* It’s unusual for a governor to endorse a primary opponent of a sitting (albeit appointed) legislator of his own party, but you dance with the ones what brung you…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday threw his support behind former campaign staffer Margaret Croke over Yoni Pizer and three other candidates in a North Side statehouse primary race that’s forcing some powerful Illinois Democrats to pick sides.
It’s a somewhat rare show of support from Pritzker, who has shied away from making endorsements for state representatives or senators. […]
Pritzker’s endorsement puts him at odds Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is supporting Pizer in the race. Pizer works as a community liaison for U.S. Rep Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and was an early supporter of Lightfoot when she was considered a long-shot candidate for City Hall’s fifth floor. […]
But they’re not the only powerful Democrats taking different sides in the race. Croke’s backers include City Clerk Anna Valencia; state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill; U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.; other Pritzker allies and several major organized labor groups. Pizer’s backers include Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago; state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago; and Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).
Croke also has most of organized labor behind her.
* Press release…
Today, Margaret Croke, candidate for Illinois State Representative in the 12th district received the endorsement of Governor JB Pritzker.
“Today I’m proud to endorse Margaret Croke as my home State Representative here in the 12th district. We need leaders in Springfield who have a deep knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing residents and families of our state,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “Margaret has been a leader and activist fighting to protect women’s health and reproductive rights. She is a thoughtful and engaged advocate for early childhood education, college affordability, and more economic opportunities - the kind of leader you and your family can depend on. I’ve known Margaret for years, and I’m grateful for the key role she played in my campaign for governor. Margaret is my choice and the best candidate to represent the people of our great 12th district.”
Croke currently serves as a member of the leadership team at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity where her work includes supporting small business opportunities and job creation.
“I am honored and grateful to receive the support of Governor Pritzker who has provided the leadership and vision needed to help steer our great state through a very challenging time, but much more work remains,” said Margaret Croke. “While I was given an incredible opportunity to join the Governor in this fight as a member of his administration, my skills and passion for this work can be far more impactful representing the residents and families of the 12th district. We need leaders in Springfield who have a depth of knowledge around the issues we must tackle in order to fix our financial challenges while ensuring critical services are provided to our most vulnerable citizens. I offer a level of experience and tenacity that we must demand in our next representative and hope to earn the support of the residents and families of this district to serve as their voice in Springfield.”
Croke is a progressive activist who is committed to stimulating the state’s economy, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and expanding early childhood education. Croke began her political career as a community organizer, standing up against campus sexual assault and supporting women running for office.
In addition to support from Governor Pritzker, Croke has received several endorsements from Democratic elected officials, including Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, City Clerk of Chicago Anna Valencia and State Senator Andy Manar, among others. Croke has also received the endorsement of the Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Yoni Pizer responds…
As the first openly gay State Rep. of the 12th District, I’m looking forward to working with the Governor when I get to Springfield on Tuesday to address the challenges facing our communities. From passing much-needed ethics reforms, expanding healthcare, protecting our environment, and ensuring the safety of the LGBTQ+ community, there’s a lot to be done and I’m excited to get to work.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
State Senator Sara Feigenholtz on Monday endorsed Yoni Pizer in the Democratic primary election for the House seat she held for 24 years, calling Pizer “the best candidate to represent the diverse needs of the 12th District.”
“In the 24 years I proudly served as the State Representative of the 12th District, I have endorsed countless candidates for various public offices. However, endorsing a successor comes with much emotion, weight, and promise,” said Fegenholtz.
“The people of this district need a deeply rooted, longtime resident and advocate for our community and Yoni Pizer is the candidate who checks all of those boxes. His unflinching support of a woman’s right to choose, access to health care, ethics reform and protecting our environment are his top priorities. He has a keen knowledge of small business issues that are core to sustaining the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
“In the years that I have served, I realize how representation matters. Yoni is an openly gay Jewish person who moved to Lakeview with his husband and raised two sons right here in our neighborhood because he felt safe and at home. He is emblematic of the diversity of this district. At a time when hate crimes and antisemitism are on the rise, we need leaders like Yoni fighting for our community in Springfield.”
“I’m grateful to have the endorsement of Sen. Feigenholtz,” said Rep. Pizer. “For 24 years, Sara has represented our community with honest, effective, and progressive leadership,” said Rep. Pizer. “When others wouldn’t stand up for the LGBTQ+ community, Sara stood in solidarity with us. Sara’s been a loud, proud, and clear voice for the Jewish community and has fought back against all forms of hate. I look forward to working with Senator Feigenholtz on the issues that matter most, like protecting the right to choose, passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act, and ensuring Illinois never becomes a so-called ‘right-to-work’ state. Sen. Feigenholz and I both know that representation of our communities is critically important now more than ever. I look forward to following in her footsteps and working alongside her in Springfield.”
