* Tribune…
Rauner said Monday that his campaign had reached out to Ives but was told she didn’t want to talk to him.
“We called her, her office, right after the primary,” Rauner said. “We were told at the time that she did not have an interest in speaking with me or meeting with me at this point. That’s the current status. Hopefully, we’ll be talking soon.”
Ives spokeswoman Kathleen Murphy disputed the governor but showed little indication that she wanted to reconcile.
“Good grief. I would laugh if it wasn’t so sad,” Murphy said. “The governor is a professional liar. Our campaign made no such statement to the Rauner campaign. No such dialogue ever happened. And why would it? Why would Rauner desire to speak with ‘Madigan’s favorite Republican,’ right?”
Murphy went on to say that Rauner had made it clear he wants “Ives and conservatives out of the party” and that Ives was “done with this back-and-forth playground note-passing.”
It certainly doesn’t help that Rauner’s own campaign spokesman claims that Rauner’s campaign manager texted Murphy the day after the election and never heard back.
So, there was no “call.” And nobody in Ives’ campaign said a word directly to the Rauner campaign, as far as I can tell.
He’s suffering one of those awful political deaths by a thousand cuts. And they’re all - all - self-inflicted. Maybe he should think about getting his story straight and then sticking to that script for once.
(Hat tip: IWT)
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Rep. Drury turns on his state Senator
Monday, Apr 9, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Scott Drury constituent e-mail…
Friends:
We write this email with deep regret. As you know, our office has been on the frontlines of the battle against gun violence. Working collaboratively with our municipalities, we have ensured that District 58 has more individual assault weapons bans in place than any other district in the state!
Our mission is not just to pass along good news. For too long, politicians have gotten away with claiming to be on our side of the battle, while also placating the Gun Lobby. We are concerned that Senator Julie Morrison may have joined the ranks of those politicians.
Background
On March 14, 2018 - as students across America walked out of schools and demanded better gun laws - our own Senator Morrison voted with the Gun Lobby to: (a) gut a bill that would have banned bump stocks; and (b) replace the bill with language that will allow the continued sale of the devices.
What Is A Bump Stock/Trigger Modification Device?
As we learned from the recent Las Vegas massacre, bump stocks and trigger modification devices drastically increase a semi-automatic weapon’s rate of fire to make it more like a machine gun. If you’ve never seen what these devices can do, watch this video. It shows a trigger modification device in action. Notably, while the modified gun in the video shoots more than 600 rounds per minute, that is less than a machine gun’s rate of fire.
The Real Bump Stock Ban
In February 2018, the House passed legislation that banned all devices designed to increase a gun’s rate of fire - i.e., bump stocks and trigger modification devices. I proudly co-sponsored the legislation and advocated for it on the House Floor.
The Gun Lobby’s Preferred Language
Prior to the House passing its ban, the NRA came up with its own definition of a bump stock/trigger modification device. Under the NRA definition only devices “intended to increase the rate of fire achievable with the firearm to that of a fully automatic firearm” would be banned. The problem is that bump stocks/trigger modification devices do not increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic weapon to that of a fully automatic firearm. Thus, the NRA definition bans nothing.
Senator Morrison Adopts the NRA’s Language
In early February 2018, Senator Morrison proposed her own version of the bump stock ban that inexplicably adopted the NRA’s language. Read it here. Then on March 14, 2018 - the day of the student walkouts - the Senate gutted the House bill and replaced it with Senator Morrison’s language. The sponsor of the Senate Bill even credited Senator Morrison for the amended language. The bill now returns to the House.
The Senate Adds a Poison Pill
In addition to adopting the NRA’s language, the Senate also added a poison pill to the House bump stock ban. Specifically, the Senate - seemingly at Senator Morrison’s request - added language from one of my bills in the House (HB4127) that would allow municipalities to enact assault weapons bans (Senator Morrison has a similar bill in the Senate). Unfortunately, the votes do not exist in the House to pass that legislation. Thus, adding this language to the bump stock ban has effectively killed the bill in its entirety.
Contact Senator Morrison To Express Your Disappointment
Until now, Senator Morrison has consistently helped us in our efforts to enact responsible gun laws. Let’s help get her back on track. Please contact Senator Morrison’s office and let her know that our community values the right to live life without fear of gun violence. You can email her by clicking here or call her at (847) xxx-xxxx.
