* No central committee members on this release, but a pretty strong show of support…
Latinx leaders back State Senator Cristina Castro to lead the State Democratic Party
Dear State Central Committeepersons:
Our bloc of Latinx elected officials wholly endorse and stand with Senator Cristina Castro to be the next Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
The Democratic Party of Illinois is undergoing a generational transformation. The party needs new consensus leadership that can unite party members across the state. Senator Castro is in the best position to be the consensus leader that Democratic leaders across the state yearn for.
Despite population shifts in parts of Illinois, Senator Castro hails from the areas experiencing the highest growth. This growth, centered around suburban Cook County and collar counties, is spearheaded by the Latinx community. Last year Census estimates reported that the state’s population had declined for the sixth year in a row. Notwithstanding, the Latinx population in Illinois grew by nearly 10% over the last decade, making the group the second largest in the state. Furthemore, there are a substantial number of Latinx residents poised to become new voters, both becoming of voting age and via naturalization initiatives.
Failure to incorporate Latinx growth into party leadership would be overlooking a very important and growing constituency. The party must commit to investing in Latinx communities to secure the future of the State of Illinois. We urge the State Central Committee to elect Senator Cristina Castro to Chair the Democratic of Illinois.
Sincerely,
Aarón M. Ortíz, State Representative (1st District)
Elizabeth Hernandez, State Representative (24th District)
Karina Villa, State Senator (25th District)
Celina Villanueva, State Senator (11th District)
Edgar Gonzalez Jr, State Representative (21st District)
Barbara Hernandez, State Representative (83rd District)
Dagmara Avelar, State Representative (85th District)
Alma E. Anaya, Cook County Commissioner (7th District)
George Cardenas, Alderman City of Chicago (12th Ward)
Michael D. Rodríguez, Alderman City of Chicago (22nd Ward)
In my conversations with you all, I’ve emphasized transparency, inclusivity, and accountability. These are our shared values, and that is why one of the first things I would do is call for a full audit of the Democratic Party of Illinois’ finances. Our bylaws state the Chair may call for “an annual audit of the funds of the Central Committee by a Certified Public Accountant and make available a full financial statement including income and expenditures to the members of the Central Committee.” Rules of the Democratic State Central Committee, Art. VI.22 (“Annual Financial Statement”). I will make sure we do that - and more.
In that regard, it has just come to my attention our Democratic Party of Illinois’ (DPI) transferred $2,000,000 on February 19, 2021 from our federal and non-federal ($1,000,000 from each) accounts to the Democratic Majority. On February 22, 2021, Democratic Majority transferred $2,000,000 back to DPI.
On first review, it would appear that $1,000,000 from DPI’s federal account — “hard” money that is raised under stricter, smaller contribution amounts — has now been converted to “soft” non-federal dollars after the transfer back from Dem Majority.
If this is the case, it presents serious questions as to why DPI would have converted funds that are more difficult to raise into state-level funds. Whatever the answer may be, I pledge to you if I am fortunate enough to be elected Chair, I will keep State Central Committee Members informed of the party’s financial decisions — especially ones of this magnitude.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on this issue or others. I want the Democratic Party of Illinois to be inclusive, transparent, and a place where we share ideas and information.
Sincerely,
Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-2)
& State Central Committeewoman
Those were some odd transfers, which happened before Speaker Welch took over Democratic Majority. I’ve asked for an explanation.
* S&P looks at the governor’s budget, but won’t yet evaluate its credit rating, so the question it asks isn’t really answered…
S&P Global Ratings acknowledges that this is only a budget proposal and there is uncertainty about the pace of economic recovery and prospects for additional federal stimulus. Future credit direction will be evaluated as greater clarity is available on these key issues.
* Key takeaways…
- Although Illinois ‘proposed fiscal 2022 general fund operating budget is slightly smaller than the previous year’s proposal, and balanced in terms of current-year obligations, we do not view it as structurally balanced due to the treatment of pension obligations.
- Pension contributions are budgeted to fully meet increasing statutorily set amounts but are still less than actuarially determined amounts.
- The state expects to close fiscal 2021 with a small surplus, after prepaying the next fiscal year’s municipal liquidity fund’s debt service.
- Illinois has a bill backlog, limiting flexibility, but this is markedly reduced from this time last year.
- The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect state economic activity with unemployment through December 2020 above the national average, with 2021 activity improving employment conditions.
* Potential risks…
Federal uncertainty: The budget does not rely on additional federal aid, but educational enhancements and further efforts to retire MLF borrowing obligations early could be aided by further stimulus. Should additional aid materialize, the state could adjust budget expectations.
Pensions remain a high fixed cost: Included in the budget is $9.4 billion for general fund contributions to the state’s various pension systems. This is a $739 million increase over the previous budget contribution. The statutory contributions are forecast to continue to increase, but the state projects its share of the budget will remain at about 25% of expenditures through 2045.
Challenge in changing tax structure: The fiscal 2022 budget relies on changing business tax provisions to generate an estimated $932 million in additional revenues. Legislative scrutiny of the tax-structure proposal could limit change and revenue projections.
Prolonged economic disruption: Outside the timing of vaccine distributions, any long-term permanent changes in business, travel, or consumer patterns in and around Chicago will likely have a material effect on the state’s economic recovery.
* Capital program debt…
We view Illinois’ general obligation (GO) debt burden positively. With more than 75% of GO debt retired in 10 years and the state in the third year of a long-term $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital improvement plan, it is expected to maintain debt ratios at similar levels. As of Feb. 1, 2021, the state has $27.2 billion of fixed-rate GO debt outstanding and $2.845 billion of GO MLF debt, equating to debt per capita of about $2,375, which we consider moderate.
*** UPDATE *** Something weird is going on. Check out this press release, which doesn’t seem to be written by the same people who wrote the actual report…
Illinois’ Proposed Fiscal 2022 Budget Could Signal The State Is Turning The Corner, Report Says
BOSTON (S&P Global Ratings) Feb. 25, 2021—The Illinois governor’s proposed fiscal 2022 general fund operating budget could be a small step toward putting the state on firmer financial footing, S&P Global Ratings said today in a report titled “Is Fiscal Stabilization On The Horizon For Illinois?”.
