* Things are not going well (again) for some commuters this afternoon…
* Go to Metra’s website and you’ll see this…
Metra has an unsustainable economic model and faces the worst financial crisis in its 33-year history. In addition to a chronic lack of adequate funding for capital assets, such as rolling stock and infrastructure, Metra is now faced with decreased funding for operations. […]
Because capital funding has been inadequate, Metra now has the oldest commuter fleet in the nation. Approximately 40 percent of Metra’s assets are classified as in marginal or worn condition. Half of the 800 bridges in Metra’s system are 100 years old or older. These assets, while safe, have exceeded their useful lives. Metra will always run a safe railroad, but continued use will result in higher operating costs and degraded on-time performance.
Public funding for operating costs, provided through a regional transportation sales tax and a partial state match, is falling short. […]
Public funding for capital is also falling short. In past decades, the state recognized the need to fund capital improvements for public transportation and did so regularly. In recent years, the lack of a state bond program for capital investment has had impacts on funding for public transportation. Metra understands it cannot continue to ask its customers to pay higher fares in the absence of adequate public funding. […]
The current situation is unsustainable, and threatens the future viability of the important service Metra provides. Funding levels will need to change to ensure Metra can continue to provide the service its riders depend upon, or else that service will have to be cut.
Remember earlier today when several suburban Republican legislators were screaming about the prospect of more government spending? One even called increased spending “evil.” I wonder if any of them took the Metra home after their press conference.
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Question of the day
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Folks have long asked for a “like” button on comments, but is there anything else you’d like to see added to (or subtracted from) this site? Explain.
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* ABC 7…
Chicago Mayoral Candidate Dr. Willie Wilson has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a cash giveaway last month.
The Illinois State Board of Elections voted unanimously to exonerate Wilson, who was accused of mixing politics and charity work
At a July 22 cash giveaway at a South Side church, Wilson handed out $40,000 of his own money to needy people. He also wrote checks worth $200,000 from his charitable foundation to help people with their property taxes.
The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform filed a complaint about the event.
“It was a nonsense complaint, we proved it was a nonsense, the hearing officer found for us, the board found for us, and the legal counsel also found for us,” said Wilson’s attorney, Frank Avila.
* ICPR…
As Illinois’ leading nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the role of money in politics and encouraging government transparency, ICPR sought an Illinois State Board of Elections ruling on whether the giveaway should have been reported as an “in-kind contribution” to Wilson’s campaign. The state board voted in Wilson’s favor and said disclosure wasn’t needed, in part because it determined that connections between Wilson’s campaign and the Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation event were mistakes. […]
“Transparency is the only real safeguard Illinois voters have after decades of costly corruption scandals. ICPR will work to ensure that lone safeguard is not whittled away,” said ICPR Executive Director Mary Miro. “ICPR has tremendous respect for Dr. Wilson and his philanthropy, and has never wanted to stop his charitable activities. ICPR only wants to ensure that such activities are appropriately disclosed when they are closely aligned with a campaign for public office.”
* Common Cause Illinois…
The people have had enough with pay-to-play politics and are ready for change. While the Illinois State Board of Elections may technically be correct in their ruling that Willie Wilson’s recent cash handouts are legal, that does not make them right.
Illinois voters deserve a campaign focused on creating an accountable government for the people, not one where millionaires and billionaires can self-fund their campaigns and partisan politicians can play tricks to essentially buy votes. That’s why Common Cause Illinois will continue to organize people in support of and push the state legislature and localities across the state - including Cook County and the city of Chicago - to prioritize and pass campaign finance reform that lifts the voices of everyday Illinois citizens and reduces the influence of wealthy special interests and big money in politics.
* Willie Wilson…
HUMANITARIAN DR. WILLIE WILSON RESUMES ASSISTING PROPERTY TAXPAYERS…FOR NOW
WHO: Humanitarian Dr. Willie Wilson and The Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation
WHAT: For the third time this year, Dr. Willie Wilson will financially assist Cook County property taxpayers who are drowning under outrageously high tax bills and, many, in danger of losing their homes.
Those receiving help must pre-apply, through the foundation, and must have their tax bill and matching, personal identification for proper vetting and fulfillment by Foundation staff.
