Monday, Jan 7, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois continues to reel from the fatal outbreak of legionella at the Quincy Veterans’ Home. School and park districts are scrambling to address troubling levels of lead in water lines and drinking fountains. Now the House is considering a radical measure that would eliminate longstanding protections that ensure the proper installation of drinking water systems and would, in so doing, endanger safe drinking water in Illinois.
SB 1226 would put the health of all Illinoisans, especially seniors and children, at risk by effectively deregulating the practice of plumbing for public works projects, commercial construction, and residential buildings over four stories. In addition, it:
* Would be a regulatory nightmare. Representatives of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Capital Development Board strongly oppose the bill and believe it conflicts with multiple statutes.
* Would compromise existing energy efficiency standards. The Illinois Environmental Council opposed the bill in committee.
* Is also opposed by: the Illinois Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association; Illinois Mechanical & Specialty Contractors Association; South Suburban Building Officials Association; Central Illinois Chapter of the Illinois Plumbing Education Association; and organizations representing licensed plumbers, registered plumbing contractors, and plumbing inspectors across our state.
At a time of heightened awareness about threats to safe drinking water, the last thing Illinois needs is the creation of a legislative loophole that enables unqualified individuals to work on water supply systems.
* Once again, Speaker Madigan asked his spokesman today before an availability which reporter worked for the Illinois Policy Institute. The Illinois News Network is headquartered in the same building as the Institute, but they’re technically separate entities…
Speaker Madigan mischaracterizing my employer and pointing out where another journalist lives. I asked "is this an intimidation technique?" To which his spokesman (off camera) said "only if you want them to be." pic.twitter.com/ok9SmHN2At
I dunno. It’s almost like a running joke now, even though he should probably knock it off. Not to mention that Madigan stays in the same Springfield apartment building as that other reporter during session. And Brown clearly giggled after saying “Only if you want them to be.”
If you listen to the audio, Madigan even playfully asked Dave Dahl where he got that Hawaiian shirt. “Ebay,” was the response…
* On a more serious note, Madigan said he was “anxious to work” with House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, pointing to past successes, including the education funding bill and last year’s budget agreement…
I think that if we set a tone in this session where we recognize that the state has got some serious problems, we should get together, people working with people to solve the problems, that all of us would be better off including the people of the state of Illinois.
A Chicago-area lawmaker said Monday the state can’t afford a gas tax increase, calling it “predatory.”
Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee, said rumors have been “swirling around” since November about a 25-cents-per-gallon gas tax increase, and the idea for a gas tax up to 30 cents was recently floated by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In addition, now-former Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn, in his final weeks on the job last month, said an increase would “provide revenue necessary to maintain, enhance and modernize” the infrastructure system.
Skillicorn, however, said it would be “prudent” to wait to see how the lockbox amendment to the Illinois constitution, prohibiting the use of state transportation funds for any other purposes and passed in 2016, works out first.
Skillicorn, speaking at the Capitol Monday as the House returned to session for the first time since the veto session in November, acknowledged the need for repairs, maintenance and design upgrades for roads. But the strategic way for the state to deal with it is by working with its congressional delegation.
Both Republican legislative leaders are on record saying they want to get a capital bill done soon, and notice that Skillicorn was the only legislator at the presser who is returning in the 101st GA.
The state gas tax was increased in 1990, according to reports by the Chicago Tribune, which is why proponents of the increase say it’s time for the rate to go up again. Skillicorn contests that, though, and says there is a percentage base in place to make up for things like the rise inflation.
“Just because gasoline prices have dropped and the free market works and politics in Washington DC work to lower gas prices: Is that a good reason to raise gas taxes on the people of Illinois?” he asked Monday.
He also says timing is a key reason why the tax should not be increased. Two years ago, lawmakers passed what is essentially a lock box measure that would ensure motor fuel taxes be used for transportation and infrastructure needs only. He says it was to ensure the executive branch could not tap in to those funds. That law has only been in effect for 1 year, though, and Skillicorn says time is needed to see how useful that law is, and if the state actually needs an increase.
Timing in Washington is also key, he says. While Democrats and Republicans seem to be at odds with most things, the two sides do agree that investment in roads, bridges and other infrastructure is necessary. He says it would be premature to raise the gas tax before tapping in to federal resources.