The $41.7 billion general fund budget is slightly smaller than the initial $42 billion budget proposed last year before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and $1.8 billion or 4.2% less than the estimated final spend in fiscal 2021. The introduced budget is designed to generate a $120 million surplus.
However, the state still faces fiscal challenges, including a significant bill backlog, underfunded pension plans, and the ongoing effects of the pandemic.
“Although Illinois’ proposed fiscal 2022 general fund operating budget is slightly smaller than the previous year’s proposal, and balanced in terms of current-year obligations, we do not view it as structurally balanced due to the treatment of pension obligations,” said S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Geoff Buswick.
Weekly unemployment claims fell far more than expected last week, as the labor market recovery took a stride forward even as harsh winter weather compounded with the coronavirus pandemic over the past several weeks.
The Department of Labor released its weekly report on new jobless claims Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Here were the main metrics from the report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg:
Initial jobless claims, week ended February 20: 730,000 vs. 825,000 expected and revised 841,000 during prior week
Continuing claims, week ended February 13: 4.419 million vs. 4.460 million expected and revised 4.520 million during prior week
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 68,383 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Feb. 15, a nearly 10% increase from the previous week, when 62,369 people filed.
CBS 2 is tracking over 3.1 million total claims filed since early March.
There were 40,008 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Feb. 1 in Illinois.
There were 95,481 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Jan. 18 in Illinois.
There were 95,472 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Jan. 11 in Illinois.
The cost of Tuesday’s Decatur City Council primary election has not yet been determined, but Macon County Clerk Josh Tanner said one thing is certain.
“It is a lot of money per vote, I will tell you that, because the fixed costs are always the same,” he said.
From the $150 owed to each election judge to the printing of election materials to the cost of voting machines, there was a high cost for an election that only brought out about 7% of registered voters in Decatur.
* Press release…
With the appointment of Angelica Guerrero Cuellar to state representative of the 22nd District, the Coalition for Change IL3 once again denounces the undemocratic process that left out community voices. […]
We urge Rep. Guerrero Cuellar to commit to systemic change to this undemocratic appointment process. We need to enact a statute to clearly define how the appointment process works in the short-term, and change the Illinois Constitution to shift to special elections after resignations in the long-term.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,884 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 32 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female 80s
- Christian County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 20s, 1 male 50s, 2 males 60s, 4 males 70s, 2 females 80s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 60s
- DuPage County: 1 male 80s
- Jersey County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 90s
- Logan County: 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 80s
- Monroe County: 2 females 80s
- Pike County: 1 male 80s
- Randolph County: 1 female 50s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 90s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,181,226 cases, including 20,406 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 91,292 specimens for a total of 17,895,829. As of last night, 1,463 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 334 patients were in the ICU and 168 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 18–24, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 18–24, 2021 is 2.7%.
A total of doses of 2,693,345 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 445,200 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 3,138,545. A total of 2,440,950 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 295,909 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 66,274 doses. Yesterday, 130,021 doses were administered in Illinois, marking the highest reported amount of vaccines administered to date.
*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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
A Chicago gym spurred an outbreak of at least 55 COVID-19 cases over the summer after infected people attended indoor high-intensity exercise classes — including several who had already tested positive for the virus, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Wednesday.
Infrequent mask use also likely contributed to the superspreader event, which occurred over about a week of multiple group classes, said the report, which was done by the CDC and the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Two of the patrons who caught COVID-19 visited the emergency room, and one was hospitalized for eight days. No deaths were reported from any of the cases linked to the gym. […]
Three people attended these exercise classes “on the same day or after they received a positive test result,” the report said; others attended an exercise class on the day symptoms began or after.
ICYMI: Speaker Welch’s first priority is a tax hike
Just one month into the job, new Speaker of the House Chris Welch has proposed that Illinois Democrats should try again to pass a constitutional amendment implementing a progressive income tax.
“We have to tell the voters what we’re going to do with that money,” Welch said during a virtual event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago. “I certainly think tying that new revenue to pensions would be a winner.”
ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler responded, saying, “What the new Speaker doesn’t understand is that the people of Illinois did not reject the Madigan-Pritzker tax hike amendment because they were confused on what the revenue would be used for. They rejected the tax hike amendment because new revenue would be sent to Springfield to be squandered by the same corrupt politicians and Democratic party that got us into this financial crisis in the first place.”
Speaker Welch’s ill-conceived proposal not only shows a lack of judgment, but it also reveals his true priority: paying off those inside state government while the rest of us pick up the tab.
As more and more former elected officials and insiders are indicted as part of former Speaker Madigan’s corruption scheme (including just last night), Democrats in Springfield continue to plead for more money. The reality is that the Madigan-Pritzker tax hike amendment was defeated overwhelmingly last year because Illinoisans don’t trust the corrupt insider system that has controlled state government for years.
Sometimes, it takes a while before new leaders fully appreciate how every word they say will be examined and even twisted. Welch never said it was his first priority, for instance, but he walked right into this.
Even so, the ILGOP appears to prefer magic fairy dust to actual solutions. “Just make it go away and never bother us again” is not a constitutional option here.
*** UPDATE *** Sean Anderson on behalf of Speaker Welch…
As usual on this subject, Illinois Republicans have nothing constructive to offer because their only solution is to cut programs and services for underserved populations and communities of color. They can send their little press releases to play petty politics, but the Speaker is focused on having serious conversations to find solutions that benefit working class people across the state.
Over the past few days since announcing my intention to seek the nomination for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, I have had dozens of conversations with members of the State Central Committee seeking their support. Today I am proud to announce the endorsement of a regionally diverse group of IL State Central Committee members:
Hon. Bobby Rush, CD-1
Hon. John Cullerton, CD-5
Hon. Cynthia Santos, CD-5
Hon. Danny Davis, CD-7
Hon. Karen Yarbrough, CD-7
Hon. Jerry Costello, CD-12
Hon. Kathy West, CD-12
Hon. Brandon Phelps, CD-15
I am honored to have the support of this group of Illinois State Central Committee members from around the state. These individuals, many of whom are current or former public servants, work every day to make the Democratic Party in Illinois more inclusive and welcoming to people all across the state. My reason for running to become Chair is because I want to build a party that works for every Democrat in all 102 counties, and the ideas and activism of all my colleagues on the State Central Committee will help me ensure we hit the ground running to accomplish that goal.