Sen. Feigenholz held the 12th District State Representative seat until last month, when she was appointed to the Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. John Cullerton. Democratic Party committee members then voted to appoint Pizer to the 12th District seat for which he is also a candidate in the March 17 Democratic primary election.
In addition to serving as Community Liaison for Congressman Quigley for the past five years, and running two small businesses, Pizer has been a grassroots organizer for Democratic presidential candidates for several decades. Pizer lives with his husband, Brad Lippitz, in East Lakeview, where they have raised their two sons. Pizer is the first openly LGBTQ+ representative of Illinois’ 12th state house District, which includes the Gold Coast, Near North, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Buena Park neighborhoods.
* They just don’t make ‘em like Daniel Pierce any more. This is from 1988…
Twenty years into his political career, Highland Park Mayor Daniel Pierce changed hats.
After being state representative for the 58th District for two decades, Pierce shifted to local government when he was elected mayor in the spring of 1987.
‘’Some people were surprised and asked why I wanted to go to the municipal level of government after being at the state level,'’ says Pierce, 60. ‘’It`s a much different experience, but the move to mayor of my own hometown was very satisfactory and challenging. Being mayor puts you right in the heart of the community. And I like that.'’
Born in Chicago, he lived in Glencoe before his family settled in Highland Park in 1944. He graduated from New Trier Township High School in 1946, got a bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University in 1949 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1952. Then he served in the Air Force in the Korean War.
Dan passed away this week. I got to know him over the years and I always enjoyed his company. Everyone did. My sincere condolences to his family. He was truly a joy to know.
* Meanwhile, I went out for drinks with Nikki the other night. She’s very excited about this career move…
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s senior adviser and former campaign consultant Nikki Budzinksi is leaving the administration at the end of the month.
“I love the Governor,” Budzinski said in a phone call Wednesday morning, “but it was just time.”
Budzinski’s role was not always clearly defined within the administration. As senior adviser, she floated between four deputy governors and helped as a sort of utility player to steer big pieces of legislation through the statehouse in the early days of the first year. Her chief accomplishment was negotiating with labor leaders and legislators to coordinate the passage of the $15 minimum wage hike, and later to implement a massive broadband expansion which promises to deliver faster internet speeds downstate. […]
“Nikki is widely beloved downstate, and is a close ally and friend,” Governor Pritzker said in an emailed statement. “She also is the first person who supported me, helped me to decide whether to run for governor and helped put together my campaign from our earliest days. As senior adviser, she was a valued voice in the administration, and while she will be missed, I know that she will succeed in this next professional chapter.”
* From the Illinois Family Institute, AKA masters of understatement…
Illinois’ lesbian lawmaker Kelly Cassidy, arch nemesis of the good, the true, and the beautiful and creator of the worst legislation (e.g., the barbaric Baby Snuff Law) to come out of the fetid swamp in Springfield, and her collaborator Robyn Gabel have just sponsored HB 4870, a bill to require all children to mandate the HPV vaccine before entering middle school. And by all, I mean ALL.
This invasive, imperial diktat would apply to children in public and private schools—which includes all private religious schools (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, and Muslim), and homeschools—no exceptions. Don’t be surprised, however, if an amendment is added to exempt homeschools, (maybe even religious private schools). There’s little that presumptuous, self-righteous Springfield swampsters with their super-majorities in both houses fear, but they do fear homeschool parents.
The release then unsurprisingly attempts to stir up anti-vaxer sentiment.
* Press release…
Standards for comprehensive sexual health education curriculum in grades 6 through 12 in public schools in Illinois will be updated and expanded under legislation introduced this week. The Healthy Youth Act (HB 5012 and SB 3788) builds upon the current requirement for sexual health education in Illinois so that it includes instruction that is also culturally and linguistically appropriate and adapted for students with disabilities and non-English speaking students. If sexual health education courses are taught in grades 5 and under, they must be age-appropriate, medically accurate, evidence-based or evidence-informed, and culturally, developmentally, and linguistically appropriate. The Act will also ensure that sexual health education in Illinois is inclusive and affirming of communities historically stigmatized or excluded including LGBTQIA and pregnant or parenting youth.
“As a former sexual health educator, I know it is critical that young people receive a full toolbox of knowledge and skills to reduce harm and support overall health and well-being now and for their entire lives. I look forward to passing the Healthy Youth Act to update and expand Illinois sexual health education standards,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva, who will sponsor the bill in the Illinois Senate.