The DC point assumes that Congress and the President will actually get something done.
* And the accompanying sideshow…
“There’s going to be hell to pay. If you raise this gas tax, there’s going to be a civil war,” a woman shouts as she storms out of the Capitol rotunda. There is currently no legislation filed to raise the gas tax, but there have been some preliminary discussions. https://t.co/sLxeRgLPcZ
Here’s a frame-by-frame look that clearly shows the Parkey kick was tipped by Treyvon Hester (Hester confirmed to @Bo_Wulf he tipped it). pic.twitter.com/6dOXui7Yyp
* Gov.-elect JB Pritzker’s chief of staff is a die-hard Eagles fan and an avid tweeter about Philly sports, but she made this pledge before the game, which she attended with her boss…
And if the Bears best us on Sunday, I will be cheering for them to go all the way. This concludes my political announcement and hopefully a resolution to my thorniest political issue ever. 🦅
State lawmakers could consider legislation in next week’s lameduck session aimed at ending the terms of Illinois tollway directors in the wake of controversy at the agency.
The move could allow Democratic Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker to appoint replacements after he is sworn in Jan. 14.
Asked for reaction, a spokeswoman for Pritzker said bills could be introduced next week but did not elaborate on the content.
Five tollway directors have terms ending in May, and sources told the Daily Herald the bills could aim to terminate those appointments, as well as that of Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, immediately.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the term of office of each director of the Authority serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, other than the Governor and the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, is abolished and a vacancy in each office is created on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly. The Governor shall appoint directors to the Authority for the vacancies created under this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly by February 28, 2019. Directors whose terms are abolished under this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly shall be eligible for 15 reappointment.
* The Pritzker team summarized the bill this afternoon…
• Ends the tenure of the current members of the Illinois Toll Highway Authority. New directors must be appointed by February 28, 2019.
• Requires the Board’s by-laws direct members to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
• Requires that a process to override the Chairman of the Board’s veto be spelled out in the by-laws, and consistent with statute.
* Jordan Abudayyeh, spokeswoman for the transition…
The Governor-elect’s administration is moving swiftly to restore the public’s trust in the integrity of the government, starting with the Illinois Tollway – where too little transparency and unethical behavior is unacceptable. With the construction season around the corner, it’s critical that billions worth of road-building contracts aren’t awarded to political insiders and the Tollway needs a fresh start to move forward with rebuilding Illinois.
New Illinois tollway bylaws no longer include a process for the board to overturn a veto by the chairman.
The bylaws also omitted language that previously included “potential conflicts of interest” as something board directors should avoid.
* I also told subscribers about this proposal, which surfaced today. From SB3531, Floor Amendment 3…
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for terms beginning after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, the annual salary of the director or secretary and assistant director or assistant secretary of each department created under Section 5-15 shall be an amount equal to 15% more than the annual salary of the respective officer in effect as of December 31, 2018. The calculation of the 2018 salary base for this adjustment shall not include any cost of living adjustments, as authorized by Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly, for the period beginning July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2019. Beginning July 1, 2019 and each July 1 thereafter, the directors, secretaries, assistant directors, and assistant secretaries shall receive an increase in salary based on a cost of living adjustment as authorized by Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly.
* Jordan Abudayyeh…
The past four years have been destructive to Illinois, and it will take talented people to make progress for our state. Many critical positions – including those that protect our safety and security – no longer have competitive salaries, and we are moving to bring them in line with their peers around the country to attract talent.
* Explanation…
• Provides for an immediate 15% raise to agency directors and assistant directors at key agencies, so that the state can attract the talent necessary to turn put Illinois back on track.
• Provides a mechanism by which we can, with the assistance and consent of the legislature, keep compensation competitive and the state on track.
• The bill will not require a new appropriation.
Click here for examples of compensation disparity between selected states.
Leader Durkin will be supporting both legislative requests from Governor-elect Pritzker as a gesture of good faith moving forward into the 101st General Assembly.
