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.