As always, thank you for the privilege of allowing me to represent you.
–Scott
* Sen. Morrison…
“All three pieces of legislation that the Senate passed a few weeks ago represent a bipartisan effort to deal with the epidemic of gun violence in our state. I am in favor of the most restrictive definition of what constitutes a bump-stock and I have complete faith in Rep. Moylan to do what he feels is necessary with HB 1467.”
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* Multiple sources confirmed today that Rep. Tabares, who beat progressive activist Rudy Lozano by five points in 2012 and sits on the state Democratic Party’s central committee, is very likely getting the job…
Ald. Mike Zalewski (23rd), powerful chairman of the City Council’s Aviation Committee, said Monday he will resign May 31, paving the way for the appointment of a Hispanic alderman in the majority-Hispanic ward.
“What happened in the last election was real,” Zalewski said, referring to the sweep by County Commissioner-turned-Democratic Congressional nominee Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Garcia’s entire slate of progressive Hispanic candidates. […]
Zalewski’s decision to resign from the aldermanic seat he has held since 1995 comes just weeks after he helped Mayor Rahm Emanuel muscle through the City Council an $8.5 billion O’Hare Airport expansion project billed as a game-changer for Chicago. […]
Zalewski said he has a replacement in mind for a ward now 67 percent Hispanic. But, he refused to say whom he would recommend to the mayor.
Community leaders are expected to rally around State Rep. Silvana Tabares (D-Chicago) as Zalewski’s replacement.
The appointment of a prominent Hispanic woman would also help Il. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) with the “Me,Too” scandal swirling around his 13th Ward Regular Democratic Organization.
From what I can tell, this has been greased for a while now.
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* His five-point plan has six points…
His full press release is here.
* Oops?…
[Madigan spokesman Steve Brown] noted the governor didn’t list improvements to the Quincy Veterans Home as one of the things he wants to focus on: “It appears it has quickly fallen as a priority.”
Maybe the $265 million project falls under a capital plan, but I doubt he can get that done, either.
*** UPDATE *** Governor’s office…
Rich,
Members on both side of the aisles in both chambers have already pledged full cooperation to adequately address the issue at Quincy. We hope this doesn’t signal they’re walking away from our veterans to try to score some perceived political point.
Rachel Bold
Press Secretary
Office of Governor Bruce Rauner
* Related…
* Illinois Republicans warn against repeat of partial state budgets: But Steve Brown, spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, said on Monday the Republicans “are the only ones talking about a six-month budget.” Democratic Senate President John Cullerton wants stability and a full-year budget, according to his spokesman John Patterson.
* Rauner gives session wish list that includes a tax cut; calls on leaders to meet: He wants a crackdown on illegal gun trafficking, lawmaker harassment and ethics reform, term limits (10 for lawmakers and 8 for constitutional officers), an overhaul to the state’s business tax credit program, and a ban on lawmakers profiting from property tax appeals – a shot at House Speaker and property tax attorney Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.
* Gov. Rauner lists legislative priorities as lawmakers return to Springfield: “We’re going to do it right this year,” Rauner said. “Let’s get a revenue estimate that we agree on as the law calls for, and then do a balanced budget that lives within our means for a full year, not partial, and calls for no new taxes. That’s number one first priority.”
* Rauner calls leaders’ meeting, pushes balanced budget: Rauner says he will also push for property tax reductions, seek to revamp an incentive program for economic growth, await a task force recommendation on reducing gun violence, pursue stronger sexual-harassment penalties and continue his yearslong push for officeholder term limits.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Apr 9, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WQLZ…
With federal regulators bringing the age of “net neutrality” to an end, Illinois lawmakers are trying to preserve the practice within the state.
House Bill 4819 would require Illinois Internet providers to maintain net neutrality and not limit access to websites based on ideology or “paid prioritization.”
Companies offering Internet in Illinois would also be required to publicly disclose practices that could violate the principle of net neutrality.
The bill is here.
* Meanwhile…
Illinois’ divorce laws could be up for debate next week when lawmakers are scheduled to hear a bill supporters say would throw out the existing system of parenting time.
A number of states are either considering or enacting divorce laws that would move away from one-parent guardianship to a kind of co-parenting model with more flexibility. Kentucky enacted a law last year allowing a court to give both parents equal footing during the divorce proceedings. Supporters of equal parenting laws say the flexibility creates a better opportunity for both parents to be present in a child’s life.
