* Illinois ranks 36th for tax competitiveness, according to the Tax Foundation’s 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index…
The Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index enables business leaders, government policymakers, and taxpayers to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare. While there are many ways to show how much is collected in taxes by state governments, the Index is designed to show how well states structure their tax systems and provides a road map for improvement. […]
The absence of a major tax is a common factor among many of the top 10 states. Property taxes and unemployment insurance taxes are levied in every state, but there are several states that do without one or more of the major taxes: the corporate income tax, the individual income tax, or the sales tax. Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming have no corporate or individual income tax (though Nevada imposes gross receipts taxes); Alaska has no individual income or state-level sales tax; Florida has no individual income tax; and New Hampshire and Montana have no sales tax.
This does not mean, however, that a state cannot rank in the top 10 while still levying all the major taxes. Indiana and Utah, for example, levy all the major tax types but do so with low rates on broad bases.
* At a glance…
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Campaign notebook
Thursday, Oct 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Club For Growth pouring it on for Catalina Lauf, which is probably why Bill Foster has a new ad up…
…Adding… This is wild. Delia Ramirez? Really?…
* ABC 7’s Craig Wall…
“If your daughter, at age 13, had become pregnant, would you not have wanted to be notified of it, so you could process it with her and work through this with her?” Craig Wall asked Pritzker.
“Sure, but my daughters’ going to come talk to me if that happens and most daughters will,” he answered. “It is those under threat by family; victims of incest are a perfect example of that.” […]
“I do make the exception, always, when the life of the mother is at stake,” Bailey admitted, but he wouldn’t say the same for cases of rape or incest. “Personally, in my heart, I don’t. But regardless of what I think, nothing is going to change in Illinois because of the makeup of the legislature.” […]
“Amendment One is a hostile, liberal, it’s a takeover by special interests, because now, teachers unions, instead of bargaining just for wages and benefits, see, that’s not under threat in Illinois, but teachers unions now can begin to bargain for curriculum,” Bailey said.
* I cannot believe they let Bailey get away with saying this without so much as a mention that he pledged to “roll out the red carpet” for Trump in 2024 earlier this year…
Bailey, who appeared with Trump at a rally prior to the June primary, says he is proud of the endorsement, but does not know whom he’ll support in the 2024 election.
C’mon. Here’s what Bailey said the day he was endorsed by Trump…
Friends, I’ve made a promise to President Trump that in 2024 Illinois will roll out the red carpet for him because Illinois will be ready for President Trump.
He locked himself in. But, down the memory hole it goes since the candidate doesn’t wanna talk about it.
* But NBC 5 did solve a mystery about those “Bailey Endorsed by Trump” signs that have been popping up…
Recently, the Pritzker campaign has paid for yard signs noting former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Bailey in the primary.
“Are they embarrassed because Darren Bailey is supporting Donald Trump?,” [Pritzker] asked.
* Dan Proft-funded yard sign…
* Going strong in DuPage…
DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek announces a record-breaking start to voter turnout for the Nov. 8th election, with 2022 nearly doubling 2018 so far. At the start of today, voter turnout was 49,177 voters out of 615,626 registered voters for a turnout percentage of 8.0 percent. At the same point in 2018, two weeks out from the General Election, total voter turnout stood at 27,915 voters out of 639,752 registered voters for a turnout percentage of 4.4 percent. Total voter turnout in 2018 ended up at nearly 58 percent; turnout in 2014 was 49 percent.
The expansion of mail voting has made a significant difference. So far, 82,060 voters have requested mail ballots.
Of those who have voted so far in the 2022 election, 12,370 voters have voted early in-person and 36,807 vote-by-mail ballots have been returned. At the same point in 2018, 15,986 voters had voted early in-person and 11,929 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned.
“I’m pleased with the numbers, but not surprised,” Kaczmarek says. “My top priority as county clerk was to increase voter turnout. To achieve this goal, I had to increase voter access. Promoting mail voting and doubling the number of Early Voting locations has us off to a strong start, and voters also will have the option to Vote Anywhere on Election Day.”
Voters who have applied for a mail ballot are urged to complete it and return it via mail or drop box as soon as possible.
“Voters who have not yet applied for a mail ballot can still do so, but should not wait until the last minute,” Kaczmarek says. “It takes times for a mail ballot to be processed, printed and delivered to a home. After this week, voters should instead consider voting in-person at one of our 22 Early Voting locations or any of our 269 polling locations on Election Day.”
* By comparison, Chicago’s vote totals are abysmal…
The most up-to-date Early Vote and Vote By Mail totals in Chicago, night of Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
The Early Vote total stands at 25,829 ballots cast.
