday people, battling utilities and helping our veterans. Now it’s time to stand up to Trump’s illegal policies. As attorney general, I’ll take on Trump and fight for you.
I half expected him to say “You know me” in that spot.
…Adding… With thanks to a commenter, he actually did say “You know me” at the beginning of the ad. Click here to see it.
* This second one isn’t complete. It’s missing the very beginning, but beggars can’t be choosers…
…the last line of defense against Trump. As attorney general, I’ll fight his attacks on healthcare. I won’t let him take away our civil rights. Trump wants to protect assault weapons. Me? I want to protect you.
…Adding…If you click here, you’ll see he says “Our attorney general is the last line of defense against Trump.”
Thoughts on these ads?
* Related…
* Democratic race to succeed Attorney General Lisa Madigan becomes battle to stop Pat Quinn: “It was passed by the legislature, I looked at it, I signed it,” Quinn said. “There had never been a court case on this issue that was on point. The court decided. In our democracy, whether it’s the U.S. Supreme Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, you accept the verdict of the court and you move on.” That response was a far cry from 2012, when Quinn declared he was “put on Earth” to solve the state’s pension mess. He attempted to cut lawmakers’ pay over the issue, then called a special session to get a bill on his desk.
Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy on Thursday night accused opponent J.B. Pritzker of using “the language of racists” and not political leaders when he spoke to then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich nearly a decade ago about potential African-American candidates to fill Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat. […]
“What J.B. says in those tapes, he uses the language, the language of racists, not language of politicians and not language of leaders,” he said.
Asked after the debate whether he thinks Pritzker is a racist, Kennedy did not directly answer, returning to his contention that his opponent has used “language that is commonly associated with racists.” […]
Kennedy, a member of the iconic Massachusetts political family, is counting heavily on support among African-American community because of the work of his late father, former U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, and late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, during the struggle for civil rights. Rauner’s ads have been seen as lending an assist to Kennedy, who has had struggled to raise campaign cash.
“Our surging poll numbers have been helpful,” texted a Kennedy type. “Look out, JB.”
The Biss campaign has pulled in $104,582 since Sunday.
* Meanwhile, WBEZ’s Dave McKinney asked each of the Democratic candidates a question at tonight’s debate about the price of various things. “This campaign has been framed as a battle for the heart of middle and low-income voters,” McKinney said. “We’re going to do a simple test to see how connected each of you is to average Illinoisans.”
That immediately brought me back to the 1992 debate when President George HW Bush couldn’t cite a price for a gallon of milk. That haunted him the rest of the campaign.
I’m not much of a fan of these questions, but, hey, it wasn’t my debate. Free country.
Chris Kennedy was asked about the price of a haircut. He said he pays $40, which for downtown Chicago and/or his home town of Kenilworth is not out of line.
* But then Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Middle Class) was asked about the price of a monthly CTA pass. Biss said $35. It’s actually $105. Oops.
The CTA has Purple Line service to Sen. Biss’ hometown of Evanston, so I suppose the question was fair, if you think this line of questioning is fair, that is. Either way, this was a made for Twitter moment for the candidate who says he lives like everyday people…
people's champ Daniel Biss thinks a monthly CTA pass costs $35. close! it's $105 #ILGovDebate
* Biss seemed to be thinking out loud while he was trying to come up with an answer to McKinney’s question. He said his monthly Metra pass “comes pretty close to $50 a month” and then appeared to kinda guess at the CTA monthly price from there. But Metra’s website lists monthly pass prices as $116 all the way up to $319.
State Sen. Daniel Biss – who promises to be the “Middle Class Governor” in ads running throughout the state — endured a “The Price is Right” question Wednesday night at a gubernatorial forum in Chicago.
And he didn’t quite pass the test. […]
Biss’ campaign later said the Evanston senator “mixed up” the weekly and monthly pass prices, and was referring to the weekly Metra pass at $55, and the weekly CTA pass at $35.
Still, the answer – heard on public radio — and livestreamed online, had some scratching their heads.
Always been more of a Metra guy than CTA—but boy did I miss that one! I I pay ~$50 weekly for a 10-ride Metra card. Other candidates in this race don't have to worry about how to fit transportation into their families' budget. It’s time for a middle-class governor. #ILGovDebatepic.twitter.com/k3HQVHynoE
* Meanwhile, JB Pritzker was asked about childcare costs. He said it was $150 per week on the low end to “probably $400″ on the upper end. That riled Mary Ann Ahern and Kennedy…
Question on are you relatable? Who is paying $150 for child care each week? @JBPritzker said that’s the low end, high end $400 #ILGovDebate
.@JBPritzker is so out of touch with reality that he thinks childcare only costs $150 a week. But he has profited off of his “social impact bonds" for public schools.
Yesterday at noon, a Kennedy spokesperson claimed the campaign is “bringing in an outside expert to lead sexual harassment training for our campaign staff.”
At tonight’s WBEZ debate, Kennedy said “everyone has to go through sexual harassment training in our campaign.” Click here for a video clip.
* From the Pritzker campaign’s live debate reality check e-mails…
REALITY CHECK: Chris Kennedy Lies About His Campaign’s Sexual Harassment Training
Tonight, Chris Kennedy claimed that his campaign staff have received sexual harassment training, but just yesterday the Kennedy campaign admitted it had failed to hold such a training. The Kennedy campaign needs to tell voters the truth.
* I asked the Kennedy campaign for a response…
As Chris said, our staff members have received sexual harassment training and, as our campaign team continues to grow, our new team members are scheduled to receive it. This claim is an effort to deflect from JB Pritzker’s failure to stand with women and to empower women.
JB Pritzker works tirelessly to protect Michael Madigan while his political organization is riddled with claims of sexual and workplace harassment. JB Pritzker has zero credibility on this issue. He puts out ads and soundbites about how he’ll fight for women, yet when it comes time to fight, he steps to the side. He won’t stand with women and call on Madigan to step down during an investigation and he won’t stand with women when it comes time to empower them, as evidenced by the lack of women in leadership roles at Pritzker Group.
