“The decision on the next speaker of the Illinois House will be made at a caucus, after a full discussion of the issues facing our state and the qualifications of the candidates. I plan to be a candidate for speaker, and today I confirmed that I continue to have support from a significant number of House Democratic caucus members.”
“Significant” isn’t “60.” And it’ll be tough to debate another candidate when there probably won’t be one.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Democratic Rep. Jonathan Carroll…
If the Speaker wants to caucus, I hope it’s to discuss the 101st General Assembly. We still have two months left to meet the needs of our state. If it’s for any other reason, he’s putting his own personal needs ahead of everything else. Any conversations about the next Speaker should be secondary to the current state of things.
Assistant Majority Leader Rep. William Davis said he had a “very short” conversation with Madigan Friday. The speaker asked for the Homewood Democrat’s vote, and Davis told him he’d have it come January, when House members will pick their leader.
“I have told speaker Madigan that I would support him, and I would not back away from that support,” Davis said, though he’s also made clear he has his eye on the speaker’s gavel — once Madigan is ready to relinquish it.
“What I have said is that I would like to be the next speaker of the House, but, prior to what’s happened, that’s always been a ‘when-Madigan-leaves’ conversation,” Davis said. “And, right now, that hasn’t changed. As this plays out a little bit more, and if he comes to the conclusion that he doesn’t have the votes, I hope there will be another conversation about making a smooth transition of leadership.”
Asked if Madigan backs him as a potential successor, Davis said he has asked for Madigan’s support should the time come, and the powerful Southwest Side Democrat, who’s held onto the gavel for nearly 40 years, said simply, “OK, I understand.”
Just saying, but if I was in the nearly all-white opposition, I’d seriously consider whomever the post-Madigan Black Caucus chooses.
…Adding… Just to clarify, I’m not saying the BC has or even soon will have a candidate. I’m just saying.
I’ll post press releases or major news about the Madigan thing as we go along next week, but I’ll only reopen comments if something truly gigantic happens (you might guess what could qualify). But posting may not be as prompt as usual because it’s not like I’m going to be by my computer the entire time. It’ll work out, though.
While I’m gone, you’ll have the live coverage post and the site’s numerous news feeds to keep you up to date. You can also click here around mid-day to see the latest IDPH reports.
* I hope you have a great and healthy Thanksgiving. Please, wear your mask, wash your hands and keep your distance. You folks mean a lot to me, so stay well.
* During Gov. Pritzker’s news media briefing today, a reporter submitted a question prefaced by the fact that it has been 24 hours since Pritzker had called on Speaker Madigan to answer questions or resign. The question…
How long will you wait to make him resign?
Since this was a question submitted online, I double-checked with Pritzker’s press secretary to make sure she asked it accurately. She did.
…Adding… Another question today was based on a comment by Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst), who said this week that the governor and the attorney general should consider filing state charges similar to the federal charges in the ComEd probe.
Um, the governor can’t do that. (Not blaming the reporter for that one, by the way, because the person was just following up on a legislator’s comment.)
Weird times.
…Adding… I’m told the reporter got it wrong about Mazzochi. She apparently said she hoped the governor was also talking to the AG to see if there was information in the federal documents that could support state charges.
* Confession: I’ve never watched The Wire. Yeah, I know I should. I’ve tried, but I’ve just never been able to get into it.
Anyway, a friend of mine brought up the show today when we were chatting about how so many people are just absolutely stunned about the strong likelihood that Speaker Madigan will lose the gavel. His text…
There is a good metaphor in there about a main boss character getting killed off in a kind of anticlimactic way by some no-name.
That’s what this feels like… This? THIS is how he goes?!?!
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 13,012 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 126 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 80s
- Bureau County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Champaign County: 1 female 80s
- Coles County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 40s, 2 females 50s, 2 males 50s, 4 females 60s, 7 males 60s, 6 females 70s, 11 males 70s, 9 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 2 males 90s, 1 female over 100, 1 male over 100
- DeKalb County: 1 female 40s
- DeWitt County: 1 female 80s
- Douglas County: 1 male 80s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Effingham County: 1 female 60s
- Franklin County: 1 male 90s
- Grundy County: 1 female 70s
- Kane County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
- Kendall County: 1 male 90s
- Knox County: 1 female 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- Macon County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 20s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s
- Mason County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 90s
- McDonough County: 1 male 60s
- McHenry County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s
- McLean County: 1 male 80s
- Mercer County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
- Monroe County: 1 female 80s
- Ogle County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Pike County: 1 male 80s
- Randolph County: 1 female 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
- Stephenson County: 1 female 70s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Whiteside County: 2 males 50s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 female over 100
- Winnebago County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Woodford County: 1 female over 100
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 634,395 cases, including 11,304 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 116,024 specimens for a total 9,588,698. As of last night, 6,111 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,196 patients were in the ICU and 604 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from November 13 – November 19, 2020 is 11.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from November 13 – November 19, 2020 is 13.4%.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
*** UPDATE *** More bad news…
Also on Fridays, @IDPH updates a list of counties it considers to be at "warning level."
