Bailey provided NBC 5 with a copy of the two-page income tax cover sheets for his last five years worth of returns.
According to those documents, his Adjusted Gross Income in 2017 was $1,776. The following year, it increased to $211,000. In 2019, it declined slightly to $189,000.
Amid the COVID pandemic, Bailey reported a loss of $164,000, while in 2021 he reported a loss of $99,000.
Bailey cited the purchase of new equipment for businesses for reported losses of income.
During those two years, ProPublica reported that Bailey received more than $570,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans, and the Chicago Tribune reported that he received $280,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
…Adding… Pritzker will release his tax returns when he files next month, the Sun-Times tells us…
Pritzker’s campaign offered praise for the governor’s rival for peeling back the curtain on his federal tax obligations but questioned why Bailey withheld the release of his state tax returns for the period.
“We’re glad to see Bailey releasing his federal returns,” Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein said. “We look forward to the release of his state returns, as the governor has done every year.”
Q: While you’re in Chicago immersing yourself in the culture, do you plan to take public transportation?
Bailey: It’s a good idea. I hadn’t thought about that. I want to immerse myself in the culture. So thank you for that idea. That’s what makes this great. Let’s talk, let’s communicate. I need to know where I need to be, what I need to do. I love it.
You’re moving to Chicago … why? As a display of courage? You said, to immerse yourself in the culture. Fair enough, Darren Bailey, let’s get to it. You can’t just spend the next … umm … eight weeks rushing from the Hancock entrance, surrounded by a phalanx of linemen from Xenia Junior College into a pair of waiting black SUVs. What does that prove?
Nothing erodes fear like experience. We need to get you out on the town, over to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Founded by teachers, you know. C’mon, I’ll take you, and even pick up the admission (ote-nay oo-tay eaders-ray: ission-admay is ee-fray). Then lunch at 5 Rabanitos. I love that place. Or “5 Radishes” in Spanish. See? You’re learning already!
Nor will we limit ourselves to one part of the city. We’ll ride the L, we’ll wander around Bronzeville, unafraid. Over the past 35 years, I’ve pretty much ranged across the entire city. From South Avenue O, within spitting distance of the Indiana border, to streets below Lower Wacker Drive. And let me tell you a secret: You can go anywhere in Chicago. It’s OK. Back when there were high-rise public housing projects — the Robert Taylor Homes, Cabrini-Green — I visited them all. At night. You know who lived there? Not demons with pitchforks. People. Working folks. Women lugging groceries. Some places are more dangerous, some less, but my personal rule is: If people can live there, I can visit. Never got shot once.
* The Question: Any Chicago tips for candidate Bailey?
* Darren Bailey held a press conference in Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side today…
I’m sorry we have to be here today on such an occasion. It breaks my heart as well to see what’s happening across Chicago and especially what happened near here last night. Those affected by the senseless shootings in Washington Park, Garfield Park and the families of the more than the 500 people that have been killed in Chicago this year, I want you to know that I am fighting to end this bloodshed.
The Acclivus folks showed up to the presser and they were not pleased. At one point, two of the group’s leaders engaged with Bailey’s running mate, Stephanie Trussell…
“Our staff was on the frontlines out here last night,” Acclivus organizer Bamani Obadele told Trussell. “We’ve been running these games for five weeks without any incident happening. Last night was the first tragic incident happening. And so it’s shameful to use this as some type of political football on the deaths of innocent people. There are two lives that were lost, a young man and an elderly man who was out there watching the game with us. And so I get it, we’re in this space. But this is really Willie Horton-like tactics.”
Rev. Janette Wilson, who is a senior official at Operation PUSH and very active in the city, told Trussell that Bailey has “never been in this community before doing anything.” When Trussell asked Rev. Wilson when the last time Gov. Pritzker was in the community, Wilson and others said he’s been there several times. They weren’t wrong.
* Anyway, the Bailey press conference was interesting because the activists were also asking questions. Click here to listen. The activists held their own media availability, and Obadele told reporters, “He didn’t come here with any other solution. He’s living downtown in an ivory tower, talking to people here on the South Side. If he wants to impress us, move in to Washington Park.”
* I’ve received two blast emails from the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association asking for money to fund a TV ad in the governor’s race. Excerpt from one…
Our team is ALREADY working on a TV commercial that will EXPOSE Darren Bailey as the true danger to Illinois that he is, but we need to raise $10,000 by tomorrow night in order to get it up and running.
Can you please rush a donation of $5 before midnight tomorrow to help us fight like hell against Darren and his millionaire mega-donors? We need to counter any TV ads that this conservative group has planned, as well as any commercials that will come directly from Darren’s campaign.
Wait. The governor is a billionaire and has plenty of dough while down-ballot candidates could use some help, so what the heck? “The ILDCCA is gonna air TV ads in the governor’s race?,” I asked an official with the association. His emailed reply…
Former President Trump endorsed Bailey before the primary, but would you welcome President Trump again back in Illinois before the November 8th election?
You know, President Trump is not on the ballot.
He wasn’t on the ballot in June when he campaigned for Bailey.
ProPublica first reported that Bailey received nearly $570,000 in PPP loans. The Chicago Tribune also notes there was another $280,000 from the USDA for farmers, and since 1995 his farming operation has received $2.1 million in federal subsidies.
“It is the federal government that’s pretty well in charge of export and import, demand, embargos. They control these prices,” he said.
States like Wisconsin and Georgia have recently removed hundreds of thousands of names off their voter lists, in what critics are calling “voter purges.” And in preparation for the 2020 election, the Ohio secretary of state removed nearly half a million names, thousands erroneously.
Election officials in those states say they are cleaning up their voter lists, deleting voters who are inactive, have moved or passed away. But voting rights groups say voter purges are often flawed and states should instead implement same-day voter registration.
So where does Illinois fall in all of this? According to Matt Dietrich with the Illinois Board of Elections, it’s very hard for eligible voters to get kicked off the lists here. Even if voters are removed, eligible Illinois voters still have many ways to ensure that their ballot is cast.
* SoS race…
Illinois Republican Dan Brady today announced that as the next Secretary of State he will reduce all Illinois motor vehicle license plate fees by $50 for one year to provide relief to economically hard-hit Illinois families.
“Illinois citizens have been sucker-punched by skyrocketing food, housing and medical care costs, and enough is enough,” Brady said. “That extra $50 per vehicle may help families to pay for groceries, gasoline, school books or their utility bills. Taxpayers have wondered for years where their money goes in Springfield, and it’s about time it went back to them.”
Brady cited the 8.3 percent increase over the past 12 months in the Consumer Price Index as evidence that costs are rising at a higher rate than many people can afford.
“How many Illinois residents get an 8.3 percent raise each year? How are they supposed to keep their heads above water?” Brady said. “Admittedly my plan is only a $50 reduction per vehicle, but $50 still means something today.”
Under the Brady Plan, standard license plate renewal fees for 2023 would be reduced from $151 to $101; personalized plate renewals would drop from $158 to $108; and vanity license plates, currently at $164, would be $114 next year. The current license plate renewal rates would return in 2024.
“The streamlining and efficiency measures I plan to make as Secretary of State will help to absorb the cost of this one-year reduction in license plate fees,” Brady said. “Illinois residents are tightening their belts during these tough times, and we should do the same in state government.”
Brady’s license plate fee reduction plan is in line with other inflation-fighting measures enacted by the Illinois General Assembly. The legislature has frozen the one percent grocery tax, postponed the state’s gasoline tax increase until January 2023, and is providing a $50 income tax rebate to Illinois taxpayers.
…Adding… Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign…
Alexi is committed to saving Illinoisans time and money as the next Secretary of State. However this proposal lacks significant details. Not by coincidence, Dan conveniently leaves out how he intends to make up for the revenue losses in the state budget or who will sponsor it. Furthermore, it’s interesting that as a career politician, Dan is just now coming up with this half-baked idea just 55 days before the election after having more than 20 years to push for it as a member of the Illinois General Assembly.
