* As Rich noted this morning in the subscriber-only edition, the Democrats’ response to Gov. Rauner’s proposal for the reinstatement of the death penalty yesterday was fairly quiet. The party’s nominee for Attorney General, Sen. Kwame Raoul, had no reaction for over a day, which seems unusual because Raoul was the Senate sponsor of the 2011 bill that ended up killing the death penalty once and for all.
But speaking with reporters after a related press conference early this afternoon, Raoul was heated in his response…
Meanwhile, Sen. Kwame Raoul, who sponsored bill to abolish death penalty in Illinois, called Gov. Rauner's amendatory veto in which he proposes bringing it back for cop killers and mass murderers politically motivated and a "stupid" diversion.
* Raoul and the governor’s office have also worked together on some criminal justice reform issues over the last few years; one of the few bright spots of cooperation between Rauner and the Democrats. Rauner signed an executive order to create a commission on these issues very early in his administration.
I asked Sen. Raoul if the governor’s death penalty proposal poisons the waters or hurts the goodwill built on that issue…
“I do credit the governor for signing an executive order creating that commission. But the fact that he did so does not give him credibility to just destroy conversations around commonsense policy to try to obstruct the gun trafficking that leads to the murders of police officers and common citizens on a week to week basis.”
I also asked about the cost consideration of prisoners on death row, and Raoul pointed out that, yes, it costs more to house death row inmates than other types. That would undermine the cost-saving motivations at play in the cooperation, no?
“Guys, I don’t even know how to respond to this. I’m speechless!”, he said in a classroom, literally, with a stopped clock, “One morning without speaking to anybody after the State of Illinois had a big discussion, led the country to ban the death penalty for a whole host of appropriate reasons, and then say here’s what I want without consulting or working with anybody.”
Translation? Rahm thinks Rauner’s move is pure politics.
Three months ago this week, Governor Rauner addressed the Illinois General Assembly and proposed a balanced budget for the state.
Governor Rauner’s budget proposal meets provisions set forth in the historic school funding compromise passed last year, addresses the looming pension crisis, and opens the door to rolling back the Madigan 32% income tax hike.
With time running short in the General Assembly’s spring legislative session, now is the time for parties enact a balanced budget for a full year.
The Governor made his case three months ago. It’s time for both parties to come to the table.
I’ve since confirmed that the governor and the four legislative leaders are scheduled to meet at 5 o’clock this afternoon.
* But that meeting may not last long. From the governor’s public schedule…
What: Gov. Rauner delivers remarks at the Illinois Travel and Tourism Industry legislative reception
Where: Abraham Lincoln DoubleTree Hotel, 701 E. Adams St., Springfield
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Time: 5:45 p.m.
State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) joined Democratic and Republican lawmakers today to announce a new effort to tackle the issue of illegal guns being used in crimes in Illinois.
The legislation, Senate Bill 337, incorporates portions of Harmon’s Gun Dealer Licensing Act, which Gov. Bruce Rauner recently vetoed, as well as provisions to better record and track private sales.
“We took seriously concerns about the bureaucracy included in the Gun Dealer Licensing Act,” Harmon said. “This legislation provides much-needed oversight on gun purchases without creating a new bureaucracy.”
Harmon’s measure would require the Illinois State Police, rather than the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, to certify dealers.
The legislation also treats all firearm licensees the same, eliminating exemptions for small and large dealers to focus on their actions, not their size.
To crack down on illegal transfers after a gun is purchased, the measure puts in place a penalty for individuals who fail to maintain a record of a private sale and requires State Police to make key information about guns used in crimes available to the public.
“We recognize that blame does not lie solely on the dealer when someone uses a gun to commit a crime,” Harmon said. “By certifying gun dealers and implementing better practices to track straw purchasers, we hope to be able to make it harder for someone to use an illegal gun to commit a crime.”