State Rep. Lashawn Ford, D-Chicago, is the sponsor of a bipartisan bill scheduled for a hearing when lawmakers return to Springfield next week that would create a co-parenting model in Illinois’ divorce proceedings. His bill changes divorce law to recognize that “the involvement of each parent for equal time is presumptively in the children’s best interests.”
Ford said the state’s existing laws that favor one parent over another don’t have the child’s best interests at heart.
* Press release…
Today, patient advocates will testify in the Illinois House Insurance Health & Life Committee in support of House Bill 4146. This legislation would protect commercially insured residents from mid-year prescription drug coverage changes, commonly referred to as “non-medical switching.” Right now, nothing prohibits commercial health insurers in Illinois from making prescription coverage changes mid-year, even while consumers and families are essentially locked into their health plans. The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Laura Fine, is the committee’s chairperson.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting the death of a third individual who experienced severe bleeding after using synthetic cannabinoids, often called Spice, K2, or fake weed. To date, 107 people in central Illinois and the Chicago area have experienced severe bleeding after using synthetic cannabinoids, including the three deaths.
Two of the deaths occurred in men who were in their 20s; the third was a man in his 40s.
Individuals who have been sickened by the synthetic cannabinoids have reported coughing up blood, blood in the urine, severe bloody nose, bleeding gums, and/or internal bleeding. Numerous have tested positive for brodifacoum, a lethal anticoagulant often used in rat poison.
“Each day we’ve seen the number of cases rise,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “Synthetic cannabinoids are unsafe. They are not regulated and people don’t know what chemicals may be in them, like rat poison. While efforts are underway to get the contaminated drugs out of circulation, it’s possible they could re-emerge. We urge people not to use synthetic cannabinoids?now or ever.”
Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are sprayed on to dried plant material. They can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized in e-cigarettes and other devices. These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. The health effects from using synthetic cannabinoids can be unpredictable, harmful, and deadly.
Synthetic cannabinoids are found across Illinois and the U.S. in places like convenience stores, gas stations, drug paraphernalia shops, novelty stores, and online.
Anyone who has a reaction to synthetic cannabinoids, such as severe bleeding, should call 911 or have someone take them to the emergency department immediately.
Out of 107 cases, 61 are in the Peoria area. Can it be that difficult to find the local source?
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Congratulations, Sen. Duckworth!
Monday, Apr 9, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lynn Sweet…
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on Monday gave birth to a daughter, Maile Pearl Bowlsbey, becoming the first sitting senator to have a baby while in office.
Duckworth, who turned 50 on March 12, is one of only 10 women in the history of the nation to give birth while in Congress, with the other babies born to members serving in the House.
This is the second child for Duckworth and her husband, Bryan Bowlsbey. Daughter Abigail was born Nov. 18, 2014, when Duckworth was 47 and in the House, representing a suburban Chicago congressional district.
Maile was born in a hospital in suburban Washington.
* Press release…
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) became the first U.S. Senator to give birth while in office when she delivered her second daughter, Maile (pronounced MY-lee) Pearl Bowlsbey, today. Senator Duckworth and family are recovering well and appreciate respect for their privacy during this time. She issued the following statement:
“Bryan, Abigail and I couldn’t be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we’re deeply honored that our good friend Senator Akaka was able to bless her name for us—his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us.
“Pearl Bowlsbey Johnson was Bryan’s great Aunt, an Army Officer and a nurse who served during the Second World War. He spent many summer months with her while growing up, we feel her presence still and are grateful for her service to our nation during the most challenging of times.
“We’re also so grateful for the love and support of our friends and family, as well as our wonderful medical teams for everything they’ve done to help us in our decades-long journey to complete our family.”
Though millions of American women have become mothers while continuing their careers, Senator Duckworth is one of only 10 women since our nation’s founding who have given birth while serving in Congress. Her experiences as a working mother give her an important—and underrepresented—perspective in the halls of Congress, where she has long advocated on behalf of working families.
“Parenthood isn’t just a women’s issue, it’s an economic issue and one that affects all parents—men and women alike,” the Senator continued. “As tough as juggling the demands of motherhood and being a Senator can be, I’m hardly alone or unique as a working parent, and my children only make me more committed to doing my job and standing up for hardworking families everywhere.”