Additionally, 44,142 Vote By Mail ballots have been returned to the Board – total VBM applications stands at 196,958.
The grand total is 69,971 ballots cast so far in Chicago for the November 8th General Election.
And then on election day, most Chicago voters are gonna have to deal with the fact that the board just recently moved their polling places.
…Adding… Statewide…
* Candidates will often go to train stops during busy times to show their faces to as many people as possible…
* Isabel’s roundup…
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* Dan Mihalopoulos…
Newly released court records show the ex-wife of powerful Illinois State Sen. Michael Hastings accused him last year of elbowing her in the face in the presence of their small children and harassing, intimidating and threatening her in a series of text messages during their highly contentious divorce. […]
In the newly unsealed divorce files, Kathleen Hastings provided further details regarding that alleged incident two years ago. Her lawyer wrote that Michael Hastings “slammed Kate’s head against the door leading to the garage multiple times and put her in a choke hold — all because she asked Mike where he was working that day,” according to a filing in the divorce case in October 2021.
Kathleen Hastings alleged the assault took place at about 7 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2020, “in front of” one of their children and woke up their other child, according to the filing.
“Not wishing to disrupt Mike’s political and social image, and frankly not knowing what to do, Kate did not report the abuse to the authorities at the time,” wrote Kathleen Hastings’s lawyer Brett Buckley.
In the same court filing, Kathleen Hastings alleged that “Michael cannot control his anger in front of the children,” and the lawyer wrote that the senator “elbowed Kate in the face in front of the children.”
I’ve asked the Senate President’s office for comment.
* Hastings’ spokesperson Ray Hanania…
“Sen. Michael Hastings has been on the receiving end of every type of personal and political attack and misrepresentation throughout this divorce, and each of the accusations are inherently false and just not true,” Hanania told WBEZ. “To use a family’s divorce in a political manner as it has been, to influence an election, is reprehensible.
“Sen. Hastings continues to work tirelessly for his constituents throughout the South suburbs and will continue to defend his family and reputation from these baseless personal and political attacks.”
* And from Illinois Leaks…
Illinois Senator Michael Hastings lost his battle to keep his court records sealed and it only took moments to reveal serious problems. Within those records is a document that reflects Hastings earned $108,901.00 in 2020 from Geld Solutions, LLC, a company for which he is listed as the Agent of Record and Manager. Hastings did not disclose these earnings on his 2020 or 2021 required Statement of Economic Interest Documents.
That failure is part of an OIG complaint filed against Hastings last week.
Hastings’ spokesman told WBEZ that “Everything was done by the book,” on that topic. He didn’t explain what the company did or why Hastings didn’t disclose any income from it.
* On the campaign front, Hastings is busily sending out negative mailers against his opponent. Just FYI, a court overturned that IG finding against Don Tracy. Click here to read it…
…Adding… ILGOP…
“This is yet more behavior unbecoming of a State Senator. Our legislators are supposed to exemplify the very best of Illinois. Senator Hastings has repeatedly demonstrated behavior this year that shows he is unfit to hold public office.
He should do the honorable thing and resign to save South Suburban voters the trouble of throwing him out of office in disgrace. However, as Hastings’ past behavior has proven, doing the right thing seems to be something he is not capable of doing.
Further, Governor Pritzker has already done the right thing and called on Senator Hastings to resign. It’s a partisan sham that Senate President Don Harmon continues to stay silent regarding whether or not he feels Senator Hastings is still fit to serve in his caucus and hold public office.”
Harmon said of Hastings in July of 2021 after Hastings dropped out of the race for Secretary of State, “Though I am saddened the people of Illinois won’t benefit from the leadership and dedication to working families Senator Mike Hastings would bring to the office of Secretary of State, I’m happy that the people of the 19th District and our colleagues in the Senate Democratic Caucus will continue to have him fighting for Democratic values in the General Assembly.”
Harmon kicked Hastings out of leadership, so it’s not like he’s done nothing.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Senate President Don Harmon…
“There have been a series of troubling elements brought light by Senator Hastings’ ongoing personal divorce case.
Accusations of domestic violence are to be taken seriously. I took immediate action to remove him from Senate leadership given the circumstances. The situation remains under review.
This week, I asked my staff to reach out to Senator Hastings regarding his ethical disclosure filings and to recommend he update them if needed. At first glance, it appears this situation may very well highlight how ineffective the previous forms were and why Illinois Senate Democrats led efforts to update them and make them relevant.
