* During the break…
* Press release…
A longtime gun violence prevention and workers’ rights advocate, Denyse Wang Stoneback, on Monday jumped into the 2020 Democratic primary to challenge State Rep. Mark Kalish (D-Chicago) who, Stoneback said, “can’t be trusted to keep his word in Springfield” in her announcement referring to the appointed-incumbent’s flip-flop vote on a key reproductive healthcare bill during the spring legislative session.
Stoneback is backed by the Niles Township Democratic Organization and former Deputy House Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie), who last January supported Kalish’s appointment to his House seat. She also has the endorsements of MWRD Commissioner Josina Morita and Personal PAC.
During her campaign kick-off event at Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie, she called out Kalish not only over his flip-flop on the Reproductive Health Act, but also for caving to gun rights advocates aligned with the National Rifle Association.
The first-time candidate noted that Kalish killed his own concealed carry legislation, HB 3023, after pushback from the gun lobby.
“When he was given the chance to honor his pledge to our community to protect a woman’s right to choose and protect our community from gun violence, he reversed his course on choice and he caved to the gun lobby,” said Stoneback. “He cannot be trusted to keep his word in Springfield.”
Stoneback, who grew up in and raised her son in the 16th District and is a social media consultant and former senior adviser to the National Gun Victims Action Council, said a priority is to restore “trust and confidence” with the district’s voters.
“With falsehoods out of Washington, voters, here, in Skokie, Morton Grove, Lincolnwood, and Chicago are desperately seeking leaders that they can trust,” said Stoneback. “I pledge that I will listen to and represent my constituents to the best of my ability. I will be cognizant of issues that matter to the district and the values of the district. I will be true to my word once it is given.”
During her speech, Stoneback, who founded the Skokie-based, gun violence prevention group People for a Safer Society, offered pledges on multiple fronts, including being “a fighter for progressive change and a vocal leader on issues that this community cares about.” She promised to work “toward a safer, more equitable and just society for everyone.”
Lang held the seat currently occupied by Kalish for 32 years. He offered a full-throated endorsement to Stoneback.
“If you want a state representative that you can trust on choice and guns and who will stand up to anti-choice extremists and the NRA, Denyse Wang Stoneback is your candidate,” said Lang. “Denyse will represent the values of our communities – your values – every single day when she is voting in Springfield, unlike Rep. Kalish.”
* Kalish moved to table his bill in February…
Amends the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Adds any building, real property, or parking area under the control of a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other place of worship, to the places where concealed carry of a firearm under the Act is prohibited.
*** UPDATE *** Terry Cosgrove of Personal PAC…
Personal PAC is proud to endorse Denyse Wang Stoneback for State Representative in the March 2020 Democratic primary.
As State Representative, Denyse will always vote to defend the right of women to make their own health care decisions without interference from politicians, unlike Representative Kalish.
Kalish promised publicly and privately, verbally and in writing, on numerous occasions, that he would vote for the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), but refused to do so when the RHA came up for a vote in the Illinois House.
Kalish lied to Personal PAC, lied to Planned Parenthood, lied to the ACLU, lied to Lou Lang, lied to Jan Schakowsky, lied to Ram Villivalam, lied to Josina Morita, lied to his House colleagues, lied to the RHA House sponsor, lied to everyone in this room, and most egregiously, lied to the voters of the 16th House district who have counted on their State Representative to protect them from the attacks of the right-wing who wish to make abortion and birth control illegal in Illinois.
By refusing to support the RHA and lying to everyone, Kalish stood with Donald Trump and his supporters in Springfield who are working to return women to those horrible days when abortion was illegal and women died in back alleys and hospital emergency rooms from botched and self-induced abortions.
I grew up and was raised in the 16th district. I’m a graduate of Niles West High School. I now live just a few miles from here and remain grateful for the incredible diversity of my hometown.
The real question for the voters of the 16th district in March of 2020 is which one of us, which one of you, will Kalish lie to next? When is the next time he will stand with right-wingers to cause harm to others in our communities who are under fierce attack every single day by Donald Trump and his enablers?
At this time when the right-wing is attacking women at every turn and the U.S. Supreme Court is looking to overturn Roe v. Wade ASAP, we need a State Representative who will say NO to these attempts in Illinois, and that State Representative must be Denyse Stoneback, not State Representative Kalish who is so easily willing to join in the attacks on the dignity, health, lives, dreams and aspirations of Illinois women.