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* Fitch…
Fitch Ratings has assigned a ‘BBB’ rating to the following general obligation (GO) bonds of the state of Illinois:
The bonds are expected to be sold via competitive bid on April 25, 2018. […]
The Rating Outlook remains Negative.
* Why we’re at where we’re at…
Illinois’ ‘BBB’ IDR and GO rating reflect several years of weak operating performance and fiscal decision making. This has led to a credit position well below the level that the state’s solid economic base and still substantial independent legal ability to control its budget would support.
The Negative Outlook reflects uncertainties related to successful implementation of the current year budget and ongoing fiscal management and decision making, particularly given the contentious political environment in the state.
* A look ahead…
Stabilization of the rating is sensitive to the state’s ability to maintain budgetary balance over multiple years, indicating more sustainable fiscal management. Upward rating momentum is unlikely until the state more comprehensively addresses its accumulated liabilities. […]
A re-emergence of political stalemate that negatively affects fiscal operations, including a material increase in accounts payable, could trigger a downgrade. […]
Illinois has demonstrated a repeated inability to address its structural challenges due to an absence of consensus and resistance among key stakeholders. The political environment in the state remains a negative rating consideration.
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Question of the day
Monday, Apr 9, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP today…
Gov. Bruce Rauner says he has called a meeting for Thursday with legislative leaders to discuss the final weeks of the spring session.
Spokespersons for both House Speaker Madigan and Senate President Cullerton told me their bosses will attend.
* Meanwhile…
* The Question: Leaders meeting discussion topics? Snark is heavily encouraged, of course.
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* From the Illinois State Rifle Association…
THREAT ALERT - The Palos/Orland League of Women Voters will be holding a gun control organizing/recruitment meeting on…
Posted by Illinois State Rifle Association on Saturday, April 7, 2018
* Um. Do they look threatening to you?…
* Their deliberative process…
The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause.
Positions result from a process of study. Any given study, whether it be National, State, or Local, is thorough in its pursuit of facts and details. As the study progresses, a continuing discussion of pros and cons of each situation occurs. Prior to the results of the study being presented to the general membership, study committee members fashion consensus questions that are then addressed by the membership.
Additional discussion, pro and con, takes place as members (not part of the study committee) learn the scope of the study. After the members reach consensus, the board forms positions based on that consensus.
It is the consensus statement — the statement resulting from the consensus questions — that becomes a position. Firm action or advocacy can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action/advocacy cannot be taken.
Needless to say, the fraidy cats at ISRA got mightily dragged on Twitter. Click here. Ouch.
* Meanwhile, this is an interesting little analogy…
Background is here.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker campaign…
Today, Bruce Rauner said “we need to move expeditiously” to take “strong action” on gun violence, but so far he’s vetoed or ignored any concrete solution passed by the legislature and only proposed a task force.
Rauner vetoed the Gun Dealer Licensing Bill a week before his heated primary election, and the fate of three other bills passed by the legislature remain unknown as Rauner takes his time to make up his mind.
“While gun violence ravages our communities, Bruce Rauner is talking out of both sides of his mouth and dragging his feet on critical bills passed by the legislature,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Unlike Bruce Rauner, when JB Pritzker is governor he will treat gun violence like a public health epidemic and take strong action to keep our communities safe.”
The video is here.
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* Way back on March 13th, I sent this e-mail to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s spokesperson after talking with her on the phone…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said this morning on WJPF Radio that he has spoken with Gov. Hickenlooper about Colorado’s experience with legalizing marijuana. Rauner has related this story a few times in the past (at least).
According to Rauner, Hickenlooper said “You guys in Illinois and other states, you ought to wait a while [to legalize it] because it’s not all good.”
Audio is here: http://www.wjpf.com/episode/newsradio-wjpf-interview-with-bruce-rauner-3/
Questions: 1) Has Gov. Hickenlooper spoken to Gov. Rauner about legalizing marijuana? 2) Did Gov. Hickenlooper advise Gov. Rauner to hold off on legalizing marijuana in Illinois?
I’ve heard Gov. Rauner say this often enough that I figured I’d check to see if he was telling the truth.
Gov. Hickenlooper’s spokesperson got back to me right before spring break and I totally forgot about posting it last week.