* Last week was supposed to be a triumphant time for Congressman Chuy Garcia. He was about to be sworn in to Congress, his nemesis Ald. Ed Burke had been indicted and Garcia gave his full backing to one of Burke’s opponents…
On Wednesday, Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia endorsed 28-year-old Tanya Patiño to unseat Burke, Chicago’s most powerful and longest-serving alderman. Patino is the girlfriend of Aaron Ortiz, the Garcia-backed political newcomer who defeated Burke’s brother, State Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago), in a primary race dominated by Edward Burke’s property tax reduction work for the riverfront hotel and condominium tower bearing the name of President Donald Trump.
Burke has run unopposed in 10 of the last 11 elections. He now has four challengers and has been targeted since his brother’s primary defeat.
On Wednesday, Garcia was asked whether he expects Burke to drop out of the race if he faced federal charges.
“It’s hard to say. Someone who has been a member of the Council for 50 years may not have considered how to live life differently,” Garcia said.
“He is having deep letting-go issues as it relates to the City Council. It’s what he knows. It’s what’s made him breathe for a long, long time.”
Ald. Ricardo Munoz was arrested without incident at his 22nd Ward office Wednesday morning after physically assaulting his wife on New Year’s Eve, Chicago police said.
Munoz’s wife, Betty Torres-Munoz, filed Wednesday for an order of protection in Cook County Domestic Violence Court. She asked a judge to order Munoz to stay away from their residence and mixed breed dog, Rambo, and to pay her $1,000 a month in temporary support beginning next month.
In those court papers, she alleged that during a heated argument Monday night her husband “forcibly” grabbed and pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her back and head as well as twist her left arm.
“Ricardo had been drinking all day + was drunk,” she wrote.
In a petition seeking an order of protection, the wife of Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd) claims she feared not only physical abuse at the hands of her husband but threats from gang members connected to him.
“Ricardo has connections (with) local gangs (and) individuals with criminal pasts who … have threatened my family in the past,” Betty Torres-Munoz wrote on the form she filled out Wednesday, seeking a court order barring the Munoz from having contact with her, the couple’s 16-year-old dog, or visiting the Little Village home they shared.
That order was granted by a Cook County judge on Thursday, a day after Munoz was arrested at his ward office on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge stemming from an alleged New Year’s Eve altercation.
Munoz, who announced this summer that he would not seek another term, pleaded not guilty and is free on bond. As he left the courthouse Thursday, Munoz told reporters he would “talk tomorrow,” but did not return calls from the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday.
Bill Velazquez, the chief of staff to freshman Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia, D-Ill., resigned on Friday in the wake of a New York Times story detailing the account of a female staffer who worked with Velazquez on Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and said he “laughed” after she brought a complaint to him about being sexually harassed.
Velazquez was a manager on the Latino outreach team of the Sanders campaign.
Garcia’s communications director Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli said Friday in a statement that Garcia had accepted Velazquez’s resignation.
“They both agreed that the recent media stories that involved Bill had become a distraction from the work the Congressman needs to do for the people of Illinois’ 4th Congressional District, and from the work Bill was brought in to do,” Rodriguez-Ciampoli said.
A former Democratic leader in the Illinois House has resigned his seat.
Lou Lang announced Monday that he’s ending his 32-year legislative career. The 69-year-old from Skokie has joined the lobbying firm Advantage Government Strategies.
Lang will join a lobbying firm headed by the late Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka’s former chief of staff Nancy Kimme. He started his tenure in Springfield in 1987 and became known for his advocacy for expanded gambling and for ushering in Illinois’ medical marijuana law.
Last year, Lang left his leadership post after a former medical marijuana advocate accused him of retaliation, verbal abuse and “inappropriate behavior.” Months later, the legislative inspector general wrote that “evidence does not support” the complaints, after the woman who made the accusations didn’t participate in the resulting investigation.
Lang won re-election in November. Asked on Monday if last year’s experience led to his resignation, he said: “Not at all.” […]
Kimme’s lobbying success in Springfield came in part from her Republican connections after Gov. Bruce Rauner’s election. Now, Lang adds depth to the firm with the new Democratic domination in Springfield.
“One enduring feature of any legislative career in Springfield is transition – entering and leaving the legislature. For me, I too will be part of this year’s transition,” Lang said in a news release. “Rather than beginning a 17th term in the 101st General Assembly, I have decided to resign my seat effective today, Jan. 2, at noon.”