Ouch.
- OneMan - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 12:30 pm:
I was surprised by the number of churches that now lock the doors once services start and have members (some of who are in law enforcement) with guns as security.
Seems like if place of worship wants to allow carry on some or all of their property they should be able to do so.
- King Louis XVI - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 12:36 pm:
–Seems like if place of worship wants to allow carry on some or all of their property they should be able to do so.–
That reminds me of the Archie Bunker skit in which Archie proposed a solution to skyjackings: Arm all the passengers as they enter the plane because no skyjacker would dare pull a gun.
Tight as a drum logic.
- Our sorry state - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 12:50 pm:
“Do what I tell you to do now, forget what I told you to do then.” What a joke.
- RNUG - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 1:12 pm:
== I was surprised by the number of churches that now lock the doors once services start and have members (some of who are in law enforcement) with guns as security. ==
Our church locks the doors 10 minutes after services start, and we have a security committee with concealed carry licenses. Started when we had break-ins during services in both the parking lot and the pastor’s office.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 1:15 pm:
I nominate Kalish for the Stava-Murray club for incompetent freshmen.
=== I was surprised by the number of churches that now lock the doors once services start and have members (some of who are in law enforcement) with guns as security. ===
I haven’t seen data or news articles documenting this as a significant trend. Albeit, a smart precaution for synagogues and minority churches given today’s rising level of hate. I see an important difference between church arranged security measures and allowing anyone attending to bring a gun.
- SOIL M - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 1:21 pm:
The murderers who carry out Mass Shootings, and arent targeting someone or thing specifically, pick their spots base mainly on one thing. What is the softest target. So why ban congregations from being able to defend themselves and make all places of worship known soft targets?
Believe it or not, there are already laws on the books that say you arent allowed to go into a place of worship and start shooting people. This law will not do any more to prevent mass shootings (or shootings during Mass) than any other law now on the books. It will prevent the congregation from defending itself in case of such attacks.
- Unionman - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 1:38 pm:
I believe he killed the bill not because of any gun controlled advocates but from his own constituents who reached out and explained to him that places of worship should be allowed to best determine the method of security. Unless the State wants to start pumping money into armed security for every house of worship, that those locations should be allowed to decide what is best for them.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 1:51 pm:
There is a legislative act called “an amendment.” It allows legislators to change a bill to address concerns or technical errors. Providing an exception for persons officially sanctioned as security would seems like a reasonable solution.
- Just Me - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 1:55 pm:
This is what happens when you have a corrupt appointment process.
- @misterjayem - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 2:09 pm:
It would be tough for a Democratic primary challenger to have a better message.
– MrJM
- Dotnonymous - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 2:18 pm:
Locked churches…Armed security in churches…Bullet proof backpacks for students…Mass shootings…are about more than firearms.
The above are effects…someone smarter than me must state the causes.
- Nonbeliever - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 2:19 pm:
RNUG - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 1:12 pm:
== I was surprised by the number of churches that now lock the doors once services start and have members (some of who are in law enforcement) with guns as security. ==
Our church locks the doors 10 minutes after services start, and we have a security committee with concealed carry licenses. Started when we had break-ins during services in both the parking lot and the pastor’s office.
Sign of the times.
Kalish was overreaching in her amendment. But it plays to a certain political base just like being able to immediately sell firearms at a gun show plays to the opposite political base.
- Steve - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 3:05 pm:
Lou Lang , the lobbyist speaks….
- Matt B - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 3:29 pm:
The court case that brought conceal carry to Illinois was brought by an individual who was brutally attacked in her church and unable to protect herself with a firearm due to the state ban on carry at the time. I’m sure this history may play into why churches and places of worship are not off limits to carry by statute. Let each place of worship decide what to do… it’s easy enough to post.
- Culleradigan - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 4:37 pm:
“Kalish lied..”
A lie is when you deliberately mislead others. That’s being dishonest. Had Kalish initially planned to vote against the RHA, that would have been a lie. By his own admission, he made a mistake and by all means call him out on that if you wish, but to distort the narrative is also being dishonest.
- CatAttack - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 4:45 pm:
Lang ran and won, then immediately quit and gifted his seat to Kalish, who was problematic long before his disastrous first session. Lang shouldn’t get to keep picking successors.
- Amalia - Monday, Aug 12, 19 @ 5:16 pm:
this primary will be nasty.