As elected officials, our job is to be accessible to our constituents - even when they vehemently disagree with us and criticize our actions. This criticism must not be allowed to fester into threats against members of our family.
In this unprecedented time of a pandemic and economic crisis, there are many in our communities that want us to take sweeping actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Yet others that want us to scale back the mitigations even at the risk of their health, and the health of others.
This week, we were disgusted to learn that fake news on social media targeted one of Governor Pritzker’s children alleging COVID-19 violations, and the story was then magnified by other online outlets. This fake story was shared widely on social media, including by Republican elected officials, eventually leading to a $1,000 bounty being offered for a Thanksgiving picture of the Governor’s family.
We will continue to have a debate on the best ideas for moving Illinois forward, but we will never, ever, tolerate attacks on an elected official’s children. As we look towards a post-Trump future, we need to rebuild civility and compassion in Illinois - each of us must commit to leaving family members out of the debate.
Sincerely,
Carol Ammons
Jaime Andrade
Monica Bristow
Kam Buckner
Assistant Majority Leader Kelly Burke
Jonathan Carroll
Kelly Cassidy
John Connor
Deb Conroy
Majority Leader Greg Harris
Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman
Terra Costa Howard
Assistant Majority Leader Will Davis
Eva-Dina Delgado
Daniel Didech
Mary Edly-Allen
La Shawn Ford
Robyn Gabel
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
Deputy Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth
LaToya Greenwood
Will Guzzardi
Mike Halpin
Barbara Hernandez
Yehiel Mark Kalish
Stephanie Kifowit
Lindsey LaPointe
Camille Lilly
Theresa Mah
Assistant Majority Leader Natalie Manley
Joyce Mason
Rita Mayfield
Debbie Meyers-Martin
Anna Moeller
Bob Morgan
Michelle Mussman
Diane Pappas
Yoni Pizer
Delia Ramirez
Nathan Reitz
Lamont Robinson
Justin Slaughter
Anne Stava-Murray
Katie Stuart
Curtis Tarver, II
Mark Walker
Larry Walsh, Jr.
Emanuel Chris Welch
Maurice West
Ann Williams
Kathy Willis
Sam Yingling
Michael Zalewski
Rep. Morgan circulated the letter and said he wanted to push this out quickly, so he wasn’t able to communicate with everyone. “I don’t think anyone in the caucus deliberately stayed off,” he said.
New parlor game: If not Madigan, who can get 60 Democratic votes to become speaker? Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, chairperson of the State Government Administration committee, has already put her hat in the ring. Other names: Majority Leader Greg Harris, Assistant Majority Leader Kelly Burke, Appropriations-Public Safety Chairperson Kelly Cassidy, Assistant Majority Leader Will Davis, Deputy Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth, Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman, Executive Committee Chairperson Emanuel “Chris” Welch, and Energy and Environment Chairperson Ann Williams.
Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter on Thursday voiced unwavering support for embattled Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, even though a new federal indictment plunges deeper into Madigan’s once impervious inner-circle.
Reiter reaffirmed the labor movement’s support for its Springfield champion one day after former lawmaker-turned-Commonwealth Edison lobbyist Michael McClain, one of the speaker’s closest confidants, was one of four people charged with participating in a bribery scheme.
“The people that you’ve worked with to help make everyday peoples’ lives better — you can’t just walk away from that situation. Especially in a situation like this where there’s this appearance that’s been created that may, in fact, be divorced from actual reality,” Reiter told the Sun-Times Thursday.
* I hear this a lot…
This is all fascinating to watch play out, but Madigan still has 55 votes and a very loyal base. No one else is remotely close. Madigan’s magic has been in uniting warring factions in the caucus, and I wouldn’t count him out until someone else can show they can do that too. https://t.co/EM7T7H4V8b
Others are out there, so saying he has 55 votes is incorrect. He needs 60 to win. And this ain’t no capital bill. The people he needs aren’t shrinking violets waiting for him to shower them with favors. They’ve made a very public commitment that will be almost impossible to break without losing all face.