Good government practices built around meaningful ethical disclosure and a safe workplace are necessary steps toward rebuilding public trust in state government.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Leader McConchie…
In light of new allegations found in recently unsealed court documents obtained by WBEZ, Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) has made the following statement:
“These new troubling and disturbing allegations against Senator Michael Hastings further prove why he should step down from office—just as he should have weeks ago. Even Governor Pritzker has called for his resignation, but instead, Sen. Hastings has put his ego over what is best for his constituents. These allegations are so beneath the office he holds, and the people of the South Suburban district deserve representation that is beyond reproach.”
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* State Farm…
Claims data from State Farm, the largest insurer of automobiles in the U.S., shows that between July 2021 and June 2022 catalytic converter theft has grown 109% nationally, in terms of the number of claims filed, compared to the previous 12 months. During this recent period more than 43,219 of these parts were stolen and reported by State Farm customers compared to just above 20,600 in the previous 12 months (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021).
In the first half of 2022 State Farm has received over 23,000 catalytic converter theft claims. The data from the most recent 12-month period indicates that the ranking of the top 5 states in catalytic converter theft is currently led by California - with more than 2 out of 10 (24.5%) claims being filed in the Golden State- followed by Texas -with roughly 1 out of 10 (13.58%) of these claims- Illinois (3rd), Washington (4th) and Minnesota (5th).
* News Channel 20…
llinois Data:
- In 2019, State Farm paid $651,000 for just over 480 catalytic converter theft claims in Illinois.
- In 2020, State Farm paid over $1.1M for 740 catalytic converter theft claims in Illinois.
- In 2021, State Farm paid $3.1M for 1,985 catalytic converter theft claims in Illinois.
- In the first eight months of 2022 (January – August), State Farm alone has paid $5.3M for 2,770 catalytic converter theft claims in Illinois.
National Date:
- In 2019, State Farm paid $4.6M for 2,535 catalytic converter theft claims nationally.
- In 2020, State Farm paid $20M for 10,265 catalytic converter theft claims nationally.
- In 2021, State Farm paid $62.6M for 32,265 catalytic converter theft claims nationally.
- In the first eight months of 2022 (January – August), State Farm alone has paid $70.6M for 31,835 catalytic converter theft claims nationally.
* Fox…
Summit Processors, a scrap metal business in East Alton, Illinois, now has a large sign posted at its gates which reads, “Party over – CLOSED – for retirement.”
The scrapyard was the target of a police sting operation, which resulted in the seizure of all 287 of the catalytic converters on site. […]
Summit Processors routinely bought converters but failed to have sellers fill out paperwork and show photo ID as required by state law, authorities said. […]
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office has now filed for permanent forfeiture of all 287 converters, saying the scrapyard did not buy any of them legally.
* Just a bill…
State Representative Amy Elik filed legislation aimed at reducing the theft of catalytic converters following a recent letter from Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine suggesting that lawmakers amend the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law to make it a felony to stockpile multiple catalytic converters. […]
The legislation filed by Representative Amy Elik (HB 5828) on October 26 provides that any recyclable metal dealer or other person who knowingly fails to record the purchase of 100 or more catalytic converters is guilty of a Class 4 felony.
Rep. Elik’s legislation is co-sponsored by lawmakers representing Madison County which include State Representatives CD Davidsmeyer and Charlie Meier. Madison County area lawmakers want to see the legislature take action on this important legislation in the upcoming veto session scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 15.
Have you or someone you know had their catalytic converter stolen? I know a few myself.
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Shenanigans!
Thursday, Oct 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told subscribers more than a month ago about the possibility that Darren Bailey could run for Mike Bost’s congressional seat in 2024. Bost has a nothing-burger race, but he’s up on broadcast TV and his campaign told me they’ve also made “hundreds of thousands of grassroots voter contacts to ensure folks understand all Mike Bost is doing to fight for our conservative values in Congress.”
Even so, this looks more like Democratic shenanigans to my eyes than something from Bost. But, hey, who really knows with this stuff. Here’s Brenden Moore…
It’s just under two weeks until the votes are counted in the race for Illinois governor. But could Republican nominee Darren Bailey already be looking past it and toward the next election in 2024?
That’s apparently the thought of some supporters of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, in Southern Illinois, who have distributed a flyer accusing Bailey of a “plan” to accumulate as many votes in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District and use that as a springboard for a primary challenge of Bost in 2024. Bost faces Democrat Homer “Chip” Markel in the current election cycle.
The flyer, obtained by Lee Enterprises, says that “Bailey knows he cannot win the governors (sic) election because of liberal votes in crooked Chicago. So the plan is for Bailey to campaign as much as possible in Mike Bost’s district and secure as many supporters and votes as possible so he can challenge Mike Bost in 2024.
“Mike has always been a friend of ours ever since he was a state representative,” the letter continues. Though not encouraging a vote for Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the flyer explicitly asks voters not to vote for Bailey. “Keep Bailey’s vote totals down in Mike’s district,” it concludes.