WHEN: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 – 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Cook County Treasurer’s Office | 118 N. Clark St. | 2nd Floor | Chicago IL
WHY: To complete the commitment made to taxpayers for this year. “I will die and go to heaven before I stop helping the needy.” –Dr. Willie Wilson
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* Media advisory…
Today, legislative leaders will hold a press conference in Chicago on JB Pritzker’s plan to raise taxes on hardworking Illinoisans. Pritzker has called a graduated income tax hike the “theme of this campaign.” Despite his claims that this would only affect the wealthy, his tax hike would crush the middle class and be a disaster for the state.
JB Pritzker’s expensive campaign promises would dramatically increase the state’s spending, requiring massive tax hikes. For more information, read Rich Miller’s recent post on Capitol Fax.
Leaders Jim Durkin and Bill Brady will be joined by other area legislators at the press conference. They will give short remarks and will take questions from the press.
* From the event…
* WLS AM…
GOP legislators are warning that the state income tax hike Democratic candidate JB Pritzker is pushing would hit every wage earner, not just the rich.
In the long-term, Pritzker wants to go to a graduated income tax – the more you make the bigger rate you pay – and in the short-term, raise the flat rate on the rich but protect the middle class with exemptions.
Jim Durkin, the Republican leader of the Illinois House says he’s never seen a Democrat so enthusiastic about wanting to raises taxes to spend more billions, noting “More Democrat spending, which is the root evil, the root problem causing all the issues we have in Springfield.”
Durkin’s solution to the states revenue needs is don’t raise taxes, but freeze spending and pass a pending pension reform bill.
* Raw audio…
At times, it almost sounded like the Republicans were viewing Pritzker’s election as a fait accompli. When Sen. Brady as asked about that, he said “On this issue alone, [Rauner] can win the election.”
…Adding… And this is the biggest reason why the last tax hike was needed…
Oy.
*** UPDATE *** The governor’s campaign compiled some quotes…
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin:
“Mr. Pritzker has made raising taxes a central theme of his campaign. After the Mike Madigan 32% permanent income tax last year on all Illinoisans, including the middle class and low income workers. Pritzker now wants to raise the current rate against all Illinoisans until he can change the constitution so he could ram through what he has called the graduated tax system. Why? For more Democrat spending, which is the root evil and the root problem of all issues that we have in Springfield.”
Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady:
“I don’t even think Pat Quinn or Rod Blagojevich would have the gumption to talk about forcing a tax increase on the backs of Illinois families and businesses. We already have one of the highest property taxes in the nation if not the highest as JB Pritzker knows very well. It’s time to reduce the tax burden on families and businesses.
“…These calls by JB Pritzker and Mike Madigan and John Cullerton will not work to create opportunities for Illinois families. So candidate Pritzker, come clean with what your tax proposals truly are, but as you do that, you ought to reconsider Governor Rauner’s proposal which is reducing the tax burden on families and businesses.”
State Representative Grant Wehrli:
“JB Pritzker’s solution to Illinois’s fiscal woes could not be any more simplistic. It is simply a higher tax burden on all of us. It is an intellectually lazy approach to governance, there is nothing on the reform side, there is nothing on the cut side, there is nothing on the integration of technology to make our state government more productive. Intellectually lazy solution to our fiscal problems.”
State Representative Keith Wheeler:
“Small business owners don’t hide their money offshore, overseas accounts, they pay taxes and create jobs, and they do the little things in our communities that make a difference, like sponsor that baseball team or promote a dance recital, so if you’re a small business owner, or you work for a small business, pay close attention. JB Pritzker’s tax increase is going to hit you, and it’s going to hit you hard. And here’s why: when a small business moves to another state, closes its doors, it never even opens, because the entrepreneur can’t see a way to make ends meet because our taxes are too high and still going up. Well then that real life toll on the family in Illinois that loses that job or never gets that opportunity, that’s real impact, so make no mistake. The Pritzker-Madigan tax increase will crush Illinois small businesses and kill Illinois jobs.”
State Representative Deanne Mazzochi:
“JB Pritzker says that he won’t commit to the rates, that he’s going to take from our social service workers, our teachers, our farmers, truck drivers, doctors, business owners, and the rest of the middle class, because he needs to work with the legislature. And again, we know what that means—Pritzker puppet, Madigan master. JB’s commercials, that Madigan-Pritzker tax hike, is only going to hit the billionaire class, is a flat lie.”
State Representative David Olsen:
“I think that the critical point is that this math doesn’t work unless there is a tax increase on the middle class, and so JB Pritzker’s plan—oh we’re just going to focus on the billionaires, that he’s going to pay more, it sounds nice, except that means a tax increase on every working family in Illinois, and that is really something that we cannot afford.”