Several key provisions included from the Gun Dealer Licensing Act are:
· requiring gun dealers to implement a safe storage plan for firearms during retail hours and after closing,
· requiring the posting of signage reminding employees and customers to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have access,
· requiring certified licensees to make a copy of the buyers or transferee’s valid FOID card or ID and attach it to the documentation detailing the sale,
· requiring employees to have annual training regarding legal requirements and responsible business practices,
· and requiring certified licensees to have their place of business open for inspection by the State Police and local law enforcement.
Senate Bill 337 awaits action in the Senate.
Harmon said today he expects the bill to get a hearing as early as today.
* From the presser…
On @GovRauner's 72-h Cool-Down AV, Harmon says: "The governor's amendatory veto was not an amendatory veto. It was a veto." pic.twitter.com/kYibOEjIyn
The lobbying group for gun shop owners is opposed, says the bill appears designed to force some out of operation and put felony penalties on private sellers who may misplace certain paperwork. https://t.co/VPEGpki5IJ
* Police Gang Databases Under Fire In Statehouse Bill: Illinois legislators are taking up a measure to change the way police gather information for gang databases. It comes after more than a year of controversy surrounding the Chicago Police Department’s data collection practices.
* IL Lawmakers to Vote on Equality Issues: Human rights dvocates are hoping legislation that would advance the voices of women and the LGBT community will make it as far as Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk, and if it does, they’re urging him to sign the bills. Rep. Anna Moeller is co-author of SB 3249, which would require lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history to be taught in public schools. The Elgin Democrat says it means Illinois students would learn about the significant historical events and contributions by LGBTQ people.
When it comes to Republican governors in blue states, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is considered the gold standard. In the face of fierce anti-Trump sentiment in his state, he’s steadily held the enviable position as the most popular governor in the nation. And last week, a political forecaster pegged Baker as having a lock on reelection.
* Of course, yesterday Rauner announced that within his Amendatory Veto on the 72-hour cooling off period gun purchase bill, he was adding language to reinstate the death penalty for those who commit mass murder and kill law enforcement officers.
Here in Illinois, Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer was tragically slain in the line of duty at the Thompson Center in February. In Massachusetts, two law enforcement officers have been murdered in the past two years.
Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011 under Gov. Pat Quinn, though the last execution in Illinois was 12 years earlier, in 1999. Gov. George Ryan issued a moratorium on the death penalty in the state, and commuted over 160 death sentences to life sentences before leaving office in early 2003. Ryan and many others pointed to the likelihood of wrongful convictions.
Massachusetts has not executed a single person since 1947, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington-based research organization. The 1982 law allowing capital punishment was found unconstitutional in 1984.
Massachusetts governors, including Mitt Romney, have tried to reinstate the death penalty in the commonwealth in the last three decades, but since Republican Bill Brady took up the cause for lifting the moratorium on the death penalty in his 2010 race against Quinn, not many mainstream candidates have wanted to touch the issue.
* The political calculus at work here: While it seems like Gov. Baker in Massachusetts has been championing the death penalty for cop killers on the campaign trail, but not from the governor’s office, Rauner took the opposite approach. Rauner made the announcement and then filed language for his amendatory Veto. But now he’s also got a new campaign issue, and can also try to paint Democrats into a corner.
Baker is clearly more popular as a Republican governor in a “Blue” state, but his campaign-only approach has brought some criticism…
Gov. Charlie Baker’s campaign-trail rhetoric to reinstate the death penalty for cop killers suddenly falls silent when he’s on Beacon Hill, where the Swampscott Republican hasn’t filed a single bill to back up his bluster despite two police officers being killed on the job in the last two years.
The politically milquetoast governor is even ducking support for lawmakers and a law enforcement group currently crafting a death penalty bill in the wake of Yarmouth K-9 Sgt. Sean Gannon’s killing.
Baker’s office says only that the governor will “carefully review” any legislation that reaches his desk.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his call for individuals convicted of killing police officers to receive the death penalty, but his White House has yet to produce a proposal to turn his campaign pledge into policy.
During the 2016 presidential election, candidate Trump often vowed, if elected, to sign an executive order that he contended would force convicted cop killers to be put to death. He renewed that call in December. But he has yet to sign such an executive action and his administration has yet to send Congress legislative language on the matter.
