*** UPDATE *** This is big…

Earlier today, SEIU Local 1 endorsed Gil Villegas for Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District. SEIU Local 1 — representing more than 3,500 Illinoisian working families in the 3rd Congressional District — supports candidates who have demonstrated a strong commitment to fighting for economic, racial, immigrant and environmental justice for our state’s working families.

“Gil Villegas has been a champion for the working families of SEIU Local 1. He not only has stood with SEIU Local 1 but he has been a strategic partner with our Local to win for workers. He has played a key role in ensuring developments in our communities create good-paying union jobs with benefits,” said SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “It is rare that elected officials use their voice and power to help working families time and time again. Gil Villegas is one of those elected officials. He’s used his influence and actively engaged to help successfully win a good contract for the Window Washers when they went on strike.”

“My family lost everything when I was eight years old after my father died. But my brother and I survived because my mother was an incredibly strong woman, our community stepped up, and we had help. We lived in public housing, relied on food stamps, and we were fortunate that government death benefits stabilized our family,” said Alderman Gil Villegas. “I will never forget what it’s like to struggle and that’s why I will fight every day in Congress for workers to be given a fair shot at good-paying jobs. The scales have been tipped against working people for far too long in Washington. If the people of Illinois send me to represent them in Congress, I will deliver for them just like I’ve helped to deliver more affordable housing and better wages for working people in Chicago.”

* Sen. Darren Bailey’s proposed constitutional amendment last year would’ve killed off the state pension clause’s “enforceable contractual relationship” and “shall not be diminished or impaired” language…

SECTION 5. PENSION AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS RIGHTS

Nothing in this Constitution or in any law shall be construed to limit the power of the General Assembly to reduce or change pension benefits or other benefits of membership in any public pension or public retirement system, regardless of whether those benefits have accrued or have been earned and regardless of when those benefits were established. Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, shall be an enforceable contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired.

Today, gubernatorial candidate Bailey said he wanted to “clear up some confusion” on his pension stance…

So anyone out there that knows a teacher, knows a Department of Corrections officer, knows somebody’s working for IDOT, DCFS and Illinois State Police, any other government entity, and you hear them say, ‘Oh, Darren Bailey is going to take my pension, I know it.’ It’s another flat-out lie.

Yeah. Right.

And that proposal is coming back to haunt Bailey…

The Irvin for Illinois campaign today is proud to announce Illinois Troopers Lodge #41’s endorsement of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and State Representative Avery Bourne in the Republican primary for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. […]

Troopers Lodge 41 is the largest statewide police union in Illinois that includes approximately 3,200 sworn and retired Illinois state troopers. Irvin’s strong record in supporting law enforcement and cracking down on crime in Aurora, along with Bourne’s voting record against anti-police legislation, distinguish them as the best candidates in the Republican primary to make public safety a priority and empower our law enforcement agencies across the state.

* On to a different topic from the Irvin campaign…

The Irvin for Illinois campaign won the Lake County GOP Straw Poll that took place on Saturday at the Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center. Richard Irvin earned over 39 percent of the vote, almost 20 percent more support than the candidates in second place.

“Representative Bourne and I are grateful for the support that resulted in our first victory at the Lake County GOP straw poll this weekend,” Irvin said. “This is just one of many wins to come on our path to take Illinois back from J.B. Pritzker’s extreme policies that have created unsafe communities and forced high taxes onto Illinois families and businesses.”

But there was some controversy and it kinda got ugly…

At the GOP Lake County straw poll and Richard Irvin’s campaign just bussed in a bunch of Indian voters with pre marked ballots.

They don’t even know who they’re voting for! pic.twitter.com/dQtfgHqODX

— Gabe F. Guidarini (@GabeGuidarini) April 23, 2022

Tom DeVore was upset…

UPDATE ON RICHARD IRVIN STRAW POLL GAMES

This man in the Irvin/Bourne shirt is Derek Murphy, or now I’m being told possibly a Soros fellow. He is the former member of the Illinois Republican Party who left that position to join the Irvin/Bourne campaign. He’s making sure the Indian Senior citizens get back on the bus. Mr. Irvin’s team has serious connections to the establishment Republicans who have done nothing for the people of this state for years.

Also, word on the street is Nimish Jani, who is the committee person from the 8th district of the Illinois Republican Party, and who is also Indian, may have orchestrated getting the Indian Senior citizens lined up, in exchange for Mr. Jani being set to receive an appointment into Mr. Irvin’s cabinet if he wins. I have no direct knowledge if this is true but Mr. Jani is an Indian man from Cook County who is an establishment Republican, the Senior citizens are Indian and also from Cook county, and these good people really had no idea why they were there and what was going on. It certainly seems plausible does it not?

While you won’t be able to see it until early June, you should each remind yourselves to go look at Mr. Irvin’s campaign account and see if and how much of a donation he made to the Indian Senior citizens group for their efforts?

It’s all one big club my friends and you ain’t in it!! You can however dismantle the club and start over!! It’s your call!!

Man, that post is absolutely soaked in foulness.

* Reform for Illinois…

As of March 28, House Minority Leader Durkin is no longer subject to contribution limits thanks to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) PAC, which spent just over $100K in independent expenditures supporting his campaign and triggered Illinois’ “millionaire’s exemption” or “self-funding loophole.” The RSLC behind the PAC bills itself as “America’s Only Line of Defense Against Socialism in the States” and boasts board members including Karl Rove, Reince Priebus, and Barbara Comstock.