* Meanwhile…
February 25, 2021
Dear State Central Committeepersons:
We are proud to endorse Congresswoman Robin Kelly for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
There is an urgent need for a leader of the Democratic Party with the experience and dedication to elect Democrats up and down the ballot from every corner of the state.
Robin’s experience as a State Representative, Chief of Staff of the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, and as a United States Congresswoman is what the party needs. Her integrity is unmatched, and can help build the bench from the ground up.
Democrats have made unprecedented gains in Lake County in recent years, and we know that Robin is the right partner to solidify our progress and help us continue to elect strong candidates at all levels of government.
We urge the State Central Committee to pass the baton to U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly.
Sincerely,
Illinois State Representative Daniel Didech (59th District)
Illinois State Representative Rita Mayfield (60th District)
Illinois State Representative Bob Morgan (58th District)
Illinois State Representative Sam Yingling (62nd District)
No Senators on that list of people who are not on the central committee.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch on Wednesday declined to weigh in on who should replace Mike Madigan as state Democratic Party leader, downplayed his contact with Madigan’s short-lived House successor and defended allowing party officials to take another crack at filling the vacancy.
“If there’s a vacancy they have a right to do that,” Welch said of the Democratic leaders legally charged with making such appointments. “I do believe that different committeepeople do different things, and we could probably encourage and hope that they would do things in a more open and transparent manner.” […]
He steered clear of the “inner-party squabbles” that Madigan’s resignation as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois sparked, saying he’s going to “support the Democrat — whoever wins that race, I think, will be someone with the ability to lead our party.”
“I want that person who is leading the party to work with me to help get Democrats elected to the Illinois House, and I’m confident that any of those people … will help us get Democrats elected,” Welch said. “I think the best thing for me to do is to sit back and let that thing resolve itself.”
* The Democratic committeepersons of the 22nd House District appointed Angie Guerrero Cuellar to the open seat this morning without debate. Cuellar was supported by Ald. Silvana Tabares at Sunday’s meeting. 13th Ward Democratic Committeeperson Mike Madigan announced yesterday he would also be supporting her after the abrupt resignation of his own candidate, three-day apppointed state Rep. Ed Kodatt. After the meeting, Madigan spoke briefly with reporters…
Q: Was it a lack of vetting?
A: The events developed as they developed. The action of the committee taken on Sunday was nullified because of the resignation, creating a vacancy, and so today we fill the vacancy. I don’t plan to speak to background questions. I don’t plan to speak to the background questions.
Q: You’re normally very meticulous…
A: I think that proper questions were asked, proper questions were asked.
Q: Proper questions were asked or weren’t?
A: They were, the answer is yes. As I said, the events developed, Mr. Kodatt resigned creating the vacancy, today we filled the vacancy. I’m interested in moving forward with Angie Guerrero Cuellar. She’s been anchored in the community. As you can read from her resume, she’s worked with various community organizations in the Southwest Side of Chicago. Therefore, she’s had good experience and understanding of the needs and the desires of the people of the Southwest Side.
Q: People have a certain social media life that some of us older folks don’t. Is that something you’ve neglected to look at, their social media and what might have been evident had his name been put out there ahead of time, a little more vetting.
A: His name was put out in advance like everybody else. It was a complete circulation of resumes. Every resume that was submitted…
Q: That morning. It wasn’t until that morning. It wasn’t enough time for folks to really take a look at who he was.
Q: So, when you say questions were asked, does that mean the answers were not true.
A: See, I’m not going to get into that. I’m just not going to speak about…
Q: When did you first learn about the…
A: A little bit ago. A little bit ago.
Q: Was it after he was named, though?
A: Yes.
Q: People like Pritzker and Sen. Durbin, they blame you for the failure of the Fair Tax or Democrats have a disappointing election day…
A: I’m not going there. I’m not going there. I’m not going there.
Q: Why not?
A: Because I don’t want to?
Q: Is what happened to Mr. Kodatt another manifestation of the cancel culture? Are you concerned about that?
A: What culture?
Q: Cancel culture.
A: Uh-huh. Really. [Looks puzzled at the question.]
Q: The new chairman is going to be selected. Do you have a preference of who that would be?
A: You know what, I’m anxious to move out of here and wish all of you a good day. [Walks away.]
Subscribers know more about why and how the questions were asked and what happened after they were asked.
He appeared unflappable. I never witnessed a heated exchange with a reporter. He might make a wry comment about a news outlet with a smile on his face. At most, his anger might lead him to ignore a question. He was honest in answering the questions he did answer, but what would sound like a good answer to a question, was, upon further reflection, often an answer that could be interpreted more than one way, which made it hard to determine if he flipped on an issue or was dishonest. […]
One evening, I was lucky enough to catch Madigan alone walking back to his office, asking about some controversial legislation. It was an adversarial but polite exchange. He kept walking at the same pace. He was not trying to run away like many others seem to do when questioned by a reporter. Yet he never directly answered the question. We got to his office door, and he calmly, matter-of-factly, shut it in my face. That is what it was like to cover Madigan.
Springfield Alderman Chuck Redpath had a different take. As someone with a law enforcement background, he said the new law makes him sick to his stomach and is a “slap in the face” for law enforcement.
“I saw the picture this morning of the governor touting how much he’s going to fix racism in police departments and surrounded by all these people from Chicago, the most corrupt city in not just the state of Illinois but probably the country and they’re going to tell us how to reform our police departments,” Redpath said. “Are you serious?”
Um, you mean pics like this Chuck?…
Gee, I wonder what my alderman could’ve been talking about.
[Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police] Executive Director Ed Wojcicki called the bill the “anti-police bill” in a statement Monday but noted law enforcement was already working with the bill’s supporters “to fix the most serious problems.”
[Sen. Elgie Sims], however, said despite months of pushback he has yet to see what language opponents of the bill would rather see in the law.
“I have heard from and talked to a number of organizations related to different parts of the new law,” he said. “Like others, I am still waiting for specific proposals.”
In a statement earlier this month, Wojcicki referenced a “powerful” conversation he had with Black senior law enforcement personnel, and noted it was “painful to hear” their experience of being mistreated because of their race.