As always, though, the biggest obstacle to legalized sports betting in Illinois won’t be gambling opponents so much as gambling industry competitors.
“By no means is this going to be simple and elegant,” said Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), the House sponsor of Harris’ bill.
Zalewski warned there’s a possibility someone could try to step into the void created by the Supreme Court ruling and begin openly accepting sports bets in Illinois, challenging regulators to shut them down despite a state law that prohibits sports gambling.
That would be similar to the business model recently used by fantasy sports operators and market disrupters in other industries, he noted.
Arlington International Racecourse General Manager Tony Petrillo could not be reached for comment Monday, but in March he told the Daily Herald the track would want a casino along with sports betting.
The State Where Nothing Works will almost certainly butcher the opportunity to create instant revenue.
Never mind all the gambling bills in the past that could have saved Illinois racetracks, the ones that either didn’t pass or were vetoed by the previous governor.
Illinois should have had a bill ready Monday that allowed for casinos at race tracks with a full sports betting parlor.
New Jersey has its bill and Monmouth Park — a New Jersey racetrack — plans to have sports betting within two weeks. It will probably be two decades before Illinois takes advantage of the revenue opportunity.
New Jersey was at the center of the court case, so of course they were ready to go.
Democratic state Sen. Steve Stadelman of Loves Park, chairman of the gaming committee, said he expects the pace of the panel’s work to quicken. Sports gambling consultants and representatives from the professional sports leagues, along with assorted opponents and supporters, testified at a preliminary hearing on the issue last month.
Stadelman said it’s unlikely legislation will be up for a vote before the General Assembly adjourns May 31. Issues to be addressed include tax rates, online wagering and potential venues such as casinos and horse racing tracks. […]
Stadelman and Democratic state Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie said lawmakers can’t be hasty in putting together a final sports gambling bill to keep pace with other states. Lang said he conducted four days of research — at his personal expense — on a trip to Las Vegas by meeting with sports books, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and others.
“I learned quite a bit,” said Lang. “I learned that some states were so much in a hurry to pass a law on this that they screwed it up. We’re not going to screw it up. We’re going to do it right. And I’m not going to put a (House) bill together and get it out there for people to look at until I’m comfortable that it’s the right bill.”
* How much would it bring in? From a Tribune editorial…
Illinois could reap from $300 million to $681 million a year, according to Chris Grove of research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, depending on whether it limited sports gambling to casinos and other physical sites or allowed it online as well.
Deutsche Bank Market Research estimates the potential legalized sports betting market in Illinois at $681 million annually.
Harris would impose a 12.5 percent tax on gross sports wagering revenue and a 1 percent fee that would go to pro sports leagues and the NCAA, both of which he said are open to negotiation.
So, Deutche Bank thinks the market is $681 million and Eilers & Krejcik believes Illinois government would reap up to that very same $681 million? Hmm.
Gov. Bruce Rauner, speaking at a news conference Monday, did not take a position on sports betting.
“I’ve been clear on gaming: I personally don’t gamble,” he said. “I think that gambling is something that takes money away from folks who can least afford to lose their money.
“That said, people like to gamble; it’s here. I believe in local control. I personally support those communities that would like to see gaming expanded in their communities.”
* From Gov. Rauner’s amendatory veto press release…
Defendants would be tried using a higher standard for determining guilt. Death penalty murder suspects would have to be convicted by juries “beyond all doubt,” not just “beyond a reasonable doubt” required for guilty findings of other criminal offenses.
A bipartisan group of legislators called Friday to raise the standard of proof for sentencing a person to death in Illinois by requiring a judge or jury to determine a defendant is guilty beyond “all doubt,” a move that could renew efforts to lift Illinois’ moratorium on executions. […]
The legislation would not change the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard of proof long required to win a criminal conviction. The beyond “all doubt” standard would only be applied once a guilty verdict has been rendered and a jury or judge is weighing whether to invoke the death penalty.
