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*** UPDATED x1 *** Campaign notebook
Thursday, Jul 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Bailey tries to walk back his “move on and celebrate” comments shortly after the Highland Park shooting…
…Adding… This Bailey campaign is a mess, man. Not only did the candidate mistakenly invent a mythical community (Edgefield Park), but the bible verse he quoted today was not Psalm 112. It was Colossians 3:12.
* Greg Hinz…
Bailey also appears to have decided to keep Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy on the job instead of moving to dump him for his own candidate, as often happens. Tracy was in Effingham for Bailey’s election night party and the gesture was noted. “If he’ll work with us, we’ll work with him,” says one insider.
* This will likely receive more coverage as the campaign year progresses…
Saying Illinois workers need a constitutional guarantee of their right to organize and bargain—and reminding workers of the war former right-wing Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner waged against them—leaders of the Illinois AFL-CIO and legislative allies began their drive for voters to pass a proposed pro-collective bargaining constitutional amendment this November.
If approved, the measure would be one of four such guarantees enshrined in the 50 state constitutions. To win, it needs either 60% of the votes on the initiative itself, or an absolute majority–50% + 1–of all votes cast in the election. […]
“We’re getting ready for the inevitable attacks” from the corporate class, Drea told the Peoria crowd. “To counter the attacks, we have to blunt the lies we expect” from those interests. One of the few Republicans to oppose the amendment during last year’s debate, State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Altamont, called it “special interest legislation” designed to “draw campaign contributions.”
The state fed’s campaign for the amendment will include radio and TV ads, plus mailers but will rely on person-to-person contact, Drea said.
* Personal PAC endorsed Judge Rochford’s opponent in the Democratic primary, but Rochford won by 16 points…
The Personal PAC Board of Directors is extremely proud to endorse pro-choice Liz Rochford for the Illinois Supreme Court in the 2nd district, which includes Lake, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Dekalb counties.
We believe Rochford respects the fundamental right to privacy in reproductive decision-making. The November 8th election could not be more important to the future of reproductive rights in Illinois and across the entire Midwest for the 56 million women who will depend on us being here into the next decade and beyond as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Rochford’s opponent, Mark Curran, has been endorsed by the most extreme factions of the anti-choice movement seeking to make abortion illegal in Illinois, even in cases of rape and incest. For this reason Curran has the full support of “Illinois Right To Life,” the political arm of the anti-choice movement. From Curran’s Supreme Court campaign website: “Person of Faith-Devout Roman Catholic and follower of Christ, he founded Bibles, Badges and Business…”
* This is not a very fair take. Pritzker released two statements, one of which was consoling, before issuing the statement highlighted in this WaPo piece…
President Biden took the stage at an Independence Day barbecue just a few hours after the latest horrific shooting to upend an American city — but at his first opportunity to address the nation in person about the Highland Park killings, he did so only obliquely.
“You all heard what happened today,” Biden said. “Things will get better still, but not without more hard work together.”
It was not until about two hours later, after singer Andy Grammer finished an acoustic version of “Give Love,” that the president returned to the stage and attempted to respond to the tragedy more fully, calling for a moment of silence and decrying the spate of mass shootings. “We’ve got a lot more work to do,” Biden said, reiterating some of what he had said in a written statement earlier in the day. “We’ve got to get this under control.”
In contrast, J.B. Pritzker, Illinois’ Democratic governor, delivered a fiery response that took direct aim at those blocking gun control legislation. “If you are angry today, I’m here to tell you to be angry,” he said, seething while Biden was consoling. “I’m furious. I’m furious that yet more innocent lives were taken by gun violence.”
* Illinois Family Action…
Illinois conservatives face serious challenges in the gubernatorial race.
In 2014, Bruce “The Deceiver” Rauner beat Pat Quinn in the race for governor by about 140,000 votes. Quinn won only one county: Cook County. Rauner won in large measure by deceiving Illinoisans–including many conservatives–with his dishonest campaign promises. By the time he ran for reelection in 2018, Rauner had been found out and, as a consequence, had little support. He received nearly 58,000 fewer votes in the 2018 election and was trounced by J. B. Pritzker.
Because of his promotion of all sorts of evil, Pritzker was able to energize the Democrat base, thereby beating Rauner by over 700,000 votes in the 2018 race. While Quinn won only one county in 2014, Pritzker won at least 16 counties in 2018 (of 102 total counties in Illinois).
Here was the key for Pritzker over Rauner: He won Cook County by 836,138 votes. Fifty-one percent of his total votes came from just Cook County alone! If you throw in the following 6 counties: DuPage, Will, Lake, Kane, Champaign, and St. Clair counties, Pritzker received more votes than Rauner did statewide. In fact, Pritzker could have given the 611,791 votes he received in the rest of Illinois and donated them to Rauner and still won.
In the 2020 presidential election, Donald J. Trump received 260,608 more votes than Rauner did in those 7 counties. Of course, in a presidential election, the voter turnout is much higher which may account for the discrepancy. However, what is interesting is that in a non-presidential election year, Pritzker still received 32,855 more votes in those 7 counties than Trump did.
Therefore, two things must happen if GOP nominee Senator Darren Bailey is to beat Pritzker. He must get as many votes as Trump did and hope that the turnout for Democrats decreases by 5 percent or more or to make up the rest of the difference downstate. This will be a challenge for Bailey.
To say the least. Also, turnout across the board is always much higher in a presidential year. Bailey matching the Trump numbers would take a political hurricane and a perfect campaign run by Bailey. Trump received over 2.4 million statewide votes in 2020, while Pritzker took about 2.5 million and Bruce Rauner and Sam McCann combined received less than 2 million votes in 2018.
* Speaking of turnout, here’s the Chicago Board of Elections…
Updated Voter Turnout: 338,402 – 22.58% of registered voters in Chicago (1,498,813)
Democratic Turnout: 302,605 (89.42%)
Republican Turnout: 34,769 (10.27%)
Libertarian Turnout: 1,022 (0.30%)
Nonpartisan Turnout: 6 (0.001%)
32,461 additional votes have been counted and added to this total since the last summary report I sent on 7/1/22 , with 30,101 new Vote By Mail ballots included (received on Election Day 6/28/22 up through Tuesday 7/5/22). In total, 90,431 Vote By Mail ballots were returned and counted so far for the June 28th Primary Election.