The Healthy Youth Act removes outdated language and builds on the current standards for health and sexual health education courses by including: pregnancy and reproduction; gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation; puberty, growth, and adolescent development; anatomy and physiology; healthy relationships and friendships; healthy decision-making; and personal safety.
“As a legislator, assuring that young people have all the tools to make healthy decisions has been a priority for me,” added State Representative Camille Lilly who will sponsor the measure in the Illinois House. “Seven years ago, we updated this law. But as times and understanding of what young people need evolves, we must keep pace. The Healthy Youth Act builds on our efforts and will serve students across the State of Illinois.”
“The Healthy Youth Act will raise the standard for what youth across our state are taught, and will provide them with a full, modern toolbox of knowledge. It will educate students with the information that can combat myths and misinformation that often puts them at risk, and instead prepares them for a safe and healthy life. We are proud to be a part of this coalition to pass this legislation this year,” said Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director, ACLU of Illinois.
“The Healthy Youth Act embodies our primary goals at Comprehensive Sex Ed Now. We love that the bill would set the precedent for a future of high-quality comprehensive sex education that is accessible to all. Supporting this bill has been such an amazing opportunity and we look forward to working with them in the future,” said Taylor Holt of Comprehensive Sex Ed Now.
“Passing the Healthy Youth Act will allow youth across Illinois to grow and mature with the knowledge and tools to live their best lives. We are thrilled that this legislation addresses inclusion of heavily stigmatized communities, including young people living with or vulnerable to HIV. It’s been a pleasure to work with the coalition on this measure thus far and we look forward to this bill becoming law this year,” said Timothy Jackson, Director of Government Relations, AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
The supporting organizations for this legislation include: American Association of University Women, ACLU of Illinois, ACLU of Illinois – Champaign Chapter, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Affinity Community Services, Chicago Abortion Fund, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, Chicago Women’s Health Center, Comprehensive Sex Ed Now, EverThrive Illinois, Girls Inc. of Chicago, Howard Brown Health Center, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Illinois National Organization for Women, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance (a program of the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago), Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, National Council of Jewish Women – North Shore, Peer Health Exchange, Pride Action Tank, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Health, Resilience (formerly Rape Victim Advocates), Teen Health Council, UIC – Urban Medicine Program, and YWCA Evanston/Northshore.
* And another press release…
Today State Representative Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) held a press conference at the McHenry County Government Center to announce that he has filed legislation which will create the McHenry County Children and Family Services Agency to assume the duties of the McHenry County office of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
“For the past 9 months I’ve been part of a bipartisan legislative working group established to examine the operations of DCFS,” Reick said. “During that time one thing has become abundantly clear: DCFS is an agency in need of systemic change.”
Reick continued, “The tragic death of A.J. Freund has shined a bright light on the problems which exist in the agency as a whole and the McHenry County office in particular. The goal of this legislation is to create a framework to make this new county agency a model for the rest of the state. Under the jurisdiction of local government, the purpose of this new agency is to provide more responsive, effective, and efficient child welfare services to the people of this community.”
The legislation, House Bill 4886, to be called “A.J.’s Law”, creates a 5-year pilot program in McHenry County to replace the operations of DCFS. The Agency will be given all powers and duties of the Department under the Children and Family Services Act as well as the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
“I am supportive of changes to the DCFS structure,” said State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry). “Greater local control/authority over DCFS offices will increase cooperation and collaboration between DCFS, States Attorney, law enforcement and service providers to meet the goal of protecting our children.”
The internal operations of the agency are also outlined in the legislation. The bill provides for the appointment of an executive director by the Chairman of the McHenry County Board, with approval by the full Board, and for the employment of investigators and staff as County employees. The Agency would be funded by State appropriations from the DCFS budget.
The bill was inspired by a letter sent to Reick by McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally in October, wherein he stated:
“[T]he primary responsibility for protecting children in a community should belong to the community, not the State. Moreover… the agents designated to protect children in a community should be primarily accountable to the community, not the State. As such, I would strongly urge you to consider legislation that would provide a significant measure of control over DCFS operations within a county to county government.”
“Months of bipartisan meetings with stakeholders from here in McHenry County and across Illinois have only confirmed what was so plainly stated in Patrick’s letter,” explained Reick. “An agency that serves two masters cannot provide the kind of protections that will prevent more tragedies like the one we experienced here in our own back yard.”
///BREAKING/// Patrick Doherty, chief of staff to Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski, has been indicted on federal charges alleging he paid bribes to get an Oak Lawn trustee to approve SafeSpeed red light cameras. Story to come.