The 16-term lawmaker was appointed to the House in 1987 and was seen as a probable successor to longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan. […]
He will remain in his political position as a committeeman for the Niles Township Democratic Organization and Executive Vice Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party.
Local Democrat leaders from Suburban Cook County will choose a successor to the 16th House District. Leaders will interview those interested in seeking the post, according to Lang’s news release. Because he’s keeping his post in the local township Democratic organization, Lang will likely have a say in who succeeds him.
* Legislation introduced solely to pry money or other stuff out of a targeted entity used to be called a “fetcher bill.” Ald. Ed Burke was often considered the king of the fetcher ordinance in Chicago. There were tons of rumors that he’d introduce a particularly onerous ordinance banning this or that activity or product in order to pry loose a campaign contribution or maybe even property tax law firm work. But, he’d been investigated by the feds before and nothing was ever turned up, so people went on their merry little ways.
Longtime Ald. Edward Burke, one of Chicago’s most powerful figures and a vestige of the city’s old Democratic machine, has often been considered too clever and sophisticated to be caught blatantly using his public office to enrich himself.
But after years of dodging investigations while watching dozens of his colleagues hauled off to prison, Burke has been accused of crossing the line himself — and doing so in a quintessential Chicago way.
A federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday charged Burke with attempted extortion for allegedly using his position as alderman to try to steer business to his private law firm from a company seeking to renovate a fast-food restaurant in his ward. The charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison on conviction.
The complaint also alleged Burke asked one of the company’s executives in December 2017 to attend an upcoming political fundraiser for “another politician.” Sources identified the politician as Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who is running for Chicago mayor.
On June 27, Burke used his target phone to call a company executive, saying “we were going to talk about the real estate tax representation.”
The following months include recorded “hard ball” references, permit denials and work stoppages.
By Dec. 2017, executives agreed to give Burke tax business “to avoid any further delays”.
The restaurant company extended their correspondence for several months with Burke’s law firm and completed their renovations, but never gave him any tax business.
Shoukat Dhanani, 60, isn’t the type of entrepreneur who courts publicity, but his company, Dhanani Group, has gotten too big to ignore.
Dhanani Group is the largest franchisee in the Popeyes system, as well as a giant Burger King franchisee, making it the nation’s third-largest restaurant franchisee, with 2015 revenues of $871 million, according to trade publication Franchise Times. But those numbers capture only a piece of the group’s businesses, which include convenience stores and gas delivery, as well as the franchised restaurants. In a recent conversation, Dhanani told me that “if you add everything up, it would be over $2 billion” – an amount that would likely qualify Sugar Land, Tex.-based Dhanani Group for FORBES’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies.
* Editorial: Shakedown City: Employers and Chicago’s corruption tax
* Why Ald. Ed Burke May Have Been Allowed To Have 23 Guns In Government Building - It’s still not known if the guns that were found in November were discovered at Burke’s ward office or at City Hall, but it’s hard to miss the irony of a staunch gun control advocate having to turn over 23 guns as a condition of his bond.
A freshman Democratic state representative is filing discrimination claims against House Speaker Michael Madigan after she says he sent women lawmakers to coerce her to vote for him as speaker.
Newly-elected Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, said she plans to file discrimination charges against the long-time speaker with the Illinois Human Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Illinois Office of Legislative Inspector General.
Even though she’s yet to be sworn in, Stava-Murray says she’d been harassed on three occasions since her election in November, allegedly at the direction of Madigan.
“You can’t harass someone to do something they don’t want to do if they’re sticking up for a federally protected class of people,” meaning victims of harassment, she said Wednesday. […]
Stava-Murray said she sat through hours of calls from veteran Democratic women lawmakers in the days leading up to their gathering and subsequent call to support Madigan for House Speaker, something she says she refuses to do because of his poor handling of sexual assault victim rights under the dome.
“I got calls from legislators continuously telling me that there would be no value if I voted against the speaker, telling me that if I wanted to play the game, I needed to get on the game board that existed,” she said.
The different lawmakers who called her all used uniform language, she said, as if it had been prepared for them, but she wouldn’t disclose their names.