“They think that our association and I should acknowledge that the bill did not emerge from nowhere. It emerged from festering frustration from the black community about personal negative experiences with the police during their lives,” he said in the statement, while praising their ability to shape the conversation in a way that will build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
* The pearl-clutching over the governor’s push-back is quite something to behold, particularly considering some of the things they’ve said…
“This is a very devastating piece of legislation for law enforcement and the communities that we serve,” said Lower, who serves on the Illinois Sheriffs Association’s legislative committee, to WCBU. “It will basically gut law enforcement. It takes away all of law enforcement’s ability to do our job.”
* But, give Pritzker credit. Instead of just waiting in silence for the heat to blow over, the governor went on a Downstate barn-storming tour with Black Caucus members and others yesterday, including those who didn’t start out supporting some of the bill’s provisions…
State Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign, said he initially opposed ending cash bail, but eventually came around to supporting it.
“What I’ve learned … is that cash bail doesn’t keep anybody safer,” he said. While judges may think they’re sending a message with a high bond, that doesn’t work if the suspect has access to money, he added.
“The next thing you know, no matter how high the bond was set, they were out and the witnesses and the victims were very scared,” Bennett said. “If you’re not a violent offender, you should have a chance to prove you’re willing to come to court the next time, until you prove that you’re not going to take that seriously.”
* However, you have to read to the end of this story to see a single substantive argument from the prevailing side…
During the more than hour-long news conference at Proctor Center, legislators lauded the new law. Among them was Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth of Peoria, who adamantly objected to the notion that the new law makes communities less safe.
“That’s simply not true,” she said. “They will tell you that … there are victims out there who are now going to be in danger. That too, ladies and gentlemen, is not true.”
Gordon-Booth’s own family has been traumatized by violent crime. Her stepson Derrick Booth Jr. was fatally shot in the spring of 2015.
“My family’s story is like so many families’ stories across this country. Families from communities like this, they are the most harmed, they are the least served. And the fact of the matter is that victims’ voices have been leveraged to create an industrialized prison system that does not make communities more safe. Those policies have actually made communities far less safe,” said Gordon-Booth.
A longtime political operative at the center of the investigation into former Ald. Daniel Solis has been charged in a scheme to steer a massive Chicago Public Schools contract to a Cleveland-based company in exchange for donations to Solis’ campaign.
In addition to the alleged contract fraud, Roberto Caldero was also accused in an indictment filed in U.S. District Court with offering $100,000 in bribes from a suburban business owner to Solis in exchange for the alderman’s help securing an honorary street name for the businessman’s father and renaming a city park after his grandfather.
Solis was already cooperating with the FBI at the time and helped keep the ruses going for investigators, including pushing the street renaming in the City Council, according to the 20-page indictment.
Caldero, 68, was charged in the eight-count indictment made public late Wednesday with wire fraud, federal program bribery and facilitating bribery. An arraignment date had not been set.
Caldero’s name came to light in a bombshell federal court affidavit first obtained by the Sun-Times in January 2019. Among other things, it alleged that Solis and Caldero had made plans to exchange Viagra or visit massage parlors.
Solis helped prosecutors build their case against Burke, and Burke’s defense lawyers have said in court filings that Solis struck what’s known as a deferred-prosecution agreement with the feds. That deal was also allegedly made in January 2019.
The indictment against Caldero alleges he offered Soto jobs, champagne and admission to an annual museum benefit for his help landing the CPS contract for the Ohio company, GCA Educational Services Central States Inc. As part of the scheme, Soto allegedly joined an evaluation committee considering the bids and then gave “non-public” and confidential information to Caldero in 2016 and 2017.
* Unlike most people who are indicted, Caldero told reporters he did nothing wrong. WBEZ…
Caldero told WBEZ he vehemently denied all the charges in the eight-count, federal grand jury indictment.
“I never bribed any elected official,” Caldero said Wednesday evening, soon after the case against him was unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. “I never once made a statement to any government official or elected official that I would give them something in return for something. Never, ever, OK?
Caldero noted his vast experience in government and his long relationships with a wide range of local political leaders.
“I’ve dealt with commissioners and elected officials since Harold Washington days,” he said, referring to the Chicago mayor from the 1980s. “I’ve had very close friends who were commissioners — city, state, county and all over the place. Nobody ever said I went to them and offered them a bribe. It’s not my style. It’s not something I would even think of doing.”
Caldero acknowledged supporting Solis, but he said he did not do that as part of any quid pro quo arrangement.
“I went to every fundraiser for Danny Solis for 20 years,” Caldero said. “I’ve raised probably $100,000 for Danny, if not more. But I never did a donation or raised money for him and said, ‘But you got to do this for me.’ If I did something like that inadvertently or whatever, it’s something I know nothing about at the moment.”
Former Illinois state Rep. Edward Acevedo was indicted on tax charges Wednesday.
Acevedo was first elected to the Illinois House in 1997, representing several South and Southwest Side neighborhoods, and served until 2017. He was also a Cook County correctional officer and a Chicago Police officer, and was connected to former House Speaker Mike Madigan.
The indictment said in 2017, Acevedo received a gross income of $130,775, including about $82,533 from a company named only as Company A. On the gross income, he owed $19,582, the indictment said.
But Acevedo did not file a 2017 Form 1040 with the IRS before Oct. 15, 2018 as required by law, the indictment said. The indictment accused him of receiving payments in cash so as to conceal his gross income, making cash deposits into his personal bank account to conceal the source of the payments, directly depositing checks into his own bank account for services rendered by Company A, and avoiding the creation of business and accounting records.
Alex Acevedo, who failed in his own attempt to win a legislative seat, was charged with two counts, both alleging he understated his gross income for 2017 and 2018.
Michael Acevedo faces four counts, with prosecutors alleging that he understated his income in 2015 and didn’t file tax returns in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
All three family members have at various times been registered lobbyists of state government.
Eddie Acevedo previously told the Tribune he had worked as a consultant paid by former state Rep. John Bradley, a Democrat from Downstate Marion and a onetime contract lobbyist for ComEd. Acevdeo said he had been paid as much as $5,000 a month by Bradley.
Pritzker’s announcement came on the same day the county received continued good news about the coronavirus. It was the second straight day local health officials reported no deaths.
