* JB Pritzker spoke to the Evanston chapter of Action for a Better Tomorrow this week and said something for the first time…
During the Q&A portion of the event, Pritzker said he would get rid of gerrymandering and also does not support public financing of statewide campaigns
Pritzker has previously referred to his support for publicly financed judicial races, but never specifically ruled out statewide campaigns until now.
* But that’s not all Pritzker said on the topic. From a tracker video..
I don’t like the bill that I saw that’s in Springfield today.
That would be Sen. Daniel Biss’ bill to set up a publicly funded small donor matching system for all campaigns. That would also be the same Sen. Biss who recently endorsed Pritzker, but first wanted the nominee to come around on this issue.
We’ve got to work on trying to limit campaign contributions across the board, but I worry that since we’re going to have trouble convincing the vast majority of people in the state of Illinois that we should spend millions and millions of dollars on one race, for example, that that’s going to be very hard to do at a statewide level. I think for local races, for judicial races, even for state Rep and state Senate races, I think it’s very practical to do. I just have trouble at the statewide level — think about how much money is going to be spent in this attorney general’s race.
* I asked Biss about Pritzker’s opposition to publicly financed statewide campaigns and he chose to look on the bright side…
I think if we passed a law that was very similar to SB1424’s provisions for the GA that would be a huge step forward.
Look, I support SB1424. I disagree with him about the statewides. But I think what he’s proposing is real and would matter. It’s not window dressing.
Well, Daniel pretty much killed my “mess with JB” post, but whatevs. I guess he really is with Team JB now.
* The questions were pretty interesting, though. Biss may be on board, but some members of the audience clearly weren’t buying in…
Illinois Attorney General Candidate Erika Harold today announced sweeping recommendations to address the Democratic majority in the General Assembly’s failure to confront the #MeToo movement.
“The failure by Speaker Madigan, Senator Kwame Raoul and the Democratic majority in the General Assembly to enact meaningful reform of the investigation and complaint resolution process is a failure of leadership,” Harold said. “Women deserve real reform, and as Illinois’ Attorney General, I will demand no less.” […]
Erika Harold recommends the following changes:
* the law governing the Legislative Inspector General’s position should be amended to provide for an investigation that is independent of the General Assembly’s influence.
* the ethics commission should be expanded to include members of the public, so that legislators will be accountable not just to their colleagues in Springfield but also to their constituents.
* if the ethics commission finds evidence that a legislator engaged in sexual harassment, retaliation or other misconduct, then a Complaint should be filed with the independent Illinois Courts Commission, as opposed to being resolved by the ethics commission.
* the Illinois Courts Commission should be empowered to censure, fine or recommend for removal members of the legislature found guilty of sexual harassment or other misconduct.
* the perpetrator’s identity should be made public, as the public is entitled to know which legislators abuse their power and position.
* The Question: Which of these recommendations could you support and which would you oppose and why?
* David Risley, the director of criminal justice and public safety policy for the governor’s office, testified in a House committee hearing today and made a surprising offer…
Office of @GovRauner just committed to signing & @WillGuzzardi offered to sponsor standalone bill imposing a 72-hour waiting period on purchase of ALL guns. Waiting periods are evidence-based. We would be happy to work with the Gov & General Assembly to make it happen! #twill
Rep. Will Guzzardi: So what I’m asking you is to commit on behalf of the Governor’s office to enact a clean bill on a waiting period that the Governor’s office – on whose behalf you speak – admits will save the lives of Illinoisans without hanging it up on all these other provisions which are obviously very controversial. Is that a commitment that the Governor’s office can make to us today?”
David Risley: “Let me put it this way, we’ve already prepared that bill. We would hope that it would reach the Governor’s desk with exactly the language that he has proposed in the amendatory veto, without limiting it as it was in the original bill to a certain class of firearms, of long guns. The Governor wants to extend it to all firearms and it that bill reaches his desk I would fully expect he would sign his own bill.”
Rep. Will Guzzardi: “You say ‘that bill.’ You mean a standalone bill on a waiting period?”
David Risley: “Right, right. Exactly.”
Rep. Will Guzzardi: “That’s a bill that the Governor’s office would commit to signing?”
I asked the governor’s office for comment at 1 o’clock this afternoon. I’ll let you know what they say if I do hear back.
*** UPDATE *** From the governor’s office…
The governor has presented a comprehensive public safety package to the General Assembly. We urge the General Assembly to consider this package that gets to the heart of critical public safety issues including a standard 72-hour waiting period for all gun sales, banning bump stocks, keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, holding judges and prosecutors accountable for sentencing, freeing up local revenue to hire school resource officers and the death penalty for mass murderers and those who would kill law enforcement officers. A motion to accept the Governor’s changes to House Bill 1468 has been filed by the sponsor. There is a clear opportunity for the House to consider the package in its entirety.
* Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti appeared on a Bloomington-Normal radio station this morning to talk about Speaker Madigan and Kelly Cassidy. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Rep. Kelly Cassidy went public Monday with her story of being forced to resign from her part-time job in the Cook County Sheriff’s Office due to pressure from Madigan allies after she called for an independent investigation of sexual harassment within the state’s Democratic party organization, which Madigan also heads.
But either Sanguinetti has her signals crossed on who is doing the harassing, or perhaps she misspoke and meant something else, but she ended up calling Madigan the “harasser-in-chief”…
Host: Well, Madigan has a way of going after folks who make him look a little less than comfortable. I guess he feels that since he’s Illinois’ candy man, he can do it.
Sanguinetti: Absolutely, absolutely. And I have a daughter who just turned 18 and I’m always telling her to stand up for her rights and if you see something, you’ve got to say something. Look at what happened to Kelly Cassidy. What message does this send to our young ladies out there? You see something, you say something and what — you get fired? You get retaliated against? By the top harasser-in-chief. So we shouldn’t stand up for this. This should give you pause, this should give everyone pause.
For whatever reason, Sanguinetti’s “harasser-in-chief” comment was clipped out of the highlight reel distributed by the Rauner campaign this morning.