State Representative Peter Breen:
“JB Pritzker, as one of my colleagues declared he only made $15 million in income but had $120 million available to spend on his political campaign. So this guy is bad faith in a state where we have had enough bad faith we have had enough corruption. We need people, leaders, and policies that give people hope for the future and that’s something Governor Rauner is trying to bring to the state and we fully support him in terms of those policies that will turn around our state. Again, this is a tax cheat, pushing tax hikes. He is absolutely in bad faith and in the most corrupt and bankrupt state in the country and we can’t afford it.”
State Representative Steve Reick:
“What we’re going to be left with are a whole bunch of people making less and less money providing less and less revenue in an economy that continues to stagnate. So whatever JB Pritzker is selling, I’m not buying it, nor should you.
“…He’s wasting an awful lot of money on ads talking about taxing the rich. Let’s find out what he’s going to do about taxing the middle class, because that’s what’s going to happen.”
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Asked and answered
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Over the weekend, numerous users on social media platforms notified our campaign that the incumbent state Treasurer, Mike Frerichs, is using taxpayer dollars to advertise. This morning, Republican nominee Jim Dodge issued the following statement:
“Mike Frerichs is using taxpayer dollars, just months from an election, to advertise on social media. He should be immediately and totally transparent with taxpayers about how much this costs and why it is the most efficient use of their money.
“We need a Treasurer who is committed to transparency and who will work to insure that each and every hard earned dollar that Illinois taxpayers send to Springfield is used in the most efficient and effective way.
“It is absolutely abhorrent to ask the taxpayers of this state to send one extra penny to Springfield until our elected officials can guarantee that they are getting the absolute most out of current funds.
“I urge the Treasurer to be transparent and accountable and to do so today.”
* I asked Treasurer Frerichs’ spokesman if they were running ads on Twitter. His response…
Yes, we do advertise on Twitter as part of a larger campaign to increase the number of people claiming their unclaimed property.
We have had a lot of success with the campaign. In fact, we have doubled the number of successful claims to over 116,000 and returned $180 million in FY 18.
He also linked to a July press release.
Thoughts?
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Drilling into the UIUC numbers
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
For years, Illinois universities have watched as thousands of the state’s best and brightest students headed elsewhere for college.
Lured by generous scholarship offers, and spooked by the state’s budget stalemate and rising tuitions, Illinois students have increasingly pursued their higher education in other states. Enrollment has slid, and Illinois is losing far more local students to other states than it is attracting nonresidents to attend college here.
Now, the University of Illinois and a bipartisan group of lawmakers want to change that.
On Monday, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is announcing a free tuition and fees program for admitted Illinoisans whose family income meets or falls below the state median.
But when you scroll down to the particulars and do the math yourself (because the Trib doesn’t do it for you), you’ll see that the program will pay tuition for 250 students, tops. That’s only about 3 percent of its total freshman enrollment.
So, while probably a good start and very consequential for those individual kids, it won’t make much of a dent in the state’s out-migration problem.
…Adding… From Sen. Pat McGuire…
Rich, hello. UIUC Chancellor Robert Jones explained to me that Illinois Commitment is last-dollar financial aid. Pell and MAP are first-dollar. Illinois Commitment then covers the gap between the sum of those two grants and tuition and fees.
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Our two states
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
John S. Jackson, a professor specializing in politics at Southern Illinois University, says the southern part of the state has come to resemble the changing political landscape of the Deep South of the nation.
“We lagged the South and we’re a good deal later getting to that, but we have certainly come to that party and we’ve become increasingly red in presidential votes and even in congressional votes now,” Jackson said Sunday on WGN-AM 720.
“This end of the state, particularly because of economic reasons, was always a bastion of Democratic strength, and the unions were a key part of that,” he said. But with union declines, primarily in the coal industry, “the same thing that’s happened to the South has happened here, though ours came more recently.” […]
“We are a deeply polarized nation and we are polarized ideologically and (in) partisanship and geographically, and now Illinois reflects almost exactly that same (national) distribution” of voter attitudes, he said.
* Tribune…
Rauner had previously come under fire from conservatives over signing into law an immigration measure that prevents people from being held by law enforcement solely on the immigration status without a judicial court order. Rauner has been forced to defend his signature as not creating “sanctuary” law.
But on Friday he spoke out against “that whole sanctuary concept” and blamed Democrats for forcing the legislation that resulted in his vetoes, though some measures also got support from Republican lawmakers.
