* Gov. Pritzker today...
As I have said many times, I will work with whoever the members of the House of Representatives elect as their speaker. Choosing the speaker is the sole responsibility of those representatives, and it is clear that the members are taking their choices.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* On to questions. He was asked about the last time he spoke with Madigan…
The last time I spoke with the speaker was a couple of days ago about the decoupling bill. So that’s the last conversation that we had, but I’ll work with whoever gets elected speaker and again as I have with the minority leader in the House and the Senate president and the minority.
* Did he ask MJM to resign when they spoke?…
No. I was in a conversation about getting things done. He is still the speaker. Now, we’re trying to get the coupling during this lame duck and, as I’ve said, the members of the House of Representatives are going to be voting on who their speaker is going to be.
* He was also asked about the Senate’s passage of a bill to apply the same collective bargaining standards on the CTU as the rest of the state…
Well, I have favorite passage of that bill since I was a candidate, since, really, before I was a candidate. And so, that bill, I know it’s coming to my desk and I’ll obviously take a serious look at it, but you know where I’ve stood for several years.
* A reporter brought up this topic…
Starting this week and running through at least Inauguration Day, armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols and at the U.S. Capitol, according to an internal FBI bulletin obtained by ABC News.
The FBI has also received information in recent days on a group calling for “storming” state, local and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings in the event President Donald Trump is removed from office prior to Inauguration Day. The group is also planning to “storm” government offices in every state the day President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated, regardless of whether the states certified electoral votes for Biden or Trump.
“The FBI received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington, DC on 16 January,” the bulletin read. “They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur.”
Federal law enforcement officials have advised police agencies to increase their security posture at statehouses around the country following the riot at the U.S. Capitol, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Pritzker’s response…
I’m not going to talk about the specific security measures but suffice to say that they, the ISP is quite well aware of the challenges that may crop up you know they’ve seen them even reading into the session days here, and they will work you know we have a great security team for the state consisting of all three agency heads. That’s General Neely at our National Guard, Director Kelly at the state police and General Tate-Nadeau at our Emergency Management Agency. And we really work very cohesively and they’ve done a terrific job so far.
This post may be updated.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
New statement from Leader Durkin on Governor Pritzker’s comments today:
Within the next 48 hours, Mike Madigan is preparing to pass two bills relating to Medicaid and public education with a price tag in the billions of dollars. I strongly urge Governor Pritzker to stop Madigan from further destroying our state’s finances in his final days. The only decoupling the Governor should be engaged in is decoupling Madigan from the legislative process.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 3:14 pm:
“great security team for the state consisting of all three agency heads.”
I really hope they’re working closely with the Capitol police through the SecState’s office…
The scary challenge for next week is that they have to defend both the Capitol Complex, including all surrounding buildings, and the convention center where the legislators are meeting. That’s alot of ground to cover.
- pool boy - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 3:34 pm:
“The FBI received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington, DC on 16 January,” the bulletin read. “They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS via the 25th Amendment, a huge uprising will occur.” It is amazing to me people would risk their life for a person that doesn’t care about them for 9 days.
- FIREDup!! - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 3:37 pm:
They’re boarding up the Capitol right now. Sad state of affairs.
- Last Bull Moose - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 3:41 pm:
We are going to need a bigger boat.
After the planned attack on the Michigan Governor and the assault on the Capitol we must expect violent people in the crowd. Cautious people, even Trump supporters, need to stay away.
My son spent several days behind sand bags on an Iraqi schoolhouse so they could vote. Seems we need more like him today.
- Hippopotamus - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 3:41 pm:
Good thing we installed those expensive new doors. I hope they are sturdy.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 3:48 pm:
=== As I have said many times, I will work with whoever the members of the House of Representatives elect as their speaker. Choosing the speaker is the sole responsibility of those representatives, and it is clear that the members are taking their choices.===
Perfect answer. Perfect.
- Really - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 3:56 pm:
Guess the Governor doesn’t care if the kids in Chicago go back to school either. No wonder so many of them are fleeing the city. Eventually CTU won’t have to negotiate class sizes.