So far, 173,571 Chicago voters chose to Early Vote or Vote By Mail (51.3% of voters), and 164,831 Chicago voters chose to vote on Election Day (48.7%).
These results will remain unofficial until the July 19th Proclamation of Results. The Board will now begin to process and count 3,662 Provisional Ballots, and will continue to count properly postmarked Vote By Mail Ballots sent to our office through July 12th. There are 34,154 Vote By Mail ballots that were sent and not returned (though we do not expect most of these will be returned with the proper postmark).
All updated results and ward by precinct totals are live on our website here: https://www.chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.html
Four years ago, which featured hotly contested gubernatorial primaries in both parties, 452,529 voters chose Democratic ballots and 31,535 Chicagoans chose GOP ballots. So, Republican turnout was up this year by about 10 percent and Dem turnout dropped by 33 percent. Also, Chicago voter registration has fallen ever so slightly (0.3 percent). That lack of Democratic enthusiasm is being pointed to by some as a possible warning sign for the Pritzker campaign, but if Darren Bailey doesn’t right his ship soon, he’s gonna deflate his momentum in a hurry.
* And speaking of Chicago, here’s Fran Spielman…
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas dropped $836,500 into his mayoral campaign fund on Wednesday in the first significant fundraising report filed by any of the seven candidates vying to unseat Mayor Lori Lightfoot. […]
They include $500,000 from prominent Republican donor and golf course magnate Michael Keiser; $100,000 apiece from John Canning and James Perry of Madison Dearborn Partners; $50,000 from Noel Moore, managing partner of Endurance Asset Management; and $25,000 from Edgar Bachrach of Bader Clothing.
Vallas also reported receiving $10,000 contributions from Petco Petroleum’s Jay Bergman; the O’Donnell Family LLC; and Edward J. Wehmer, president and CEO of Wintrust Financial.
After a first-quarter fundraising frenzy — her best since taking office — Lightfoot still had just $1.7 million in cash in her primary political account.
…Adding… Kendall County Republicans…
We are selling raffle tickets for four popular firearms (one raffle per firearm). Cost is $20 per ticket. Click a link below to buy a ticket for that firearm. The drawing (and last date to buy tickets) will be on July 24th at 2 PM at Mike & Denise’s in Yorkville.
To be eligible to buy a raffle ticket, you must be a FOID card holder, at least 21 years old, and legally allowed to own a gun.
• Smith & Wesson 642 38 Special
• Smith & Wesson 5.56/.223
• Glock G19 G5 9MM
• Viper G2 Silver 28 Gauge
*** UPDATE *** That Smith & Wesson 5.56/.223 being auctioned by the Kendall County Republicans is very similar to and the same caliber as the Smith & Wesson M&P15 that was used in the Highland Park shooting. Great move, folks. Sheesh.
…Adding… Edgefield Park is the new Lincoln County?…
…Adding… Heh…
…Adding… Press release…
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s reelection campaign announced today that it raised more than $1.25 million for the second quarter of 2022, ending the quarter with $2.5 million cash on hand.
“I’m so grateful to the supporters who are Ridin’ with Lori and have joined our reelection campaign,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “When I announced my reelection bid last month, I promised to never back down from the tough fights that lie ahead. I will continue to tackle our biggest problems head on, like continuing to bring down violent crime, standing up for women’s bodily autonomy and access to high quality reproductive care, helping bridge the financial burdens that too many Chicagoans face and continuing investments in neighborhoods that have been neglected for decades. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but we are seeing what happens when we join together and focus on making a difference in people’s lives. I am honored by the support of so many Chicagoans and I will keep fighting everyday for you.”
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jul 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Synopsis of Rep. Daniel Didech’s HB888…
Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that the Department of State Police shall conduct a search of the purchasers’ social media accounts available to the public to determine if there is any information that would disqualify the person from obtaining or require revocation of a currently valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card. Provides that each applicant for a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card shall furnish to the Department of State Police a list of every social media account.
The bill was filed in 2019 and went nowhere. A total of 3,575 people submitted electronic witness slips against the bill, compared to just 29 in support. Rep. Didech said his staff was inundated with communications from angry opponents.
* Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) said Didech’s proposal would “create unnecessary bureaucracy, unacceptable delays and is an outrageous infringement on law-abiding citizens exercising both their Second and First Amendment rights” at the time.
A gun shop owner told WAND back then he was against the bill and was wondering, “Who’s going to make that judgement? What’s the parameter? What are they looking for?”
“It seems much more likely to end in profiling of people, rather than catching a possible school shooter,” Rebecca Glenberg, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Illinois, told CNN.
* But the sponsor said this…
In an increasingly online world, we must have an open discussion about the tools law enforcement may use to keep our communities safe, and my intention is to continue that discussion so we can find the right balance that respects the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners while at the same time keeping our children safe from gun violence.
And today, in the wake of the Highland Park massacre, Sen. Darren Bailey seemed to at least endorse the concept of the Illinois State Police proactively monitoring gun owners’ social media accounts.
* The Question: Do you support the concept of police agencies proactively monitoring social media accounts of Illinois gun owners? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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State loses big court round over managed care
Thursday, Jul 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* David Jackson at the Better Government Association…
Since 2011, Illinois lawmakers have promised to save taxpayer dollars, improve care for low-income patients and give them more choices when selecting doctors and clinics by privatizing its Medicaid program, which was completed in 2018.
Before then, the state paid each doctor, clinic or hospital a fee for every Medicaid service rendered. Now, the state contracts with private insurance companies to make reimbursement decisions.
Under their current contracts with the state, four for-profit MCOs are supposed to quickly reimburse practitioners who care for Medicaid patients. Medicaid rules say the MCOs must pay 90% of providers’ uncontested claims within 30 days and 99% within 90 days.
But Saint Anthony Hospital, a safety net hospital on Chicago’s Southwest Side, and many providers allege the MCOs deploy bureaucratic dodges and opaque billing error codes to skirt the federal rule, make partial payments, pay years late or deny claims without explanation.
* But a federal appellate court has stepped in…
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled Saint Anthony Hospital “alleged a viable claim for relief” when it sued state officials for not adequately overseeing the insurance companies they contracted as managed care organizations.