One measure he rejected would create “immigration safe zones” which would require the attorney general to develop policies for courthouses, schools, libraries, medical facilities and shelters on how to handle immigration enforcement activity. It also would remove questions of immigration status from applications for benefits from state agencies, schools and universities.
Rauner also vetoed legislation that he said forced law enforcement to advance visa applications to immigrants “who otherwise would be deported” in order to defer their removal in cases where they “claim to be victims of crimes.”
Supporters said the legislation set rules for processing visa applications aimed at assisting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, giving them federal protections if law enforcement certified they came forward and actively cooperated in prosecuting their case.
Interestingly enough, the governor’s state and campaign Twitter accounts made no mention of these vetoes.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday stubbed out a bill that would have raised the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy cigarettes, vaping devices and tobacco products in Illinois.
In a letter explaining his veto to the General Assembly, Rauner called smoking “detrimental to the health of Illinoisans of all ages,” but argued the bill would only limit consumer choice without keeping tobacco out of youthful hands.
Using that logic, why does he still oppose legalizing marijuana?
* This bill faces a Tuesday deadline for action…
Gov. Bruce Rauner is expected to take action on a bill that would give opioid patients the option to use medical cannabis to treat their pain. […]
The bill, dubbed the Alternatives to Opioids Act, would significantly expand the state’s medical cannabis pilot program by giving people who have been prescribed opioids the opportunity to obtain a temporary medical cannabis card.
Under the bill, temporary access could not exceed 90 days, although a doctor could re-certify a patient after that point. The measure would also eliminate requirements for temporary patients to submit to background checks and fingerprinting.
Our current law makes zero sense. If you’re a cancer patient with weeks or a few months to live, there’s no way you can get a medical cannabis card before you die. Same goes for injured people. By the time they recover, they still won’t have a card.
* Common sense…
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Saturday signed a bill legalizing industrial hemp, adding Illinois to a growing list of states that allow the growth of cannabis for non-drug purposes.
“Legalizing the farming of industrial hemp just makes good sense,” Rauner said in a statement. “Roughly 38 states — including our neighbors in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee — have allowed or are considering allowing cultivation of this crop for commercial, research or pilot programs. Our farmers should have this option as well.”
* Other bills…
* Thumbs down to Gov. Bruce Rauner for vetoing legislation that would expand benefits and collective bargaining rights for city paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Rauner took the action over the weekend on plans that would define paramedics and EMTs as “firefighters” for purposes of union bargaining and benefits for injuries or death. Yes, we know that Rauner has long sought to limit unions’ collective bargaining power, but this is too far. He says the legislation would be an “unfunded state mandate.” Maybe, but our EMTs deserve better. They have tough jobs, too. Both measures received the General Assembly’s approval by wide bipartisan margins and could face veto-override votes.
* Rep. Reick sponsors bill to help clarify dental care insurance: Senate Bill 2851 requires that dental insurance cards now include specific information that identifies whether the coverage is subject to regulation by the Illinois Department of Insurance.
* State lawmakers again eye gambling expansion
* Letter: Why is Rauner violating health care basics?: By vetoing HB 4096, Illinois will require Medicaid Managed Care Organizations to adopt a single preferred drug list. This limits physician prescribing behavior. Practitioners must be allowed to prescribe freely. Illinoisans with various chronic illnesses, including HIV, have similar clinical decision points. Often, these involve life-saving medications. Rauner is choosing to put vulnerable individuals — like the estimated 45,000 Illinoisans living with HIV — at increased risk for various unknown reasons. Perhaps, it’s just plain politics. It doesn’t matter — the ultimate effects are the same.
* Cunningham’s plan to end Chicago police quotas becomes law: Senate Bill 3509, sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham, rescinds Chicago’s exemption from a 2014 law banning counties and municipalities from assigning ticket quotas and using the number of tickets an officer issues as a performance evaluation. The law made exemptions for municipalities with their own independent inspectors general and law enforcement review authorities.
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* The Sun-Times looks at the immediate aftermath of the Janus ruling…
As a result of that ruling, [labor expert Robert Bruno’s] research has predicted an 8 percent loss for Illinois’ total public sector unions, with teachers’ unions faring slightly better. […]
The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees said “several dozen” former members had dropped out. Spokesman Anders Lindall said just 10 percent of the 75,000 public service workers represented by the union were fair-share payers.
Lindall, too, said “more than 1,000” fee-payers signed up as new dues-paying union members.