America used to be stronger, safer and more prosperous. Not anymore. How do these career politicians keep getting away with this? I’m Regan Deering. I’m running for Congress to put people first and restore the American Dream. I’m a fighter who will cut wasteful spending and hold politicians accountable. I’ll fight to reduce the cost of gas and make America energy independent. And I will always defend the police. I’m Regan Deering, I approve this message. Together, we’ll fight the political insiders and put families first.
* ILGOP…
Mary K. O’Brien’s and Elizabeth Rochford’s candidacies for the Illinois Supreme Court reflect the latest iteration of one of Illinois’ oldest and saddest political axioms. For decades, there has been one constant catalyst in the election of justices: the Madigan Machine promotes its own.
Case-in-point, the careers of outgoing Chief Justice Anne Burke and former Justice Tom Kilbride, who lost his retention race in a historic judicial election in 2020. Both Burke and Kilbride were backed by the Madigan Machine.
For decades, the most reliable way of being appointed judge was Mike Madigan and Ed Burke’s stamp of approval. According to a Chicago Tribune article from April 17th, 2011 “Madigan’s List”:
“…Many of those full circuit judges were publicly elected with the help of the Democratic Party that Madigan controls — and the judicial slating committee run by Ald. Edward Burke, 14th. While the party wields overt power in those elections, the process of picking associate judges is touted as a way for talented lawyers to make the bench without bowing to political bosses or wooing uninformed and uninterested voters. But politicking for the coveted associate judgeships is rampant in Chicago’s legal community, and the Tribune found one of the best ways to win a spot is to be on what is widely referred to as ‘Madigan’s list.’”
Now, two more machine judges - Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford - are rising through the ranks of the Madigan Machine, seeking spots on the State’s highest court.
O’Brien was appointed as an Appellate Court Justice during her final year in the Illinois General Assembly after voting with Madigan 93.6% of the time. O’Brien also “Helped Madigan Regain The Speakership,” according to the State-Journal Register article “Wishing for some goodies for public officials in 1998” from December 28th, 1997. O’Brien also received over $200,000 in political contributions from political groups led by Madigan over the course of her career.
Rochford was also appointed, not elected, to her judgeship. Rochford served for over two decades on the Illinois Court of Claims, which has long been noted as a proving ground of political patronage. Rochford has given over $15,000 to indicted machine boss and Alderman Ed Burke since 1999. She also gave Burke $1,500 just a month after Burke was charged with 14 counts of corruption. When asked about the contribution, Rochford justified it, calling Burke “a longtime friend of the family”.
“Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford are the latest chapter in Illinois’ sad history of Madigan Machine-backed judges rising through the ranks of Illinois’ judicial system. Illinois voters can’t afford any more Madigan-backed judges who block anti-corruption reforms. We must elect justices to our state’s highest court who are loyal to the rule of law and the people of Illinois, not to indicted party bosses like Mike Madigan and Ed Burke,” said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe.
* ILGOP…
Since the allegations against State Senator Michael Hastings first came to light, one thing has been consistent throughout the entire saga, crickets from the Governor, Senate President, and Hastings’ Democrat colleagues in the Illinois State Legislature.
According to WBEZ, “For more than two years, lawyers for the state of Illinois fought against a lawsuit filed by the former chief of staff to powerful Sen. Michael Hastings. But earlier this year, the state paid $100,000 to the ex-chief of staff to Hastings and her lawyer to settle the case, which included accusations of racial and gender discrimination against the Democratic lawmaker.”
To date, Hastings’ scandals have left Illinois taxpayers on the hook for nearly $150,000 in legal bills and settlements. In addition to using taxpayer money to settle his harassment claims, Hastings faces very serious allegations of domestic abuse from his wife.
According to the police report obtained by the Edgar County Watchdogs earlier this year, “Hastings treated his wife poorly for the past 8 months being emotionally and verbally abusive” and “That he battered her, by placing her in a choke hold/neck restraint, and slammed her body into a door multiple times”.
Meanwhile, Hastings’ spokesperson lashed-out at the longtime Director of the Illinois Environmental Council who accused Hastings of having “had serious issues with anger management that aren’t appropriate for the workplace where we are making laws for the state of Illinois”. Hastings’ spokesperson called her a “bully” and accused her of lying.
One prominent Democrat has spoken out. State Senator Napoleon Harris actually came to Hastings’ defense saying that he has “known Mike Hastings to be one of the most upstanding, professional, and honest legislators in the Illinois Senate.”
“Since Senator Hastings won’t address the allegations against himself by other means than lawsuits and name-calling tantamount to victim-blaming, Governor Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, along with Senator Hastings’ colleagues in the legislature have some explaining to do. They must be called to answer questions about where they stand on Senator Hastings’ domestic abuse allegations, history of inappropriate workplace behavior, taxpayer-funded legal settlement, and if they feel he is still fit to serve in the Illinois Senate,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “Their silence in the name of political expediency is deafening.”
* ILGOP…
For the last two years, Illinois voters have continually been denied clear answers from Mike Frerichs on a host of issues, led by his comments supporting taxing retirement income. Frerichs’ continual ducking and hiding from any challenge to his policies and statements have been made clear by ignoring Treasurer Candidate Tom Demmer’s invitation for a series of public debates between the two candidates.
Returning back to October of 2020, nearly four months after commenting in support of a retirement tax, Treasurer Frerichs announced and then proceeded to abruptly cancel a press conference on the topic. Unfortunately, his record of impeding voters’ request for more transparency doesn’t end there.
Fast forward to 2022 and Treasurer Frerichs continues to ignore an invitation from State Representative Tom Demmer to participate in a series of public debates to discuss the retirement tax and other issues pertinent to state fiscal policy.
The people of Illinois deserve a leader who will stand up for Illinois families, protect their hard-earned savings, and refuse to run away when challenged to produce facts on their record. Treasurer Frerichs owes nothing less to every resident of Illinois than the opportunity to hear an open and honest exchange of ideas before the November 8 election.
“While Frerichs ducks, deflects, and dodges, Tom Demmer has been fully transparent about his agenda to safeguard taxpayer dollars and serve as a fiscal watchdog, not a tax-and-spend Pritzker lapdog. Meanwhile, Treasurer Frerichs has repeatedly ignored opportunities to face the voters and explain his past support for taxing retirement income. Voters of Illinois deserve the opportunity to hear open, honest, and transparent debates,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
* Mayor Lori Lightfoot today about the way Texas is transporting asylum seekers to Chicago…
I believe that they have been misled and the only option for them that they’ve been presented to by the folks in Texas is a free bus ride, because they’re not providing any other option to them to go elsewhere into the country where many of them would prefer to go.
* Gov. Pritzker was then asked whether the Texas governor’s actions could be considered human trafficking or even kidnapping…
Pritzker: Well, we are still examining and interviewing the folks who have come to Illinois and listening to their stories about whether or not they willingly got on these buses, knew where they were going or given the information appropriate. And the legal authorities in the state of Illinois, specifically our Attorney General, the General Counsel’s Office in the governor’s office, the Corporation Council for the City of Chicago, all looking into whether or not there is criminal liability for what they’ve done.
Q: Well, we heard that they signed waivers, they knew exactly where they’re going. Some wanted to go to Chicago, because they had family members in the surrounding states. So you’re saying that some might have been kidnapped?
Pritzker: I’m suggesting to you that someone signed a piece of paper, if it was in English and they don’t speak English, if it was in Spanish and they don’t read or write, that’s not an appropriate way for the governor of Texas to release himself from liability.
Q: [Paraphrasing because audio was poor: Is there any type of legal action the state could take to stop the governor of Texas from sending migrants here?]
Pritzker: We’re absolutely looking into all of those options. But let’s be clear, we are going to take care of the people who are on the buses when they arrive in Illinois. The question of what consequence comes to the governor of Texas or to the state of Texas is another question together, but we’re working on it.