The spokesperson said the governor doesn’t remember the exact conversation. He has spoken to Gov. Rauner and it could have been about marijuana, she said.
“He talks about marijuana all the time,” she said.
Gov. Hickenlooper often says, I was told, that unless your voters approve it, then you should wait a few years before making it legal. It’s a common conversation and comes up a lot, she said.
So, I suppose Rauner is in the clear.
* Moving right along. Remember this post from early March about Rep. Jeanne Ives possibly violating the United States Military Academy’s logo trademark in a TV ad? Well, West Point finally got back to me over spring break and I forgot to post it last week as well…
Mr. Miller,
Good morning! I know that this response is well past your deadline, but your query came during our spring break week when most U.S. Military Academy faculty and staff were away from the academy on leave.
Our Staff Judge Advocate Office reviewed the use of our crest in the video you sent to me, and the use does not violate our trademark. Because the person using the crest is a graduate of our institution and she used the crest in a factual manner to represent her graduate status, there was no violation.
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Caption contest!
Monday, Apr 9, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A document-shredding event in Chicago’s 13th Ward. Just imagine the possibilities…
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* I can’t say this surprises me, but it sure does disgust me…
When parents, teachers or students have complained in recent years about dirty classrooms and lunchrooms, Chicago Public Schools officials have pointed to high “pass” rates found in audits by an independent firm that monitors the work of private companies overseeing the cleaning.
But following Chicago Sun-Times reports revealing that CPS staffers found filthy conditions at 91 of 125 schools they examined, janitors now tell the newspaper that supervisors cheated to pass those cleanliness audits.
Janitors at two Chicago schools say their bosses alerted them whenever the auditing company would be coming — sometimes several days ahead — and also tipped them about where to clean.
That allowed them to focus on areas they knew the auditors would check — and skip other parts of the schools that wouldn’t face inspection, the school janitors say.
Also, extra help would be provided in the form of “floater” custodians and additional cleaning supplies, they say.
An inspector who checks on hundreds of schools acknowledges that the way CPS set up the system was “ludicrous,” allowing schools to learn in advance of coming inspections so they could take steps to pass.
I don’t know if Lauren FitzPatrick has received any awards for her CPS reporting, but she’s definitely due.
* And as long as we’re on the topic of CPS…
The trend toward school choice has educators across the country looking at Chicago’s Noble Charter Schools — an award-winning network of mostly high schools that specializes in helping inner-city kids achieve the kind of SAT scores that propel them into four-year universities. But despite its prestigious reputation, Noble has a peculiarly high teacher turnover rate.
And some of those teachers are speaking up about policies they describe as “dehumanizing.”
Noble’s handbook lists more than 20 behaviors that can elicit demerits. The dress code, for example, requires students to wear light khakis, plain black leather belts, black leather dress shoes, and school-branded polo-style shirts that must be tucked in. Hair must be only a “natural” color, and students can’t have any designs in their hair. […]
Jane Sundius, a social psychologist who focuses on poverty, children and education, says low-income families tend not to question systems like those at Noble. She points to a study by sociologist Melvin Kohn, exploring how parenting styles vary by social class.
“What he found was that working-class parents focus very much on obedience. Off little Johnny went to school and his mom said, ‘Listen to the teacher! Be good! Be quiet!’ And upper-class parents focused on learning and creativity and having fun,” she says. “The working-class parents trained their children to be workers on an assembly line, not empowered, while the upper-class families taught their children to believe that they had a legitimate right to their opinion and their views.”
Discipline varies widely among Noble’s 17 schools, but data provided by the network shows students at five predominantly black Noble campuses (Hansberry, Johnson, Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, Baker College Prep and DRW Trading College Prep) last year got about twice the number of demerits as students at Noble’s 10 predominantly Hispanic schools.
* Related…
* Editorial: It’s on CPS to fix the mess at filthy schools fast
* Equity Dollars Set To Go To Schools
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* What Leader Durkin doesn’t mention here is that Pritzker probably doesn’t want a 6-month budget either…
Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said it would be a mistake for Democrats to try to advance a six-month state budget in hopes that J.B. Pritzker will win the governor’s race over Rauner. […]
“The speaker does not have to go down and spend a month of gotcha votes. He’s got an arsenal of those ahead of him. So my plea to him, or request to him, is that let’s spend the next six, seven weeks on putting together a full-year budget,” he said.