Legislators are elected officials, so their employers are considered to be the voters in their respective districts. That’s why legislators aren’t covered by the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
* As far as I can tell, nobody in the House has received a committee assignment yet. The new committee structure hasn’t even been unveiled as of yet…
The rookie lawmaker campaigned on a vow to vote against Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) retaining his title. Within days of announcing her decision to a private House Democratic conference, Stava-Murray says she faced “next level retribution” from Madigan’s allies.
Stava-Murray claims Madigan denied her a chance to sit on a committee, though the Speaker’s office has not yet officially finalized committee assignments for the upcoming session. She also complained that Madigan gave other longer serving House members preferential treatment in deciding the House floor seating chart. […]
Stava-Murray said she intends to mask the origin of her ideas so they can survive the legislative process. She detailed how she plans to work behind the scenes to “do the leg work” and craft legislation, then ask other members to introduce her bills under their name because she fears Madigan won’t allow bills with her name on them to pass out of committee.
“In some ways, I’m a pass through entity that makes my colleagues smarter,” she said.
Due in part to the environment for women in Springfield, Stava-Murray announced Tuesday that she would be running for U.S. Senate in 2020, a seat currently held by long-time Senator Dick Durbin, who has been rumored to be near the end of his tenure in Washington.
Stava-Murray made the decision to announce a run now in an effort to keep Durbin from winning re-election only to resign and allow the Illinois Democratic Party to appoint someone.
“If there weren’t such a toxic culture in Springfield, in an ideal world would I have spent more than a few years as a state rep? Absolutely,” she said. “I don’t feel like I should have to go to an unsafe workplace for more than two years.”
Stava-Murray is a survivor of workplace harassment and said that the experiences have left her with post-traumatic stress. She’s committed to sponsoring legislation during her two years in Springfield that would give victims of sexual harassment in Springfield rights.
She said she’s never met the veteran lawmaker but disagrees with his “turn of becoming more centrist.”
“I think that he sort of writes off the progressive branch of the party, of which I identify myself with, as being unwilling to compromise, and certainly there might be some key players who aren’t giving the progressive cause a good look, but in the most part what I see when I talk to my fellow progressives and Democrats in Springfield and other fellow progressive Democrats is a total willingness to work across the aisle.”
Durbin eventually confirmed he was running.
* Last word…
Moderates like my opponent? Who are too busy playing political games to have a real talk with McConnell?
I work across the aisle and expect my Senator to do the same- not play the blame game as he has been. https://t.co/EHKVv6dAAP
* The Tribune’s Rick Pearson wrote a story in late December about hoped-for bipartisanship in the new JB Pritzker administration. You should definitely click here to read the whole thing, which includes some positive words from the two Republican legislative leaders. I’ve covered some of this stuff for subscribers, but here’s the ending…
One Pritzker confidant said the incoming governor envisions a return to what was once known as the “agreed-bill” process, in which all of the various stakeholders on an issue, such as labor and management, agree to sit down together to work to resolve a problem and that no legislation would move forward without such an agreement.
Such a process, still used regarding the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund, allows lawmakers to implement an agreement that is approved by all sides.
“Illinois has really only worked well when everyone works together on bipartisan solutions to the problems. It’s never really worked well, Illinois has never really prospered, with a ‘my way or the highway’ approach,” [Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association] said. “We are confident in the early stages that he’s going to take that approach, and only time will tell.”
But the more politically active and Republican-allied Illinois Chamber of Commerce already is girding for the Democratic domination. A recent internet seminar promoted by the group warned that “the Pritzker administration is going to be aggressively pro-labor when it comes to creating new workplace laws and greater regulation that this state has (believe it or not) yet to experience.”
The title of the event was: “The Employers’ Survival Guide under Gov. Pritzker.”
Harris, who began his second stint in the House in 2011, will leave the post on Jan. 9 when the new General Assembly is sworn in. He said Pritizker’s decision to have him head the Department of Revenue is a positive sign for state government.
“The governor-elect really wants to build a bipartisan administration,” Harris said, recalling that Barack Obama as president-elect reached out to retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood of downstate Illinois in 2008 and selected him as transportation secretary.