* Sanguinetti also echoed calls today for an independent investigator — other than Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter — to look into the Cassidy matter. As you’ll remember from yesterday, Sen. Melinda Bush told me that she and other female senators were planning on asking IG Porter to investigate the situation, but Speaker Madigan beat the senators to the punch and asked Porter to investigate the matter himself.
Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles) has been the loudest voice on this topic since yesterday. She sits on the Legislative Ethics Commission and chatted with reporters earlier…
.@kmcconnaughay33 says the current legislative investigative process is like the “fox watching the henhouse.” She says Madigan’s call to investigate Rep. Cassidy’s claims is an inherent conflict of interest. pic.twitter.com/2JqKAKWEkd
“You can’t say with a straight face that you have an independent process until you take the politics out of it, you take the political entities out of the equation and you give that independent individual the power to do the investigation. Remember, the way it works in Illinois is no Inspector General can go and do an investigation without asking the General Assembly to do so. It’s the fox guarding the henhouse problem that we have in Illinois…”
“As good as Julie Porter might be, if the person who’s responsible for hiring her is the person about to be investigated, then that is a clear conflict of interest. I don’t know how that could be at all complicated or confusing for anyone.”
I’m the communications manager for ProPublica Illinois and I’m writing with a story we wanted to make sure was on your radar. Today’s story is on our website, and also ran at the Sun-Times. This is part of Mick Dumke’s continuing coverage about the activities of the Illinois Policy Institute, which you may recall has been under heavy criticism for issues of transparency and accountability with the nonprofit’s political operations.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I’ve included a summary below and hopefully this may be a fit for a write-up at Capitol Fax.
Best,
Derrick
The Story: Groups connected to the Illinois Policy Institute, the state’s leading conservative think tank, have gained momentum on Chicago’s Northwest Side by organizing against an affordable housing complex. The proposal, supported by 45th Ward Ald. John Arena and State Rep. Robert Martwick, has stirred intense debate about government aid for the poor, racial segregation and housing density.
According to records obtained by ProPublica Illinois reporter Mick Dumke, starting with the 2012 elections, some Illinois Policy Institute leaders began funding campaigns after a series of transactions involving other organizations and political action committees they formed. In 2015 and 2016, the Government Accountability Alliance, which is also led by institute CEO John Tillman, gave more than $3 million total to the Illinois Opportunity Project. The IOP in turn has poured more than $1.7 million into political campaigns and committees across the state, including candidates opposed to the affordable housing complex. Tillman was also on the board of the Illinois Opportunity Project through 2016. (The story infographics help illustrate the money trail.)
The activities of some Illinois Policy Institute leaders have raised questions about accountability and transparency. For example, a report by the Chicago Sun-Times and ProPublica Illinois found that the now-defunct Project Six, touted as an independent and nonpartisan watchdog group, received 98 percent of its initial funding from the Illinois Policy Institute. And following that and similar reports, Congressman Dan Lipinski called for an investigation into IPI.
If you liked Airbnb versus the hotel industry or Uber-Lyft against taxi operators, a similar fight over what rules to apply to car-sharing companies is brewing in Springfield. And it could turn into a beaut, with the future of the transportation business and millions of dollars a year in tax income at stake.
Pending before the House Executive Committee is a bill backed by Enterprise and other traditional car-rental firms that would require emerging car-sharing competitors to follow the same licensing and regulatory rules that they do. The new competitors, such as San Francisco-based Turo, do not own and rent their own vehicles but instead use an app-based system in which travelers lease cars directly from individual car owners, with Turo playing intermediary.
Turo spokesmen argue that the bill, which is scheduled for a committee hearing tomorrow, would “effectively slow or stop Turo’s ability to offer a marketplace to 200,000 Illinois citizens and similar peer-to-peer car sharing companies.”
The company also argues that the 6,600 renters it has in the state, or “hosts” in company jargon, already are at a competitive disadvantage, because unlike Turo, they are exempt from paying the state’s 7.25 percent sales tax on car purchases.
But advocates of the bill say it’s the traditional firms that are losing out because lower-priced upstarts aren’t held to the same disclosure, insurance or consumer protection standards.
* Other bills…
* It’s ‘gut-check time’ for lawmakers on legislation to curb sexual harassment: The sexual harassment omnibus legislation Bush introduced expands the definition of harassment and extends discrimination protections to independent contractors. It would give workers two years, rather than six months, to file charges and sue. It would require reporting of settlements from large public contractors and employers, and prohibit non-disclosure agreements unless the victim wants one. Among other things, it also requires a panic-button system for hotel workers and mandates that anyone who works in youth sports be required to report abuse suspicions to the Department of Children and Family Services.
* New version of Trump tax-cap workaround goes to lawmakers: Under the new version, instead of paying taxes and losing some deductions as per the law enacted by the GOP Congress and President Donald Trump, taxpayers would be allowed to donate to “charitable funds” set up to benefit state and local school districts and municipalities. Donors would get a tax credit worth 90 percent of the donation that would be used to offset their state income or local property tax liability, and because federal law does not limit charitable deductions, the donation would be fully deductible, not capped at $10,000. In an interview, Morrison said she added the 90 percent credit—down from 100 percent in the House bill—with an eye toward the IRS, which some tax experts believe will block a dollar-for-dollar credit as a sale of sorts and not a charitable donation. “We want maximum integrity,” Morrison said.
* Editorial: Sexual assault nurses needed STAT: The bill passed the House 101-0 in April. It would require the 160 Illinois hospitals that treat sexual assault victims to make a SANE available within 90 minutes after a patient arrives in an emergency room. That’s a significant compromise from the not at all unreasonable standard of having a SANE on hand 24/7.
* Wednesday hearing to focus on other Rauner public safety proposals: The Illinois House is set to hear testimony about a slew of measures Gov. Bruce Rauner has raised to enhance public safety, and among them is freeing up money for armed school resource officers. The House heard the governor’s plan Monday to bring back the death penalty for cop killers and mass murderers, but other issues the governor injected in a bill he changed with his amendatory veto are slated for a Wednesday hearing.
* Illinois Lawmakers Consider National Rap Back System: When a new employee is fingerprinted for a job in Illinois, the employer receives a snapshot of their criminal record, and they receive notifications for any future run-ins with the law in the state. But lawmakers are considering a proposal that would also allow employers to be notified of convictions that happen across state lines.