The panel overturned a lower court decision to toss out the case and underscored widespread claims from hospitals and caregivers who say they have been driven to near bankruptcy by the failure to reimburse them fairly. […]
The appeals court panel overturned a district court judge who ruled the hospital could have first arbitrated each billing claim against the insurance companies individually — a task providers said is costly, cumbersome and unachievable.
* From the decision…
The State has tools available to remedy systemic slow payment problems—problems alleged to be so serious that they threaten the viability of a major hospital and even of the managed‐care Medicaid program as administered in Illinois. If Saint Anthony can prove its claims, the chief state official could be ordered to use some of those tools to remedy systemic problems that threaten this literally vital health care program. We therefore reverse in part the dismissal of the case and remand for further proceedings.
The state essentially claimed a loophole in the definition of the term “health care providers” that allowed it to delay payments to hospitals but not to physicians. The court pointed to ample evidence to the contrary…
Given this evidence, it would seem odd to construe a provision Congress intended to assure timeliness of provider payment as not applying to many providers, as HFS advocates. That would appear to defeat the statute’s evident purpose in most cases. We decline to read the text in such a manner.
The court was split 2-1. According to the article, the state hasn’t decided on its next move.
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Unclear on the concept
Thursday, Jul 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Firearms Restraining Order Act…
“Firearms restraining order” means an order issued by the court, prohibiting and enjoining a named person from having in his or her custody or control, purchasing, possessing, or receiving any firearms or ammunition, or removing firearm parts that could be assembled to make an operable firearm. […]
“Petitioner” means:
(1) a family member of the respondent as defined in this Act; or
(2) a law enforcement officer who files a petition alleging that the respondent poses a danger of causing personal injury to himself, herself, or another by having in his or her custody or control, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm.
* From Sen. Darren Bailey’s press conference today regarding the Highland Park massacre and gun violence…
Let’s be clear, Governor Pritzker, this happened on your watch. You’ve got more gun control laws than almost anywhere else in America. Our problems are more complex than just more restrictive gun laws on law abiding citizens.
The Firearms Restraining Act would have prevented the tragedy on the Fourth, but you buried it. You left it moldering in some bureaucratic basement somewhere. Your watch, Governor. It’s not enough to pass laws. You have to do the hard work to make sure that the laws do what they were intended to do. Gun owners, let’s get real. The Firearms Restraining Act exists and we need to stop pretending that it doesn’t. If we have to amend it to make sure that it protects our constitutional rights, let’s take a look at that. But for Pete’s sake, let’s use it. […]
I’m telling the people that the law is on the books and it was ignored. We didn’t know one government, starting at the top with government, Governor Pritzker ignored it. It wasn’t used, and if it would have been used, it could have prevented this. And that’s why I’m calling for special session. […]
The FOID card system is simply to pilfer money from people’s pockets. That’s all it does. We have the federal firearm background check. We have age limits. We have waiting periods. We have the Firearms Restraining Act, which was passed to take care of this very issue. It’s not working, the FOID card’s not working and it needs to go. […]
I want to find out why government didn’t enact this and it starts at the top. Governor Pritzker failed in enacting this Firearms Restriction Act. […]
We have a law on the books, the Firearm Restraint Act. And as far as I can tell, that bill looks like it should have caught it, but it’s not being used. It’s another law. People come here to Springfield. They want to pass more laws. They think passing laws is the solution. That time is wasted if we don’t have a leader that holds people can hold these laws accountable and make sure that they work, thats where the system messed up at.
Following Bailey’s logic, every time cops are called by third parties regarding an alleged threat that family witnesses denied ever happened (as was the case with the Highland Park shooter in 2019), the Illinois State Police should go to court and petition a judge to force the alleged offender to surrender their firearms. And if the person doesn’t own or possess any firearms (as was also the case with the Highland Park shooter in 2019), then… what?
* Back to Bailey…
The Highland Park shooter was posting violent videos with an intent to attack. The shooter could have been stopped and would have been stopped if Governor Pritzker and the government were living up to their true duty to protect the innocent
OK, so Sen. Bailey wants the Illinois State Police to monitor all social media at all times to see if Illinois residents and gun owners are posting any violent videos online, like, I dunno, perhaps, posting a video of shooting a printed Illinois state budget with a high-powered rifle, or defiantly proclaiming a willingness to “die on my porch before I give up my guns,” or repeatedly raffling off weapons of war to help fund a political campaign, and then take every single incidence of that to a county judge?
See how that works, Darren?
If the ISP had received a tip or otherwise stumbled across the fact that the Highland Park shooter was posting videos threatening to kill certain people or shoot up an event and didn’t do anything about it, then that’s most definitely on the ISP. Otherwise, what Bailey is proposing is a huge government overreach and intrusion with almost unlimited potential for abuse.
…Adding… The Firearms Restraining Order Act was expanded last year. Sen. Bailey voted “No.”
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ISP goes deeper in its explanation
Thursday, Jul 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ISP…
In the ongoing investigation into the shooting in Highland Park on July 4, 2022, the Illinois State Police (ISP) continue to provide information to the public.
Clear and Present Danger reporting was established by Illinois law in 1990 and expanded incrementally to include school administrators and law enforcement. This law is distinct from the Firearms Restraining Order which became law in 2019. Clear and Present Danger is a mechanism used by the ISP to revoke or deny a Firearm Owner Identification Card (FOID). On the other hand, the Firearms Restraining Order is a court ordered restriction on firearms possession. Clear and Present Danger status is only one of many factors that can result in the revocation and denial of a FOID card. Other factors can include criminal records, mental health prohibitors, and other orders of protection.
Upon receipt of a Clear and Present danger report submitted to ISP, officers determine if the subject of the report has a FOID card or a pending FOID application and review all information submitted by the local reporting police department.
For a Clear and Present Danger determination, the legal standard for review ISP must meet is a preponderance of the evidence, which is a higher legal burden than probable cause. Granting a Firearms Restraining Order has an even higher burden of proof requiring “clear and convincing” evidence.
If the reviewing officer determines there is sufficient evidence to establish a clear and present danger posed by the subject of the report, then the subject’s FOID is revoked, or a pending FOID application is denied. If there is insufficient evidence, the status of the FOID or pending application is unaffected.