More than 80% of Peoria County’s residents over age 65 and around 55% of those eligible for a vaccine under 65 have already gotten at least one dose, Pritzker said in a tweet.
Illinois lawmakers probably ought to take another whack at passing a graduated income tax amendment but should specifically tie much of the proceeds to paying off old pension debt.
That was the suggestion today from the new speaker of the Illinois House, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, as he came under strong questioning [during a webcast event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago] about how the state should handle $144 billion in unfunded pension liability for state workers and educators. […]
Welch did not say what share of a new amendment should be promised to pensions. But he did predict that given the state’s fiscal problems, the income tax issue isn’t going to disappear.
“If we don’t change (the current flat tax) . . . we’re going to be talking about this in another five years,” Welch said. Adopting a graduated tax like most other states have is “one of the structural changes we need.”
I reached out to Welch’s spokesperson Sean Anderson, who said the House Speaker was “simply highlighting the unfairness” of the state’s tax system and that Welch “doesn’t think anything should be taken off the table.”
Asked if Welch was prepared to move legislation this spring, Anderson said “I think he’s prepared to have a conversation with his caucus and with the governor on the best way to move forward, given the budget, given the deficit.”
Considering that the Fair Tax seemed to drive Republican turnout last year and that many House Democrats were actively running away from it by the fall, I’m thinking they’re gonna need a much different approach than last time, if this is actually anything beyond some public spitballing during a webcast. Tying it to debt might help, I suppose, but people would rather pay for things they can touch and fixing past mistakes by throwing money at them is never an easy sell. And maybe applying it to annual income over a million dollars could work, too. Madigan put an advisory referendum on the ballot to do just that back in the day and it got a lot of votes.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** I asked Jordan Abudayyeh for a response…
The Governor believes the fair tax was the best option for addressing the state’s long term structural challenges, but for this year he looks forward to working with the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget that lifts up working families who have suffered amid this pandemic and that continues to rebuild our economy.
Unfortunately, under current state law, Illinois state legislators can claim a full month’s salary for just a day’s work. For this reason, Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza last year introduced her “No Exit Bonus” bill that would pro-rate legislator salaries so they get only a day’s pay for a day’s work.
Edward Guerra Kodatt was sworn in as state representative from the 22nd District on Sunday, Feb. 21. Two days later, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, Kodatt submitted his resignation. Our office has received his notice of resignation, but has not yet received his payroll information. Under current law, he is entitled to a full month’s salary, $5,788.66.
“In the spirit of good governance, I ask Mr. Kodatt to decline the month’s salary he is entitled to under this arcane law,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza introduced her “No Exit Bonus” bill in 2020 following a series of high-profile examples of bad behavior by state legislators of both parties caught in ethical clouds delaying their resignations until the first day of the following month so they could collect a full extra month’s salary.
Former State Rep. Luis Arroyo, charged with bribery; the late former State Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to federal bribery and tax charges; and former State Rep. Nick Sauer, charged with online sex crimes, all exploited the same loophole in state law.
In all those cases, state taxpayers had to pay a full month’s salary to both the legislators resigning under an ethical cloud and also to their successors.
In this case, taxpayers could be on the hook for three full months’ salaries for: 1) Former House Speaker Michael Madigan; 2) former State Rep. Edward Guerra Kodatt; and 3) whoever committeemen now appoint to replace them, as early as Thursday.
“I would also ask the new appointee once she or he is sworn in to help restore faith in government by taking the principled stand to not take 30 days’ pay for two and a half days’ service – and to sign on as a co-sponsor of my ‘No Exit Bonus’ legislation,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza’s “No Exit Bonus” bill was introduced in the last legislative session, which was truncated because of COVID-19. The “No Exit Bonus” bill was one of many not acted on, though it was included in an ethics package introduced in the House on the last day of session.
This session, the proposal, SB484 and HB3104, has been introduced again by State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, and State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville. It may also be included as part of omnibus ethics legislation.
“Taxpayers don’t get a month’s pay for one or two days’ work, and taxpayers should not have to fund that undeserved gift for elected officials,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “It’s time to throw the General Assembly’s ‘Exit Bonus’ on the trash heap of bad traditions.”
Not sure he was even around long enough to fill out all the paperwork, but it’s still a good bill.
Amends the Election Code. Provides the procedure for filling a vacancy of a Senator or Representative in the General Assembly. Provides that within 3 days after a vacancy, the committee for that legislative or representative district shall create a uniform application for candidates seeking appointment and determine the date, time, and location at which the committee shall make the appointment (allowing for at least 7 days of public notice). Provides that applications received within 2 days before the appointment shall be made publicly available. Provides that candidates shall be granted an opportunity to present their credentials publicly and take questions from the committeepersons. Provides for a proxy for a committeeperson that is ineligible to vote for an appointment. Effective immediately.
With carjackings on the rise in Chicago and elsewhere, a South Side Democratic state representative has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of Grand Theft Auto and other violent video games.
Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. wants to amend a 2012 law preventing some video games from being sold to minors. Friday, he filed HB3531, which would amend that law to ban the sale to anyone of video games depicting “psychological harm,” including “motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present.”
Evans had been contacted in January by Early Walker, who started Operation Safe Pump to prevent carjackings at gas stations and shopping centers. Safe Pump positions security guards from the Kates Detective and Security Agency in areas with high numbers of carjackings.
“The bill would prohibit the sale of some of these games that promote the activities that we’re suffering from in our communities.” Evans said.
I contacted Evans, to get his reaction, floating the idea that there’s no connection between violent video games and real-life violence.
“That statement is an opinion about what doesn’t work, based off data,” said Evans, who represents the 33rd District on the South Side. “You say it doesn’t work. But it could be five kids, 10 kids, who it makes think this is normalized behavior. There is a reason we don’t have slavery games, games where we’re raping women, anti-Semitic games. You just don’t want to normalize behavior.”
He said studies are one thing, personal experience another.