* State Lawmakers Consider “Voices Act” to Help Immigrant Crime Victims: The measure, SB34, doesn’t change any immigration rules, but instead requires Illinois police to more quickly certify that someone is a crime victim. That gives them a special visa so they can stay as long as they cooperate with an investigation.
Illinois’ Springfield-based Fourth District Appellate Court on Tuesday ruled that the State Board of Elections must reconsider issues involving the former campaign fund of state Auditor General Frank Mautino.
Previously, an elections board hearing officer found the former Democratic lawmaker “willfully” violated an order that he provide more information about his legislative committee’s spending — in particular more than $247,000 on fuel and car repairs over a 16-year period and other expenditures from a local bank.
Mautino faced a $5,000 fine, and his fund also was subject to a federal investigation. Mautino declined to testify during the board’s previous hearing process. His attorney contended that Mautino’s campaign committee was dissolved and no longer had records to back up the expenses.
But following an appeal brought by the Liberty Justice Center, the legal arm of the conservative Illinois Policy Institute, the Appellate Court ruled that the State Board of Elections “did not address or issue rulings” on some of the claims made in the complaint to the lack of specificity in Mautino’s campaign finance reports. The court sent the case back for further consideration.
The [Illinois State Board of Elections] initially told the plaintiff, Streator resident David Cooke, to forward his case to prosecutors because they have broader powers to investigate the allegations of improper use of campaign funds.
The Fourth District Appellate Court disagreed, saying that the election authority was the proper venue to address Cooke’s complaint.
“We find Cooke’s [election code] claims, if proved, would establish additional violations separate and apart from the Board’s other findings,” the panel wrote. […]
Mautino’s campaign was fined $5,000 in May for failing to report information during a probe into the spending.
A verdict from the board could mean more fines, but because the campaign committee is defunct, it’s unlikely to pay them.
Approving a new evidence-based funding model for public education last year was the first step in improving Illinois’ long-broken formula. Now the state has to find a way to pay for it.
The Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously approved its fiscal year 2019 budget request, seeking nearly twice as much funding from the state – approximately $15.7 billion – in order to help districts across Illinois find equity and meet their adequacy targets.
A group of school superintendents is suing Gov. Bruce Rauner and the State of Illinois seeking more than $7 billion for schools.
Last August, Illinois adopted a new school funding plan. It’s called the “evidence-based model” because it’s calculated using dozens of metrics to determine how much money each district needs to provide kids with a good education. The State Board of Education, known as ISBE, says the total cost would be $7.2 billion. Lawmakers planned to get to that number over time, by appropriating around $350 million per year over the next decade.
But Dan Cox, superintendent of Staunton District 6, says schools that have been starved for cash for years want it now.
“We’re seeking a judgment of $7.2 billion in [fiscal year 20] 19 … to reflect the amount ISBE has always said is the amount required by Article X of the constitution,” Cox says. “We can’t wait for the General Assembly at some future date to appropriate these funds.” […]
Jackie Matthews, spokesperson for the state board, wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit except to say it’s consistent with the board’s budget request.
* Tribune: Madigan under fire again over handling of sexual harassment claims, asks for watchdog investigation: Porter’s contract originally ran through June 30, but it has been extended through the end of the year to provide time for a nationwide search for a replacement.
* Sun-Times: Is the speaker hearing the ‘message’? Or just mouthing the words?: Is Madigan, who turned 76 last month, ready for a full investigation of his own operation? Or is he just going through the motions for political cover?
* SJ-R: Madigan denies retaliating against Democratic lawmaker, calls for investigation: Cassidy said she has had several aides, lobbyists and others come up approach her and thank her for speaking up. She has also found wide support among her colleagues.
* AP: Madigan seeks probe of sexual-harassment retaliation claim: The bill had been assigned to a House Judiciary Committee, on which Cassidy serves as vice chairwoman. Cassidy said her opposition was based on House Democrats’ well-publicized moratorium on enhanced criminal penalties when there’s no evidence they’re effective at discouraging crime.
* WCIA: Madigan denies intimidation allegations: Senator Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles), who sits on the Legislative Ethics Commission, says Madigan’s letter represents a conflict of interest since he appointed Porter to the position.
* NBC5: Madigan Pens Letter Responding to Lawmaker’s Claims of Retaliation: Cassidy said she did not link Dart to the retaliation and chose to resign from her position.
* Hinz: Pritzker breaks with Mike Madigan as #MeToo flap deepens
* WTTW: Speaker Madigan Denies Retaliation Claims, Calls for Investigation: But Cassidy says her opposition had no impact on [the legislation]. She also says she believes it was not a conflict of interest to hold both jobs. “That’s something that we worked through quite thoroughly when I was contemplating joining the team there,” Cassidy said. “House counsel was clear that there was no conflict of interest, especially given my history of work on criminal justice reform.”
* Meanwhile, from the ILGOP…
93 days ago, Democratic Party of Illinois Chairman Mike Madigan asked Comptroller Susana Mendoza to serve on the Anti-Harassment, Equality and Access Panel charged with, among other things, investigating the sexual harassment claims against Speaker Madigan’s political organizations.
Over the course of the last 93 days, one of Mendoza’s harassment panel co-chairs resigned, more harassment claims emerged against Madigan’s organization, and now Democratic State Rep. Kelly Cassidy –who publicly criticized Speaker Madigan’s response to claims of harassment—claims she was pushed out of her job with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office because she spoke out against Madigan.
Through these turbulent 93 days, there has been one constant—Mendoza’s silence.
“Multiple women have now come forward with stories of harassment and retaliation by the Madigan organization, yet Susana Mendoza has remained silent—failing to do her job, much less act like a leader in her party. Mendoza’s quick to launch the hyperbolic partisan attack, but when it comes to taking a critical look at her own party leaders and defending her fellow colleagues—Mendoza remains silent. Illinois women simply cannot afford more silence from Mendoza.” said Darlene Senger, Republican candidate for Comptroller.
With yet another potential investigation into harassment and retaliation in Mike Madigan’s political organization, will Mendoza break her silence now?