So, they had a net loss of about 6,500 people who were paying fair share fees and didn’t join the union. That’s about an 8.7 percent drop, which is darned close to Bruno’s prediction, particularly since teachers’ unions are expected to fare better.
But the loss could be higher if those “several dozen” card-carrying union members who dropped out actually number in the hundreds.
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* August 8th New York Times…
The Trump administration’s efforts to allow health insurers to market short-term medical plans as a cheap alternative to the Affordable Care Act are already running into headwinds, with state insurance regulators resisting the sales and state governments moving to restrict them.
State insurance regulators, gathered over the past three days for a meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, expressed deep concern that short-term plans were being aggressively marketed in ways likely to mislead consumers. Many said the plans, which need not comply with the Affordable Care Act’s coverage mandates, were a poor substitute for comprehensive insurance.
“These are substandard products,” sold on the premise that “junk insurance is better than nothing” for people who cannot afford comprehensive coverage, Troy J. Oechsner, a deputy superintendent at the New York Department of Financial Services, told the insurers.
* CBS News report from early August…
For instance, a standard silver plan under the ACA now averages $481 a month for a 40-year-old nonsmoker. A short-term plan might cost as little as $160 a month, according to some estimates.
But lower premiums may be deceptive, says Karen Pollitz senior fellow, health reform and private insurance at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Cheap insurance is cheap for a reason,” says Pollitz, referring to both short-term and association health plans. “These plans are less expensive because they are offering you less protection.” […]
Under Obamacare, short-term plans could only be sold for a coverage period of 90 days. That seemed a reasonable amount of time to offer bare bones coverage for people who are in between jobs or in another short-term bind.
Under the new rules, a short-term policy can be issued for a limit of 364 days and insurers are allowed to extend those policies up to 36 months, or a total of three years. Three years is not exactly short term, according to many health care advocates. Over a period of time that long, chances are higher a healthy person who signed up for a minimal plan may encounter health issues that could potentially be excluded from coverage.
* Blue Cross of Minnesota also issued a warning about these short-term plans…
It is expected that if these policies can last for a year or more, healthier individuals may choose to purchase short-term coverage for the lower premiums, leaving only those with high medical needs to purchase individual plans. This would cause premiums to skyrocket to cover anticipated costs for the smaller population remaining.
* May 25th press release…
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) advanced a measure through the Senate to protect consumers from a pending rollback to the Affordable Care Act.
House Bill 2624 would encourage individuals to enroll in comprehensive health insurance rather than remaining on a short-term plan. The measure would limit short-term coverage to 180 days within a year. The Obama Administration limited the time an individual could stay on a short-term plan in 2016. President Trump has proposed reversing this ruling and allowing individuals to stay on short-term, limited duration insurance plans for a year.
“President Trump wants to extend the length of time individuals can stay on a short-term health insurance plan, driving up the cost for everyone on the exchange,” Steans said. “These plans can also hurt consumers by not providing full medical coverage and leaving patients with high medical bills.”
Short-term, limited duration insurance plans are exempt from many of the Affordable Care Act’s mandates and often provide less coverage to consumers. House Bill 2624 would require short-term policies to disclose to consumers that the plan might not cover all medical bills.
“This legislation is about protecting consumers and the insurance exchange in Illinois,” Steans said. “It is clear that the Trump administration does not have consumers’ best interest at heart, so as a state we need to step up and protect patients from enrolling in plans that won’t cover their expenses.”
* Not everyone liked Steans’ bill. From one of Dan Proft’s papers…
Short-term health plan legislation that was sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner more than a month ago should be vetoed to protect middle-income Illinoisans, the founder of an independent insurance brokerage firm said.
“House Bill 2624 will be devastating to Illinois consumers who do not qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies,” C. Steven Tucker, Health Insurance Mentors founder and principal broker, told North Cook News. “These consumers have been forced to absorb premium increases of more than 200 percent in the last five years.”
* Gov. Rauner vetoed the bill over the weekend…
Today I veto House Bill 2624 from the 100th General Assembly, which restricts the scope and operation of short-term limited-duration health insurance plans (“STLDs”).
This legislation would impose numerous restrictions on these plans, which have historically been utilized to cover individuals who may be experiencing a gap in longer term coverage options, including strict maximum time frames and prohibitions on renewal.
I recognize concerns that certain STLDs have not always been clear in their terms and coverage, but ultimately broad restrictions such as those contained in House Bill 2624 will reduce consumer plan choice as well as the availability of STLD options in Illinois. The scope of STLDs has recently been debated at the federal level, and we should look to be consistent with the regulatory structures of other states and the federal government, as further regulation will create barriers to Illinoisans’ access to the health care plans that best fit their needs.