“I’m talking to these kids,” he said. “I grew up at 85th and Blackstone. I know kids who are carjacking. They steal the car, they drive it around. They’re stealing these cars because this behavior is being normalized. Some of them do believe it’s fun and games. I’m telling you, it’s reality. They’re scaring the sh-t out of women. My mom lives in this neighborhood, and she’s afraid. This is an emergency situation that needs all the attention we can give it. That’s why I filed the legislation, proudly.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,022 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 44 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 60s, 3 males 60s, 4 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s
- Ford County: 1 male 80s
- Henderson County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Johnson County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 1 female 60s
- Kendall County: 1 female 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- LaSalle County: 2 females 90s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 60s
- McHenry County: 2 males 80s
- Monroe County: 1 female 70s
- Saline County: 1 female 70s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Union County: 2 males 60s
- Will County: 1 female 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,179,342 cases, including 20,374 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 82,976 specimens for a total of 17,804,537. As of last night, 1,511 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 338 patients were in the ICU and 172 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 17–23, 2021 is 2.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 17–23, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 2,584,125 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 445,200 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 3,029,325. A total of 2,310,929 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 291,273 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 58,141 doses. Yesterday, 55,947 doses were administered in Illinois.
*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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Governor Pritzker,
Happy Black History Month? The State of Illinois does not do enough to ensure that Black people and businesses get a fair opportunity. What’s worse, the state often tries to silence those Black voices that speak out. That, in itself, is racism. A systematic process that oppresses Black people. And if that is racist, then one can only reasonably assume the State of Illinois is racist. That would mean that you Governor, whether intended or not, now head a racist institution. The truth hurts. So, fix it. Not half-heartedly, but really take the uncomfortable steps to make Black people feel like they matter. Be courageous. Be intentional. Be a Governor that isn’t looking for friends every four years, but rather an ally to the Black community who truly understands our plight. Especially, during this one short and cold month dedicated to remembering our pain, suffering, abuse, trauma, rape, murder… but also our triumph, perseverance, courage, strength, determination and hope. We spent this whole month showing you glaring issues facing Black businesses. We are asking our ally, the Governor of the State of Illinois, to please DO SOMETHING…ANYTHING…BUT ESPECIALLY…SIGN SB1608!
As of Monday, state data showed the DuPage health department held a vaccine inventory of 3,120 doses, while providers had 45,487. The county overall had a total inventory of 28,386 doses available for use in the first week of the month.
“Like every state in the country, Illinois receives limited doses from the federal government, so it’s imperative that every single dose coming to the state is used as quickly as possible,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said. “DuPage County currently has three times more doses on hand than other collar counties.”
Abudayyeh said, “IDPH has urged local health departments with large numbers of vaccine doses on hand, like DuPage County, to reach out to providers to express a sense of urgency and provide support so any backlog can be administered as soon as possible.”
“As the state’s allocation is expected to increase in coming weeks,” she said, “it is vital that county health departments get a handle on their inventory and operations so they can manage the next phases of vaccine rollout efficiently and vaccine is not sitting on shelves in their community.”
It’s actually a few thousand less than that because of a coding error that put Copley in DuPage. But click here for the spreadsheet and you’ll see where the doses are sitting.
The county needs to tell its provider partners to get a move-on or they’re taking the doses back before the state steps in and does just that. DuPage has plenty of vaccines, but they’re deflecting blame on others when the problem is in their own back yard.
Illinois expects to begin administering an average of 100,000 doses per day by mid-March, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said after touring a vaccination site in West Peoria on Wednesday. He said the increase is based on “public commitments from the White House and from vaccine manufacturers.” […]
With the Food and Drug Administration’s decision on Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine moving forward this week, the governor added that an approval of the third vaccine would result in a 20% increase in the state’s incoming vaccine supply by the end of March.
The FDA on Wednesday confirmed the J&J vaccine, which is 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, compared with Pfizer’s 95% and Moderna’s 94.1%.
In terms of preventing death and severe illness, all three vaccines are 100% effective, Monica Hendrickson, public health administrator for the Peoria County Health Department, said Wednesday.
* Comcast’s latest ad buy report shows the Republican Accountability Project has made a small $3,090 cable TV ad buy in Rockford, Pontiac, Joliet, DeKalb, La Salle-Peru, Streator-Ottawa, Sterling-Rock Falls and Pontiac. Here it is…
* Meanwhile, here’s Politico with its usual deadpan manner…
CATALINA LAUF, who spoke at the Republican convention last summer, is challenging Rep. Adam Kinzinger in the 16th Congressional District GOP primary, setting the stage for one of the most high-profile primaries in the country as former President Donald Trump targets Republicans who have been disloyal to him.
Lauf declined to say whether she’s talked to Trump about her entry into the race. But it’s no secret she’s a darling of the right. Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski tweeted his support Tuesday night, calling Lauf a “strong candidate…She can win and will support the American First Agenda,” which is a Trump motto.
Lauf told Playbook the race “isn’t just about [Kinzinger] voting for impeachment… He’s just not representing the values of voters in the district.”
If elected, she said she would focus on “preserving free enterprise,” fixing problems with immigration, and supporting individual liberties.
Should Trump declare his support, Lauf will likely see a swell in fundraising. Watch for Trump donors like Dick Uihlein to emerge in this race.
Kinzinger, a six-term congressman, has had an easy go of elections in recent years. In the 2020 General Election, he secured 65 percent of the vote in his district. Trump, by comparison, won the district by 56.9 percent over President Joe Biden’s 40.9 percent. A primary, however, is different.
Lauf ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary for the 14th Congressional District last year. She doesn’t have to live in the district to file to run in the 16th. The upcoming remap may include her current address, which she said is near the border of Kinzinger’s district. And she’s willing to move if the remap doesn’t include her current home.
She may be a darling of the DC right, but she finished third last year in an open-seat race despite getting loads of coverage from the national conservative media hive…
A conservative young Latina from Illinois is running for Congress as the anti-AOC.
Republican Catalina Lauf, 26, who is hoping to snag a Democratic-held seat outside Chicago, supports President Trump’s border wall, cites Ronald Reagan as an idol and hopes to be a counterweight to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional “Squad.”
If Lauf wins the seat, she would break the Bronx-Queens representative’s record as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
* Her announcement video…
Fake Republican Adam Kinzinger won’t put AMERICA FIRST— I will.
That’s why I’m challenging him for his seat in Congress
I am the daughter of LEGAL immigrants, a small business owner, & PROUDLY served in the Trump administration.