A sales agent for a Chicago-area red-light camera company has been indicted for allegedly conspiring to pay bribes to obtain approval to install additional cameras in suburban Oak Lawn.
PATRICK J. DOHERTY, 64, of Palos Heights, is charged with one count of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to facilitate bribery, and two counts of using an interstate facility to facilitate bribery. The indictment was returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Stetler, Tiffany A. Ardam and James P. Durkin.
According to the indictment, Doherty worked as a sales agent for the red-light camera company that since 2014 had a contract with Oak Lawn to provide cameras at certain intersections. Renewal of the contract and installation of cameras at additional intersections required approval from Oak Lawn’s Board of Trustees, the indictment states.
The charges allege that in 2017 Doherty conspired with an individual with a financial interest in the red-light camera company and another sales agent of the company to pay money to a relative of an elected Oak Lawn Trustee to influence the Trustee into using his official position to approve installation of cameras at additional intersections. The conspirators agreed to pay the relative a total of approximately $4,000 over an eight-week period, the indictment states. In order to conceal the purpose of the payments, the conspirators agreed that Doherty would make the payments from a separate company, the indictment states.
In a telephone conversation on May 25, 2017, Doherty told the other sales agent that Doherty would pay the Trustee’s relative “if it’s going to get us the job,” according to the indictment. Doherty allegedly added, “I’ll just pay it. Just make sure we get the, make sure we get the [expletive] thing, the contract.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count in the indictment is punishable by up to five years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
In an interview last fall with the Chicago Sun-Times, Doherty said he had been interviewed by FBI and IRS agents at his home. He also insisted the interview was not about SafeSpeed.
Rather, Doherty said, agents asked about another company run by SafeSpeed investor Omar Maani — who is believed to be cooperating with federal authorities — that has been involved in low-income housing projects in Cicero and Summit. The projects involved the construction of dozens of townhomes and received taxpayer subsidies through county government, Doherty said.
Doherty and Tobolski were involved in getting Maani’s firm that funding, apparently without competitive bidding.
* His budget address is next Wednesday, so this press release is a bit of a preview…
In a comprehensive effort to save taxpayer dollars while investing in efforts that build our long-term financial health, Governor JB Pritzker announced that his administration has identified a variety of government efficiencies that will provide $225 million of budgetary relief in Fiscal Year 2021 and at least $750 million over the next three years.
“I believe strongly that effective government demands efficient government—and it’s been a point of pride for my administration to act as wise fiscal stewards of Illinois’ limited state resources, maximizing operational resources and saving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In the past, irresponsible management of state revenue and a failure to invest in the long-term health of our state and its people put us in a challenging fiscal position. But today, I’m proud to announce that for the coming year, our efficiencies and initiatives will yield at least $225 million in savings and will put the state in a position to save more than $750 million over the next three years.”
The Pritzker administration has achieved these savings through optimizing state agency operations, consolidating agencies and eliminating duplicative or dormant boards and commissions.
A comprehensive list of Gov. Pritzker’s proposed government efficiencies is attached. Among the savings highlights:
Moving on from the years of hostility under the previous administration, Gov. Pritzker has treated the state’s dedicated workers and retirees with respect, negotiated with unions in good faith and reached agreements with 20 of 33 bargaining units across the state. Through effective negotiations and innovative health care health care plan design, the Pritzker administration has achieved an estimated $650 million in cost savings to taxpayers through fiscal year 2023, including more than $175 million in Fiscal Year 2021.
Working with Comptroller Mendoza’s office to pay overdue medical bills, the administration has saved the state $15.7 million in late-payment interest costs in FY20 and an additional $25 million in FY21.
In addition, every state agency has reviewed their operations to ensure high-quality services are delivered as efficiently as possible. For example, the Department of Corrections’ operational efficiencies will save more than $25 million while enhanced revenue collections at the Department of Revenue is expected to generate as much as $15 million.
With some agencies performing duplicative functions, the Pritzker administration is looking toward consolidation to save taxpayer resources. The administration is exploring a merger of the Illinois Department of Labor and the Illinois Department of Employment Security and will merge the anti-fraud program at the Workers’ Compensation Commission with the anti-fraud unit at the Department of Insurance, as well as the Coroner Training Board with the Department of Public Health.
Finally, the administration has begun an extensive review of the more than 700 boards and commissions operating throughout state government to identify further opportunities for cost savings. Many boards are duplicative, outdated and dormant, and therefore could be eliminated to save taxpayer resources.