For the individual charged in the Highland Park shooting, in September 2019 ISP officers confirmed the individual did not have a FOID card or pending application. According to the report submitted, the threat of violence allegedly made by the individual was reported to Highland Park Police second hand. When police went to the house, both the individual and his mother disputed the threat of violence. The individual told police he did not feel like hurting himself or others and was offered mental health resources. Additionally, the report indicated the knives did not belong to the individual and were ultimately turned over to the father who claimed they were his. As stated by Highland Park Police, there was no probable cause to arrest. Upon review of the report at that time, the reviewing officer concluded there was insufficient information for a Clear and Present Danger determination.
In December of 2019 the individual applied for a FOID card. The application included a parental legal guardian affidavit signed by the father of the individual applying.
Illinois law dictates that the Illinois State Police shall issue a FOID card to an applicant who meets the statutory requirements and who has no firearms prohibitor. At the time of FOID application approval for the individual in question there was no new information to establish a clear and present danger, no arrests, no prohibiting criminal records, no mental health prohibitors, no orders of protection, no other disqualifying prohibitors and no Firearms Restraining Order. The available evidence would have been insufficient for law enforcement to seek a Firearms Restraining Order from a court.
Much of the reporting so far has focused on the Firearms Restraining Order law, but, as indicated above, that misses the point.
* I guess my next question is, did the local police ever report the alleged suicide attempt/threat to ISP?…
Officials said cops were called to Crimo’s home in April 2019 after receiving a report that he had attempted suicide a week earlier.
Officers spoke to Crimo and his parents, but the matter was handled by mental-health professionals at time, said at a news conference.
“There was no law-enforcement action to be taken. It was a mental-health issue handled by those professionals,” Covelli said.
And…
[Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli] said in April 2019, an individual contacted Highland Park Police after learning that Crimo had attempted to commit suicide. Police responded to his home but the situation was already being handled by mental health professionals and was not deemed a police matter at the time.
That report happened several months before the report of the alleged threat of violence.
Perhaps the “preponderance of the evidence” requirement could be eased by the General Assembly.
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* Coalition partner list is here. Press release…
On behalf of the members of Illinois Latino Agenda 2.0 and our respective organizations, we are once again grief-stricken and outraged by the gun violence epidemic shattering the lives of families and crippling our communities with fear.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and survivors of the awful Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park.
Celebrating Independence Day is a welcomed tradition of time spent making memories with family enjoying music, cookouts, fireworks, parades, and other festivities. It is also a day of reflection to contemplate what freedom means to us as members of this beautiful quilt of blended cultures united by the American flag, embracing American values.
Now the images of young and old smiling faces lining the streets of Highland Park to cheer floats and marching bands that quickly turned to looks of horror and screams of terror are unfortunately part of July Fourth memories.
The downrush of gun violence that has become frighteningly commonplace in America continues to deny us freedom of assembly, freedom to enjoy and have productive lives in our society, and freedom to live.
This weekend in Chicago, where living in violence is sadly commonplace, eight people were killed and 68 wounded, a reduction of 18 dead and 92 shot in 2021. But the Summer has just started, and we are bracing for the number of victims to soar.
As Highland Park joins Buffalo, Uvalde, and other communities forever broken by mass shootings and national attention again focuses on our country’s unique gun problem, we demand better.
We demand a special legislative session in Springfield for lawmakers to immediately address:
● Ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines.
● Create an assault weapons registry.
● Demand mandatory fingerprinting on FOID cards.
It is time to bring about policies to keep all our communities safe from gun violence. Once again, we have proved that guns and assault weapons in the wrong hands are lethal and have no geographical boundaries, and do not discriminate
While Congress tried to develop a landmark bipartisan bill addressing gun violence after 26 years, our concerns were barely met.
The killing of seven people and 37 wounded in Highland Park are sadly part of the prevalent gun violence culture in the U.S. We are disheartened to learn that among the victims are the grandfather and the boyfriend of health volunteers at the non-profit Mano a Mano.
After 2 1/2 years of Covid19, the isolation, violence, and gun violence have increased, and it is also cause for immediate action in our cities and state’s mental health services.
ILA 2.0 is compelled to DEMAND better self-monitoring of platforms that, while enjoying their success, should fully embrace the responsibility that comes with their growth and how it affects vulnerable minds and people searching for a place and ideology to fit in. It can not only be about profits…it’s about lives.
We once again urge our local governments and philanthropy to increase resources for mental health services so that no person who needs it goes without. A number of our organizations provide mental health services– with language and cultural competence– to victims of crime and potential perpetrators. The evidence overwhelmingly supports the value of reducing crime through trauma-informed services.
The members of the ILA 2.0 are dedicated to making impactful change. By supporting common-sense gun measures, greater access to mental health services, and holistic youth programming, we aim to ensure that all recently lost are remembered through collective action.
The state significantly increased mental health funding this year and enacted a big mental health omnibus bill, which appears to be tacitly acknowledged in the release since they’re calling on local governments and philanthropy groups to step up.
…Adding… The Gun Violence Prevention PAC has also been calling for inclusion of specific issues during any upcoming special session…
Specifically, we call upon them to act quickly to regulate weapons of war that make mass shootings like today’s in Highland Park more deadly, including registration of assault rifles and semi-automatic handguns as well as limiting high capacity ammunition magazines.
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Open thread
Thursday, Jul 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Coming a day late to this, and it would’ve been a strong addition to yesterday’s Ken Griffin post, but here you go anyway…
Anyway, talk about whatever you want, as long as it’s Illinois-centric.
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LIVE COVERAGE
Thursday, Jul 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Appropriate response by the governor to the NRA or not? Make sure to explain your answer…
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* Press release…
· Following the end of his congressional campaign in Illinois’ 14th congressional district, Mike Koolidge has been hired as the Communications Director and Chief Spokesman for People Who Play By The Rules PAC, effective immediately. The “PBR” PAC is a political action committee whose mission is to support gubernatorial candidates and candidates for local offices, particularly school boards, committed to ending the fleecing of people who play by the rules and are gamed by a political system they finance. It will focus especially on equal protection and accountability under the law – American ideals increasingly neglected by too many in the modern political world.
· “We are so pleased to have a talent like Mike join our team and bring his wealth of experience and creativity in crafting substantive, engaging content to the work we’re doing at PBR PAC.” – Dan Proft, President, PBR PAC.