* Anyway, on to the press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today issued an emergency disaster proclamation and activated approximately 75 members of the Illinois National Guard to ensure all state resources are available to support asylum seekers arriving nearly daily to Chicago from the State of Texas. The proclamation enables the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and other state agencies, in close coordination with the City of Chicago, Cook County, and other local governments, to ensure the individuals and families receive the assistance they need. This includes transport, emergency shelter and housing, food, health screenings, medical assessments, treatments, and other necessary care and services.
“Today, I signed a disaster proclamation allowing the state to speed up the procurement of the immediate resources needed to help Chicago, Cook County, and other jurisdictions provide humanitarian assistance to the asylum seekers who are being sent to our state with no official advance notice by the Governor of Texas,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Let me be clear: while other states may be treating these vulnerable families as pawns, here in Illinois, we are treating them as people.”
The proclamation is necessary to ensure sufficient capacity to meet the needs of more than 500 asylum seekers who have arrived already, with more buses arriving nearly every day. The robust statewide response will include IEMA, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). IEMA has also established a Unified Area Command in Chicago to quickly deploy resources to support the operations.
The groups of migrants arriving via Texas are residing in the United States legally, proceeding through the legal immigration and asylum seeking process. They are often fleeing dangerous and perilous situations, and mostly coming from Central and South America.
At the southern border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol conducts biometric screenings – including facial and fingerprints – that are cross-checked against terrorist watch lists and criminal databases. New arrivals also undergo health screenings at the border as well as additional screenings once they reach Chicago.
Many of the families and individuals seeking asylum, who began arriving in Chicago on August 31, faced long and difficult journeys from their homes. Some require medical care, including pre-natal care for pregnant women; treatment for malnourishment, dehydration, and asthma in children; foot injury and wound care; vaccinations; and chronic health condition management. They are also in need of mental health assessments and care to begin to recover from the traumas experienced on their journey.
“Illinois is a welcoming beacon of hope for all who are seeking a home and stability here,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “The asylum seekers arriving to our state deserve care, compassion, and dignity, because that is what any person pursuing a better life for themselves and their families would want. We will stand with them by continuing efforts to provide the care and services they need to move forward.”
To date, the State of Texas has been transporting asylum-seeking families and individuals to Illinois with no advance notice and with no coordination with the State of Illinois or the City of Chicago. The buses have been directed to drop their passengers at Union Station in Downtown Chicago despite requests from State and City officials that travelers be brought to Welcome Centers. Gov. Pritzker has repeatedly called on Texas to treat these asylum seekers with dignity, to open the lines of communication with his office, and to stop trying to manufacture chaos for political purposes.
* My associate Isabel Miller was at today’s Pritzker press conference today and asked the governor if anything needs to be changed in the SAFE-T Act before January 1st and if he wanted any specific changes. His response…
Well, let’s just set the record straight with everybody. The SAFE-T Act is designed to keep murderers, domestic abusers, violent criminals in jail. And to address that, the problem of the current system, which allows those people, murderers, domestic abusers, and so on, to buy their way out of jail by just paying bail.
So what we’re addressing the problem that exists today, making sure that we’re also addressing the problem of a single mother who shoplifted diapers for her baby who is put in jail and kept there for six months because she doesn’t have a couple of hundred dollars to pay for bail. So that’s what the SAFE-T Act is about.
Are there changes or adjustments that need to be, of course. And there have been adjustments made and there will continue to be. Laws are not immutable. They are not, you know, there with no change that’s ever made to them. Of course, of course.
And then the press conference ended.
…Adding… House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
Yesterday, once again, Governor Pritzker claimed that the SAFE-T Act wasn’t a rushed disaster of a law. Today, he admits that his SAFE-T Acts needs a fourth trailer bill but is unable to explain how the law needs to be changed. How can anyone trust this governor when he talks about crime and the SAFE-T Act?
Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey is out with a new ad that leans hard on his role as a farmer, showing him working his farm in southern Illinois as Paul Harvey’s famous speech, “So God Made a Farmer,” plays. The ad ends with a frame that says, “Illinois needs a farmer.”
But, whatever, here’s the non-campaign affiliated video anyway…
To mark the start of Hispanic Heritage Month tomorrow, the Democratic Party of Illinois today launched a new ad campaign featuring its first-ever Spanish-language ads.
“These unprecedented Spanish-language ads are the first of many efforts to expand voter outreach under my leadership at the Democratic Party of Illinois,” said Chair Lisa Hernandez. “The Party is committed to new approaches and innovative ideas that will engage underrepresented communities leading up to the general election in November and beyond.”
“This is a big deal. With this early investment in its first-ever Spanish-language ads, the Democratic Party of Illinois is demonstrating its deep commitment to Latino communities in Chicago and across Illinois,” said U.S. Representative and State Central Committeeperson Chuy García. “Initiatives like these are exactly how we’ll connect with voters in every corner of our state ahead of the November election. I look forward to working with DPI to do just that in the months ahead.”
The broader campaign, focused on minimum wage and support for working families, consists of six 16-second digital videos running on YouTube. The Spanish-language ads, titled “Para Nosotros” and “Ninguno,” specifically target Latino voter-heavy zip codes across the state, with an additional version playing in the 25th Senate district in support of State Senator Karina Villa.
With this key initiative, the Democratic Party of Illinois is working to reach and mobilize traditionally underrepresented voters. DPI will continue to invest in ads in a variety of languages — focusing next on Asian American communities — to connect with diverse groups of voters in the home stretch leading up to the November election.
* A September 4 letter to US Rep. Sean Casten from Awake IL…
Re: Cease and Desist - Defamation
Dear Sir:
This is written on behalf of Awake IL, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Illinois. Awake IL engages in social welfare advocacy on behalf of communities across the state.
It has come to our attention that you, Sean Casten, are unlawfully exploiting the mission of Awake Illinois with defamatory claims per the common law elements of “defamation” (see attachments).
Accordingly, Awake IL demands that you immediately cease and desist from further acts of defamation to any third party and remove committed acts of defamation from any third-party sites to which defamatory statements have been posted (e.g. https://castenforcongress.com, Daily Herald, etc).
Please contact us upon your receipt of this letter to confirm that you will comply with these demands and to discuss an appropriate resolution. In the event we do not receive the foregoing from you within ten (10) days from the date hereof, Awake IL will take additional steps necessary to protect its rights and/or seek all remedies available under applicable laws as a result of your unlawful acts of defamation.
Awake IL may file a civil action in local state court requesting damages and attorney’s fees wherever applicable.
The foregoing is not intended to be a complete recitation of the facts pertaining to your infringement. Nothing herein shall be deemed an admission or waiver of any of Awake IL’s rights or remedies, all of which are expressly reserved.
Sincerely,
Shannon Adcock
President, Awake IL
Josh McBroom
Vice President, Awake IL
Steve Lucie
Director, Awake IL
CC:
Attorney Thomas DeVore
Silverlake Law Group
* The Casten campaign issued a press release on today’s “deadline”…
Last week, after U.S. Congressman Sean Casten called on Keith Pekau to disavow Awake Illinois and the award Pekau received from them, Casten received a cease and desist from Pekau’s allies at Awake Illinois.
Rep. Casten has released the following statement:
“I will not cease nor desist in supporting the interests of everybody in the community I represent and making sure that there’s space for decency and kindness and love,” said Rep. Casten. “Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois should be ashamed of themselves for the unsafe environment they have created in our community. They have used their platform to promote hatred, homophobia, and bigotry.”
Tom Devore, the Republican nominee for Attorney General in Illinois, was CC’d on the cease and desist.
This week, the Downers Grove Public Library announced it was canceling an upcoming Drag Queen Bingo program after it received severe threats regarding the event, including calls to bring weapons to the event. These threats occurred after Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois issued a call-to-action to their supporters.
In July, Uprising Bakery in Lake in the Hills was attacked after it announced it was hosting a kid-friendly drag show. This occurred after Awake Illinois and Members of the Proud Boys’ Northern Illinois chapter promoted a protest of the event.