He added he hoped his management experience as chief of staff for the U.S. State Department Iraq Reconstruction Office and as Illinois adjutant general would be helpful in running an agency with 1,500 employees and a $55 million budget.
* Related…
* Stratton bringing love of mediation to lieutenant governor’s office: Her mediation training while still in law school led to various pursuits, including being director of the Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois Chicago. The Center, Stratton has said, works with small- and medium-sized police departments across the country, doing training on “how to build trust with the communities that they serve.” After her stint at a law firm, she also worked as an administrative law judge, hearing officer and mediator for city of Chicago departments, as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University Chicago, as executive director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council, and as a mediator for the Center for Conflict Resolution. She is also a trained peace circle keeper and restorative justice practitioner.
* State Dems in control — can they get work done?: “I suggest that Gov. Pritzker come in with four or five important initiatives, moderate in nature, which can succeed,” said Rep. Mike Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat beginning his sixth term. “We’ve had a turbulent eight years and if we focus on small successes, they can translate into big successes in the long run.” That might be the plan before the 101st General Assembly is even sworn in on Wednesday. The lame-duck 100th assembly will be in Monday and Tuesday. A note to House Democrats instructs them to be in Springfield for action on “the items being requested by the governor-elect.” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said only that Pritzker “is working with lawmakers to introduce good-governance legislation to move forward on key priorities” as soon as next week.
* Jon Bauman, the loyal aid to former Gov. Jim Thompson who rose to the highest ranks of the Teachers Retirement System, died Saturday morning at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield after an unsuspecting illness took a sudden and dramatic turn for the worse. He was 62 years old.
Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, and they are likely to be made in his given name instead of the one we all knew him by in Capitol Fax comments: Arthur Andersen.
The Bauman family said memorials may be made to the “Bauman Education Fund” maintained at Carrollton Bank. The proceeds have been used to help pay for his kids’ education, which Jon cared for and supported through to his passing.
“AA” was a frequent contributor here - serving as a resident pension expert given his extensive background in the subject as Chief Investment Officer and later Executive Director at TRS. His family shared with me they sometimes found their Dad groggy in the morning because he had pulled an all-nighter reading reports, articles, and preparing notes in anticipation of a day that would be heavily spent keeping the discussion in the Capitol Fax comments informed and on-track.
As Oswego Willy put it as we chatted off-line yesterday…
“He looked at numbers and figures without forgetting the people are families affected by them. He loved Illinois unabashedly, but spoke of the challenges Illinois faced very candidly. He was a loyal, old school Republican tracing back to Thompson working up the ranks of politics and government.”
Jim Thompson, with honorable mention to Jim Edgar. JRT gave a lot of youngsters their start in government in positions that were way over our heads. AA will never forget the opportunity I was given. He was the smartest guy and the best practical politician to hold the office in a long time.
Aiding him through most of the obscurities of state finance and pension law was an impressively sharp memory. I remember catching up with him not long after I took an appointment in the IDES Director’s Office managing internal policies and procedures. He regaled an instance back in the 1980s when he was running, what is now, the Bureau of Property Management and trying to establish a multi-agency office in East St. Louis. In full detail, he was able to recall how the project was made complicated by this rule, that law, and how this property manager was not a qualified vendor because of this procedure, etc.
It was amazing, and yet another reminder of how valuable his analysis was on the blog.
* While “Arthur” was an insightful read in comments and heckler-in-arms on Twitter, Jon was someone I considered a friend. He would accept my lunch invitations from time to time when our schedules aligned, and he was my first phone call whenever I had the blog and something broke in the pension realm. He was fun to be around, to text, or DM in the middle of the night when the news was just too hot to switch off at an acceptable hour.
Jon was a great story teller, and he was notorious for saving the very best for the very end. One of my favorites that I have (unsuccessfully) tried to retell is one that starts with a salesman and his assistant coming to town and ends with, “And that’s how the stock market works.”
Another memorable one was from his days at TRS. The bulk of it was about a Chicago-based investment company on the verge of losing its bid to manage some of the system’s portfolio until one of its partners presented at a board meeting in Springfield. It ended with, “And that’s how I met Bruce Rauner.”