* And then there’s this…
State Senator Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles) joins several other lawmakers in calling for an investigation following the recent allegations made by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who says she was forced to resign from her part-time job at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office after speaking out against Speaker Mike Madigan’s handling of sexual harassment claims within his political office. McConnaughay says retaliation of this kind, or any kind, needs to be taken very seriously and has no place in the Capitol.
Madigan, himself, has asked for the Legislative Inspector General (LIG) to investigate Cassidy’s allegations; however, Sen. McConnaughay believes the investigation needs to be done independently from the LIG and free from Madigan’s control.
“No inspector general should be handling an investigation regarding allegations made against the person who appoints them,” said McConnaughay. “If the Legislative Inspector General were to be in charge of this investigation, it would be a clear conflict of interest, as Madigan played a significant role in the current LIG’s appointment. The LIG cannot conduct an unbiased investigation when she is investigating the person who appointed her. This investigation must be independent.”
When sexual harassment allegations first came to light about an individual on Madigan’s political staff, Rep. Cassidy was one of few who voiced her opinion on the matter calling for an investigation and a review of sexual harassment policies. Cassidy has since publicly claimed that as a result of her speaking out against the way Madigan handled the situation, she felt forced to resign at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
“The only way for these unethical behaviors to stop is if people, like Rep. Cassidy, come forward to tell their story,” said McConnaughay. “Unfortunately, this kind of conduct has been going on for way too long in the Capitol building, and it’s long past time for it to end. Illinois cannot afford this kind of culture to continue. I commend Rep. Cassidy’s bravery to speak up and for being a trailblazer in the effort to end this kind of corruption.”
* And Rep. Kelly Cassidy gets the last word in this post…
In February, I first spoke publicly about the inadequate response to allegations of sexual harassment within Speaker Madigan’s operation. On two occasions since that time, someone loyal to Speaker Madigan has attempted to intimidate me and my part-time employer. After the second occurrence, I knew it wouldn’t stop, and I knew that the only way to ensure that these retaliation efforts cease is to place a spotlight on them.
Having spent my entire adult life advocating for those without power, I have advocated for stronger responses to discrimination at all levels as well as in the private sector. I know that my role in the House affords me a greater degree of safety than many who have long complained about the ways women are treated in Springfield. Since coming forward yesterday, I have been stopped by more women (and men) than I can count, thanking me for speaking up because they don’t feel safe speaking out about their own experiences of intimidation, retaliation, and harassment.
As this story now turns to the inevitable he said/she said and denials, I remain firmly committed to being a steadfast voice for justice and equality, just as I have worked against harassment and discrimination throughout my career. I stand by my story. I did not want to leave the work and the team I loved being a part of, and I certainly did not want to spend the waning days of this session focused on anything other than passing my bills and getting a budget completed.
I am encouraged to see the call for an investigation by the Legislative Inspector General from both the Illinois State Senate Women’s Caucus and Speaker Madigan. Based on the widely reported concerns about the ability of the LIG to operate with true independence, I stand by my original call for a truly independent and outside investigation into this culture that appears to pervade the organizations led by Speaker Madigan.
I am committed to speaking out against retaliation and intimidation, and to doing what I can to change this abusive culture. We can and must do better for all of us.
*** UPDATE *** From the three members of the Democratic Party of Illinois’ anti-harassment panel…
“This is nothing more than desperate politics being played on the part of Darlene Senger and the GOP, shamefully using the stories of brave women who have spoken up against sexual harassment, to change the subject away from her suggestion to pin the blame on Sen. Tammy Duckworth for Governor Rauner’s horrible failure to keep our veterans safe in Quincy. Senger lost all credibility and trust the instant she chose protecting Governor Rauner’s image over safeguarding the lives of veterans and their families.
The work of the Anti-Harassment, Equality and Access Panel is to focus on the future of women in this party, and engage them as it develops guidelines and a framework to eliminate obstacles to their success, such as sexual harassment, and elevate them into positions of leadership, while creating a culture of equity, safety and respect in the workplace.
Independence around this issue is so important to the three of us that we were prepared to step down from our respective positions in the event that the party attempted to appoint a member of its leadership to our panel.
If Darlene Senger and the GOP are truly interested in rooting out sexual harassment and elevating women within their own party, we hope they will follow our lead and adopt our ultimate recommendations for their own party.
What: Gov. Rauner joins public safety and transportation leaders at a ‘Give Them Distance’ awareness event
Where: Illinois State Capitol Building-Press Room, Springfield
Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Note: No additional media availability
So… the governor is going to the Statehouse press room and not taking reporters’ questions? That’s so odd. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.
*** UPDATE *** Here’s how the governor’s unusual press conference ended. Some folks were not pleased. The old rule was if you came to the Blue Room you couldn’t leave until the reporters said they were finished. Hey, it’s our room, so you abide by our rules. It’s why some people don’t hold these things in the press room…
Many thanks to the fine folks at BlueRoomStream.com for the video clip. If you don’t already subscribe to that service, you should.
* I saw on Twitter that today’s episode of Jeopardy! served up a category called “Illinois at 200.” So I fast-forwarded through the first half so you don’t have to! (Spoiler: they were quite easy, so I was a little disappointed)…
$200 question:
Illinois has 63 miles of coastline along this great lake.
- What is Lake Michigan?
$400 question:
Completed in 1973, it was the world’s tallest building until 1996.
- What is the Sears Tower?
$600 question (and the Daily Double):
This official slogan of Illinois honors a man who moved there at age 21.
- What is the “Land of Lincoln?”
$800 question:
Nauvoo briefly became Illinois’ largest city after this Mormon leader and his followers began settling there in 1839.
- Who is “Joseph Smith?”
$1,000 question:
In 1942 at the University of Chicago, this Italian-American achieved the first controlled nuclear chain reaction.
- Who is Enrico Fermi?
[Cara Smith at the Cook County Sheriff’s office] said she also talked to [Rep. Bob Rita], who told her that Cassidy’s opposition was a key hurdle to passing the bill. Smith said Rita commented that if he worked for a politician but didn’t support their initiatives, “I probably wouldn’t have a job.” Smith said she viewed it as Rita “stating his experience.”
I spoke to Smith today and she confirmed what she said to Monique.
Monique Garcia: When I talked to Cara Smith, she said that you had also raised the idea of, “I don’t know how you could oppose your boss’ bill.”