In January, the St. Charles Public Library was forced to temporarily close due to threats after Awake Illinois publicly criticized the library’s COVID-19 safety measures.
Geoffrey Stone, a First Amendment scholar at the University of Chicago Law School, said the statements included with Awake Illinois’ letter provide no legal backing for a claim of defamation.
“They are just ordinary political statements that are fully protected by the First Amendment,” Stone wrote in an email. “Only factually false statements made can constitute defamation, and even then they have to be either negligently or recklessly made.”
* Darren Bailey held up a copy of the Sun-Times front page today during his daily Facebook live video and said…
Last night at Washington Park, nine were shot on a drive-by shooting. Two were killed. The victims range from 19 to 46. Why isn’t that the headline? Why aren’t the press reporting on the failures of JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx? I think that it’s appalling that, uh, they’re not, you know, last night, just within minutes after one of these massive shootings, Lori Lightfoot tweeted that, Hey, Darren Bailey, welcome to Chicago, leave your woke ideas and, and thank you for your, your tax money. Why isn’t that the headline? I think we should demand more out of our press. I think we should demand more out of the people that are reporting this. And if they won’t do it, then boycott ‘em. Push ‘em to the side. Get away from the TV, get away from these news sources that won’t report the truth because these need to be the headlines.
This may be a nitpick, but any time someone uses the word “truth,” I cringe. Truth is from a deity. Facts are from humans.
2 killed, 7 others wounded by gunfire in Washington Park: ‘It’s another tragic incident’
At least nine people were shot, two of them fatally, when gunfire erupted Tuesday night during a pickup softball game at Washington Park on the South Side.
An argument broke out between two groups and escalated into an exchange of gunfire around 7:45 p.m. at 5531 S. King Drive, Deputy Chief Fred Melean said during a news conference at the nearby University of Chicago Medical Center.
Curious whether he’ll still attend the debates, since they’ll be hosted by a TV news outlet.
…Adding… This is what Lightfoot actually tweeted…
Hi Darren. Welcome to Chicago. If you need help finding a clue, here’s a map. In the meantime, we welcome your tourism dollars. Check out the architectural boat tour. But do the other passengers a favor—leave your right wing nonsense at the dock. https://t.co/UivKhoJ6Ndpic.twitter.com/b0Xwaq0kRD
Lori, this may be a joke to you but there are people dying everyday on your streets because of your dangerous policies and failed leadership. You’re laughing, but there are at least 13 families crying tonight because of a shooting in Washington Park. Shame on you. https://t.co/vdNGHnWlqQ
This morning our office was attacked. Security footage shows a brick was thrown through one of our windows around 5 am by an individual who then fled northbound towards Bryn Mawr. Police are investigating. Board up is on the way and we will still be here to help our constituents. pic.twitter.com/T8GvnSFcSX
— Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy (@ILRepCassidy) September 14, 2022
…Adding… The tweet was deleted and replaced by this one because the footage suggests the brick-thrower was a woman.
NBC5’s Charlie Wojciechowski reported Tuesday night that our PAC’s latest television ad has been removed from NBC5’s broadcasts because “a number of people complained.”
“NBC ran the same video on its newscasts. This is the new standard? So if the sane complain that they’re traumatized by Pritzker’s incendiary pro-abort ads, NBC Chicago will pull his ads? Of course not. But if the Leftist borg objects, corporate news outlets are happy to do its bidding.”
As of 9:19PM Tuesday night, the same video that appears in our ad still appears on NBC’s own website.
Reporting news is quite a bit different than using an assault purely to score political points. Just sayin.
* Also, while we’re on this topic, from a Chicago Tribune reporter…
Probably not hypothetical. “The Scream” ad that credited video of a woman in Lakeview being mugged to CWB seemed to alter the video.
Advertisers added sound (dogs barking, birds chirping), moved screaming sounds earlier & took out the victim saying “What do you want? My phone?” https://t.co/Awl1y2ufdv
CLAIM: Anyone charged with a “non-detainable offense” will be released immediately after arrest. See graphic below, which is making the rounds on social media.
FACT: The SAFE-T Act does not create any “non-detainable offenses.” Illinois law has no such thing.
Certain crimes, including forcible felonies, stalking, and domestic abuse, guarantee the revocation of pretrial release; meaning, they will not be released after arrest. This is outlined in the act’s section 110-6.1.a.
Some of the crimes listed in the graphic will lead to revocation pretrial release, such as arson and kidnapping. These are defined as forcible felonies by Illinois law.
However, that does not mean perpetrators of other crimes are guaranteed to be let out of jail free. A judge may revoke pretrial release from ANY perpetrator who “poses a specific, real and present threat to any person or the community.” That can include perpetrators of any of the crimes listed in the image above.
Keep in mind: pretrial release is just that–release before a person’s trial. An alleged criminal is not free forever. Once they are tried, they are either found guilty and sentenced or found innocent and released.
[Story has been updated with a small change in the fourth graf.]
As I told you yesterday, there’s lots of Democratic talk behind the scenes about changing the law because there are some significant problems with it. But none of the proponents have wanted to admit this in public. That’s a huge mistake, IMHO.
First, let's check out this "news story." Notice how it is a "staff report," and doesn't include a reporter's name. Only in very rare instances will a reputable publication do this, and that's often to protect sources who have risked their own safety. Not the case here. Red flag. pic.twitter.com/o45onTUYyh
Nurses represented by the Illinois Nurses Association are joined by colleagues from the American Federation of State and Municipal Employees Union to conduct informational picketing to call attention to the woeful staffing conditions at both Chicago-Read Mental Health Center and the Illinois Veterans Home at Chicago.
Chicago-Read Mental Health Center is a state-run inpatient JCAHO-accredited facility with between 150 and 200 beds located on the northwest side of the city.
The Illinois Veterans’ Home at Chicago offers 200 private rooms with baths. Its open floor plan creates community around pods of living and dining spaces. The home accommodates veterans seeking skilled nursing and memory care.
In 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a statement announcing a statewide recruitment and retention campaign to more fully staff state-run health agencies. According to INA, the agencies have not responded to this clarion call for new staff.
Nurses who work at the VA Home at Chicago have filed a number of complaints about inadequate staffing and consistent payroll issues. According to the INA, The Chicago VA location employs 12 RNs and these nurses care for 24 veterans. Nurses are often required to work alone during the day shift and families of the vets have rightly inquired about why there only one nurse taking care of all 24 patients. Several families have pulled their Vet out of the Chicago VA because of the lack of RNs.
The Purge is an American anthology media franchise centered on a series of dystopian action horror films … The films present a seemingly normal, crime-free America in the near-future. However, the country is a dystopia which celebrates an annual national holiday known as “the Purge,” a day in which all crime, including murder, becomes decriminalized for a 12-hour period.
* Sen. Darren Bailey today, with a bit of italicized commentary by me and some links for you…
We’re standing here today near the spot where two tourists were mugged at gunpoint just outside of their hotel last night.
This is not a test, this is a wake up call. Chicago is living The Purge. When criminals ravage at will and the cops are told to stand down.
JB Pritzker and his cohorts in mayhem are directing the film. With his SAFE-T Act, JB is set to unleash The Purge in neighborhoods all over Illinois as of January 1.
For those who will not see, many in the media, those who deny the hellhole Chicago has become. More people have been murdered in Chicago this year than in New York City and Los Angeles combined [Close, but not accurate]. Let that sink in. More than 500 deaths so far.
JB Pritzker, Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx are personally responsible for this.
For those who will not see, lift the veils from your eyes before they’re ripped away by one of the gangs or criminals that our leaders have set free.
Watch the video of a gang of armed robbers terrorizing Wicker Park residents Monday. The cops spotted them getting away, but they were told to stand down. Don’t try to catch them. Don’t pursue, was the words. That’s the rule in Chicago. Those Wicker Park robbers are serial criminals. They went off scot free and they will return.
Alderman George Cardenas, a Democrat, tweeted in a response, ‘Public Safety in Chicago is a joke. Why bother calling the police?’ Except it’s not a joke. It’s a nightmare.