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* I happened to see this headline on the blog’s news feed yesterday…
So, I clicked it, but the link was broken.
* Google never forgets, however. From the cache…
Republican House hopeful Dan Caulkins believes true conservatives should support Gov. Bruce Rauner’s re-election effort despite their many disappointments in his first term.
“We had a primary election and the outcome of that means he’s the Republican candidate,” Caulkins told the Chambana Sun. “It’s important that we come together as a party to send Republicans to Springfield.” […]
“We need to keep the Governor’s Mansion in Republican hands because that is the only person that can veto Madigan and Pritzker’s agenda,” he said. “That is the only way that Republicans will have a significant voice in the next remap that, in many ways, will shape this state.” […]
As for all the disappointment, some conservatives might still feel regarding Rauner’s first four years in office, which saw him sign off on abortion expansion with House Bill 40 and gay rights legislation, Caulkins said he has a feeling things may be vastly different this time around.
“By sending more Republicans to Springfield, I think we will help Rauner to be more conservative in the way he governs,” he said. “In the House, if we can chip away at the Democratic majority and pick up seats I think the other side will start to see a trend that tells them people really want change. With that, I think everyone will be more willing to work toward real solutions to our problems instead of marching in lockstep with Madigan and the Democratic machine.”
Seems reasonable. But the Chambana Sun is one of those Dan Proft papers, and even though Caulkins was a Proft guy in the primary, his current reasoning is diametrically opposed to the position of the GOP’s Ives/Proft/Uihlein wing, which is basically: Rauner needs to apologize to Ives for calling her a Madigan ally. Or something. I’m not quite sure.
*** UPDATE *** From Dan Proft…
Hey Trump
I don’t take any stories down. There is no anti-Rauner litmus test. People can take whatever position on Rsuber they so choose including the candidates supported by my PAC.
But nothing like concocting fake news agitprop to curry favor with the AFL-CIO Times and the rest of the groupthink brigade.
You may now resume you fact-free conspiracy theorizing.
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Rauner vetoes $40,000 teacher minimum wage
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If JB Pritzker wins the governor’s race and the Democrats strengthen their legislative majorities, it’ll be interesting to see how the Dems deal with bills like this one…
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sunday vetoed legislation that would have raised the minimum salary for an Illinois teacher to $40,000 within five years, putting the re-election-seeking Republican at odds with teachers unions once again.
The bill approved by lawmakers in the spring would make the minimum teacher salary for next school year $32,076. The number would rise to $40,000 for the 2022-23 term and grow with the Consumer Price Index after that.
“Teachers are our greatest asset in ensuring the future of our youth and they deserve to be well-compensated for their hard work,” Rauner wrote in his veto message. “However, minimum pay legislation is neither the most efficient nor the most effective way to compensate our teachers.
“Things like pay-for-performance, diversified pay for teachers in hard-to-staff schools or subjects, or pay incentives for teachers with prior work experience are all viable options to provide greater compensation for teachers,” the governor wrote.
This sounds like a good idea, and it sure has pleased the teachers’ unions in an important election year. But just about everybody knew this bill would be vetoed from the get-go.
The bill received 37 votes in the Senate (one more than needed for an override), but just 65 votes in the House (6 votes shy). This was yet another bill specifically designed to put Rauner on the hot seat and help the Dems with their own base. But will they pass stuff like this when it could actually be signed into law? I guess we may find out.
* JB Pritzker…
“I’m disappointed that Bruce Rauner doesn’t think our state’s hardworking teachers deserve a fair wage,” said JB Pritzker. “With this veto, thousands of educators across the state are being denied a raise at the same time that Illinois grapples with a worsening teacher shortage that this governor is doing nothing to stop. It’s been decades since the state updated the law to maintain fair wages for these public servants — which currently sits between $9,000 and $11,000 a year — but Rauner fails to see this basic inequity. I want to thank the sponsors of this critical legislation, Senator Andy Manar and Representative Christian Mitchell, and pledge to our invaluable educators that I will sign this bill if I’m elected governor.”
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Caption contest!