Until Madigan can prove he can get to 60 by flipping five (and counting) members back into line, he cannot win. And the opposition so far isn’t a bunch of regular machine types who can be persuaded with jobs, or contracts or promotions to leadership. They also can’t be threatened with loss of committee assignments or whatever because if they stick together, he’s out and he can’t do anything to them and they can cut their own deal with the next person to help him or her get to 60.
As I detailed for subscribers this morning, Madigan could put the state through a very long and disastrous stalemate and declare war against a faction of his own members in an attempt to hold onto power. We’ll see whether he wants to go that far.
Until someone else announces they are running this just a fun party game.
This is not much different than Justice Kilbride’s retention race and his appointed replacement. The idea right now is to prevent the opposition from winning. Then, when that becomes clear, House Democrats can work on coalescing behind someone else.
“I would not count him out,” said one previous Madigan political nemesis, former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar. “He’s the smartest guy in the Capitol building and very determined, and he’s not going to go easily.”
“I don’t know,” Edgar said. “Maybe it is the end. We’ll see. But, again, my experience has been with Madigan is that he’s a smart guy.”
He is at that.
* I texted and emailed several House Democrats a question yesterday: “Howdy. Any comment on 16 House Democrats announcing they will not vote to reelect Speaker Madigan?” Here’s Rep. Jaime Andrade’s (D-Chicago) texted response. Don’t hold the typos against him because we all know the issues with texting (except for Speaker Madigan, of course)…
Hello Rich, there needs to be an immediate dem caucus meeting in order to move forward. We can not wait with redistricting around the corner. If the votes are not there they are not there. It is simple math.
So others can start making their moves but they can not wait too long because then it will look like they are asking for “permission”. We do not want the same thing happen when it took Hynes close or over 200 hundred times to be elected as president of the senate. The transition should not be done over night. And I suspect the 16 will grow in the next few days. And I suspect we will lose a few state reps that will leave the GA all together with change of leadership. One can never underestimate the speaker but I do not see where the 60 votes come from.
Who flips back to a yes. Are the unions actually going to make calls and ask members to vote for MM, I do not think so. One thing is to put out a letter but actively make phone calls…
At the end of the day what would the speaker expect of any member of his leadership to do?
*** UPDATE *** He’s been calling around for weeks, but it’s still notable…
Speaker Madigan is calling IL House members today checking to see if they still support him as the number increases to 18 Dems who do not. He’s currently 5 short of the 60 votes needed to remain Speaker #ILDems#Madigan
Friday, Nov 20, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
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State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado of Illinois’ 3rd District will not support Speaker Madigan for re- election.
Representative Delgado issued the following statement today:
“The ongoing allegations surrounding Speaker Madigan have become a distraction from the important work before us during these unprecedented times. Therefore, I will not be supporting Speaker Madigan in his run for reelection as the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Our state has some serious issues to address and now is the time for new leadership.”
You will recall that Speaker Madigan warned he would initiate proceedings to kick Delgado out of the House if she was appointed to the seat earlier this year. That effort went nowhere, and now Madigan himself is facing the same sort of process.
* Here’s the updated list of dissident House Democrats so far…
Jonathan Carroll
Kelly Cassidy
Deb Conroy
Margaret Croke
Eva-Dina Delgado
Daniel Didech
Robyn Gabel
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
Will Guzzardi
Terra Costa Howard
Stephanie Kifowit
Lindsey LaPointe
Anna Moeller
Bob Morgan
Anne Stava-Murray
Maurice West
Ann M. Williams
Sam Yingling
State Rep. Daniel Didech Calls for New Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
State Rep. Daniel Didech (D – Buffalo Grove) issued the following statement today:
“Today I informed my colleagues that I believe now is the time, for the first time in four decades, for the House Democratic Caucus to choose a new Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. It is critical that our work to select a new leader begins today. Every candidate for this important office deserves a fair shot and each member deserves the opportunity for their voice to be heard and respected. I am fully confident that we can soon select a Speaker who will unite our caucus so we can continue our important work serving the people of Illinois.”
* Here’s the full list of dissident House Democrats so far…
Jonathan Carroll
Kelly Cassidy
Deb Conroy
Margaret Croke
Daniel Didech
Robyn Gabel
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
Will Guzzardi
Terra Costa Howard
Stephanie Kifowit
Lindsey LaPointe
Anna Moeller
Bob Morgan
Anne Stava-Murray
Maurice West
Ann M. Williams
Sam Yingling
The House Democrats will have 73 seats in January. That means at least 14 are needed to deprive Madigan of the 60 he must have for reelection. With Didech, the opposition is +3 now.