Durkin said a half-year budget leading up to the seating of the governor in January is a “very dangerous, dangerous attitude to take” that would create uncertainty involving social service agencies, universities and grade and high school education.
The Democrats, including top budget negotiator Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), have been saying for months that a six-month budget is not in the works. The only people talking about it are Republicans who are close to Gov. Rauner. But even Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), who publicly expressed “worry” about a six-month budget back in January, is now saying he doesn’t think it’ll happen this year…
For his part, Butler said he doesn’t think even the Democrats want to pass a partial budget, even if they believe J.B. Pritzker will get elected governor.
“I think from their perspective, at least what I hear, is they don’t want to have a governor come in and have to deal with that right off the bat,” Butler said.
* So, of course, Gov. Rauner stated his opposition to a six-month budget today…
Just sayin’, but the governor and the Republican leaders don’t exactly have a great track record on this whole budget negotiating topic. All three got rolled last year by a bipartisan legislative revolt.
* Speaking of gotcha votes, here’s Finke…
We’ll have to see how much mischief the majority Democrats want to play as the session drones toward its scheduled end. Like repeating that performance in the House with property tax relief, a series of votes on bills that Republicans labeled as bogus and nothing more than show. The idea was to get Republican lawmakers on the record with votes that could be used against them in campaigns.
* And it wasn’t just Democrats who used and will use those votes…
Ives said a different Rauner mailing distorted her vote on a property tax freeze that was contained in a bill put forward by Rauner’s nemesis, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“I’m the only one who had the courage to call the scam what it was and vote no,” Ives said.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Did you know that health plans are changing Illinois families’ benefits while consumers are locked into their plans for the year? People in Illinois, especially those living with chronic conditions, carefully shop for a health plan which covers the treatments they need at prices they can afford. But health plans aren’t delivering the benefits they have marketed and sold to Illinois consumers.
House Bill 4146 Fixes the Health Plan Bait-and-Switch
House Bill 4146 would simply prevent insurers from making unfair – and potentially unsafe – benefit changes while Illinoisans are locked into the plan. The legislation, however, would still allow insurers to utilize generics, add treatments to their formularies and also remove them for safety reasons.
Insurers need to deliver on the policies they sell. The Illinois Legislature should support HB 4146 to make health coverage fair.
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* RGA..
Last week, Illinois Democrat gubernatorial candidate and heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune J.B. Pritzker admitted that if elected governor, he would immediately move to hike taxes on Illinois families even further.
The News-Gazette editorial board reports, “Pritzker said, as soon as he takes office, he’ll urge the Democratic legislature to approve an immediate increase in the state’s current 4.95 flat income-tax rate.”
The Journal Standard also notes that raising taxes is the “main thing” Pritzker wants to do if elected.
Pritzker refuses to pay his own fair share in taxes, but will hike taxes on every single family in Illinois. Pritzker has reportedly used offshore shell companies in the Bahamas to dodge his own tax burden, and claims that his Gold Coast mansion is “uninhabitable” in order to allegedly receive huge property tax breaks.
Illinois can’t afford J.B. Pritzker’s tax hikes.
* From the rest of that News-Gazette editorial…
At the same time he’s proposing an income-tax increase, Pritzker said, he’ll urge legislators to increase exemptions and deductions to ensure that lower- and middle-income taxpayers would not pay more.
“… You could have what I would describe as … an artificial progressive income tax in which we would raise the exemptions for those striving to get to the middle class, those in the middle class too, and raise the overall rate and raise the earned income tax credit at the same time — all of which would create a kind of artificial graduated income tax in the state,” he said.
* And this is from Chuck Sweeny’s column…
The main thing Pritzker wants to do is raise taxes.
Pritzker wants to convert Illinois’ flat 4.95 percent income tax to a “progressive” income tax, which would have several rates.
Pritzker says he only wants to raise taxes on wealthy people and that most people would actually see a tax reduction under his plan.
So, what are the rates? And who would be labeled as wealthy? Pritzker wouldn’t tell us during the Democratic primary campaign. And he won’t tell us now.
Whatever the spin or misrepresentation from the RGA, voters don’t do nuance. Pritzker’s entire tax idea is nuanced.
