* Press release…
On Friday, U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) visited the Prairie State Energy Campus, toured their power plant and mine, and spoke with employees about their careers and the benefits the company provides to the state and local economy.
“The municipally-owned Prairie State power plant is the cleanest coal-fired powered plant in the nation and one of the most efficient, and it creates hundreds of good-paying jobs, including union jobs, for our state,” said Rep. Davis. “The company is actively pursuing and adopting additional carbon sequestration and storage and emissions-reducing technologies, and they should receive support from state and federal agencies for their efforts. Our country needs more base load generating capacity from a broad array of sources, not less, particularly when we can use technology to reduce emissions.”
“Prairie State, and CWLP like it, should be allowed to remain open, but Governor Pritzker is catering to the demands of left-wing environmentalists by advocating for their closure,” Davis continued. “I challenge Governor Pritzker to make a trip to Prairie State, tour the power plant and mine, and talk directly to the men and women who work there like I did. The Governor should personally hear what the plant’s closure would mean for the hundreds of hardworking, taxpaying Illinois families he wants to put out of work. State leaders must craft an energy bill that meets Illinois’ energy needs without forcing the closure of vital plants like Prairie State and CWLP.”
Attached pic…
* Meanwhile, from Paul Schimpf…
Paul Schimpf, Republican candidate for Governor of Illinois, issued a statement this morning from the Monroe County jail along with Sheriffs Neil Rohlfing of Monroe County and Shannon Wolff of Randolph County in response to the failure of the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) to take custody of DOC prisoners as required under Executive Order 2020-50 issued on July 27, 2020.
Executive Order 2020-50 mandates the DOC to determine the scheduling of arrivals of inmates from county jails based on the several health and safety factors. It further ordered that the DOC work closely with county sheriffs to implement this process. At this time, inmates are not being regularly transferred from county jails to the DOC despite the fact that Illinois is finally in Stage 5 and those health and safety factors conditions have been met. Furthermore, the DOC has failed to compensate the individual counties for the state prisoners who are being held in county jails. Lastly, according to the President of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, Sheriff Brian VanVickle of Ogle County, the DOC has failed to communicate with county sheriffs to solve this problem. In response to these conditions, Senator Schimpf stated:
“Once again, we are witnessing the ‘Pritzker Leadership Deficit’ as Governor Pritzker remains hands off when it comes to providing solutions to the problems caused by his unilateral shutdown of our state.
It is only by the strong leadership of our 102 sheriffs across Illinois that our communities and citizens remain safe from DOC prisoners even though they are not obligated to house them without recompense. Unfortunately, the taxpayers of each county are left to foot the bill despite the fact that the DOC budget has not been cut during the pandemic. This is simply unacceptable.
I call on Governor Pritzker to order the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections to reopen and start transferring prisoners in a safe and regular fashion, to pay each county the DOC’s arrears for housing prisoners, and pay counties the cost of housing those DOC inmates in the future.”
Keep in mind that local governments are getting billions from the feds to deal with unexpected costs.
WGEM did a story on this topic and this is IDOC’s response…
The Illinois Department of Corrections is committed to safely admitting as many men and women from the counties as possible. Intakes are scheduled based on space availability, quarantine requirements and COVID-19 test results. We have been accepting transfers from county jails since August 3, 2020 and have processed 7,975 new admissions and 1,206 turnarounds to date.
* And…
- Jibba - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:10 pm:
Rodney Davis: a governor for the 19th century.
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:13 pm:
We really, really need to stop burning coal. We also really, really need to make sure anyone who makes a living as a miner has other opportunities to earn a living wage. Davis would be a better rep for his district if he would admit this and do something that actually benefits his constituents. And in case it matters, my grandfather mined coal.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:19 pm:
“restore respect to law enforcement”
By force, if necessary…
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:21 pm:
The Breitbart name may set folks off - but the fact remains that JB is playing games with the PRB. The Suntime had the exact same reporting …
” what Pritzker keeps doing to circumvent normal procedure is appointing people, then withdrawing their nominations before the state can vote on them, then reappointing the same people, which resets the 60-day clock”
- Huh? - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:21 pm:
“And I will always defend your individual rights and freedoms to go fishing at the height of a pandemic that killed over 600,00 people.”