· At the end of June, Koolidge lost his race in the Republican primary to unseat Lauren Underwood in the new Illinois 14th congressional district. Before his run for congress Koolidge hosted and owned his highly successful regionally syndicated radio program The Michael Koolidge Show for 14 years, which he retired from of his own accord in November. Prior to that he served as an active duty U.S. Army officer for six years.
· Koolidge: “I’ve been asked repeatedly if I’m coming back on the radio after my run for congress. While I haven’t ruled it out completely in some form in the future, the opportunity offered by the PBR PAC is one I couldn’t pass up. My love for talk radio and its impact on politics has never ceased, but part of why I ran for congress was to move beyond words and into real action. My role at PBR PAC allows me to do just that, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.”
Koolidge finished third with 21 percent of the vote.
* CD13…
Today, Nikki Budzinski, the Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 13th Congressional district, called on the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to approve the permit for construction of the Lincoln Land Energy Center in Pawnee, Illinois.
The 1,090-megawatt natural gas-fueled facility would generate $1.53 billion in economic output during construction and create over 1,000 jobs in Sangamon County. The project has the unified support of organized labor. The plan would also help to support the stability of the Illinois electric grid by providing consistent and reliable power.
Jeff Clarke, the Mayor of Pawnee, IL made the following statement: “Lincoln Land Energy Center will help stabilize our power grid, create over a thousand jobs in our area, and bring down costs for consumers. As a small-town mayor, I need federal partners that will work across the aisle to deliver results for Pawnee residents. I know Nikki is that candidate and am glad to see her support of LLEC.”
Budzinski made the following statement: “Illinoisians across IL13 are facing the potential of dangerous power brownouts and blackouts this summer along with rising energy costs that are hurting working families. LLEC would help alleviate both problems by acting as a crucial baseload resource, stabilizing the Illinois power grid, creating over 1,000 jobs in our area, and bringing down costs by creating energy right here in Sangamon County.”
“I support the development of this plant and call on the Illinois EPA to cut the red tape and approve the permit for construction immediately.”
* Same candidate yesterday…
This morning, the Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois announced their endorsement of Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. Founded in 1936, the PBPA is comprised of 189 different units and is the largest downstate police association made up of full-time and retired sworn police officers.
The endorsement comes as Nikki Budzinski enters the general election with over $1,00,000 cash on hand after a decisive win in Illinois’ Democratic primary last week.
Budzinski made the following statement: “I am honored to earn the endorsement of the Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois and their members. I am committed to working with the law enforcement community.”
“I believe we need to make our communities safer by investing in law enforcement and ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed. The PBPA and their members know that I will stand with them and work with them to accomplish everyone’s shared vision of making our communities safer. I look forward to working with them in Congress.”
Sean Smoot, PBPA Chief Legal Counsel and Director, made the following statement: “Nikki Budzinski has earned the support of the PBPA of Illinois because she will be an advocate for the safety and training of law enforcement officers in Washington. Her support of officers in the line of duty and off duty, along with their families, is essential to public safety. She will be a strong voice for law enforcement and the communities they protect.”
* NRCC…
Hi there –
Nancy Pelosi is endorsing Nikki Budzinski.
NRCC Comment: “Nancy Pelosi is endorsing Nikki Budzinski because she knows Budzinski will support Pelosi’s socialist agenda in Congress.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Courtney Parella
* Press release…
Monica Gordon, Democratic Primary winner for 5th District Cook County Commissioner and winner of the Bloom Township Democratic Committeeperson seat issued the following statement after her big win on Tuesday:
“I am extremely humbled by the results of this year’s primary election. I am grateful for the incredible team I have had around me the last several months, who have been tirelessly knocking doors, making phone calls, attending events, and doing so much more. I am so proud of them. I am also very lucky to have the support of the “Keep Bloom Strong” organization. Their guidance, leadership, and strength have made all the difference in the races we have been running.
“I have been fortunate enough to have earned the endorsements of several organizations and leaders in our community. My endorsements from incumbent commissioner Deborah Sims and a host of other local leaders have given me - and the public- confidence in my abilities to lead Cook County District 5. The endorsement I received from SEIU 73 is deeply appreciated and all their hard work in this race has been absolutely incredible.
“Moving forward, I am confident that we will build on the momentum of these recent wins in order to take it all the way home and win the seat of District 5 Cook County Commissioner. The district is in need of strong, ethical leadership that I am ready to provide. I will be unwavering in my support of the people of the district and I will do what it takes to ensure that the 5th district will have equitable representation on the Cook County Board.”
…Adding… Forgot about this one…
* More…
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* Pritzker said the same thing during my interview last week…
During a June 30 interview with Capitol News Illinois, Pritzker suggested one response [to the influx of people seeking abortions] might be to expand segments of the state’s health care workforce to take on greater demand.
“Again, this is about securing access, making sure we have capacity to handle the needs of people to get procedures,” he said. “We need hospital personnel, health care personnel. Other states, for example, allow certain kinds of professionals to perform these procedures that Illinois doesn’t allow. So we’re going to look at expanding who can do the procedures.”
During that interview, Pritzker also said the state would not consider providing aid for out-of-state travel to Illinois for abortions.
* Financial Times…
“On an average day, we were seeing about 250 calls. Now it’s upwards of 500,” said Melissa Grant, chief operations officer of Carafem, which runs an abortion clinic in the Chicago suburb of Skokie. “We’re already seeing more Wisconsin patients.”
Generally, about 20 per cent of Carafem’s patients come from out of state, though that number increased to 30 per cent last month and is expected to jump further.
Many abortion providers believe the increase in demand is only the beginning, as women become more aware of the options available to them and further state bans elsewhere begin to take effect. There is “a lot of confusion” among patients over what is legal in their states, said Michelle K. […]
Northwestern Medicine, the hospital system of Northwestern University that offers abortion services through its family planning centre, said it would take a similar approach to reallocating resources as it did during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, should patient volumes increase.
* Wisconsin…
Most Saturday mornings Abby is at work or walking in nature somewhere. But on July 2, the 30-year-old is waiting at her house to be picked up by an acquaintance who will drive her more than two hours to a clinic in Illinois to obtain a medication abortion to end her pregnancy.