Rep. Rita: With Cara Smith and her conversations with her and Kelly, I can’t comment on that. We strictly were looking at how…
Monique: Well, Cara said you said that to her.
Rita: …How do we get through a committee to get the votes to get to the House floor? Kelly being the vice chair of the committee has a strong voice in that committee and her opposition and learning that she’s working for the Sheriff and it being his top legislative priority really surprised me. Figuring, now how do we move froward, which I’ve explained to Cara, we need to get past this because we’re not going to be able to get this out of committee. We’re going to call it and it’s not going to be a vote. We’re not going to get an outcome.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Rita denied raising Cassidy’s employment during discussions [with Cassidy] about the bill.
“I never had those conversations, what she is saying. It was all limited to how do we get (the bill) through the criminal justice committee,” Rita said.
The full exchange between reporters and Rita is here. The transcript on this particular topic is here. Many, many thanks to Hannah Meisel for doing these transcripts today.
I saw the letter [from Speaker Madigan denying any attempt at intimidation] and it really misses the forest through the trees.
You know, just as when Jack Hynes went after Alaina Hampton and was digging up dirt on her, the Speaker called me and there were several conversations during that period of time when it was event-reaction-event-reaction-event-reaction, and in that sequence he called me to warn me about the Jack Hynes story, and was really adamant that I understand that I hadn’t done this, that he hadn’t ordered this effort. And I stopped him and said, ‘I one hundred percent believe you. You didn’t order him to do it because you didn’t have to.
‘This is the way the operation works, and I know that you believe that the one-step removal is enough, but it isn’t enough anymore and you own this.’ And in that moment, he agreed that he did. In fact, his statements right after that used those exact words: ‘And I own this.’
And he owns this, too.
The message is very clear: Speak out against the Speaker and people loyal to him will come after you.”
* And, finally, from Sen. Sam McCann…
It is with a heavy heart I offer my sympathy to Rep. Cassidy. The reports of her retaliation from Speaker Madigan are disturbing. There are few legislators that I differ more with ideologically than Rep. Cassidy, but I cannot watch the retaliation of the political ruling class go unchecked. For too long men, like Speaker Madigan and Governor Rauner, won’t take no for an answer when legislators have our own beliefs. Our beliefs should be respected and allowed to have their veracity assessed by the voters, not bullies. Furthermore, Pritzker’s calls for an investigation without criticizing Madigan amount to cowardice and lend refuge to bullies like him and Rauner. I am the only candidate for Governor who will stand up against these travesties.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** State account…
This kind of corruption is what I fight every day. Retaliation against Rep. Kelly Cassidy for standing with a victim of sexual harassment is unacceptable.
I'm so grateful that the IL House Women's Caucus and the IL Senate Women's Caucus are supporting @RepKellyCassidy the way they haven't supported me. Many thanks to Kelly for standing with me when no one else would - I'm standing with you too. https://t.co/ZBd3u0I4Zy
* Smart move. Click the pic for the full letter with attachments…
…Adding… You may recall that Speaker Madigan did something very similar back in 2013 when he asked the Legislative Inspector General to investigate his involvement in a Metra scandal. While Madigan’s office claimed in 2014 that the LIG “found no violation of any law,” the report was later leaked and it wasn’t very flattering, to say the least.
* The governor’s amendatory veto was basically just for show and yesterday’s House hearing was still more Hollywood. But let’s take a quick look…
Many were surprised by the governor’s suggestions – especially when the governor’s own public safety working group has been meeting regularly to discuss different solutions. Some members say they wonder why the governor did not discuss the capital punishment plan with them first.
State Rep. Kathleen Willis, an Addison Democrat, is part of the group and called Rauner’s death penalty suggestion a “poison pill”. She asked David Risley, director of criminal justice and public safety policy for the Governor’s Office if Rauner intended to run the show himself after bypassing the group. “So in other words, he puts no value behind the public safety working group, that we have no input on the things that he wants to work on?”
Risley said the governor didn’t want to interfere with the working group’s own ideas. “What he wanted to do was lay these things on the table, instead of sitting back and being like a punching bag for critics. He wanted to lay on the table what he was for, affirmatively, instead of just playing defense.”
Lawmakers pushed Risley to be more specific in the definition of “beyond all doubt” and to provide examples of where that standard would be met. He said those like Saddam Hussein, Timothy McVeigh or John Wayne Gacy would meet such a bar.
At the hearing, Illinois State Police Director Leo Schmitz said they support the death penalty for cop killers and mass murderers as a way to deter criminals from targeting police officers or committing mass murder.
“I believe that anything that we can do to help stop that, whether it’s this bill or some other bills, it’s something that we should work on and strive for,” Schmitz said.
State Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, said everyone should support law enforcement, but she has a question of prioritizing one life over another.
“I certainly do say, ‘yes we should have your back’,” Willis said. “But what makes your life more valuable than my husband’s life, or my daughter’s life, or my mother’s life?”
So, our state police director believes the death penalty is a deterrent. Even House GOP Leader Jim Durkin doesn’t go that far.
And as I’ve pointed out before, when you start applying the death penalty to one or two crimes, people will always wonder why any number of other crimes weren’t also included. Then-Sen. Kirk Dillard ran into those same problems when he tried a limited reinstatement of the death penalty.
Rob Warden, who has spent years exposing wrongful convictions as a journalist and academic, noted that while Rauner might call his idea on capital punishment “limited,” it’s easy for lawmakers to expand.
When Illinois restored capital punishment in 1977, there were six “aggravating factors,” or legal determinations that, if met, could warrant a death sentence, Warden said. When it was abolished, there were 20.
* Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) and a coalition of female lawmakers plan to call for Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter to investigate Rep. Kelly Cassidy’s allegations that Speaker Madigan interfered with her employment with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
“I’m asking other members to call for an investigation, to call for our Legislative Inspector General to immediately investigate Representative Kelly Cassidy’s allegations,” Bush told me this afternoon. “We really believe that there should be an immediate investigation by our Legislative Inspector General. Part of our responsibility as Senators if we hear or or know of something that we believe is an ethics violation, we are also required to report.”