Fixed it for ya.
- Huh? - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:24 pm:
A Michael Dukakis moment.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:27 pm:
Rodney Davis is afraid to challenge Mary Miller so by “challenging” Pritzker Davis can seem strong but is still… Rodney Davis.
Unless any of those three can muster enough cash to offset $300,000 a day, every day, that defines them as a far right Trumpkin that the suburbs should fear… these base plays by the three are ham handed to any real policy difference that can break through the possible messaging/money issues come fall of 2022
- Sam I Am - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:36 pm:
“Rodney Davis is afraid to challenge..”
Rodney has been a tier one target by the DNC on multiple occasions. Gill, Callis and Londrigan were “shoe-ins”, until they weren’t. Rodney has been supported by a majority of his district since 2012.
Rodney has faced actual bullets simply because he was a Republican Congressman. I kinda doubt there’s much that really gives him fear.
- IL13thVoter - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:36 pm:
Did some googling around after reading that Breitbart article that Bailey shared. Turns out the author of the article Madeleine Hubbard interned with Rodney Davis in 2019. Kinda shows that there’s no difference between Rodney, Bailey, and Schimpf. Davis just puts on a moderate mask amd can pass off. Bailey is IL version of Trump and on steroids. Schimpf just aims for a high office loses then wins a lose office. (2014 AG and 2016 State Senate)
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:37 pm:
=== DNC===
This is the primary I’m discussing
Keep up.
- IlliniStudent - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:45 pm:
Has there been polling on what Illinoisans think about transitioning to carbon free emissions? Energy deal in general? How would closing Prairie State complex play in the suburbs? I know Southern Illinois obviously won’t be fans of this proposal, but there just aren’t enough votes to win by relying on that area alone. Chicagoans definitely in favor of closing for sure.
- Give Us Barabbas - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:45 pm:
It would be cheaper and healthier in the long run to give the miners an early retirement package and close the plant if it can’t convert to gas or biofuel.
- Anyone Remember - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:50 pm:
Donnie Elgin -
The PRB “problem” is the Senate, not Pritzker.
https://capitolfax.com/2021/05/31/senate-executive-appointments-committee-finally-acts-on-three-pritzker-nominees-but-no-action-taken-on-prb/
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:51 pm:
Rodney not running against Mary Miller in an area (or a part of the new district) Davis represented… is it that Davis is not Trumpy enough… but too Trunpy to win statewide?
Fearing he may lose as a CongressCritter, losing statewide (if he does run statewide and loses) is an easier and graceful way to go.
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:53 pm:
===Sam I Am===
“Turns out the author of the article Madeleine Hubbard interned with Rodney Davis in 2019″
The reporter is a 2020 Cum Laude journalism Grad from U of I. She likely learns republican and in Illinois, that is a small world. She worked as a summer intern, answered the phone and emails. Hardly a reason to gin up controversy about a young reporter.
https://madeleinehubbard.wordpress.com/
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 2:54 pm:
=restore respect to law enforcement=
Hits like “and everyone will be saying Merry Christmas again”
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:03 pm:
== and work to keep our communities safe for everyone ==
Unless it involves wearing masks, of course.
Or alternatively, are we to conclude that Mr. Bailey doesn’t consider the tens of thousands of people in the state who died during the pandemic as ‘everyone’?
I’m sure the families of the veterans who died will be happy to hear he doesn’t consider their loved ones to be people.
- Pundent - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:10 pm:
It’s as if each of these candidates is reminding us of why they will be incredibly challenged to win a state wide race.
- Chicagonk - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:13 pm:
Schimpf is right and this should be a bipartisan issue. State prisons have resources for rehabilitation that county prisons do not have.
- dbk - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:39 pm:
Re: Rodney Davis’ claim that Prairie State is the “cleanest coal-fired plant in the nation”, but it’s the state’s biggest carbon polluter and the 7th-biggest in the U.S. according to https://capitolfax.com/2021/06/16/prairie-state-is-one-of-the-worst-polluters-in-the-nation-4/) How would Davis square these two claims?