Chicago has strict vehicle pursuit guidelines that make it impossible for police to do their jobs and let criminals go free. [If the city is going to have these pursuit guidelines to protect innocent bystanders, then it really needs alternatives, like drones and helicopters, and it needs them soon.]
And it gets worse. JB is so enamored of these horrific rules that he passed legislation that imposes them on the entire state of Illinois.
Soon, all of Illinois will look like Chicago, like a scene from a horror film come to life. We can and we must stop this.
He then went on to outline his anti-crime program, which he’s done before. Also, as always, please pardon any transcription errors.
* Bailey seems to be riding a wave of recent TikTok videos claiming Illinois is about to enter The Purge on January 1. Most of the videos are based on false or woefully incomplete information, including a meme produced by a far-right southern Illinois website using call letters that make it look like a licensed broadcast station.
…Adding… It’s spreading like wildfire on these sites…
I see the Safe-T Act being referred to as the "Purge Law" on hip-hop and entertainment news and blogs.
We really have to address how misinformation is spreading because bloggers are searching for content. They're not fact-checking.
There are no “non-detainable offenses” coming on January 1. Those judged a flight risk can be held, as one example. But, there’s been a lot of behind the scenes talk about changing the SAFE-T Act during the post-election veto session, particularly to tighten up some language on who gets released and when, and clarifying some things in the anti-trespassing law. So, this Fox 32 take is mostly correct…
Even some top Democrats concede privately they’d like to amend ambiguous language dealing with exactly when judges will be able to detain violent offenders.
* Last word…
I am trying to imagine someone standing on Restaurant Row in the West Loop, surrounded by gleaming new high rises and some of the best food in the country, and declaring that this place is the purge.
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide, the most prominent effort by Republicans to restrict the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
“I think we should have a law at the federal level that would say, after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” Graham said at a news conference. “And that should be where America is at.”
Graham’s measure, which stands almost no chance of advancing while Democrats hold the majority in Congress, comes just weeks after he and most Republicans had defended the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe by arguing that allowing states to decide on abortion rights would be the most “constitutionally sound” way of handling the issue.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) suggested Graham had gone a bit rogue with his latest legislation: “That wasn’t a conference decision. It was an individual senator’s decision.”
“There’s obviously a split of opinion in terms of whether abortion law should be decided by the states, which is my preference … and those who want to set some sort of minimum standard,” Cornyn said of the 50-member Senate GOP conference. “I would keep an open mind on this but my preference would be for those decisions to be made on a state-by-state basis.”
* More…
McConnell on Graham’s bill: “you’ll have to ask him about it.” Says most Republicans want to leave it to the states
* I asked Gov. Pritzker’s office for react. Here’s the governor’s response…
Illinois is and always will be a state where we respect women’s rights to make their own decisions about their bodies and their healthcare. The extremists in the GOP told us it should be up to the states to decide and we knew they couldn’t be trusted. A nationwide ban on abortion is not only an egregious attempt to strip away long held rights, but it puts the lives of women at risk. The GOP’s blatant lies are disappointing, but no longer surprising. As Governor, I will never stop fighting to protect every Illinoisans’ right to choose, and I call on all of our representatives to put people over party and vote against a nationwide ban on abortion.
* Sen. Bailey was asked today whether he would support a national abortion ban after 15 weeks…
I’ll have to look at that. I haven’t looked at that. I want to remind people here in Illinois that women are well protected and cared for and nothing is going to change here in Illinois regarding abortions as Gov. Pritzker tries to throw me in that category.
…Adding… DPI…
Today, Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez issued the following statement on Republicans’ national abortion ban:
“The Republican party has made clear that it will stop at nothing to strip women of their reproductive rights. Far-right extremist Republicans in Illinois have threatened to do the same here at home — but we will not let them.”
“The stakes of this election could not be more clear. Now more than ever, we must unite to support Democrat pro-choice champions up and down the ballot who will fight to protect abortion access in Washington and here in Illinois. Together, we will ensure that our state remains a safe haven for those who call Illinois home and a beacon of hope for reproductive rights across the country.”
* For some reason, I haven’t yet posted this story…
The leading candidates for Illinois Governor will meet face to face for the first time, in a set of exclusive prime-time debates hosted by Nexstar Media Inc. next month.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican nominee, State Sen. Darren Bailey, have both agreed to participate in two, one-hour debates covering current issues central to voters both regionally and statewide.
The first will now take place on October 6, at Braden Auditorium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal.
The second debate will be held on October 18 at WGN-TV studios in Chicago.
Both events will take place at 7p.m., airing live on Nexstar television stations serving Illinois and reaching voters in nearly every corner of the state. The debates will also be streamed online, including on WGNTV.com.
* Surrounded by states with abortion restrictions, Illinois remains an oasis for out of state abortion seekers. Better Government Association…
By the time word spread of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 24 decision to reverse the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade, an Illinois-based hotline for one of the country’s largest abortion support funds was already about to close for the weekend.
When it reopened Monday morning, the staff was stunned to find 200 missed calls for help waiting for them. Overwhelmed, they had to shut down the line for the week — the first time in the Midwest Access Coalition’s 8-year history — just to catch up. […]
One clinic in the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis saw a nearly 30% increase in those seeking abortions from June to August. In Chicago, one non-profit abortion support group served 4,000 clients this year, already 1,000 more than all of 2021.
“We’re expecting tens of thousands more people to come to Illinois,” said Alicia Hurtado, communications and advocacy manager at the Chicago Abortion Fund, a non-profit group to support abortion access. “We’re just hopeful we can continue to be there for our neighbors, but it’s going to take deep investment.” […]
“We’re expecting tens of thousands more people to come to Illinois,” said Alicia Hurtado, communications and advocacy manager at the Chicago Abortion Fund, a non-profit group to support abortion access. “We’re just hopeful we can continue to be there for our neighbors, but it’s going to take deep investment.”
Since it was founded in 2014, the Midwest Access Coalition supported a total of 3,000 abortion patients. Last year, across a 12-state midwest region, the coalition spent $120,000 on hotels, $15,000 for food and $55,000 on flights, according to its 2021 impact report.
The coalition’s fund helped 800 people in all of 2021. This year, they hit that number in July. As of Sept. 2, the coalition served 1,050 clients with meals, hotels and travel expenses, Dreith said.
“This is a healthcare issue, this is a basic human rights issue and we are in a crisis moment and Illinois needs to act legislatively like we’re in a crisis moment,” said Dreith. “Lives are on the line as far as freedom goes as we see more and more criminalization for providing and accessing health care.
* Axios reports out of state patients cause backlogs in care and are forcing some to have the procedure later in their pregnancies, when treatment is more intensive and costs are higher…
Experts believe that as clinics struggle with demand, the number of abortions performed after the 13th week of pregnancy — which is around the end of the first trimester — might increase.
The procedures can be harder to obtain, because “as pregnancy progresses, the number of people who are skilled to provide that care further goes down,” Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, told Axios.
By the numbers: About 93% of reported abortions in 2019 were performed at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy, 6% were conducted between 14 and 20 weeks and 1% were performed at or after 21 weeks, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At an Illinois clinic, patients from states other than Missouri and Illinois have risen to 40% of cases, compared to 5% before the federal right to abortion was struck down.
* Tennessee already has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies in the country, and abstinence-only sex education is taught in schools, NPR reports…
Abortion restrictions and bans across the South are forcing people to travel hundreds of miles to get the procedure in states that still allow it. It’s a massive barrier, especially for pregnant teenagers. They have to navigate laws around parental permission, too. For years, Tennessee teens traveled to Nashville to get a judge’s permission for an abortion instead of telling their parents. From member station WPLN, Paige Pfleger reports on what options are left for those teens now. […]
PFLEGER: For years, teens traveled from all over Tennessee to ask Judge Calloway for something called a judicial bypass. It was a rarely talked about part of Tennessee law that let young people go to a judge instead of their parents for permission to get an abortion. Calloway would approve about 10 each year. And half the time, she says teens don’t want to tell their families because they were raped or assaulted, sometimes by a family member.