*** UPDATE *** I forgot to post this press release…
Americans for Prosperity-Illinois (AFP-IL) on Monday launched a new digital ad and website calling on lawmakers to oppose scrapping Illinois’ constitutionally protected flat income tax for a graduated one. AFP-IL, the state’s leading free-market organization, has been at the forefront of fighting this anti-taxpayer agenda that would force a costly graduated income tax on taxpayers.
WATCH VIDEO:
Americans for Prosperity-Illinois State Director Andrew Nelms issued the following statement:
“If lawmakers scrap our constitutionally-protected flat income tax in exchange for a graduated income tax, they will have free rein to raise our taxes. The last thing Illinoisans need right now is a graduated income tax that will inevitably lead to higher taxes. Springfield has proven incapable of spending tax dollars wisely, so giving them a blank check is outrageous. Families throughout the state are scrambling for the exit, and amending the Constitution to allow for higher taxes will only make matters worse. We urge the legislature to ‘Keep Illinois Flat’ and reject the graduated income tax.”
The video highlights how scrapping the flat tax would give lawmakers more latitude to increases taxes on Illinoisans. The video urges Illinoisans to visit KeepIllinoisFlat.com to contact their lawmaker and tell them to oppose the graduated income tax.
SCRIPT:
“When politicians in Illinois have an opportunity to raise taxes, they take it – like when they hiked income taxes 32%,” the video states. “Our property taxes are some of the highest nationwide. Now some lawmakers want to scrap our constitutionally protected flat income tax and replace it with a graduated one. At any time, they can add brackets or increase rates. A blank check signed by you, the taxpayer. How do you think Springfield will use that power?”
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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* Illinois was featured on 60 Minutes last night…
The U.S. intelligence community has concluded there is no doubt the Russians meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, leaking stolen e-mails and inflaming tensions on social media. While Congress and special counsel Robert Mueller investigate Russian interference, including whether the campaign of Donald Trump colluded with Russia, we have been looking into another vector of the attack on American democracy: a sweeping cyber assault on state voting systems that U.S. intelligence tied to the Russian government. Tonight, you’ll find out what happened from the frontline soldiers of a cyberwar that was fought largely out of public view, on digital battlegrounds in states throughout the country.
The first shots were fired here in Illinois, not far from downtown Springfield, in a nondescript shopping center, the kind you’ll find anywhere in the United States. There, in a repurposed supermarket, is the headquarters of the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Bill Whitaker: This doesn’t look like a war zone.
Steve Sandvoss: No, it doesn’t, actually.
Steve Sandvoss is the executive director. He told us, in his first television interview about the attack, that this office is on the front lines of a cyberwar.
Steve Sandvoss: We have– a good I.T. department. But –
Bill Whitaker: No match for the Russian government.
Steve Sandvoss: Bows and arrows against the lightning, hate to say it.
Bill Whitaker: Bows and arrows against the lightning? Is that what it felt like?
Steve Sandvoss: At– at first, yes.
* And here’s something I didn’t know…
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security say hackers from the GRU, the Russian intelligence service, successfully attacked the computers of the Illinois State Board of Elections. Of 7.9 million registered Illinois voters, the state Board of Elections told Fox News that a total of 76,000 Illinois voters may have had their information viewed, with the greatest number of them — 14,121 — being Galesburg residents.
Why Galesburg?…
There was no evidence that any vote was changed, officials said. The Illinois State Department of Elections told Fox News the hackers were not trying to target Galesburg specifically, but that the city’s voting code happened to match the numbers the hackers used to breach the system.
* Meanwhile…
Machine malfunction during the March 20 primary election was among the top reported issues to a hotline set up by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, a national nonpartisan voter-protection group.
“Many old voting machines across Illinois jurisdictions caused delays, which resulted in voters losing confidence in the system and some leaving the polls without voting,” said Ami Gandhi, director of Voting Rights and Civic Empowerment for the committee’s Chicago branch. She added that some polling places opened late, sometimes because of malfunctioning equipment. […]
Illinois would get more than $13 million from the congressional plan, provided it puts up a 5 percent match. The State Board of Elections said it is adding $600,000 to its budget request for the spending year that begins July 1.
But that’s a fraction of the $147 million it got more than a decade ago from the federal Help America Vote Act, which allowed states to overhaul their voting systems. Compounding the fiscal problem: about $4 million a year in grants for voter-registration system security wasn’t available from the State Board of Elections for two years during a historic state budget stalemate.