The Office of the Governor will explore a merger of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The functions of each agency previously were housed in a singular agency before IDES was separated out by then-Governor James R. Thompson in 1984. The justifications provided by Governor Thompson for the split may no longer apply, as both agencies receive significant federal funding from many of the same sources. Further, most other states provide all of the functions undertaken by IDOL and IDES under a single agency. A consolidation could result in significant savings and a more effective, unified agency overseeing labor regulation and job-related programs for the businesses and workers of Illinois.
The review of a potential merger will address any possible obstacles to effectively combing the agencies, while also determining other potential benefits of consolidation, including:
• The merger would create a one stop shop for employment issues – providing better service to the public.
• With the merging of information under one agency, the State could enhance enforcement of labor and unemployment laws and more effectively prevent fraud.
• “Underground economy” would be easier to track. Consolidation of enforcement capabilities would streamline information being shared with key personnel, preventing employee misclassification, and weeding out bad faith employers to create a more level playing field for businesses that follow the law.
• Cross-agency utilization of full data sets would enable a holistic approach to removing barriers in apprenticeship programs, allowing the agency to target areas of high unemployment more efficiently and effectively.
• By merging the agencies, workers would have the combined strength of the regional offices to address their concerns. IDOL could leverage IDES’ existing outreach system to better inform the public about fair labor standards, prevailing wage requirements and other labor laws. Additionally, regional offices could be equipped to assist the public in filing complaints and resolving labor law violations, thus enhancing service delivery.
• With the broader reach of offices in communities all across Illinois, the combined agency would have greater ability to act locally to provide assistance to working families and to develop policies that are more responsive to community needs.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
The Joint Employers released the following statement regarding the Pritzker Administration’s proposal to merge the Illinois Department of Employment Security with the Illinois Department of Labor:
“While we appreciate and support efforts to find efficiencies in state government, the Joint Employers are disappointed to learn this includes the possibility of merging the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) with the Illinois Department of Labor. Such a proposal suggests a lack of understanding of the need for IDES to act as a standalone agency and raises questions about what, if any, benefits would come from a merger.
IDES was created by the legislature in the early 1980s in recognition that the system of unemployment insurance benefits is funded by Illinois employers and deserved special focus outside of the Illinois Department of Labor, which has a very different function. Because 100 percent of IDES’s administrative funding comes from the federal government, except for in the case of special projects, it is unlikely that there are any administrative savings to be had.
Further, IDES was created to serve as a neutral arbiter to assist both employers and labor during agreed bill negotiations. These occur every few years when a negotiating group from both sides come together to determine what changes, if any, need to be made to the unemployment insurance benefit program. Since its creation, every administration, whether Democrat or Republican, has not only supported the agreed bill process but ensured the leadership of IDES maintains their role as a neutral arbiter. A merger endangers this independence and compromises the agreed bill process.
We are hopeful the Pritzker Administration will engage in a dialogue with impacted entities on this proposal. The work of IDES has been especially important to both business and labor and has maintained a balanced approach that has served both sides well.”
The Joint Employers are comprised of the Associated General Contractors of Illinois, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, and the National Federation of Independent Business.
For purposes of reapportionment and redistricting, the Commission shall count each incarcerated person as residing at his or her last known place of residence, rather than at the institution of his or her incarceration.
Prisoners from outside Illinois are exempt, of course. I’m thinking some Downstaters may not love this because their districts will get much larger. Doing this would also make it much easier to eliminate a Downstate congressional district after reapportionment.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced an amendment to the Illinois Constitution meant to transform the way legislative district boundaries are created here.
The idea is to have an independent commission draw legislative districts for the General Assembly and Congress.
The task is supposed to happen every 10 years after the census, and in Illinois has been handled by whatever party controls state government — presently Democrats.
The commission would be picked by the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and the next most senior justice elected from a different party. (Today that’s Chief Justice Anne Burke, who was elected as a Democrat, and Justice Robert Thomas, who was elected as a Republican. Thomas has announced his retirement for the end of this month; Justice Rita Garman will then be the longest-tenured Republican on the court).
I respect Justice Burke and I don’t believe she should be judged by her husband. But the time’s are changing, so her power over the remap will be a super-easy talking point against this proposal.
* From former GOP Rep. Peter Breen, who is running against Rep. Terra Costa Howard to get his old job back…
Rep. Terra Costa Howard’s political patron and chief campaign funder, House Speaker Michael Madigan, has held back Fair Maps for years, fighting citizen initiatives in the courts and squashing amendment resolutions in the General Assembly. Everyone in the state knows that no Fair Maps amendment can pass the General Assembly until Madigan resigns or is removed. Yet Costa Howard continues to support Madigan for Speaker, even in the teeth of her campaign promises that she would be independent of and wouldn’t support Madigan. Costa Howard’s filing of another Fair Maps amendment can’t distract from the fact she has no discernible body of work in her time in the General Assembly: all she’s demonstrated is an inability to tell the truth.