CALLOWAY: There are at least 10 girls in our community each year that will be forced to have a pregnancy that either they’re not ready for, they’re not prepared for, and they’re going to be forced to do so, even if it is a situation as incest, which has happened.
PFLEGER: Tennessee now has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, with no exception for rape, incest or minors, and a narrow legal defense for the life of the pregnant person. Judicial bypasses are off the table. Welty says she cried when she heard the news. She immediately thought of the teens who would still need help and wouldn’t be able to get any.
The women’s health clinic in Bristol, Tennessee, had a seemingly simple solution to continue providing abortions after its home state banned the procedure this summer: It moved a mile up the road to Bristol, Virginia, where abortion remained legal. […]
Abortion is still allowed in Virginia through the second trimester and into the third in limited circumstances. In a recent poll of state residents, half said they believed the state’s abortion laws were reasonable and should not be altered.
But many in Bristol, Virginia, where Republican Donald Trump won 68% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election, were unhappy to see an abortion clinic come to the city of about 17,000 people.
Anthony Farnum, mayor of Bristol, Virginia, soon received dozens of calls, texts and emails from residents asking him to close the clinic. But the mayor explained he had no power to do so as long as Virginia permits abortion.
Friday, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, acting under an order from the Michigan Supreme Court, put a question before voters this November on whether to protect abortion rights in the state constitution.
Last week, the question was sent to the state Supreme Court after Republican canvassers argued the amendment’s spacing and formatting would confuse voters. The group behind the amendment, Reproductive Freedom for All, appealed the decision to the state’s highest court. Thursday, the court decided to move it along.
“Ultimately, the system works. It may be put under great stress at times, but it works,” said Republican Michigan Board of State Canvassers Tony Daunt, who followed through on a promise to vote to certify if that’s what the Michigan Supreme Court ordered. Daunt took issue with criticism leveled against the two GOP members for voting not to move the amendment forward. He said the issue of the petition forms had never been addressed before and the court decision set a precedent that future boards would now have to follow.
“It is really important for us to recognize that this is a victory for the people of Michigan who signed in such record numbers,” said Democratic board member Mary Ellen Gurewitz.
* Google Maps routinely misleads people looking for abortion providers, a new analysis by Bloomberg News has found…
In this case, medical doctors and reproductive health advocates said, letting the problem fester while debates rage on could lead to real-world harm. “If Google is a pro-science organization, or even just neutral, they would not want to lead people to these places with false advertising that can be harmful to their lives,” said Allison Cowett, the medical director of Chicago-based Family Planning Associates. “These fake clinics are not on equal footing with folks that are practicing evidence-based medicine.” […]
Cowett, the Chicago doctor, told Bloomberg that there is “absolutely, in bold capital letters” a link between Google Maps providing misleading abortion clinic results and the quality of care women receive in the real world.
She said that in Illinois, which is surrounded by states that have placed limits on abortions, the clinic is booked up for weeks on end. Staff have increased their work hours and scrambled to manage the flood of new appointments booked by patients traveling from states the clinic had never seen on its roster before, including Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
More calls to clinics in places like Illinois means it is much harder to get a staff member on the phone, Cowett said. “That means people looking on the internet, more commonly, and making these appointments online,” she said, including people traveling across state lines for care. “If people are driving 10 or 15 hours to see an abortion provider, it could be devastating for them to make an appointment somewhere which actually does not provide abortion.”
It took 174 years for Chicagoans to elect the first Asian American to sit in the City Council – and nearly two centuries for Illinois voters to send the first member of the community to Congress.
Today, at least nine Asian Americans hold elective offices across the state — two of them representing Illinois in the nation’s capital. And voters will get a chance to dramatically increase those previously slow-growing numbers in elections this year and the next.
At least 22 Asian American candidates are running for offices in the November election and the city elections next year, not to mention others running in other local races across the state.
It’s part of a nationwide trend already unfolding in Virginia, Michigan and Indiana — and reflective of a 2020 Pew Research Center study finding that Asian Americans are becoming the fastest growing segment of eligible voters out of the major racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
This is a very significant shift, and one I’ve been trying to point out for months. It’s possibly as important as the days when Latino politicians were being elected in large numbers. The difference here is that Asian American candidates are not running in majority, or even near-majority districts.
Bailey said that if elected, he would undo the things Pritzker has done while he’s been in office.
“Commonsense tells us to repeal everything that J.B Pritzker has signed into law,” Bailey said. “That is why we are having these problems.”
* Regarding the Proft ad…
A political TV ad titled "The Scream" has aired widely in IL. It's shameful. Victims of crime should never be used as political pawns. Their stories should only be told by them or in ways they've specifically authorized. Statement from advocates @TheCAASE & @CMBWNTheNetwork: 1/6 pic.twitter.com/5168sWd9oS
— Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (@TheCAASE) September 12, 2022
With Labor Day behind us and the summer coming to a close, the residents of Illinois are beginning to focus their attention on the upcoming General Election. I firmly believe that the remaining 62 days should be about the Illinois voters, and ensuring they are given ample opportunity to hear directly from candidates regarding their vision for our state and the office they are seeking.
To that end, I am asking that you join me in participating in three impartial, public and robust debates. Each occasion should provide voters with our detailed visions for the State Treasurer’s Office, and plans to better the lives of all Illinoisans.
To keep the process simple and transparent, and to limit delays to the planning process, I am proposing to use a generally agreed upon format and set of rules for these debates that you will find attached to this letter. Further, I believe each debate should take place a week apart from one another, should be held in geographically diverse locations across the state, and that the media and members of the public should be invited to attend.
More here. Demmer had requested a response by yesterday at 5 pm. Nothing. So, I reached out to the Frerichs campaign…
We are already scheduled to debate in front of the Daily Herald editorial board on September 28th. We are looking forward to it.
I asked if that was really a debate…
When two or more candidates appear together, with a moderator and journalists asking questions, it is a debate.
Thoughts?
* Casten…
U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) has released the following statement regarding the cancellation of the upcoming Drag Queen Bingo program at the Downers Grove Public Library:
“I’m incredibly disheartened to hear that the Downers Grove Public Library is canceling their upcoming event — one meant to celebrate self-identity and self-expression — because Keith Pekau and Awake Illinois created an unsafe environment in our community. They should be ashamed of themselves. They have used their platform to promote hatred, homophobia, and bigotry.
“Let’s be clear. This event was canceled because, after my Republican opponent and his far-right allies at Awake Illinois publicly issued a call-to-action to their supporters, the library received severe threats that endangered our community.
“The 6th District is a place for kindness, love, and decency. Hate has no home here. The fact that Keith Pekau disagrees shows he has no place in public office.”
* CD13…
Last night, it was reported that Senator Lindsey Graham and Senate Republicans planned to introduce legislation mandating a national abortion ban later today. Senator Graham plans to do so with the backing of the radical, anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, an organization whose endorsement of IL13 Republican congressional nominee Regan Deering proudly promotes.
Josh Roesch, campaign manager for Nikki for Congress, said: “For months, Regan Deering has boasted her support from Susan B. Anthony List, despite their mission to end all abortion full stop. Yesterday, they announced a proposal for a national abortion ban, which is the ultimate Republican agenda. Regan must answer if she will reject SBA’s endorsement and their latest proposed legislation.”
Last week, Deering caved on the issue and tried to distance herself away from the organization over their support of a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and other extreme measures.
* G-PAC…
The Gun Violence Prevention PAC and Giffords PAC are announcing their first set of endorsements of gun safety candidates who are running in the upcoming Illinois general election on November 8, 2022.
After vetting each candidate’s voting record, policy platforms and responses to a rigorous questionnaire, the leading gun violence prevention organizations are putting their full support behind 15 candidates running for the Illinois Senate and Illinois House of Representatives.