I also showed Sen. Bush the letter that Speaker Madigan wrote to Cassidy this morning on my phone (read the letter here) and she said it’s all the more reason for Porter to step in.
“If what the Speaker is saying is true, then that’s what an investigation would find,” Bush said.
Bush said she didn’t yet know which of her fellow lawmakers would officially be in on the statement, but said it’s currently being drafted.
* I had been looking to speak with Sen. Bush because she’s one of the three women heading up the sexual harassment panel that’s supposed to provide independent oversight for allegations of sexual harassment in the Democratic Party of Illinois.
Bush said the panel won’t weigh in. I also spoke with Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) and Comptroller Mendoza’s spokesman, who said the same. The panel, which hasn’t been terribly active yet but has events planned this summer, is focused on campaign-related issues, not government.
This post will be updated when the letter is distributed.
*** UPDATE *** Here it is…
Members of the Illinois State Senate Women’s Caucus stand in support of an immediate independent investigation by the Legislative Inspector General into the public allegations of retaliation leveled by Rep. Kelly Cassidy.
Rep. Cassidy had the courage to come forward and discuss her experiences. We stand in support of Cassidy. The Capitol must not be a place for retaliation, harassment or intimidation of any kind.
It is important that an independent investigation by the Legislative Inspector General be carried out in order to restore public confidence in the system. It’s time to stand together to address any culture of fear and intimidation that may exist.
I’m writing today to share that after several conversations with JB Pritzker’s staff and Mr. Pritzker himself, I have decided to officially endorse JB in the race for governor of the state of Illinois. As many of you know, I’ve spent the last several years of my life fighting against an administration that seems hell-bent on destroying our government. Our government is needed by all of the citizens of our state but I have been especially vocal about the needs of our most vulnerable citizens.
I have worked alongside our veterans, our seniors, as well as the differently-abled and I have uplifted the voices of children. Within each of those populations and the Illinois citizenry at large, I have worked to make sure that racial and ethnic minorities as well as women have their voices heard.
Working to amplify the voices of those communities has been one of the most difficult tasks of my career but it is a task that I have been honored to be able to perform. Know that I am going to be with JB and Juliana as they continue to send the message to the current administration that it does not get to ignore or willfully hurt individuals, families, businesses and our great state.
I ran for Lt. Governor to echo the voices of the citizens who need their government the most and to stand with the working poor and middle class families trying to reach economic security. I’ve gone across the state listening to mothers trying to balance work and school while looking for affordable child care. I heard from fathers worried about being laid off work.
It is because of my personal commitment to Racial and Social justice, which are rooted in Economic Justice, that I am standing with JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton as we move toward November. I know they will champion policies that lift everyone up and will help create a sound economy in our state. Moreover, we must work together to send the message that failed leadership will not be given a pass in our state. I hope that you will join me as I support JB and Juliana in their efforts to defeat Bruce Rauner.
Former House Republican leader Tom Cross moderates a City Club of Chicago panel featuring former state GOP chairman Pat Brady and conservative radio host Dan Proft.
Those two guys really do not like each other.
…Adding… House Republican Leader Jim Durkin is listed as an event sponsor. You’ll recall that Proft spent a fortune against Durkin in the March primary.
…Adding… The Pritzker campaign sent this out shortly before the program began…
Today, the JB Pritzker campaign released a new digital video, “Governor Without a Party,” highlighting Bruce Rauner’s fractured Republican party.
Months after barely winning the Republican primary, Rauner has stumbled from crisis to crisis, failing to unite his party behind his failed agenda. The new video features Rauner’s primary challenger, Jeanne Ives, attacking the governor for his failed leadership and reporters discussing the ongoing party rift.
“Bruce Rauner’s party is fractured beyond repair as he stumbles into a general election running on a record of crisis and damage,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “It is clear to Illinoisans of all political stripes that Bruce Rauner is a failure, and it will take a lot more than desperate attempts to dodge accountability and shallow gestures towards unity to bring his party back together.”
JB believes there should be zero tolerance for harassment and retaliation of any kind and he has built a campaign and will build an administration that reflects those values.
Rep. Kelly Cassidy bravely came forward with her story today, and JB believes she must be heard and that there should immediately be an independent investigation.
Women should never be forced to accept sexual harassment as the price of admission to a career in politics and JB stands with women like Rep. Kelly Cassidy who are leading the charge to change that culture.
*** UPDATE *** From Will Allison at the Rauner campaign…
Once again, Pritzker will not criticize Mike Madigan despite clear cases of sexual harassment and retaliation. It’s time for Pritzker to break his pattern of silence on Madigan and call him out for his corruption.
Galia Slayen, spokeswoman for Pritzker, said that this week, Pritzker will provide $1 million each to funds that help elect Senate Democrats and House Democrats; and another $1 million to the Rock Island County Democratic Party, which is chaired by Doug House. House is also president of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association. Other Democratic candidates will also get funds, including $50,000 that will go to state Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, who is the party’s nominee for attorney general. […]
“Not only has Doug House worked on the county level as a chair, but he is someone that we have worked with in his capacity as president of the IDCCA and we are confident in his ability to build a statewide, grassroots infrastructure that invests in counties across the state so we can beat Bruce Rauner and win campaigns up and down the ticket,” Slayen said. […]
Slayen also said Blue Wave Illinois will not take money from corporations or their political action committees.
“We’re happy to have that support, and support from thousands of other people from all over the country,” said Steve Brown, spokesman for Madigan, of the Blue Wave effort. He characterized Rauner and the GOP as “a well-financed negative message machine.”
Pritzker has long talked about using his campaign and personal wealth to help build up a Democratic political apparatus in the way the governor used his money to rebuild the Illinois Republican Party. For Democrats, the political system has normally been centered upon state party chairman Michael Madigan, the veteran House speaker.
On Twitter, Republican state Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville wasn’t impressed, posting a video of blue-colored water swirling down a toilet.
* Rauner campaign…
Pritzker Bankrolling the Madigan Machine
JB Pritzker has once again made his alliance with Mike Madigan clear by stating that he’ll be fundraising for the Speaker’s candidates. Pritzker sent out an email touting his “Blue Wave” program that he hopes will keep Madigan in the majority and the corrupt machine humming right along.