Exelon Corp. (Nasdaq: EXC) today announced its Board of Directors has approved a plan to separate Exelon Utilities (RemainCo), comprised of the company’s six regulated electric and gas utilities, and Exelon Generation (SpinCo), its competitive power generation and customer-facing energy businesses into two publicly traded companies with the resources necessary to best serve customers and sustain long-term investment and operating excellence. The separation gives each company the financial and strategic independence to focus on its specific customer needs, while executing its core business strategy. […]
SpinCo will operate the nation’s largest fleet of carbon-free nuclear power plants, which produced 150 million megawatt hours of electricity last year – enough to power 13.6 million homes and avoid more than 106 million metric tons of carbon emissions. The company also operates approximately 12,000 megawatts of hydroelectric, wind, solar, natural gas and oil generation assets, which provide a mix of baseload, intermediate and peak power generation. These characteristics make SpinCo uniquely positioned to advance the nation’s clean energy strategy and priorities.
To maintain the generation fleet’s legacy of safety, operational excellence and financial stewardship, the company will retire uneconomic assets that negatively affect its ability to provide a reliable source of clean power to tens of millions of American homes and businesses.
So, the fight over closing Illinois nuke plants will continue.
Approvals are needed from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and New York’s utility regulators. Illinois, where Exelon is based, will have no official say.
Exelon has faced calls from consumer advocates and others for years that it ought to split its regulated utilities like Commonwealth Edison from its unregulated power plants like the nuclear stations in Illinois.
…Adding… Illinois PIRG Director Abe Scarr…
Exelon’s ownership of ComEd has created long-standing conflicts of interests and Illinois consumers have suffered as a result.. Separating Exelon’s generation assets from its regulated utilities is good news for ComEd’s customers and the public. At the same time, Illinois policymakers should recognize that conflicts persist and take action to address them.
Every year, Exelon bills hundreds of millions of dollars of services to ComEd, a subsidiary it controls, a subsidiary which can fully recover those costs from its captured customers. Illinois policy has so far failed to adequately recognize, much less mitigate, the numerous potential conflicts inherent in this relationship.
The Illinois General Assembly has the opportunity this spring to begin undoing the policy harms of the ComEd bribery scandal. That means winning restitution for ComEd customers, restoring effective utility regulation by ending automatic rate hikes through formula rates, and reforming utility political influence by no longer allowing utilities to charge their customers for charitable contributions. Addressing the conflicts of interest that persist beyond an Exelon breakup should remain on the General Assembly’s agenda.
Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Most of the young women in my practice involve a parent or trusted adult in their abortion decision. And the younger the teen, the more likely she is to involve an adult. These facts are true in my office and throughout Illinois. Those who do not involve an adult do so with good reason — often because they are survivors of abuse or neglect. Some fear for their safety or the loss of shelter and food if their parents discover their pregnancy or their abortion decision. Others believe they will be forced to continue a pregnancy they did not plan and do not want.
Long expected by racing industry observers and feared by horse owners, trainers and fans, Arlington International Racecourse’s status as a gem for the sport of kings is about to come to the finish line.
Churchill Downs Inc., owner of the storied Arlington Heights track where horses have raced since 1927, announced Tuesday it plans to put the 326 acres near Euclid Avenue and Wilke Road up for sale. Churchill will use Chicago-based real estate firm CBRE to market the “redevelopment opportunity,” officials announced in a Tuesday afternoon news release.
And after previously casting doubt on whether a 2021 race meet would be held, Churchill officials on Tuesday said they’re committed to running Arlington’s 68 live race dates, scheduled from April 30 to Sept. 25.
They said they don’t expect a sale to close before the end of the race meet, or that the sale process will affect Arlington’s racing operations this year.
* React from the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association…
Illinois thoroughbred owners and trainers appreciate the opportunity to race this year at Arlington Park, a world-class track, but are disappointed that Churchill Downs will renege on its longstanding promise to preserve and grow jobs in Illinois racing while also serving the best interests of Illinois taxpayers.
Churchill spent two decades lobbying Illinois lawmakers for the authority to develop a casino at Arlington. But since purchasing the majority stake in the nearby Rivers Casino, Churchill has all but abandoned any meaningful commitment to Illinois racing. Churchill abruptly reversed course, deep-sixed that Arlington development plan, and instead devoted itself to ensuring that Arlington could not become a gaming competitor to Rivers.
Churchill’s anticompetitive behavior was so brazen, in fact, that its CEO publicly dismissed the prospect that racing might continue at Arlington under another owner and insisted the property would “have a higher and better purpose for something else.” Even in its statement today, announcing its plan to sell the Arlington property, Churchill obviously is disingenuous when it claims that it will move the Arlington racing license to elsewhere in Illinois.
“The license is not Churchill’s to move,” said Mike Campbell, ITHA president. “Moreover, the notion that a seasoned gaming operator would relocate a racing license away from a state of the art, modern racing facility near the heart of the Chicago metropolitan region to some yet-to-be-determined location is absurd. Churchill is just trying to obfuscate from the fact that it cares only about maximizing profit and will gladly sacrifice the spirit of Illinois law and the livelihood of working Illinoisans to serve its greed.”
The Illinois gaming expansion law was intended to boost overnight purses and otherwise invigorate thoroughbred horse racing in this state for the purpose of creating jobs, sparking economic opportunity and diversifying the tax base for the state and local communities. Illinois owners and trainers are appalled by Churchill’s contempt for live racing and the working men and women, from backstretch workers to breeders, who have devoted themselves to Illinois racing and who depend on racing opportunities and overnight purses to support themselves and their families.
Biss’ challengers are Evanston resident and grassroots activist Lori Keenan and 2018 Evanston Township High School graduate Sebastian Nalls. Last Sunday, Evanston Fight for Black Lives published a statement on Facebook endorsing Nalls.
Nalls responded in a statement Thursday that Pritzker’s endorsement of Biss showed “desperation.”
Results for the Democratic primary election for Calumet City mayor were unclear Tuesday, according to unofficial results.
State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, had recently been returned to the ballot to challenge incumbent Mayor Michelle Markiewicz-Qualkinbush, who is seeking a fifth term.