Even two weeks ago, Abby — who allowed a reporter to travel with her to Illinois and share her story but requested that her real name not be used — could have obtained what is commonly referred to as the “abortion pill” at the Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin clinic in Madison, where she lives. But when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its June 24 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning the constitutional right to an abortion that has existed since 1973, Planned Parenthood clinics immediately stopped offering both surgical and medication abortion due to Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion ban, which is still on the books.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has since filed suit in Dane County Circuit Court to block the 173-year-old statute. But Wisconsin women seeking abortion must currently go to Illinois or Minnesota or one of the other states in the nation where abortion remains legal and accessible. […]
Abby says she spent about four hours that day calling clinics in Illinois, but could not get through or was put on hold — up to two hours at one clinic. She started to feel a bit panicked but then her boyfriend got through immediately to a clinic in the Chicago area. He handed the phone to Abby and within a few minutes she had an appointment for Saturday.
* Rockford…
With expectations that women from Wisconsin will come to Illinois to have an abortion, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v Wade, an abortion clinic is set to open in Rockford soon.
Abortion is now illegal in Wisconsin and surrounding states. Gov. JB Pritzker has declared Illinois is a pro-choice state, causing patients from neighboring states to come into Illinois for an abortion.
President Biden discusses abortion options with Democrat governors
On Friday, the Rockford Family Initiative held a protest outside a former acupuncture facility, at 611 Auburn Street.
The building was purchased by Dr. Dennis Christensen and is expected to reopen as an abortion clinic as soon as next week.
* Meanwhile…
Lobbyists pressuring Congress on telehealth issues are staying away from abortion matters because they don’t want to jeopardize their chances of extending the pandemic-related rules that have been a boon to the sector, several of them told POLITICO.
The industry consultants and advocates are continuing their approach — even after the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade — because they don’t want to derail their congressional legislative goals to expand access to virtual care or weaken a coalition they’ve built over the last two years.
Eased as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the telehealth rules are widely popular and wouldn’t involve abortion care as a vast majority apply to the Medicare program. But advocates fear that abortion politics could find a way into their negotiations to extend the relaxed rules that are tied to the public health emergency — which could end as early as October, though the Biden administration is likely to extend it beyond that date.
“The telehealth industry and telehealth advocates want to maintain our bipartisan support, and this obviously complicates that,” one advocate for the telehealth industry said of the Roe decision. “We, as an industry, are just trying to make as many gains as we can, however we can, while maintaining that bipartisan support and bipartisan credibility.”
* More…
* Inside an Absolutely Slammed Abortion Clinic in a Blue State: As of the Thursday after the decision, anyone who wanted a surgical abortion, which Hope performs up until nearly 24 weeks of pregnancy, would have to wait about two weeks. The clinic was also booked out for three weeks for medication abortions, which Hope will induce, using pills, up until 11 weeks of pregnancy.
* Latino Voices Conversation: Future of Abortion Rights in Illinois and Across the Country
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Griffin’s Rauneresque gambit
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz writes about a meeting between the state’s wealthiest then-resident and Illinois’ billionaire governor...
Was there a way for two of Illinois’ richest residents to reach peace and avoid a yearslong war, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker getting the tax revenue he wanted to run the state and Citadel’s Ken Griffin keeping both his residence and his company headquarters in Illinois? […]
In the Pritzker account, Griffin talked mostly about the necessity of cutting the state’s spiraling pension costs by using Pritzker’s political clout to push for an amendment to the Illinois Constitution allowing a cut. There also may have been discussion about moving new state workers to a defined-contribution 401(k)-style retirement plan.
Pritzker said no, on the basis that pensions are a promise that should be maintained and that dumping the Constitution’s pension clause would be rejected by the courts. […]
Griffin told Pritzker he had a rare opportunity to run the state not from the political left but the center, dealing with unaffordable pension costs, such as a 3% compound annual cost-of-living increase for retirees, while stabilizing state finances with additional revenues, the Griffin account goes.
So, cut pension benefits and Griffin won’t challenge the tax hikes. Pritzker would’ve had to completely alienate organized labor and Democratic legislators from the get-go on a no-win proposal, but, no worries, Griffin would have his back if he somehow beat all odds and succeeded.
This is the same sort of deal that Bruce Rauner offered to legislative Democrats: Give me what I want or I’ll cut off the money, albeit likely offered up in a more polite way.
It takes a three-fifths majority in each chamber to put an amendment on the ballot, and that wasn’t gonna happen. Pritzker would’ve been insane to take that offer. He’d have been ruined politically by blatantly flip-flopping (and undoubtedly failing) on a major pledge to one of his party’s most important and powerful constituencies - and in the wake of a four-year war with an anti-union governor, labor unions were still fiercely united and stronger than ever. The rest of Pritzker’s entire agenda would’ve been derailed.
Apparently as a result of Pritzker’s refusal, Griffin stepped in big to help kill the governor’s graduated income tax proposal. He tried to finish the job this year with a candidate against Pritzker, but came up short and then packed his bags for Florida, where Rauner already resides.
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Darren Bailey and his enthusiasm for guns
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* In his own words…
* Patch…
Candidate for Illinois governor and Republican State Sen. Darren Bailey — who previously filed a lawsuit against current Gov. J.B. Pritzker — took to TikTok for the first time on Saturday to share a few thoughts about the recently passed $42.2 billion budget proposal.
In the debut video, Bailey holds thousands of pages of what he says is the Illinois budget proposal in his hands with what appears to be a semiautomatic sporting rifle slung on his back.
While Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” plays in the background, Bailey tells viewers he is finally ready to respond to his constituent’s questions about his feelings on the bill.
“Friends, Illinois Republicans had less than six hours to review over 3,800 pages of the budget this year,” he said. “This entire week people have been asking me how I feel about the budget. I’m having a hard time putting it into words.”
Wordlessly, Bailey loads the rifle, takes aim and fires a single shot at the stack of paper, sending pages flying.
The video on his Facebook page…
My Thoughts on the Pork-filled Illinois Democrat Budget
We made our first Tik Tok video to deliver an important message about the pork-filled Democrat budget that increases spending, increases taxes, and makes it harder for Illinoisans to invest, live, work and stay in Illinois. It’s time to turn things around. I support a zero-based budget where every department makes a case for every dollar spent to provide accountability. I also support identifying and eliminating unfunded mandates that increase property taxes and make it harder for working families. As your next Governor, we will get it done. #standingwithyouin2022
Posted by Darren Bailey for Governor on Saturday, June 5, 2021
* Click here to watch this other Bailey TikTok video…
* From his campaign’s online store…
* He’s had several gun raffles…
* SE Illinois News…
* Bailey on The Wilkow Majority…
You know, sharing ideas sometimes if you don’t hear them you don’t think of them. But you know, the concealed carry and how much safer would you be if the mom walking her children was concealed carry and had protection. And I personally think it would make a big difference and that’s sometimes what you have to do in government especially here in Illinois. You have to throw the idea out there and get people thinking because here in Illinois as democrat is the government has been, they’ve continually heard one side and havent had any light shed on other views.