“Pritzker refuses to be seen with Mike Madigan but he has no problem bankrolling his political machine. This is just another example of the Pritzker-Madigan ticket working hand-in-hand to keep Illinois corrupt.” -Alex Browning, Rauner campaign spokesman
* The Pritzker campaign’s Galia Slayen responds…
Glad to see the Rauner team can still find the copy and paste feature on their computer. Perhaps they should be more focused on passing a budget – it seems to be difficult for them.
The people of Illinois owe @RepKellyCassidy a huge debt of gratitude for having the guts and integrity to speak out. The only way things will change is if people start telling these stories. https://t.co/o7jc0ZkYA1
Look at Madigan's "denial" letter and pay special attention to where he writes "I have never" and where he writes "no one in my office". That distinction explains much of what's going on here, and it matches Kelly's allegations perfectly.https://t.co/H0IQAQGBTI
Cassidy called [Speaker Madigan’s] denial the “discredit-the-target portion of the program.”
She said the letter is “missing the forest for the trees.”
“The point is not my opposition to the bill, which was no secret to them and certainly wasn’t a problem for them until Bob Rita did this,” Cassidy said .”He took the bill to come after me. He doesn’t care about the sheriff or this bill. He doesn’t work in that arena. He doesn’t do criminal justice stuff. I think the more we focus on that, the more we miss the reality.”
Cassidy said it doesn’t matter whether the speaker directed actions, but it is representative of a culture within his organization.
In February, a lawyer for political consultant Alaina Hampton sent a “cease and desist” letter to a man whom the believed was trying to find “dirt” on Hampton — the woman whose sexual harassment allegations led Madigan to fire a longtime aide who is the brother of the ward’s alderman. Jack Hynes, the man in question, called it a “casual conversation” and denied that he acted on behalf of anyone, especially the speaker or his staff.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
On May 10th, Midwest Members Credit Union presented the Tri-City Baseball/Softball League with a $5,000 donation to help subsidize youth athletic programs in the communities of East Alton, Roxana, Wood River, and Bethalto. The credit union has donated a total of $30,000 to the Tri-City Baseball/Softball League over the last three years, allowing the program to maintain the lowest registration fees in the area, make upgrades to uniforms and safety equipment, and make sure that anyone who wants to play baseball or softball in the summer has that chance. “We are proud of our sponsorship and relationship with the Tri-City organization and are happy to be able to make an impact with the families in the community. This is just another educational experience for them and gives them the chance to bond and create lasting relationships. Keeping active in a team-oriented environment, learning how to win and lose is something every child should have the chance to experience,” said Greg Lyons, President Midwest Members Credit Union.
[Cara Smith, Cassidy’s former supervisor in Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office] said she also talked to [Rep. Bob Rita], who told her that Cassidy’s opposition was a key hurdle to passing the bill. Smith said Rita commented that if he worked for a politician but didn’t support their initiatives, “I probably wouldn’t have a job.” Smith said she viewed it as Rita “stating his experience.”
“I can’t speak to what Kelly thinks,” Smith said. “I can speak to the fact that she opposes the bill and her opposition was a problem. She has a philosophical difference to the sheriff’s office and a chief sponsor, who was raising that as a significant problem.”
Cassidy worked on social justice initiatives for the office, which were aimed at creating new policies for how detainees were treated. […]
“While I am certain that my role in the office is not the reason the bill is not being advanced, it is very clear that my role has created a handy excuse and weapon to use against both of us,” Cassidy wrote [in her resignation letter]. “I can not bear the idea that my presence in the office might distract from that mission.”
Um, wait. Rep. Cassidy’s opposition was a “key hurdle” to passing the sheriff’s bill? Really?
* The legislation in question would apply the state’s “public indecency” laws to county jails. Sheriff Dart’s jail has had a big problem with inmates exposing themselves in shockingly lewd ways to public defenders, particularly women. So, he turned to the General Assembly for help instead of just fixing the problem himself.
The bill flew out of the Senate, but it was then assigned to the House Judiciary - Criminal Committee.
* As just about everyone at the Statehouse knows, that particular House committee has been a no-fly zone for all penalty enhancement bills this year. Chairman Art Turner has blocked every such bill that’s been assigned to his committee.
Now, think about this for a second. While Rep. Cassidy does oppose Sheriff Dart’s bill, who actually assigned that piece of legislation to Rep. Turner’s committee? Why, House Speaker Michael Madigan, of course. If Madigan wanted the bill to pass, he’d have put it in a different committee, like he did with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s carjacking bill.
And Rep. Turner is no ordinary committee chairman. He’s Madigan’s Deputy Majority Leader.
So, the House Speaker deliberately assigns a bill to a hostile committee where he knows it will die and yet Rep. Cassidy - one of eight Democrats on that panel (including JB Pritzker’s running mate) - is somehow the “key hurdle” here?
Wrong.
If Rep. Cassidy completely flipped and took over sponsorship of that bill today it would still not have a chance in Hades of getting out of Rep. Turner’s committee.
* The sheriff has a real problem at the county jail. He should fix the problem. Blaming others may help him sleep at night, but it doesn’t solve anything - particularly when the blame is so misdirected. If he ever stands up and demands that Speaker Madigan reassign the bill to another committee, well, then maybe he’ll have a point.
Total enrollment on both campuses is projected to decline about 14% from fall of last year, down to 8,088 students from 9,441, according to total enrollment numbers on the WIU website. The totals include currently enrolled students and graduate students, plus incoming freshmen and transfer students, who make up the fresh inflow of students to the university. […]
The 815 projection [in freshman enrollment] is a decrease of 32.4 percent from the fall 2017 freshman class of 1,206 students. in addition to a decline in Freshmen students, there is an anticipated decline in transfer students of just below 12 percent, down to 725 students compared with 823 in 2017. […]
[State appropriations] went from a high of $64.3 million in FY02 to $46.3 million in 2018, a decline of 28 percent. During the budget impasse in FY16, the university only received $14.9 million of its appropriated funds. In FY17 WIU received stopgap and other funds totaling $59.8 million.