If there remained what the legislation calls “residual doubt” during the sentencing phase of a capital trial, the defendant would be sentenced to life in prison instead of lethal injection. […]
An aide to Cook County State’s Atty. Richard Devine said the beyond “all doubt” standard would set the bar so high that it would be hard to sentence anybody to death no matter how heinous the crime.
“DNA evidence that might be introduced at trial might say that there’s one chance in a billion that the perpetrator was someone other than the convicted defendant,” said John Gorman, the Devine spokesman. “Then the burden would appear to compel a jury to come up with no death [penalty].” […]
The Illinois Supreme Court, which consistently rules against attempts to define reasonable doubt, would likely reject two standards in a death penalty case, said Gorman, the spokesman for Devine. […]
Peoria County State’s Atty. Kevin Lyons said the legislation could cause jurors to vote to convict in some cases where they might otherwise have not because they don’t have to worry that their action will lead to someone’s death.
That bill was sponsored by House Republican Leader Tom Cross. It went basically nowhere.
* Meanwhile, let’s move on to Cross’ successor, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. His statement yesterday…
“As a former prosecutor, I believe the governor’s recommended changes strike the right balance to reduce senseless gun violence in Chicago and throughout the state. Allowing a prosecutor the option to seek the death penalty in the most horrific and brutal of crimes should be the law of Illinois and sends a message that we support those who wear the badge.”
It “sends a message”? That ain’t much.
* Leader Durkin has long been a proponent of the death penalty. From June 5, 2009…
The Chicago Bar Association held a forum today and a couple hundred lawyers attended. One of the attendees and presenters was Republican State Representative Jim Durkin. He says Illinois will never repeal the death penalty.
Rep. Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, disputed the notion that Illinois’ death penalty system is still flawed after several legislative reforms have been passed in the last decade. He said Illinois’ system “is better than any other state in the union” and that the 15 men who had been on Illinois’ death row until Wednesday “have been given more than due process.”
“Our system is not broken. It was fixed,” Durkin said. He said he does not believe the death penalty is a deterrent to crime, but “it is important to have the option available. A lot of times we forget about the families that lost somebody. If this penalty is available, this option, to bring closure to those families, I think we need to have that.” [Emphasis added.]
So, if it’s not a deterrent, how does it “reduce senseless gun violence”?
Without the death penalty, Durkin believes, there is no adequate punishment for the most vicious criminals. “A lot of these other arguments will not matter when someone is faced with the murder of a loved one.”
Tuesday, May 15, 2018 - Posted by Advertising Department
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[Note from Rich Miller: Experienced Statehouse reporter Hannah Meisel’s position was recently and abruptly eliminated, so I asked her to do some work for me during the closing weeks of spring session.]
By Hannah Meisel
* JB Pritzker made two public stops in Springfield Monday, first touring a local business incubator, then heading to the AFL-CIO headquarters to sign Personal PAC’s pledge to keep HB40 — the expanded abortion access law — on the books and untouched until at least 2023.
Several lawmakers in the General Assembly have filed three different proposals meant to repeal the law, but none were assigned to a committee for further consideration. Personal PAC, a Chicago-based pro-choice group, and some lawmakers said they want the guarantee that these don’t get approved by the future governor. The group plans to send Rauner and Democratic candidate J.B. Pritzker a pledge to establish this guarantee.
* Pritzker accused Rauner of waffling on HB40, which he ultimately signed in September after having reportedly told Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich that he wouldn’t…
“He was against it, then he was for it. Then he was against it. He lied. He lied to the Cardinal. This is a governor who can’t be trusted, and certainly can’t be trusted to stand up for women’s rights, and a woman’s right to choose.”
* Sen. Heather Steans was also on hand and warned of bills filed to repeal HB40…
“Here in Illinois, we truly are a haven. And it’s very scary to think what would happen to not just Illinois women, but so many women even from surrounding states have to come here to get their fundamental rights protected.”
“It was a total roller coaster. We never quite knew what was going to happen with the bill. The governor was for it, then he was against it, then he was for it. There was a lot of flip-flopping going on.”