That’s why our people-powered movement, FairMapsIllinois.com, has been quietly collecting signatures to put a clean, simple, legally-sound Fair Maps amendment on the November ballot, going around Madigan and his General Assembly enablers, including Terra Costa Howard. The citizen initiative process is the one sure way, free of interference from the corrupt Springfield machine, for the people of Illinois to finally reach their goal of achieving Fair Maps.
While he’s right about Madigan’s recalcitrance, Breen’s Fair Maps Illinois committee has reported raising just $100. And his committee’s website prominently features a photo of… himself.
[Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake] said it will be up to lawmakers to work around any potential opposition from legislative leaders.
“I believe that if we have a mass of legislators that want this amendment to move forward and be on the ballot, that’s the way the leaders are going to pay attention, know we’re serious,” Bush said. “It has to be bipartisan. It’s up to us.”
She cited the Reproductive Health Act from last year that was stalled until rank and file lawmakers put enough pressure on the leaders to start moving it. The bill passed and is now law.
“We must stand together and we must build a mass,” Bush said.
The question is, do rank and file Democrats truly want this to pass enough to say they will shut down the process unless they get what they want? That’s what happened with RHA last year. House Democratic freshmen told Speaker Madigan it had to be called or they were walking. It was called. It remains to be seen whether this proposal has that level of enthusiasm behind it.
Also, the fact that zero legislators of color were at yesterday’s press conference and none are listed as co-sponsors argues against that happening.
Madeleine Doubek, a former journalist and executive director of Change Illinois, said the measure introduced Thursday — dubbed the Fair Maps Amendment — would protect the rights of Black and Latino residents of Illinois and uphold the federal Voting Rights Act as well as the state voting rights law.
“We will do everything to protect voting rights,” Doubek said.
A 2014 analysis by the Washington Post named Illinois’ 4th congressional district, consisting of western Chicago suburbs such as Cicero and Brookfield, among the 10 most gerrymandered in the country. The district, which elected Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García in 2018 by a 73-point margin, resembles a pair of earmuffs. The two sides of the district are connected by a narrow patch of grass under Interstate 290.
That district was drawn under Republican dominance of the 1991 remap to create the first Latinx congressional district in state history. That’s not gerrymandering, unless you oppose racial equity.
State Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, said the way the maps are drawn now with the majority party controlling where the lines go breeds toxic politics.
“It only pushes incumbents to adopt an extremist political manifesto in an attempt to hold on to that seat,” Bush said. “Democrats become more liberal and Republicans more conservative and we lose any chance to a healthy balance between the two extremes.”
Amid ongoing federal corruption probes involving state lawmakers, state Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, said an independent commission is needed to combat self-interested politicians.
“So if you want to root out corruption in this state, this is the place we need to start,” he said.
It’s true that incumbents in “safe” districts only need to worry about their primaries. But we saw a number of “safe” suburban districts all of a sudden become toss-up districts in 2018. And, I don’t care how fair the maps are, you can’t draw a Democratic Senate district in Effingham nor a Republican Senate District in Englewood.
Also, did unfair maps really prompt Martin Sandoval to take bribes and Luis Arroyo to bribe a Senator? I’d like to see some data to back up that often-used talking point.
“The time for an end to gerrymandering is now so that we’re not saddled with another ten years of maps that stifle competition and suppress voters’ choices,” Doubek said.
Friday, Feb 14, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
To highlight the needs of people with kidney disease, organizations from across our state have come together to create the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA), a coalition of health advocates and professionals, community and patient groups, providers, and businesses. IKCA is focused on raising awareness of the needs of people who suffer from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), a condition also known as kidney failure.
We’re proud to count Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network among IKCA’s inaugural members. Gift of Hope proudly serves as the federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) that coordinates organ and tissue donation and services to families of donors in the northern three-quarters of Illinois and northwest Indiana.
With more than 30,000 Illinoisans suffering from kidney failure, and 100,000 Americans awaiting a kidney transplant, IKCA’s goal is to protect the most vulnerable, those currently on life-sustaining dialysis, and those waiting for a functioning kidney. For more information, please visit our website.
Friday, Feb 14, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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Pritzker said the proposed rates that would follow possible voter approval of a progressive income tax are fair because it would mean lower rates for most taxpayers.
“It’s only the top 2.7 or 3 percent that will pay a little more,” Pritzker said. “Addressing income inequality is very important.”