* I called him out of the blue the week before Christmas to see if he might be available for lunch. Unfortunately, but not all that surprising given the spontaneity of the plan, that did not happen. We had hoped to connect just after the holidays. He had no idea how sick he was when I talked to him, nor, according to those who were with him, did he when he slipped into unconsciousness. He excitedly told me about his plans to be with his family and taking in every moment he could with his grandchildren.
Here is the last photo he posted on Facebook…
* “His life was full of us – his kids,” his daughter Molly said yesterday. “We never wondered if our parents were proud of us.”
Jon is survived by his four children, Jon (Emily) Bauman of Virginia Beach, Va., Molly Irwin (Erick) of Springfield, Emily Bauman, who is pursuing a Masters of Social Work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Megan Bauman, who is a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and two grandchildren, two-year-old Hendrick Irwin and four-month-old Elliana Bauman. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Erin Bauman.
* A suggestion for commenters who knew Jon throughout his life: As you can tell from the photo above, he was a fiercely proud grandfather. His grandchildren are young, so they might appreciate learning one day from you who their grandfather was, why he meant so much to us, and what traits of his you hope to emulate.
llinois House Speaker Michael Madigan will begin airing a TV ad in the new year, weeks before fellow Democrat Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker is inaugurated, according to a memo distributed to lawmakers.
The 30-second spot paid for by Madigan’s campaign fund is unusual in that it won’t run in advance of a state election. Instead, it’s meant to “set the tone for our efforts to create a better Illinois and move beyond the failures of Bruce Rauner and the extreme agenda of Donald Trump,” the memo reads.
“The contents are based on new polling conducted following the November election,” it reads. “This is a first step in an ongoing process of promoting our Democratic agenda.”
The commercial doesn’t mention the incoming governor but features Madigan briefly.
The ad includes a brief shot of President Donald Trump’s Chicago tower and highlights Democrats’ push for affordable health care, a key campaign point for the party in last month’s midterm congressional races.
* The ad also includes a pledge to make “the wealthiest pay their fair share so we can get a break,” which appears to be a reference to the graduated income tax proposal…
* The response by the usual “Because… Madigan!” crowd was predictable…
* Kristen McQueary: Watch the new Madigan ad with a heap of skepticism: Plenty of Illinois taxpayers don’t believe that the Democrats, who have controlled the state legislature since 2003, are on their side. They see the Democrats as the party that has neglected an alarmingly underfunded pension system while other states, also dominated by Democrats, have taken action. They see them as the same party that routinely passes unbalanced budgets, squeezing resources for the state’s most vulnerable citizens since long before Rauner took office in 2015.
* Illinois News Network: Madigan’s “On Your Side” Ad Panned as Tone Deaf: After seeing the ad on ABC 7 Chicago’s airwaves, Orland Hills resident Susan Greve posted to the TV station’s Facebook page “Just saw your Mike Madigan commercial about how Illinois Democrats are for Illinois citizens? REALLY? Mad Mike Madigan? Come on ABC!” Oak Lawn resident Marjean Hawkins replied she “nearly spit out my coffee” after viewing the ad. Kristen Wiley, who is organizing a “Middle Class March” outside of Democratic Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker’s inauguration in Springfield next week said the ad is out of touch. “Making Madigan the last shot in this ad is completely tone deaf to people who believe in term limits, and would like to see him out of office,” Wiley said. “That was completely off-putting. Democrats know that 45,000 residents left Illinois last year, and that number will grow this year if they can’t keep their hands out of our pockets.”
* News-Gazette editorial: Madigan’s rehabilitation campaign: The only Democratic officeholder featured in the spot is Madigan (the only Republican is Trump), who closes with this line: “In the fights that lie ahead, Democrats are on your side.” But those efforts apparently don’t include stabilizing Illinois’ economy, its horribly out of balance budget or fixing the government pension mess, but instead focus on a Madigan favorite: ensuring the wealthy “pay their fair share, so we can get a break,” as a narrator says. If only it was that easy.
I don’t know if there’s any real money behind the ad, but it got some tongues wagging, so whatevs.