To earn a gun safety endorsement, each candidate demonstrated strong support of the following policies:
Banning assault weapons
Banning large-capacity magazines (LCMs)
Making ghost guns illegal, which G-PAC and Giffords helped pass into law earlier this year
Funding community violence intervention programs
Funding a gun storage public awareness campaign
“Gun violence has become a way of life for Illinois residents and that is unacceptable. In the upcoming election voters are looking for candidates who will stand up to the gun lobby and advance legislation to keep illegal guns and weapons of war out of our communities.” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC). “Gun violence is on the ballot in November and we will work tirelessly to ensure this slate is elected.”
“State legislators have the power and opportunity to make their communities safer from gun violence as they are at the forefront of enacting gun laws that can and do save lives. That’s why we’re proud to be endorsing these gun safety champions today,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. “These candidates understand the devastating impact gun violence takes on neighborhoods across Illinois. They stand ready to enact much needed legislation in the effort to end our nation’s gun violence crisis. Today, I am proud to stand behind these candidates who are ready to make Illinois safer for all.”
Illinois just ended a deadly summer with 29 mass shootings, more than 600 expressway shootings, and more than 1,200 people shot in the City of Chicago alone. Endorsed candidates have demonstrated urgency of this public health crisis and their unwavering willingness to do something about it.
Each endorsed candidate supports our #1 legislative priority when the General Assembly is called into session: banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. These weapons of war have been shown to contribute to both city violence and mass shootings.
The first endorsed gun safety candidates in the 2022 election include:
Illinois Senate:
Sen. Laura Ellman (SD 21)
Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (SD 23)
Maria Peterson (SD 26)
Sen. Ann Gillespie (SD 27)
Sen. Laura Murphy (SD 28)
Illinois House of Representatives:
Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (HD 41)
Rep. Terra Costa Howard (HD 42)
Diane Blair-Sherlock (HD 46)
Rep. Maura Hirschauer (HD 49)
Rep. Mark Walker (HD 53)
Mary Beth Canty (HD 54)
Rep. Joyce Mason (HD 61)
Laura Faver Dias (HD 62)
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (HD 81)
Additional announcements are forthcoming on local, state legislative and statewide endorsements.
States invest in public colleges (and give nonprofit status to private ones) to build a better-educated workforce. But what if graduates move away?
The biggest losers of that kind of brain drain are small, rural states — Vermont, West Virginia, New Hampshire — places lacking the urban hubs that offer opportunity to newly minted Bachelors, according to an innovative new data source that uses LinkedIn to estimate how many college graduates stay in-state.
The nation’s capital produces relatively few graduates of its own but draws heavily from the rest of the country, making it one of brain drain’s biggest winners, according to the analysis by economists at the University of North Carolina, the W.E. Upjohn Institute, the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago. The District appears to draw in six times as many graduates as it produces, but data limitations mean that could be an overestimate, the report’s authors say.
While the District is an extreme outlier, it sets a pattern. The other winners are primarily states with cities as large, dynamic and regionally vital as D.C. That would include New York, Washington, California, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Illinois is one of only two states, along with Louisiana, to empower its Supreme Court with the responsibility of appointing interim judges to fill vacancies, according to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice. The Illinois Constitution calls for the interim replacement to run for re-election in a partisan election at least 60 days after their appointment.
(Although Louisiana initially allows the Supreme Court to fill the seat, a special election is called to elect a full-time replacement within a year.)
Because Illinois’ primaries have already occurred and the general election looms in November, [appointed Supreme Court Justice Justice Joy V. Cunningham] won’t face voters until 2024. In fact, of the seven state Supreme Court Justices, only one, Republican David Overstreet, was elected to the court without first receiving an interim appointment.
The process allows the Supreme Court to “replicate itself” by choosing like-minded judges to fill vacancies, University of Illinois College of Law Dean Vikram David Amar and professor Jason Mazzone wrote in a blog post in May.
* The Question: Should Illinois require special elections held within a year for vacancies on the Illinois Supreme Court? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
The industry failed to reach a contract agreement with two unions representing much of the work force, and a federally mandated 30-day “cooling off” period ends on Friday, opening a door to strikes and lockouts. Some freight companies have started to limit services, and Amtrak, which carries many travelers on lines operated by freight railroads, said it would cancel some passenger service starting on Tuesday. […]
Most of the unions agreed to the proposal, pending a vote of their membership. But two major unions are holding out for improvements to working conditions, which they say have steadily worsened in recent years as rail carriers have cut staffing.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART Transportation Division, which represent engineers and conductors, say workers must often stay on call for several days at a time, working 12-hour shifts with little notice, and are penalized for calling in sick.
Together, the two unions represent nearly half the 115,000 freight rail workers covered by the negotiations. While the unions have not committed to striking on Friday, a walkout remains an option, a spokesman said, noting that more than 99 percent of participating members of the locomotive engineers union voted in July to authorize a strike.
Texas has the most miles of railroad tracks of any state but Illinois — and Chicago, in particular — has been the most important hub of US intermodal commerce for more than a century. According to the Association of American Railroads, 25% of all US freight rail traffic and 46% of all intermodal traffic starts, stops or passes through the Chicago region.
While 10 of 12 railroad workers’ unions have struck new labor deals, the two holdouts — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the International Association of Sheet Metal Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers — account for more than 90,000 rail employees. […]
The timing isn’t good for the trains to stop running. Harvest season across the farm belt is approaching, retailers are stocking up for the year-end holidays, and the economy already faces a stretch of weaker growth and high inflation.
The most immediate concern in the event of a rail strike would be for perishable goods. The American Bakers Association said “even a temporary interruption would create a devastating ripple effect” that would create a shortage of materials and ingredients.
Amtrak is canceling trips on some long-distance routes out of Chicago, as the deadline for a possible strike by freight rail workers looms.
Beginning Tuesday, the passenger rail agency is suspending service on routes between Chicago and San Francisco, the Pacific Northwest and Los Angeles. Service will also be suspended along part of a fourth route out of Chicago, between Los Angeles and San Antonio, Amtrak said. […]
The cancellations are intended to avoid possible disruptions should freight railroad workers walk out on strike while lengthy trips are underway on the California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief and Texas Eagle routes. Though Amtrak workers are not involved in the ongoing contract negotiations, nearly all of the passenger service’s routes outside the Northeast U.S. run on track that is owned, maintained and dispatched by freight railroads, and a walkout could disrupt passenger service. […]
Federal law bars a freight railroad strike or lockout before Friday, and Congress could intervene and block a work stoppage if the unions and railroads can’t reach a deal by the end of the week.
Jermont Terry reported Monday night, service on nine different Metra lines in the Chicago area could also come to a halt if the strike happens. The tracks on the Metra lines are owned by freight railroad companies – and if the rail unions choose to stop operating the trains, nothing will move on the railroads. That goes for passenger and freight trains alike. […]
The BNSF, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest, and Union Pacific West Metra lines are on tracks owned and directly operated by refight rain companies. Five others intersect with tracks owned by freight partners are dispatched by freight railroads.
The only lines Metra owns, operates, and controls – and that thus would be certain to keep running – are the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines. […]
At issue is the fact that the two key unions representing conductors and engineers have yet to reach a deal. They want better pay, and a better quality of life.
* Freight train workers in Galesburg rallied for better quality of life in July. WQAD…
Representatives from over a dozen unions were at the rally, including Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division Local Vice President Nick Allen.
“We’re just looking for a fair contract for ourselves and our families, looking for the pay raises that we haven’t received since our contract ended in 2020,” Allen said. “We’re just looking to be able to continue to support our families and for what they have to go through for us working on the railroad.”
Workers said companies are also trying to reduce crew members on a train down from two to one, a move they claimed is a safety issue. […]
“We’ve had disasters in Canada, blowing up whole towns with a one-man crew operation,” SMART-TD Illinois Alternate Legislative Director Jordan Boone said. “We run through this town, and we need to be able to get a guy on the ground as soon as possible. And if there’s only one person up there, they can’t get off that motor.”