[Ideas Illinois Chairman Greg Baise] said addressing income inequality wasn’t in the governor’s job description. He said state government hasn’t proven it can wisely spend the money it collects now.
“The flat income tax in this state makes it a little more difficult for your elected representatives, who in the last ten years have raised taxes on taxpayers in Illinois and still we have all those other problems: State debt, property taxes and a pension deficit,” Base said.
The progressive tax rates are separate from the proposed amendment. If the flat tax is done away with and the constitution allows for tiered rates with higher rates on higher earners, state lawmakers could change the rates every year.
“What this argument is about is to give an opportunity for Springfield politicians to have an easier way to raise money when they need, for whatever particular pet project they happen to be wanting to get done in any particular year and this would open that door,” Baise said.
A governor’s “job description” is whatever he says it is within the confines of the constitutions and statutes.
But I do agree with Baise on his other point. It’s difficult for legislators to raise the flat tax because they’re increasing taxes on everyone. Just look at the last 20 years. Blagojevich wouldn’t go near an income tax hike, Quinn waited until he had safely won an election and when it was abundantly clear the state was drowning in red ink during a massive recession, Rauner refused to talk about it when the tax hike partially rolled back and taxes were only raised back up to almost the status quo ante when desperate Republicans crossed the aisle to override him.
It’s a whole lot easier to just jack up the rates on the top 3 percent.
…Adding… From a commenter…
It’s a way to raise the state’s income without going to people who are just getting by for more money. Yes, it’s easier on politicians, but it’s easier on politicians because it’s easier for their constituents. That’s kinda the whole point.
* Related…
* David Borris: Fair Tax will help everyone, including our small businesses
* From Carolyn Schofield, a Crystal Lake Republican who is running against Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee)…
Rich-
I hesitated to send this because I find this mailer extremely offensive not just to me personally but to all women. However, I thought you might be interested as I find this behavior from a sitting legislator sickening. Using a #rape, #sexualharrassment for political gain is pathetic. This went out about a week ago and everyone that I know that received it said it was addressed to the male in the household.
If my opponent were to attend any interview/forum that he were invited to then he would know I have publicly addressed all of the issues he completely lies about on this mailer. I guess if you don’t show up to find the truth then he feels justified in spreading lies. Linking me to Mike Madigan (a man who I have never met or said anything positive about) only plays on the statistics that show negative attacks work. This is the tactic he barely won on last time (along with $500,000 of Proft/Rauner money to spread those lies) and he has done nothing as a representative to run on this time. I truly hope the voters of the 66th District do not fall for these desperate tactics.
The best way to fight back is with your own mailers, but Schofield ended the fourth quarter with just $6,000 in the bank and has reported raising $7,500 since then.
Last week, former Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter told a state ethics task force that the commission — a bipartisan panel of eight lawmakers from the Illinois House and Senate — blocked the release of a report in which she found “serious wrongdoing” by a sitting legislator. […]
Records from Legislative Ethics Commission meetings in May, obtained through an open-records request, show the panel considered a case in which the inspector general had determined someone violated a state law requiring lawmakers and legislative staff to cooperate with her investigations.
Porter’s testimony last week indicated that before leaving office in February 2019 she’d asked the attorney general’s office to bring a formal complaint before the commission. At a May 16 meeting, the commission considered a petition from the attorney general’s office. Democratic Sen. Terry Link of Vernon Hills made a motion to close the case, which was seconded by Democratic Rep. Kathleen Willis of Addison. The motion failed on a 4-4 vote, leaving the case open.
Due to a procedural problem with the initial vote, the issue came before the commission again eight days later. This time, Republican Rep. Norine Hammond of Macomb made a motion, seconded by Republican Rep. Avery Bourne of Raymond, to find that the complaint showed sufficient evidence that the law had been violated. There was another 4-4 vote, and this one resulted in the report remaining secret.
At the very least, the Legislative Ethics Commission needs a tie-breaking member. It’s too easy to just split these things on partisan lines to thwart progress and everyone winks at each other because they know the same result will likely happen when a member of their own party’s neck is on the line.
Some states have citizens on their commissions. That should be looked at here.
Yes, I know it’s easier said than done. Who is picked and how? OK, fine. Ask NCSL to a look at how other states do it and choose the best plan(s).
And, by the way, the same goes for the State Board of Elections. Too many tie votes on that board.