It’s not a horrible ad and it probably won’t do any damage (I mean, how much lower can his approval ratings go?), but I doubt it does any real good. The best way to rehabilitate his image would be to work cooperatively over the next four years with his members, the new governor, the Senate President and the Republicans to actually solve the problems this state is facing.
* We have a lot of catching up to do. This Tribune story is from December 28th…
A proposal that would give the state more oversight over Illinois gun dealers could be among the first big issues that land on Democratic Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker’s desk after he takes over, and an aide says he’d sign it.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in the spring vetoed a bill that would have required the state to license and regulate gun shops. Lawmakers approved the plan in the wake of the killing of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer and the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
Supporters contended that federal regulators are stretched too thin to regulate all the shops operating in Illinois. Rauner, though, called the proposal “duplicative” because the federal government already licenses firearms retailers. He said adding another layer of oversight would be costly for businesses and “do little to improve public safety.”
Lawmakers didn’t override Rauner’s veto, but they approved a new version. Likely knowing the governor would veto that one, too, Democratic Senate President John Cullerton in May put a procedural hold on the bill, keeping the paperwork off Rauner’s desk.
Now, Cullerton could release it in the coming weeks just before Pritzker is inaugurated Jan. 14, steering the gun dealer licensing proposal into the Democratic governor’s hands instead of Rauner’s. There’s still time, though, for Cullerton to decide to send it to Rauner or it might not work out for procedural reasons.
State Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said it’s an interesting question of whether a previous General Assembly can pass legislation but hold it and then send it to a new governor.
“This is, I know, one of the unusual years where the General Assembly is sworn in before the governor. Just an oddity in the way that the calendar falls,” Harmon said. “I’m going to have to look into that.”
Monday and Tuesday are the final two days of the 100th General Assembly. The 101st General Assembly is seated Wednesday, Jan. 9. Gov.-elect Pritzker is inaugurated Jan. 14.
Longtime statehouse observer and University of Illinois Professor Emeritus Kent Redfield said it’s technically possible for lawmakers to hold a bill that passed in one General Assembly and then pass it onto a new governor. He said it’s an ambiguous area that he’s not aware has been fully litigated.
“Particularly if it’s controversial legislation involving something like gun control measures, something involving taxes, there certainly would be a court challenge,” Redfield said. […]
Per the state constitution, lawmakers are supposed to send measures that passed both chambers to the governor within 30 days of passing. A procedural hold called a motion to reconsider was used on House Bill 40 in 2017 after it passed both chambers. That hold kept the controversial bill allowing more tax dollars for abortions from the governor for a total of four months. The hold was eventually lifted and sent to the governor who signed the bill. A lawsuit challenging that procedure as an abuse of the legislative process has been appealed to the state Supreme Court, but whether the court will hear it is still not known.
…Adding… This has happened before, however. From early 2015…
Gov. Bruce Rauner sided with the state’s two largest electric suppliers Friday when he signed legislation giving Ameren Illinois and ComEd two more years to recover costs of upgrading their delivery systems.
The move allows Ameren to continue seeking rate increases via a special formula, rather than going through a longer regulatory process.
The governor’s action came after legislative leaders in December delayed sending the measure to former Gov. Pat Quinn on the belief that he would veto the proposal. The maneuver left it up to Rauner to approve or deny the plan, even though it was approved by a previous General Assembly.
Outgoing Gov. Bruce Rauner talked a lot about high property taxes in Illinois. But, like most everything else, he never actually got anything done about them.
Rauner’s idea was to freeze local property taxes and allow local governments to strip almost all collective bargaining powers from teachers and other unions, which would then drive down wages and benefits to balance local budgets. But that idea was simply too radical for this state.
Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker has also promised property tax relief, but he hasn’t yet said how he would achieve it. Pritzker has rightly blamed high property taxes for businesses and residents leaving Illinois. But total up all local property tax revenues and compare them to statewide taxes and you’ll see what a daunting task this is.
In 2015, about $29 billion in local property taxes were levied statewide, according to the Civic Federation. That number is higher now, but the latest projection from the governor’s budget office is that Illinois will take in about the same amount, $29 billion, from income and sales taxes this fiscal year.
Decades of inaction, incompetence and partisan games have allowed a big problem to grow into a gigantic monster.
Monday, Jan 7, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
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