* Bailey on WGN Radio…
Q: You and your wife are the founders of Full Armor Christian Academy. Is there a sign at the door of that school that reads: ‘Staff heavily armed and trained in any attempt to harm children will be met with deadly force’?
A: Well, you’ve done your research. There actually is, yes. We believe that the children are our most precious asset. And it’s interesting, when you go into a Target, or certainly a high-end fashion or jewelry store, you’ll usually see an armed guard there protecting that and in this day and age and climate, we believe that we need to do everything possible to protect our children.
Q: So you have guns throughout the school. Would you advocate that Chicago schools have guns easily available for teachers or others to use?
A: Well, I would certainly advocate under the current climate that is a plausible solution if the local school so chose. Obviously, lots of training, you know, handling the the gun itself, and then that training with local law enforcement agencies of which we do at Full Armor would be obviously mandatory. And I believe that that would, yeah, I believe that would certainly help be a step if a school so chose to use it to make schools and safer and protect our children.
* Bailey on WCMY Radio…
Guns are not the problem. Guns can be part of the solution as a part of protection.
From the station…
Bailey says it’s an important, God given right.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Supreme Court announced today the creation of the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Security and Safety (the Committee).
The Order announcing the creation of the Committee is available on the Court website by clicking here.
“The Supreme Court is committed to ensuring the safety of our judges and justices,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said. “Threats to the judiciary continue to increase and the Committee will help us address them.”
The Committee is tasked with providing the Court with developments and recommendations related to the judicial threat environment and protective operations, intelligence, and information. The committee will also coordinate with the Court’s judicial and law enforcement partners to monitor and review current and anticipated future judicial security needs and make appropriate recommendations to the Court.
The Chair of the Committee will be Jim Cimarossa, the Marshal of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Appointed as members of the Committee are First District Appellate Court Justice Mathias W. Delort, Second District Appellate Court Justice George Bridges, Twelfth Circuit Court Judge Susan T. O’Leary, Cook County Circuit Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Twenty-Second Circuit Court Michael J. Chmiel, and the Hon. Mark A. VandeWiele (ret.).
Additional appointed members will include the Executive Director of the Attorney Registration and Discipline Commission (ARDC), a representative of the Illinois State Police, a representative of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, and a representative of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
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Primary roundup
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
The four Illinois legislative leaders did not have a spectacular primary day. House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch lost three incumbents to primary challengers. Senate President Don Harmon lost an appointed incumbent and an open seat race. And House Republican Leader Jim Durkin lost two incumbents and came up short in some other races. Senate GOP Leader Dan McConchie came away with one ding.
On the other hand, it was a pretty darned good day to be a young progressive Democrat or a Donald Trump/Darren Bailey-affiliated Republican. State Rep. Delia Ramirez bested well-funded Chicago Ald. Gil Villegas (36th) in the 3rd Congressional District primary by a mind-boggling 42 points — the same margin as Republican Bailey achieved in the governor’s primary.
All of Welch’s defeated incumbents were bested by talented challengers from their left. Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, helped found a caucus for moderate Democrats and voted against repealing the Parental Notification of Abortion Act. His ties to former Speaker Michael Madigan helped for years, but not this time, when they were effectively used against him. Zalewski is a strong legislator, a friend to most and is actually beloved by many progressive legislators, but the winds and the super hard-charging Abdelnasser Rashid got him.
Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback, D-Skokie, was elected as a progressive two years ago, but alienated the gun law reform lobby as well as many colleagues and others during her tenure. The Gun Violence Prevention PAC went after her with a vengeance because she walked away from a landmark bill that G-PAC had negotiated. She’d also alienated her own state senator, Ram Villivalam, and he and a host of area politicos pushed hard for Kevin Olickal, who basically ran on Stoneback’s 2020 progressive platform.
The Associated Press has declared U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s ally Norma Hernandez the winner over Rep. Kathy Willis, D-Addison. Hernandez ran a Chuy-style campaign — lots of family and friends networking, non-stop door-knocking and making sure progressive Latinos got to the polls.
Senate Democrats and their allies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to back appointed Sen. Eric Mattson, D-Joliet, against progressive Will County Board member Rachel Ventura, but Ventura won by 15 points, even though she raised only $19,000 all year. This is, needless to say, a big loss. After Sen. John Connor decided to run for judge, the Dems and local pols engineered Mattson’s candidacy and his eventual appointment to Connor’s seat, believing that Ventura could put the district on the bubble this November if she won.
The Dems also supported Lamont Williams against Willie Preston in an open seat race. Preston was up by 8 points when he declared victory. The Williams campaign had a bunch of oppo on Preston and never used it. The Illinois Network of Charter Schools spent heavily for Preston, who had a host of endorsements, although his claimed endorsement by Secretary of State Jesse White proved to be false.
House Republican Conference Chair David Welter, R-Morris, and freshman Rep. Mark Luft, R-Pekin, both lost. The Bailey campaign and people like Jeanne Ives put a big target on Welter’s back. Welter’s opponent Jed Davis was also a very hard worker and won by 9 points with all votes counted except what was still in the mail.
Durkin also backed Arin Thrower in the primary to take on Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Crystal Lake. But Thrower is trailing the much more rightward Connie Cain by just 64 votes.
Jennifer Korte, another Bailey/Ives candidate backed to the hilt by Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, is defeating GOP-supported Joe Hackler by a 34-point margin for the right to take on Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville. The Durkin crew thought Korte was too far-right to have a chance against Stuart. Now they’re stuck with her.
Of the five House Republicans endorsed by Bailey, four won, with only Kent Gray losing badly to Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield.
Bailey supported two Senate Republican candidates. One won. Bailey-backed Sen. Win Stoller, R-East Peoria, beat the Jim Durkin-backed Brett Nicklaus by about two points. Durkin jumped into this race for Nicklaus after Travis Weaver announced against Luft as a way of pushing back against the Senate Republicans and Weaver’s father, whom he blamed for the younger Weaver’s candidacy.