Illinois’ lack of election infrastructure investment has put the state in a tough spot, particularly given the federal government’s warning that another Russian attempt at interfering with the November election is likely.
Even if the state had enough funds, there wouldn’t be enough time to completely overhaul its voting infrastructure before November. Under the Help America Vote Act, the last effort took years.
A key question in Illinois, then, is the best way to spend limited funds during a narrow window. State elections officials are moving cautiously.
* Related…
* Mark Brown: Russian threat or not, Congress funds security upgrade for voting systems
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
J.B. Pritzker appears to have chosen a solid message for the fall campaign. The overall theme at the successful Democratic gubernatorial candidate’s press conference the day after he won the primary race was “Bruce Rauner is a failed governor.” The message is also the primary subject of his online advertising push against Rauner.
Not coincidentally, that’s pretty much the exact same message Rauner successfully used against former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn four years ago. “Pat Quinn failed.” Period. End of story. Whatever the question was, the answer was: “Pat Quinn failed.” When will you release your complete tax returns? “Pat Quinn failed.” What about the questions about your company’s business practices? “Pat Quinn failed.” What color is the sky? “Pat Quinn failed.”
Rauner avoided answering an awful lot of questions with that response back in the day. When he’s properly managed, the man knows how to stay on message, and it worked phenomenally well in 2014.
Gov. Rauner’s message since he’s taken office has been a variation of blaming House Speaker Michael Madigan. No budget? “Madigan.” State fairgrounds deteriorating? “Madigan.” Sky isn’t blue today? “Madigan.”
And because he’s stayed so perfectly on message, Rauner has completely framed the current political debate. What did Pritzker’s top two Democratic primary opponents use against the frontrunner the most? “Madigan.” What question does Pritzker get whenever a reporter interviews him? “Madigan?” Pritzker has to change the subject. He has the answer, but he’s just not using it yet. He’s still allowing Rauner to control the campaign.
“Obviously you’re going to keep getting asked about this,” I said to Pritzker hours after his post-election press conference to denounce Rauner as a failure. “The governor says you’re Madigan’s hand-picked candidate. The governor says if you win, Madigan will run the state. And you have said you’re going to be independent. But how?”
“Bruce Rauner’s got nothing else to talk about,” Pritzker replied. “He has for the last three and a half years, he’s tried to trash Democrats by throwing the Speaker at them.” And then he said, “I’ve been an independent leader my whole life. I don’t think that any of that sticks to me.”
OK, stop right there. Nobody in Voter Land has any clue whatsoever about Pritzker’s life. They mainly know what they see on TV. And for the next several months, the TV ads they’ll see will be about how Pritzker is Madigan’s corrupt stooge.
The “right” answer is: “Bruce Rauner’s got nothing else to talk about because he’s a failed governor.” If you’re going to have a campaign theme, then for crying out loud use it so incessantly that we all get completely sick and tired of hearing it. Then — and only then — will you know it’s working.
Pritzker eventually did slip in the word “failed,” but only in relation to Rauner’s failure to win his primary by more than a tiny margin.
The big worry expressed by several Democratic insiders who otherwise support Pritzker is that the nominee may not be tough enough, mean enough and single-minded enough to really take it to Rauner, who we all know by now is willing to say and do whatever crazy thing it takes to win – up to and including calling Rep. Jeanne Ives, of all people, a Madigan pawn. Beating a guy like that requires strict message discipline, even in a “blue” state in a “blue” year. Blithely treading water through November risks a 2016-style ending.
So, I asked Pritzker about this. I’ve heard more than one Democrat, I told him, who wished he would show more meanness. Does he believe he has what it takes to really take it to Rauner?
“I absolutely have what it takes to beat Bruce Rauner,” Pritzker said. “He’s an utter and complete disaster as a governor. I’m gonna make that clear.”
Then make it as clear as that with every answer to every question, man.
Pritzker used to tell the story about when Rauner attacked him the first day he publicly expressed an interest in running for governor. “Well,” his wife said, according to Pritzker, “we’ll just have to crush him like the roach he is.” Pritzker admitted that he hadn’t used that story in a long time, but said he will be “equally explicit as we move forward to make sure people know what it is that we intend to do in the general election.”
That’s a lot of garbly words instead of just: “Rauner failed.” He’s got a winning message. He should use it.
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