Re: Bailey’s “I will always defend your rights and freedoms”: Wonder if he’ll try to sue U of I for requiring on-campus students to be vaccinated. Because rights and freedoms, etc.
- Collinsville Kevin - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:57 pm:
Luckily for me my family got out of the coal mines about 100 years ago. It’s time for everyone else to get out, too.
- cermak_rd - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:07 pm:
I remember a compromise was once reached on coal mining long ago and I agreed with it figuring it would be an opportunity for aged miners to serve out their time. Then young miners keep appearing. Now I oppose all such efforts. Pension off the old timers and call it quits.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:26 pm:
Republicans always claim that only they believe in the free market system.
Well, in the free market system, industries wax and wan, workers have to move to where the jobs are and even learn new skills.
The free market system isn’t always kind.
I wish politicians of all kinds would stop saying they’re for the free market system if they turn around and then try to prop up an industry and bemoan the loss of (it’s always “good paying”) jobs.
- Hon Don Gerard - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:26 pm:
I guess the “wind turbines give you cancer and clean coal doesn’t” argument is just assumed to be accepted by Rodney’s base.
oof.
- Arsenal - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:40 pm:
==Rodney has been a tier one target by the DNC on multiple occasions.==
The DNC doesn’t set House targets.
==Gill, Callis and Londrigan were “shoe-ins”, until they weren’t.==
Nah. Gill was practically a laughingstock that Durbin desperately did not want to get the nomination. Callis was considered a top recruit, but no one ever thought she was a lock. Londrigan was considered a top recruit in her second run, too, but again, no one was calling the race for her early.
==Rodney has been supported by a majority of his district since 2012. ==
That’s great, but the state as a whole is about 17x bigger than his district, and includes Chicago.
- Chicago Blue - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 5:18 pm:
@ Donnie Elgin?
Likely leans Republican? People can have whatever political lean they want, but I think we can call out bias when it exists. In the link you provided, her resume lists her as a special assistant to Michael Caputo and Alex Azar and she helped them schedule visits on Fox News to help pump out the disastrous Trump propaganda regarding COVID-19. She’s a partisan hack supporting monsters that were OK with Americans dying as long as Trump could lie about the pandemic.
- Quizzical - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 5:30 pm:
– Hardly a reason to gin up controversy about a young reporter.–
After Mary Miller’s 1/6 performance. I am more concerned the she is writing for a publication with its own Nazi issues.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 5:34 pm:
IlliniStudent 2:45: I think part of the reason more coal plants haven’t been closed is because they are far removed from Chicago and most burbs and not in their back yard, and the downstate locals put up with them because of the jobs. Crawford and Fisk, within the Chicago city limits, were among the first coal-fired plants closed in the state. Along the same lines, no new landfills have been approved in Chicago and the collars in quite some time, and much of the garbage goes to landfills in Livingston County and elsewhere.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 6:22 pm:
I admire Rodney’s devotion to coal. Apparently it’s a family trait as his great grandfather, president of the buggy whip association, declared cars an abomination that would only lead to death and destruction.
- Frank talks - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 6:32 pm:
Schimpf still in the race? Where’s he been?
- Medvale School for the Gifted. - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 7:23 pm:
Well played, Rodney Davis. Thousands of downstate and central Illinois families have not forgotten how Illinois coal and coal-fired power plants supported their families for generations.
That plant will be needed for reliability purposes, and it is stupid to force it to shut down. Let it phase down with an eye on economics as well. Otherwise, we will all pay a stiffer price.
By the way, what are we going to do with those highly radioactive spent fuel rods a generation or two from now. Anyone solved that problem yet? Yucca Mountain?
- One hand //ing - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 10:41 pm:
=== Gill, Callis and Londrigan were “shoe-ins”===
No. No they weren’t. Gill was an accidental nominee. Callis was running in 2014 with Pat Quinn at the top of the ticket when no one with half a brain expected Dems to pick up anything. Londrigan got loads of DCCC money but still had the run in the same district as the rest of them - some marginally Dem cities with a lot of overwhelmingly Republican rural areas in between.
=== Rodney has been supported by a majority of his district since 2012===
A disproportionately Republican district in central Illinois which he almost lost twice.
C- spin, but interesting to know Rodney Davis posts as Sam I Am.