The Senate Republicans backed a candidate who ended up with bad opposition research trouble, so they got out of the race.
Also, the ultra-conservative Chicago Fraternal Order of Police endorsed three conservative and not all that talented challengers to sitting Democratic legislators and all three incumbents won by huge margins.
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* The Conversation…
In 2019, we published a population-based study analyzing the data in a bid to evaluate the effect that the federal ban on assault weapons had on mass shootings, defined by the FBI as a shooting with four or more fatalities, not including the shooter. Here’s what the data shows:
Before the 1994 ban:
From 1981 – the earliest year in our analysis – to the rollout of the assault weapons ban in 1994, the proportion of deaths in mass shootings in which an assault rifle was used was lower than it is today.
Yet in this earlier period, mass shooting deaths were steadily rising. Indeed, high-profile mass shootings involving assault rifles – such as the killing of five children in Stockton, California, in 1989 and a 1993 San Francisco office attack that left eight victims dead – provided the impetus behind a push for a prohibition on some types of gun.
During the 1994-2004 ban:
In the years after the assault weapons ban went into effect, the number of deaths from mass shootings fell, and the increase in the annual number of incidents slowed down. Even including 1999’s Columbine High School massacre – the deadliest mass shooting during the period of the ban – the 1994 to 2004 period saw lower average annual rates of both mass shootings and deaths resulting from such incidents than before the ban’s inception.
From 2004 onward:
The data shows an almost immediate – and steep – rise in mass shooting deaths in the years after the assault weapons ban expired in 2004.
Breaking the data into absolute numbers, between 2004 and 2017 – the last year of our analysis – the average number of yearly deaths attributed to mass shootings was 25, compared with 5.3 during the 10-year tenure of the ban and 7.2 in the years leading up to the prohibition on assault weapons.
* Newsweek…
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FOID and the finger of blame
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Authorities said Crimo legally purchased the high-powered rifle he allegedly used to shoot more than three dozen people, including seven who were killed. And he did so even after a threatening episode was reported to Highland Park police, who in turn notified Illinois State Police, and after authorities had been alerted to him being suicidal.
It appeared that existing law — including the state’s so-called red flag law — wasn’t used to take weapons away from Crimo, long before he allegedly perched atop a roof along the parade route and opened fire. And current laws did nothing to head off his purchase of weapons, even in politically blue Illinois. […]
Crimo would have had to pass a criminal-background check, both to secure an Illinois gun permit, or FOID card, and to make the purchase. Generally, it takes a felony conviction or committal to a mental facility to bar someone from having a firearm in the state, experts said.
But an emerging picture of a very troubled background, including not only chilling online video postings about gun violence but also an attempted suicide and a threat on a family member with knives, raised questions about Illinois’ gun-permit system. […]
[Sgt. Chris Covelli, the spokesman for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force] said police did not have probable cause to make an arrest and also that no one signed a complaint against Crimo. But Highland Park police did notify Illinois State Police, the agency that issues Illinois gun permits, about the incident.
“Highland Park police notified Illinois State Police,” Covelli said, when pressed by reporters for details. “Where it goes from there, I don’t want to speak to.”
* The attorney retained by the alleged mass murderer’s parents also tried passing the buck to the ISP, even though the father is the one who sponsored his son’s FOID application…
* Illinois State Police statement issued July 5, 5:50 pm…
In September 2019, ISP received a Clear and Present Danger report on the subject from the Highland Park Police Department. The report was related to threats the subject made against his family. There were no arrests made in the September 2019 incident and no one, including family, was willing to move forward on a complaint nor did they subsequently provide information on threats or mental health that would have allowed law enforcement to take additional action. Additionally, no Firearms Restraining Order was filed, nor any order of protection.
At that time of the September 2019 incident, the subject did not have a FOID card to revoke or a pending FOID application to deny. Once this determination was made, Illinois State Police involvement with the matter was concluded.
Then, in December of 2019, at the age of 19, the individual applied for a FOID card. The subject was under 21 and the application was sponsored by the subject’s father. Therefore, at the time of FOID application review in January of 2020, there was insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger and deny the FOID application.
* ISP statement a few hours later…
In our continued investigation into the shooting in Highland Park on July 4, 2022, the Illinois State Police (ISP) looked into the criminal background of the individual charged in the crime.
The individual passed four background checks when purchasing firearms, through the Firearms Transaction Inquiry Program (FTIP), which includes the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS):
• June 9, 2020
• July 18, 2020
• July 31, 2020
• September 20, 2021
The only offense included in the individual’s criminal history was an ordinance violation in January 2016 for possession of tobacco.
ISP has no mental health prohibitor reports submitted by healthcare facilities or personnel.
The September 2019 Clear and Present Danger report made by the Highland Park Police Department was made in response to threats allegedly directed at the family, but the report indicates when police went to the home and asked the individual if he felt like harming himself or others, he responded no. Additionally and importantly, the father claimed the knives were his and they were being stored in the individual’s closet for safekeeping. Based upon that information, the Highland Park Police returned the knives to the father later that afternoon.
ISP will continue to provide as much information as possible in an effort to be fully transparent.
Thoughts?
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Here’s how you can help
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* NBC 5…
Highland Park Community Foundation
To help those directly impacted by the mass shooting in Highland Park, the Highland Park Community Foundation has established a July 4th Highland Park Shooting Response Fund.
According to the city, “All contributions to the Response Fund will go directly to victims and survivors or the organizations that support them.”
Here’s how to donate.
Illinois Crime Victims Fund
According to the Illinois Attorney General, “The Crime Victims Compensation Act was established by the Illinois General Assembly in 1973 with the primary goal of helping to reduce the financial burden imposed on victims of violent crime and their families.”
According to the fund’s website, “the Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Program can provide eligible victims and their families with up to $27,000 in financial assistance for expenses accrued as a result of a violent crime. “No victim of a crime should be paying out of pocket for their medical or therapy bills (and no family member should be paying for funeral bills).”
Here’s how to [see if you’re eligible for assistance].
There’s a lot more, including a plea for blood donors, so please, click here.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We’ll get to the Highland Park shooting in a little bit, so please hold your comments on that topic until we have a related post. Thanks.
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LIVE COVERAGE
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
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