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Rauner walked through the Du Quoin State Fair parade Friday evening just behind Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s contingent…
* Closeup…
* But, unlike last year, when the governor vetoed a Mendoza bill that was unanimously overridden in the House, he has signed all her bills this year…
* Press release: Governor Rauner has signed all five of Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza’s bills, the last two coming late Friday. “This really advances my office’s Transparency Revolution,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “These bills give taxpayers more information about how their money is being spent. They can use that information to demand more responsible budgets from their legislators and the Governor.” 1) SB3560 The Lender Transparency Act, signed late Friday, opens a window for the first time on the lenders who profit from the state’s chronically late payments. These lenders serve an important role in allowing Illinois businesses to survive by fronting them money until the state pays them. The state pays up to 12 percent interest on late bills. The lenders profit from that high interest rate. Up to now, taxpayers have had little information about who makes up these lending groups; where their financing comes from and who is profiting – to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars – from Illinois’ financial dysfunction. … 2) HB5814 Budgeting for Interest Payment, also signed late Friday, requires governors to include in their budget proposals their plans to pay down the state’s late payment interest penalties, which currently total nearly $1 billion. Up to now, governors have ignored these liabilities in their budget proposals.
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* The Tribune’s headline on this story was brutal: “Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoes larger damages for veterans who died from Legionnaire’s at Quincy veterans home”…
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday vetoed legislation that would have increased from $100,000 to $2 million the maximum damage award families of veterans who died due to Legionnaire’s disease at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy could have sought from the state.
Rauner has come under fire over his administration’s handling of repeated annual outbreaks at the home that began in 2015 with the deaths of a dozen people and illnesses to scores more. Since then, at least two more deaths have been associated with the disease.
At least a dozen lawsuits have been filed since the initial outbreak, claiming negligence by the state. The Republican governor’s Democratic challenger, J.B. Pritzker, has accused Rauner of “fatal mismanagement” at the veterans home, which is now undergoing a reconstruction.
In its legal filings, the state has denied any negligence and Rauner has said the state has followed all recommendations of federal experts at the Quincy home. In April, Rauner’s veterans affairs director resigned.
* The Sun-Times’ headline was equally tough (”Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoes larger damages for Legionnaire’s victims”), but the story was a bit more accurate…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed legislation that would have boosted the maximum damage awards to people who sue the state, including survivors of veterans who died of Legionnaires’ disease at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in downstate Quincy.
This bill wasn’t just about Quincy. The bill covered just about everybody who sued the state. So, I think the governor was right that a $2 million cap was a bit much. The cap was originally set at $100,000 in 1971, which works out to about $600,000 in today’s money. Rauner used his AV to change the cap to $300,000. So, where the GA high-balled, he low-balled.
* WBEZ…
From the outset, the legislation put Rauner in a political trick box. Embracing the status quo, as Rauner did Friday, carried the risk of making the governor seem unsympathetic to the plight of the veterans’ families at Quincy. Accepting new limits could have been viewed as a tacit acknowledgment the state bungled its response to the outbreaks, something Rauner has never admitted.
Legislators were in the same trick box. It wasn’t easy voting against the bill because of the deceased veterans angle.
* JB Pritzker took full advantage in his own press release…
“I’m disgusted by Bruce Rauner’s callous dismissal of Veteran families in this veto,” said JB Pritzker. “These families lost loved ones because of Rauner’s fatal mismanagement of the Veterans’ home in Quincy. No amount of money will ever bring back a life taken too soon or soothe a family’s grief, but Rauner had the indecency to lower the reparations for those who have paid the ultimate price. It is unconscionable and a disgrace to our fallen heroes. I hope the legislature overrides this bipartisan, veto-proof bill that this failed governor refused to sign into law.”
* From the governor’s veto message…
When citizens are inadvertently harmed by the State of Illinois or State employees performing their duties, they are granted statutory recourse to address those harms through the Illinois Court of Claims. There are approximately eight thousand cases filed against the State of Illinois each year, two hundred of which are for torts. Currently, these tort claims are subject to a cap of $100,000.
I recognize that the current law is outdated and in need of adjustment. However, this adjustment should reflect regional and national averages in order to properly compensate those who, once properly adjudicated, were found harmed by the State of Illinois.
This legislation raises the cap on awards from $100,000 to $2,000,000, effectively ignoring the impact of vastly expanded future litigation on the fiscal position of the State and its taxpayers.
The increase stands out when compared to other large states across America. Among the largest states in the nation, the cap averages about $350,000 for individual claims. As proposed, SB 2481 would make Illinois an extreme outlier when compared to our surrounding states. Wisconsin and Michigan are almost entirely immune from tort liability. Kentucky caps claims at $250,000; Indiana at $700,000 and Missouri at $300,000. Iowa has essentially no cap on tort claims. Further, the increase proposed far outpaces what would be a reasonable increase based on growth statistics available from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Finally, as proposed, this legislation could invite frivolous lawsuits and expose taxpayers to hundreds of millions of dollars of potential damages each year without adequate study or justification.