With all 24 precincts reporting, the Cook County clerk’s election website showed Markiewicz-Qualkinbush had 100% of the vote but no totals for Jones.
*** UPDATE *** The Illinois Supreme Court ordered the results suppressed yesterday because the other side asked it to take up the appellate court decision that restored Jones to the ballot. So, while Rep. Jones is declaring victory today, it’s up to the top court to decide whether he was on the ballot legally to begin with…
The results of the elections in Calumet City are clear, I have won the Democratic Nomination to become the First African American Mayor in the 120-year history of Calumet City! I want to thank the voters of Calumet City for believing in me and for wanting a new direction for Calumet City. I want to thank my family and friends for their loyalty and support. My wife Saprina and sons Thaddeus Jr and Preston Jones. I also want to thank Speaker Chris Welch, Senator Napoleon Harris and Rep Rita Mayfield who played a enormous part in this election. Today, it is time to get to work on behalf of all residents of Calumet City.” Jones received an estimated 1655 (54%) votes out of the 3,029 ballots cast and the Mayor received 1,374 votes. Jones will be having a zoom announcement at 10:30am today.
Former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann of Plainview pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that allege he illegally spent more than $200,000 in campaign funds on cars, debts, other personal expenses and pay for himself. […]
Public defender Rosie Brown entered McCann’s not guilty plea, and McCann didn’t comment during the hearing except to answer questions from Long about whether he understood the charges against him and when describing his finances, his education and medical needs. […]
He said his wife’s earnings as a nurse working in the Washington, D.C., area, make up his sole income, and he has $500 in a personal checking account. He said he lives in Plainview with his 13-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son. […]
McCann must meet several conditions to remain free while his case goes through court, including the sale or transfer of 75 firearms in the personal collection at his home, [U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Eric Long] said.
Governor Pritzker sounded off on State Sen. Darren Bailey’s campaign kick-off event that took place Monday night with a mostly maskless crowd.
“I heard that that announcement last night was in a room of hundreds of people and no one was wearing a mask,” Pritzker said at an event on Tuesday. “So I am concerned about a super spreader event being caused by someone who’s running for governor.”
This is the second event Bailey has held in Effingham this month with a largely maskless crowd. The first was a forum on February 8th. At that event, WCIA Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Maxwell pressed him on concerns of coronavirus transmission.
“As a matter of fact, my jacket’s sitting over there,” Bailey told him at the event. “I carry the mask with me everywhere. I wear it when I feel like I need to wear it. There are places, you know, that mandate it and if I need to go in there, I did this from day one, I’ve always had a mask and got one of my masks.”
But, as Lask reports, there is a mask mandate at the Keller Convention Center, which was the Monday night venue.
Governor Pritzker says, he admits that we’ve lost population for years. But he says it’s no big deal. 150,000 people is not a trickle, governor. It’s a torrent. That’s more population than the combined cities of Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Rockford and Springfield. Gone. People are leaving our state not because of problems with our state, they’re leaving our state because of problems of a failed government.
I’ve been working on this since day one. This was a problem before I became governor. I think you all know that we had more people leaving the state than coming to the state. We had a significant deterioration of immigration to the state over the last several years as a result of former President Trump and his policies.
What I’ve been working on is making sure that we’re attracting and keeping students in the state because that’s been part of the numbers of people who have left the state. Many students who are eligible to go to school at a reduced rate in the state of Illinois, get a better deal leaving the state to go to another school, out of state. That shouldn’t be and that’s why I’ve increased every year the amount that we put into our scholarships and made it easier at the schools for kids who are at median income levels and families are or below to get a free education. And we’ve seen that at many of our universities now since I took office.
So these are that’s just one way that we’re trying to make it better for the state to attract more people to the state, to keep people in the state.
And lastly, I think it’s very important to recognize that building jobs from the ground up, building up our small businesses, which is really where most of the job growth takes place in every state all across the United States, that is what we ought to be focused on. And in the wake of the pandemic, that’s where we ought to be putting our resources.
You know I’ve talked about the corporate loopholes that we need to close in order to balance our budget. The corporate loopholes that were closing, the vast majority of that is all about and effects the largest corporations, who we all know did extraordinarily well during this pandemic. Wealthy people and wealthy corporations did very very well. You know who got hurt? It’s everybody who earns roughly $40,000 and under. We need to be able to create new jobs, new businesses and make sure that those folks have an opportunity to get a job, a new job or the job back that they already had.
[Bumped up to Wednesday from Tuesday night for visibility.]
* I’ve been working on a story about newly appointed state Rep. Ed Kodatt (D-Chicago) since yesterday. This is from 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman Michael Madigan and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn…
“After learning of alleged questionable conduct by Mr. Kodatt, it was suggested that he resign as state representative for the 22nd District. We are committed to a zero tolerance policy in the workplace.”
There’s some question about whether a resignation was properly filed today.
Anyway, the guy replaced the longest-serving House Speaker in history for what may be the briefest period in history.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Madigan says he will back Angelica Guerrero Cuellar this time around. She was supported by Ald. Silvana Tabares last Sunday. Ald. Tabares, you will recall, refused to make the appointment vote unanimous…
13th Ward Committeeman Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement on the process to select the next representative of the 22nd Illinois House District:
“After a fair and robust process on Sunday, we are prepared to proceed with selecting a replacement for the 22nd District Illinois House seat from the pool of candidates who already presented to the selection committee. I believe the most equitable way to proceed is to nominate the candidate who received the second-highest vote count. It is my intention to nominate Angelica Guerrero Cuellar.”
WHO:
Committee members
Michael J. Madigan (13)
Rep. Aaron Ortiz (14)
Ald. Derrick G. Curtis (18)
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23)
Vince Cainkar (Stickney)
WHERE:
Balzekas Museum ballroom
6500 S. Pulaski Rd.
2nd Fl.
Chicago, IL 60629
WHEN:
Thursday, Feb. 25
10 a.m.
Doors will open at 9:30 a.m.
Due to COVID restrictions set by the Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health, in-person seating will be limited.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Food for thought…
As far as I can tell with some quick Googling, only three living former state legislators served in an Illinois General Assembly that didn't include Michael Madigan: Nonagenarians Harris Fawell and Raymond Ewell and 26-year-old Edward Kodatt.