On Feb. 15, 2019, a man shot and killed five co-workers at a warehouse in Aurora before he was killed by police. Illinois State Police said the shooter, Gary Martin, bought a gun in 2014 with a valid Firearm Owners Identification card. Martin had a prior conviction in another state that made him ineligible to qualify for a FOID card, but he lied about that conviction when he applied to the Illinois State Police for a FOID card. The agency did a background check for Martin in Illinois. Illinois State Police later revoked Martin’s FOID card after he submitted fingerprints to speed up the processing of his application for a concealed carry license. Those prints alerted officials to his conviction in Mississippi, ISP officials said at the time.
ISP Director Brendan Kelly said Thursday at a news conference in Springfield that in the wake of the Aurora shooting, state police had stepped up enforcement efforts. Since May 2019, Kelly said law enforcement agencies conducted more than 200 revoked FOID card details across the state.
By the time Christopher Miller showed up at his estranged wife’s backdoor in September 2019 with a pistol in his waistband, state authorities already had declared him too dangerous to own firearms.
He had lost his gun license 20 months earlier after being charged with aggravated battery for brutally beating a man in a Naperville parking lot. He disregarded orders to relinquish any weapons, and no one made sure he complied.
Miller startled his wife that autumn afternoon as she moved around the kitchen making a snack for her daughter. With cocaine and alcohol in his system, he stared at Cassandra Tanner Miller with hazel eyes so dilated they appeared black.
“Are you all ready to die today?” he asked as he suddenly burst into the Joliet house.
Within minutes, Miller had choked his wife until she lost consciousness and fatally shot his 18-month-old son, Colton, with a .22-caliber Ruger — one of at least three handguns in his possession despite orders from the Illinois State Police to relinquish any firearms in January 2018. Miller fired that illicit gun so many times, at least 10, the coroner could not definitively track the bullets that shattered the toddler’s skull. […]
Since the Aurora shooting and a year after officials sounded the alarms, the number of revoked FOID cardholders who have not accounted for their guns rose 14%, from 26,797 in February 2019 to 30,602 people in December. [Emphasis added.]
Fingerprinting gun owners in Illinois would help keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said Thursday.
That’s why, Kelly said, the Illinois Senate should give final approval to Senate Bill 1966 that includes a provision that a person applying for or renewing a Firearm Owners Identification Card must submit a set of fingerprints.
“Compliance with FOID laws does not always result in criminal charges,” Kelly said. “The goal is to keep guns out of the hands of people prohibited from having them.”
Kelly spoke as the state neared the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora. Six people were killed in the shooting, including the shooter. Six others were wounded.
Kelly says the victims and survivors of the Aurora shooting deserve honesty and the best efforts from police. He explained Senate Bill 1966 could bring in close to $6.2 million a year in grant funding for FOID card enforcement.
“That bill will provide additional resources necessary to sustain and improve our efforts to improve our access to fingerprint-associated records across the country, and to support local law enforcement’s ability to accomplish this public safety mission,” said Kelly.
The proposal would also drop the FOID card renewal period to five years, instead of 10. That bill passed out of the House last spring before stalling in the Senate. Kelly hopes the plan will gain enough support in the coming months to make it to the Governor’s desk. Pritzker has previously announced his support for the bill.
In 2018, Kelly said, a little more than 2,000 firearm disposal reports were filed with the state, signifying a gun that had either been seized, turned in or turned over to a person legally entitled to possess it.
Last year, there were 4,562 reports filed, Kelly said.
“By any measure, that’s an improvement,” he said. “Is it good enough? Hell, no. We’ve got a lot more to do.”
The Friends of Michael J. Madigan campaign account topped all other political groups, with nearly $1.3 million spent on lawyers and related costs, according to a Sun-Times analysis of Illinois State Board of Elections records since Jan. 1, 2019.
At No. 2, the JB for Governor fund paid more than $960,000 to the law firm Perkins Coie LLP in the same period. A Pritzker campaign spokesman says that covered the cost of litigation by former campaign workers who said they were the victims of discrimination and harassment, as well as “financial disclosure filings and matters related to the campaign.” […]
[Ald. Ed Burke’s] legal fees over the past year that he’s tapped his political kitty to cover have topped $800,000, records show. Burke was charged in January 2019 with attempted extortion, accused of trying to muscle the owner of a Burger King franchise into hiring his law firm for property tax appeals. Burke subsequently was indicted in a broader racketeering case. […]
Many of the legal expenses examined by the Sun-Times appear to be routine, for the usual legal matters involved in helping candidates get on the ballot and trying to knock their opponents off, among other things.
In her failed campaign for mayor of Chicago, which went to a runoff before she lost to Lori Lightfoot, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle paid $99,390.95 through April 2019 to Ancel Glink P.C., mainly for the firm to handle election petition challenges, according to a campaign spokeswoman. Using her county board campaign fund, she spent another $4,812 with the same firm.