…Adding… And here comes ITLA, right on cue…
Following the Governor’s amendatory veto of a measure that would have allowed access to justice for all families whose loved ones are injured or die while under the care of the state, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association President Mark D. Prince issued the following statement:
“Senate Bill 2481 is meant to ensure access to adequate and fair compensation for victims and their families when the state is responsible for their injuries or death. Despite the support of strong, bi-partisan majorities in the House and Senate, the Governor’s amendatory veto creates yet another artificial legislative hurdle for our veterans and their families, and put vulnerable children, the elderly, and other future victims that are injured or killed under the state’s care into peril.”
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Down, but far from out
Monday, Aug 27, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
If you were wondering whether the latest NBC/Marist poll showing Gov. Bruce Rauner trailing J.B. Pritzker by 16 points was enough to take the wind out of the incumbent, you only had to look to an event last week for an answer.
Rauner, along with other major statewide candidates, spoke to the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable near Normal. It’s a rite of passage for statewide hopefuls. They speak and take questions under a large, open-sided tent next to a cornfield. The event is not easy to get to and even more difficult to endure because the August heat is rarely kind.
But the context and conditions didn’t seem to faze Rauner. “Everything is on the line in this election,” he told attendees.
And as he has for months on end, Rauner warned of Pritzker’s ties to Chicago’s “corruption” and Speaker Madigan, which are basically two sides of the same coin to this governor. It was as clear as ever that he truly believes this stuff. He’s the good guy on the white horse (or motorcycle, if you prefer) who was born to save the state from the “evil” machine.
Rauner also unveiled a new TV ad last week with the tag line: “J.B. Pritzker and Mike Madigan. Higher taxes. More Corruption.”
He may very well go down in flames this November, but he and his people have long made it clear that Pritzker’s win won’t come without a steep price. He appears ready to battle all the way through, even if he isn’t thrilled about the billionaire Pritzker’s ability to outspend him.
Rauner admitted during the Illinois State Fair that Pritzker is outspending him 3-to-1. The dollar margin may narrow a bit, but I doubt that the overall gap will ever be closed. He’ll have to make up for the cash disadvantage by going over the top with his negative attacks.
Rauner’s tenure as governor and the national political climate have combined to just about destroy his reputation (his unfavorable rating is twice as high as his favorable rating in that NBC/Marist poll). It’s far too late and the national headwinds are far too strong to totally rehabilitate his image with the general public. So Rauner’s best path to victory appears to be to drag Pritzker down as far as he possibly can.
By contrast, “this guy Pritzker,” as the governor likes to refer to him, came across last week as a happy warrior when it was his turn to speak. Few in that heavily Republican Farm Bureau audience will be voting for him come November, but he didn’t behave as if he was in hostile territory. The man has skills.
In person, Pritzker comes across as genuine and accessible, two traits you don’t usually associate with billionaires who are allegedly tied at the hip to a corrupt political machine. He just doesn’t match up with the governor’s negative hype.
He parried Rauner’s attacks with a believable smile and got in some solid jabs of his own as he recounted pieces of the now-familiar story of the years-long governmental impasse. He admitted his ignorance on certain topics instead of trying to bluff his way through and promised to listen and learn, which are not things the governor does on a regular basis.
One concern I’ve heard since the last poll came out is about voter complacency. If the polling continues to show large Pritzker leads, will his campaign lay back and will Democratic voters stay home?
I don’t think the campaign will let up. To illustrate my point, Pritzker’s campaign manager tweeted in all caps the night the NBC/Marist poll was published: “DON’T GET COMPLACENT, PEOPLE.” And in a year like this, defined mainly by opposition to what’s happening in and around the White House, people are probably gonna vote no matter what. Things can always change, but this trend shows no signs of abating soon.
Pritzker’s candidacy is basically billed as the antidote to Raunerism and a protective wall against President Trump. And that’s not a bad idea when every poll including this last one has Rauner doing worse than Trump.
But a win also has to have some meaning outside of “I’m not him.” If he does win, he’ll have to govern.
Pritzker has to show legislators that he took some risks with policy ideas so that they will, too. Otherwise, they’ll behave in Springfield next year the way he’s been on the campaign trail this year and stick to only poll-tested ideas that won’t rock the boat.
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