- ChicagoVinny - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:00 pm:
We really need to use a more accurate term for what’s going on than “armed protests”
- DuPage - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:01 pm:
Speaking of the ISP, I had heard they needed high resolution cameras on the Chicago expressways. These would help them deal with the expressway shootings that are happening almost every day. Even if no one is hit, the expressways have to be shut down for hours while the troopers search and retrieve shell casings. These are sent to the lab to look for possible fingerprints and/or DNA. This is very expensive not only in lost time for the ISP but also thousands of hours lost by the thousands of commuters, delivery trucks, and everybody else that gets stuck for hours. Funding for these cameras should be done right away. It would benefit everyone, both residents of the city by catching these shooters, and everyone that gets stuck in these hours long traffic tie-ups.
- Irv from Irving Park - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:10 pm:
Will Chicago taxpayers even notice if CPS is closed for a strike? It’s hard to tell if they are open right now.
- SWIL_Voter - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:10 pm:
Don’t even ask Republicans for input on the budget, but do take very seriously their advice on how Pritzker should stick his nose in the business of selecting a House Leader. Make up your mind guys
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:13 pm:
=== I strongly urge Governor Pritzker to stop Madigan from further destroying our state’s finances in his final days. The only decoupling the Governor should be engaged in is decoupling Madigan from the legislative process.===
Shorter;
“Governor, ignore the separation of power business and get involved so I can blame you later either way”
- S. Side - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:15 pm:
Jim Durkin and his ace press staff sound make Durbin sound like Pavlov’s dog. Make the case by referring to Madigan. No alternatives or proposals. Just mention Madigan.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:26 pm:
S. Side - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:15 pm:
An even easier job than John Kass writing columns.
- @misterjayem - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:26 pm:
The more Jim Durkin talks, the less significant Jim Durkin seems.
– MrJM
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:30 pm:
I actually prefer it when Durkin acts like this. It is much more infuriating when he pretends to care about the state of the state and is somehow disassociated with the cabal of oddness his party has become.
- the Patriot - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 4:55 pm:
anybody care to ask what happens when ISP has no troopers when they get stripped of qualified immunity?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:01 pm:
===when they get stripped of qualified immunity? ===
I don’t have immunity for anything I write. Even if something I write is 100 percent true, somebody can still sue me. They may not win, but I’m out a lot of money.
Never stopped me.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:05 pm:
I’m seeing complaints about Durkin…the guy is staying on message and his team is making sure that they are proactively making sure that his statements are making it to the media. Compare that to Madigan, who has been hiding under a rock for most of 2020 and sending out cryptic messages through Steve Brown.
Durkin is playing the game normally. Madigan is in survival mode. The Democrats deserve a leader who is up-front and aggressive about their agenda.
- S. Side - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:07 pm:
With all due respect, Rich, when is the last time you had to walk into a dangerous slife-or-death situation and make a split second decision that could put someone’s life in jeopardy.
Which one of you family men or women here wants to put themselves in that situation, much less get second-guessed for it, right or wrong?
- NIU Grad - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:15 pm:
“much less get second-guessed for it”
If my job was important enough to take a life, I would rather have strict standards to follow and a system of accountability, rather than a corrupting sense of complete impunity.
- S. Side - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:18 pm:
“If my job was important enough…”
You nailed it. It’s not.
- Annonin' - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:35 pm:
Maybe Durkie can opine on Trump stunts.
Meanwhile Capt Fax can remembers his writings don’t put bullets in people’s backs.
- JB13 - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:39 pm:
I’ll give the governor the benefit of the doubt that, if the Republicans ran the state House, and their Speaker’s closest henchmen had just been indicted for running a bribery ring, he also would then simply shrug and say, “Well, it’s up to them to decide what to do about it.”
- Jocko - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 5:41 pm:
==when is the last time you had to walk into a dangerous life-or-death situation==
Find me a video in the last five years showing a paramedic, fire-fighter, or state trooper acting irresponsibly while on duty.
- @misterjayem - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 6:28 pm:
when is the last time you had to walk into a “dangerous slife-or-death situation and make a split second decision that could put someone’s life in jeopardy”
If you can’t do your job while being held responsible for your actions, find another job.
– MrJM
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 7:16 pm:
Qualified immunity protects officers from civil damages.
That shifts the liability for damages to the municipality.
Every dollar spent settling lawsuits by a city is a dollar that cannot be spent on actual policing.
Therefore, a vote to keep qualified immunity is a vote to defund the police.
- PublicServant - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 7:25 pm:
=== Armed Protests ===
We won’t be nice this time.
- Concerned Dem - Monday, Jan 11, 21 @ 8:26 pm:
I’d love to hear Durkin wax poetic about the “good ol days” when Bruce Rauner would simply threaten his caucus directly to get his way.