“Some may look at this and think that FY17 made up FY16, but it didn’t. So that’s where we had to use $30 million of our own money to get us through that. It ate through quite a bit of our reserve,” [Budget Director Letisha K. Trepac] said. […]
”(For) FY19, $7.6 million in deficit spending is the current projection,” [Trepac] said. “I also want to point out that this doesn’t include any reinvestment in any areas.” […]
“If we deficit spend at the current rate next year, we will not have a reserve at the end of next year.”
Illinois citizens seeking to utilize the State’s Election Day Registration process to vote in the 2018 general election can do so without further interruption from an ideologically-driven group. The victory for access to the ballot comes after a court earlier this month closed Harlan v. Scholtz following an agreed dismissal. The challenge to Illinois’ Election Day Registration (EDR) law was filed just two months before the November 2016 general election by the Illinois Policy Institute’s legal affiliate, creating havoc and uncertainty about whether EDR would be available for that election.
“We are pleased that this attempt at voter disenfranchisement has been sent to the dustbin,” said the ACLU of Illinois’ Director of Communications and Public Policy Edwin C. Yohnka. “Election Day Registration is a critical tool for civic empowerment and access to the vote that benefits voters of every stripe. In these times we must all work to protect rather than abridge access to democracy.”
Ami Gandhi of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights said: “It makes perfect sense to us that this case has been dropped, especially after it failed in its goal to limit voters’ access to the ballot in the 2016 election. We are grateful for this dismissal and eager to turn our attention to other pressing challenges to voting rights in Illinois, such as the implementation of Automatic Voter Registration.”
In August 2016, the Liberty Justice Center, the legal arm of the Illinois Policy Institute, filed suit against the state’s EDR law, requesting that all precinct-level EDR systems be blocked because while large counties must provide EDR in every polling place, smaller counties are only required to provide it at a central location. Notably, the law doesn’t forbid those counties from offering EDR at all precincts, and indeed election officials in small counties themselves lobbied for the exemption from in-precinct EDR.
In response to the lawsuit, the ACLU of IL and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee together with Better Government Association, League of Women Voters of Illinois, and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform filed an an amicus brief urging the court to preserve EDR and, if anything, extend it in smaller counties. Although U.S. District Court Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan granted the motion to block EDR just six weeks before the November general election, a three-judge panel from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals stayed and then vacated that decision. Illinois voters from every county used EDR during the 2016 general election.
Illinois rolled out Election Day Registration with a 2014 pilot program. Around 9,000 voters took advantage that year, and in 2015 lawmakers expanded it and made it permanent. Around 121,000 eligible persons registered and voted using EDR during the 2016 general election. Thousands of voters across the state have used EDR so far in 2018.
Democratic State Rep. Cassidy Retaliated Against For Speaking Out On Madigan’s Mishandling Of Sexual Harassment Allegations
Madigan Chief of Staff and DPI Exec. Director Tim Mapes made “chilling” phone call concerning Rep. Cassidy’s employment
“This is how Mike Madigan operates: he will use the levers of power to retaliate against those who oppose him. The ‘chilling’ phone call Madigan Chief of Staff and DPI Executive Director Tim Mapes made concerning Rep. Cassidy’s employment in the Cook County Sheriff’s Office was a shameless attempt to silence those speaking out against Madigan’s corruption and stonewall any efforts to move an independent investigation against Madigan’s DPI forward.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Democratic State Representative Kelly Cassidy is saying that she’s faced retaliation for speaking out against House Speaker Mike Madigan’s mishandling of sexual harassment allegations from within his political organization. Cassidy called for an independent investigation into the Democratic Party of Illinois and Friends of Michael J. Madigan to review harassment policies and responses to complaints.
Days after calling for that investigation, Speaker Madigan’s Chief of Staff, Tim Mapes, who also serves as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois, called the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, where Cassidy held a part-time position, to confirm that Cassidy was still employed there. Cassidy said Mapes’ phone call was “a little chilling” and “felt like a warning.” DPI is a defendant in the sexual harassment lawsuit brought forward by Alaina Hampton.
Cassidy also said that she has attempted to communicate with Speaker Madigan concerning pending legislation, but her requests have been ignored thus far. Additionally, Democratic State Rep. Bob Rita confronted Cassidy on the House floor concerning legislation she opposes, but her former boss, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, supports. Rita told Cassidy that he would “expect to be fired” if he did what she did.
Cassidy eventually resigned her position in the Cook County Sheriff’s Office because she believes she was facing “retribution” over the matter.
This is how Mike Madigan operates: he will use the levers of power to retaliate against those who oppose him.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** Rauner campaign…
JB Pritzker says he will put ‘people over politics,’ but his past actions prove that he will put himself before everyone else.
Pritzker is outspoken in his campaign ads that victims of sexual harassment need to be believed: “[when] women everywhere need me to say ‘we believe you,’ you will find me standing right there next to you.”
Now is his chance. Yesterday, Rep. Kelly Cassidy came forward to tell her story of being pushed out of her job with the Cook County Sheriff’s office in retaliation for speaking out about harassment allegations in Madigan’s political organization.
Pritzker has a history of being unable to criticize Madigan, particularly on this issue.
Chicago Tribune: “’I think people like J.B. Pritzker who can’t criticize him (Madigan), that makes it very difficult to win the general election,’ Kennedy said. ‘It makes him almost unelectable in a general election. We need to have that freedom, the space to be critical of our own party. Unless we have that freedom, then the leadership is, in fact, toxic.’”
WMBD: “In four minutes and 25 seconds of discussing the sexual harassment scandal, Pritzker did not once say ‘Madigan.’ Madigan on Friday sent a letter to lawmakers saying it’s time to ‘rethink the culture of politics.’”
State Journal-Register: “‘It took J.B. Pritzker a week to get permission from Mike Madigan to even name him in talking about the sexual harassment coverup,’ Biss said. ‘We need someone with independence…’”
WCIA: Biss continues calling Pritzker, “Madigan’s candidate” after debate wraps up.
Chicago Tribune: “Pritzker, who has successfully coalesced support from the Democratic Party establishment, has repeatedly declined to say if he thought Madigan should step down as party chairman, House speaker, or both. He declined to say so again on Thursday.”
So does Pritzker stand with Kelly Cassidy and Alaina Hampton or Mike Madigan?