The railroads are using shippers, consumers, and the supply chain of our nation as pawns in an effort to get our Unions to cave into their contract demands knowing that our members would never accept them. Our Unions will not cave into these scare tactics, and Congress must not cave into what can only be described as corporate terrorism.
Rather than gridlock the supply chain by denying shipments and potentially locking our members out next Friday, the railroads should work towards a fair settlement that our members, their employees, would ratify. For that to happen, we must make improvements to the working conditions that have been on the bargaining table since negotiations began. Penalizing engineers and conductors for getting sick or going to a doctor’s visit with termination must be stopped as part of this contract settlement. Let us repeat that, our members are being terminated for getting sick or for attending routine medical visits as we crawl our way out of a worldwide pandemic.
No working-class American should be treated with this level of harassment in the workplace for simply becoming ill or going to a routine medical visit. Sadly, the Presidential Emergency Board recommendation got it wrong on this issue. As we have said from the day that they were implemented, these policies are destroying the lives of our members, who are the backbone of the railroad industry.
These employment policies have forced thousands of employees out of the industry and make it all but impossible to recruit new workers. With understaffed operations, these railroads abuse their best customers by refusing to provide deliveries consistent with their legal obligations. These self-appointed titans of industry complain constantly about government regulation and interference — except now when it comes to breaking the backs of their employees. It’s time for the federal government to tell the CEO’s who are running the nation’s railroads into the ground that enough is enough. Congress should stay out of the rail dispute and tell the railroads to do what other business leaders do — sit down and bargain a contract that your employees will accept.
While a strike could happen starting Friday, people close to the negotiations tell POLITICO they’re not expecting it — at least not that soon.
“There is this narrative being developed that a work stoppage is inevitable and unions are chomping at the bit,” said a person familiar with the conversations, but not authorized to speak to the press. “My view is that a strike is unlikely, and that the likeliest scenarios are, one, that they reach an 11th hour or 11th hour and 59 minute deal. The second likeliest scenario is they extend the cooling off period so that they can have more time to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s.”
* I’m the oldest of five brothers, so my Uncle Kenny has always been like my older brother. He’s also developmentally disabled. Back in the day, the jocks at his school took him under their wing. Nobody could say anything bad about Kenny or they’d get beaten to a pulp, and he’d be right in there with them. Kenny is the strongest, most generous and loving man I’ve ever known in my life. He’s just a treat to hang out with. He’s overcome so much and has lived a life almost fully in the mainstream, retiring from a state job he held for decades.
Tom Devore is a few years younger than me, but we grew up in about the same era. I was raised in rural Iroquois County, as was my uncle. We had our faults, but we definitely didn’t want people like him around us…
"As for the phrase “window licker,” generally recognized as a derogatory term for an intellectually disabled person, DeVore said he “grew up in a different era.”" https://t.co/EaZ0G3zUUV
Too often, people like this get a pass because they’re deemed as somehow not responsible for what comes out of their mouths. DeVore blames the era he grew up in, instead of the fact that he apparently hasn’t learned anything since then.
Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley is the latest official publicly speaking out against the SAFE-T Act, the abominable Illinois law taking effect statewide on January 1st. Criticism against the law seems to be hitting critical mass as outrage intensifies. The People Who Play By The Rules PAC encourages more officials, States Attorney’s especially, to sound off.
According to his recent special column to the Rockford Register Star, the State’s Attorney for Illinois’ 7th largest county says that “On Jan. 1, 2023, it is estimated that more than half of the inmates in the Winnebago County Jail will walk out the door. Approximately 400 criminal defendants will be released back into our community because our Illinois legislators passed the SAFE-T Act back in 2020.”
PBR PAC President Dan Proft: “I suppose the Winnebago County State’s Attorney is just another fear-mongering racist (like me) according to Governor Pritzker.”
* I asked Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office for a response and she pointed to her comments from a month ago when Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow made essentially the same claims…
To be very clear, the Pre-trial Fairness Act creates a system where detention is based on risk, rather than poverty: that’s why domestic violence groups and other victims’ rights groups support it. There is nothing in the law that requires those suspected of crimes be let out of prison when it goes into effect. There are too many people that have been held not because they’re a risk, but simply because they could not afford monetary bail, and not only does that affect that person in custody but also their family. At the same time, victim’s rights groups have long been concerned that dangerous individuals have been released simply because they could afford to pay bail. Public safety is best addressed by focusing on risk rather than money.
Background
• When the law goes into effect, the State’s Attorney would have the ability to go to court and present evidence as to why a person suspected of a crime should be held, and a judge could rule to hold them.
• The State’s Attorney has seemingly identified 60 people that he believes will pose a risk to public safety if released. That is the first step in preparing for a future bond hearings focusing on the risk factors rather than monetary bail request considerations. The state’s attorneys have time to plan ahead, assessing both the pending and future cases.
• The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force has published draft conditions flowcharts and considerations for use by all law enforcement and criminal justice officials. They are currently accepting suggestions at pretrialtaskforce@illinoiscourts.gov
Ken: When you’ve been around as long as we have, you’ve seen it all.
John: But one thing I thought I’d never see is Illinois’ state government working again.
Rhona: It’s been a mess for years.
John: We had billions in unpaid bills.
Velma: We didn’t even have a budget.
Amy: But JB Pritzker changed things.
Patricia: JB balanced the budget.
John: He’s filling the rainy day fund.
Dorothy: And our credit has been upgraded.
Rhona: Now I really have seen everything.
VO: JB Pritzker, strong leadership for Illinois.
* Budzinski press release…
Today, the Nikki Budzinski for Congress campaign is launching its first broadcast and cable television ads of the general election. The ad, called “Buttinski”, is a conversation between Nikki and a union steelworker from Illinois about Nikki’s focus on rebuilding the middle class, Medicare negotiating prescription drug prices, and tackling inflation.
The ad is centered on the core message of Budzinski’s campaign - an economic message focused on helping working families in Central and Southern Illinois.
Budzinski is the first candidate to begin paid advertising in IL13 - the campaign executed a robust digital buy that began last week. “Buttinski” will run on broadcast in the St. Louis, and Springfield, Decatur, Champaign media markets.
Chris: “I’m excited about Ms Butt-inski here and how she wants to rebuild the middle class.”
Nikki: “Thanks Chris — it’s Budzinski.”
Chris: “Nikki Butt-inski grew up middle class and knows we need to tackle inflation.
She’ll cut taxes for the middle class and let Medicare fully negotiate down the price of prescription drugs.
Nikki Butt-inski will…”
Nikki: “Budzinski.”
Chris: “Well, she may be a bit of a Butt-inski – but she’s on our side.”
Nikki: “I’m Nikki Budzinski and I approve this message.”
State Senator Darren Bailey (R-Il55), the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, made a campaign stop Saturday at the Palestinian American Club of Bridgeview, Illinois where he spoke in front of a map that erased the state of Israel, depicting the entire region as “Palestine.” The map labeled Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, included Yafo but not Tel Aviv, and restored the Golan Heights to Syria.
* Meanwhile, this relatively new Pritzker campaign video already has 670,001 views as of last check, which is in the top five of all his online videos…
*** UPDATE *** Bailey walked it back today, but considering his past behavior, one wonders how long it’ll be before he doubles down or claims he was taken out of context…
I strongly support Israel I always have and I always will. But I will listen to every one who wants to come to the table and talk.
That was a conversation that I had had with them earlier and I told them, they they told me it was unconstitutional. I said if it is we’ll take a look at that.
In an interview with Palestine TV at the event, Bailey also questioned the constitutionality of legislative measures backed by his opponent Governor JB Pritzker to counter the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
“I’ll always stand on the constitution and it sounds like some of those values are being stepped on right now,” Bailey said in his interview with Palestine TV. “And that makes sense, that’s what’s taking place in every aspect of government with this governor of ours. He doesn’t follow the law, he doesn’t follow the constitution. So the constitution will always be front and center. The Muslim community, the Arab community will always have a seat with me as we learn together, work together, and live together.”