“Rauner’s campaign refused to engage in the back-and-forth on the issue that has, for them, proven a political minefield. Many of the governor’s own staff members oppose abortion, and shy away from discussing the matter on the record. State legislators in the social conservative wing still hold lasting grudges with a governor who, according to them, leaves little space between his views on abortion and the Democrat running to replace him. “
* Most recent poll data I could find on public opinion of abortion in Illinois…
“In a February 2016 poll by Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, 36 percent of Illinoisans said abortion should be legal in all circumstances, compared with 29 percent in a nationwide Gallup poll last May. In the same polls, 44 percent in Illinois said abortion should be legal only in certain circumstances, compared with 50 percent who said that nationwide. And 15 percent of Illinoisans told the pollsters that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances — compared with 19 percent of Americans.”
“73% percent of Illinois voters believe abortion should be a private decision between a woman and her doctor versus 20% who do not, making the margin of difference 53%. 7% were not sure.”
MADIGAN’S SOIREE — Speaker Mike Madigan spent the evening at the Island Bay Yacht Club for his annual fundraising event in Springfield. It’s one of two major events he holds every year. For all the anti-Madigan ads on TV, behind closed doors there was an outpouring of support for him, we’re told. Attendees were telling Madigan things like: “Don’t pay attention to TV ads.” “It’s just rhetoric,” and “Stay strong!”
* The Question: What would you tell Speaker Madigan if you could? No matter which side you’re on, you should probably take a very deep breath before answering.
At Friday’s [Kemp Forum], Rauner discussed his belief in attempting to create a movement for economic opportunity that mirrored his statements about mobilizing his re-election effort.
“The system of government, the system of politics in Illinois is broken. We need a movement to take it on, and it’s not Democrat or Republican, it’s not liberal or conservative, it’s not name-calling or labeling or categorizing people,” he said.
The governor then decried Illinois’ workers’ compensation program as filled with a “corrupt group of trial lawyers and judges and arbitrators along with unethical individuals” who work to game the system.
In other states, “it’s not full of the fraud and the abuse and the illegal behavior, I should say unethical behavior, that we have in Illinois,” he said.
The Russians attacked Illinois, and now authorities vow to protect the state.
“In a sense, it’s a declaration of war. It’s a cyberwar,” said Steve Sandvoss, executive director of the Illinois State Board of Elections.
“When a foreign government attacks your system, obviously you know they are up to no good,” he told Fox News. “Elections being a central part of our democracy, being attacked by a foreign government I think everybody in the country should be concerned about that.” […]
State officials said up to 80,000 voter registration records were accessed. It turned out that the greatest concentration of breached files belonged to the residents of Galesburg. A total of 14,121 residents, or almost half of the city’s population, had their voter registration information compromised.
“I certainly don’t want to be on the front of any cyberwar,” Sandvoss said.” We are as prepared as we can be.”
The Fox News story also included an interview with state Sen. Michael Hastings of Tinley Park and pointed out his background as a West Point graduate who served 10 years in Iraq. Hastings is chairman of the House subcommittee on cybersecurity.
“I want to make sure that Illinois residents feel safe and secure in casting their vote for whatever candidate they choose, whoever that may be,” he said. “And having these investigations to provide the assurances to Illinois residents that our voter systems are secure, or will be secure, is of the utmost importance to me.”
Fox News did not point out that Hastings is a Democrat.
Progress Chicago, a nonprofit issue advocacy organization dedicated to promoting sound public policies for the city’s continued advancement, today officially launched and outlined its spring agenda to counteract potential threats to the equal funding formula for Illinois schools that was reached with bipartisan support during last year’s legislative session in Springfield.
Through a mix of proactive communications, issue advocacy efforts and partnership initiatives, Progress Chicago will counter the faulty and misleading narrative about the city that disregards significant gains in recent years, particularly in education, with independent reports showing Chicago Public Schools are leading nationally on several fronts.
* IBEW Local 134
* IUOE Local 150
*LiUNA Chicago Laborers’ District Council
* Michael J. Sacks
Michael Sacks, eh? Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s favorite billionaire? The same guy who just hired the former Chicago Federation of Labor president who is expected to help Emanuel with his reelection campaign?