The Republican State Leadership Committee PAC also blew Durkin’s contribution caps in 2020, 2018, and 2016. In 2018, Leader Durkin took advantage of his lack of caps by accepting $6 million from Ken Griffin, accounting for almost two-thirds of his fundraising that cycle. He also received $5 million from Griffin in 2016, and broke nationwide state legislative fundraising records. Though those donations came considerably earlier in the election cycle than where we are now, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Durkin’s campaign now that his caps are off.

All the other legislative leaders loaned themselves the triggering amount for the self-funding provision. But while Harmon and Welch have taken ample advantage of the loophole to rake in huge contributions, Durkin and McConchie have not as of yet. […]

This quarter also saw some movement at last from Mike Madigan’s campaign committee: he spent $4 million on legal fees between January and March. It remains to be seen whether his use of campaign funds for legal expenses will be affected by the Illinois Supreme Court’s recent ruling in a case involving disgraced former Ald. Danny Solis. Madigan still has $6.4 million left in his account.

* More…

* Crowe nominated for U.S. attorney in Southern District: U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats representing Illinois today released the following statement after the White House announced the nominations of Rachelle L. Crowe to serve as United States attorney for the Southern District of Illinois

* In Illinois secretary of state race, AFL-CIO stays neutral months after affiliated workers backed Giannoulias: The lack of an endorsement by the Illinois AFL-CIO signals good news for Giannoulias’ two major opponents in the Democratic primary on June 28, especially his main rival, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, who has faced questions about whether her husband’s lobbying activities have interfered with her role in public office. … Drea said the organization also made no endorsement in three hotly contested Congressional races: the 3rd District, a newly drawn Latino-leaning district that covers the city’s Northwest Side and western suburbs and features Democrats Delia Ramirez, a state representative from Chicago, and Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th; the 6th District in the western suburbs, where two-term U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, a Democrat from Downers Grove, is facing off against first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Newman of LaGrange; and a crowded race in the 1st District to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago.

* FOP president at center of controversy defeated in bid to extend his term - John Catanzara wanted the union president’s term extended from three years to five. FOP members overwhelmingly voted against the change at a general membership meeting Wednesday night: Sources in attendance said a larger-than-normal contingent of African American officers helped seal Catanzara’s defeat on both measures. … No African American officer has been elected to the FOP during the last two administrations. … Roughly 30 Black officers standing in the back of the room, mostly women, yelled back, sources told the Sun-Times, telling Catanzara he had no right to attack Davis when Davis was not there to defend himself.

* Darren Bailey sizes up the GOP gubernatorial race on the Juice week-in-review livestream

* Harmon defends ending cash bail, says ‘we funded police’: Harmon said he didn’t know if lawmakers needed to make any further changes to the SAFE-T Act before the state phases out the use of cash bail in January of 2023. “I think people have turned this political argument on its head,” he said. “Republicans have obviously seized on what they think is a winning rhetorical argument, but it doesn’t fit with the facts. Today, in a world of cash bail, the most dangerous criminal who has enough money can leave the jail awaiting trial and go commit more crimes. We would like a model that evaluates each defendant based on their threat to a specific person or to the community, and judges should be able to hold people who are dangerous in jail awaiting trial.”

* J.B. Pritzker and Ken Griffin: The Twin Titans of Illinois Campaign Finance: “Irvin has Rauner’s old campaign team. You know that in terms of his message discipline. I don’t think Irvin’s nearly as smooth as Rauner but give him credit. So far, he’s been very disciplined. In that sense, it’s Rauner 2.0 … with Griffin’s money,” said Redfield.

* GOP candidates ‘hiding from the press,’ Pritzker says: “I think at this point in the election four years ago, we had done… I don’t know, 30 to 40, forums, all the candidates,” Pritzker said in an interview on Capitol Connection. “You don’t see that in the Republican primary this time.”

* Dixon mayor receives local endorsements in statehouse bid: Dixon Mayor Li Arellano Jr., a Republican candidate for the Illinois House District 74, received endorsements from state Rep. Tom Demmer, former state Sen. Tim Bivins and Lee County Treasurer Paula Meyer. … Arellano is opposed in the primary by 22-year-old Dixon native Bradley Fritts.

* Candidate intro: Mary K. O’Brien runs for Illinois Supreme Court

* Illinois secretary of state candidates Dan Brady, John Milhiser discuss why they’re running

* Press Release: IBEW LOCAL 134 ENDORSES CHICAGO UNITED MAP: IBEW Local 134 Joins Local 150, Laborers’ District Council & Chicago Fire Fighters Union in Endorsing Map Backed by Majority of City Council: “The Chicago United Map is the path forward for Chicago, and we’re proud to endorse it,” said IBEW Local 134 Business Manager Don Finn. “The Chicago United Map reflects our diverse city, growing communities and historic neighborhoods. It’s time to come together and move our city forward with the Chicago United Map.”

* Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch’s wife ShawnTe Raines-Welch returns out-of-state contribution to judicial campaign: In a written statement, David Ormsby, her campaign spokesman, said: “The contribution to the Raines-Welch for Judge campaign from Intensive Specialty Hospital in Shreveport came entirely unsolicited. No one from the campaign and no one remotely associated with the campaign — no volunteer, no friend, no relative — at no time solicited the contribution. Additionally, the campaign’s vetting system identified the contribution as ineligible and returned it and notified the State Board of Elections on April 4, 2022, before receiving the board’s official notice. Our vetting worked. End of story.”