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Fun with numbers
Thursday, Oct 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
* I’m not sure what poll Mr. DeVore is looking at, but the Emerson poll doesn’t have Raoul up by 6 with 10 percent undecided as he claims. The poll says Raoul is up by eight with nine percent undecided…
Also, the governor isn’t up by 10, he’s up by 9, according to the poll.
I mean, these are small differences, but still. C’mon, man. Math ain’t that hard. Use a calculator if you have to. 47 minus 39 equals 8.
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* Politico kinda missed the point of this story…
Elly Fawcett-Neal, a former staffer to Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, says she was wrongly fired in June after getting pregnant.
In an interview with Playbook: Fawcett-Neal, who now lives in the United Kingdom, said she filed a complaint with the Legislative Inspector General earlier this month.
“It was awful,” she said of working in Carroll’s office. Before she was fired, Fawcett-Neal said Carroll’s chief of staff, Michael Amarilio, urged her to get an abortion.
Carroll denied the accusations, telling Playbook, “I want an investigation. Full stop.” Amarilio didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
To be clear: In a separate statement, Carroll said, “I take these allegations very seriously and I believe they should be reviewed by the Legislative Inspector General. While I have not been informed of any official complaint, I plan to request such an investigation myself. My office and I will cooperate fully, and the investigation will guide further actions.”
Timing of Fawcett-Neal’s story is curious, given the approaching elections, but the former legislative aide said that’s coincidence. She told Playbook she had been pursuing different avenues to complain and turned to the “Dear White Staffer” anonymous Instagram account to see if someone could guide her.
How it became public: A person with the account asked if her emailed message could be posted. Fawcett-Neal said she agreed. Her story first appeared in Rich Miller’s newsletter, Capitol Fax.
* From Fawcett-Neal’s Instagram post…
Amarilio told me “I dispute these allegations,” and pledged to cooperate with any LIG probe.
Also, Rep. Carroll does not have a significant opponent. The dude running against him only raised five grand in the third quarter and the HGOP did one mailer for him a couple of weeks ago. The 57th District is pretty solidly Democratic, so the timing is basically irrelevant.
* House Speaker Chris Welch released this statement yesterday…
“I take all allegations very seriously and I want to encourage Ms. Fawcett-Neal to file a report with our Legislative Inspector General, if she hasn’t done so already, so a full, fair, and thorough investigation can occur.
“I want to be clear that those involved in these allegations are not employees of the Office of the Speaker and no employee of my office was made aware of these allegations against Representative Carroll or his Chief of Staff prior to them being made public. Representative Carroll has expressed how seriously he takes these matters, and he is prepared to cooperate fully with the Legislative Inspector General.
“Restoring trust in Springfield and in the Illinois House of Representatives has been one of my top priorities since I was elected Speaker. In addition to passing a comprehensive ethics package, we’ve appointed a well-respected judge with a reputation for fairness and accountability to fill that role as LIG and provided his office with the resources it needs to do this important work. Restoring trust in government is a continuous effort and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.
“In the coming weeks my staff will conduct additional ethics and workplace harassment trainings for all members and their staffs. As always, my office, our HR Department, and our Ethics Officer are at the disposal of the LIG as he thoroughly investigates these allegations.”
* The House Republicans released this statement today…
Illinois State Representatives Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) and Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) respond to the revelations of harassment and emotional abuse at State Representative Jonathan Carroll’s office after a victim came forward who detailed harassment, sexism, and pressure by office staff to have a medical procedure against her wishes.
“The toxic and hostile work environment that Ms. Fawcett-Neal was subjected to by Rep. Jonathan Carroll and his staff is unacceptable and we wish her the best as she deals with the hurt and pain this experience has caused her,” said State Rep. Tony McCombie. “This situation amplifies the culture of harassment, intimidation, and retaliation that we have seen permeate state government for decades under Democratic majority rule. We are hopeful the Legislative Inspector General will be swift in their investigation, and we urge anyone with additional information or knowledge of this to please put their loyalties aside and share the information with LIG. Representative Carroll and his staff who were complicit in this untenable situation should consider resigning immediately.”
“We seem to have yet another example of how Springfield Democrats’ supposed political principles end once political insider power begins,” said State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi. “Ms. Fawcett-Neal has alleged horrible experiences involving Representative Carroll and his staff. She claims that she could not get meaningful relief because his political allies would protect him. But is anyone surprised that Springfield’s culture of corruption constantly creates fresh stories of victims who feel knocked down, locked out and hopeless? To protect their corrupt practices from real oversight, Democrats rendered the Legislative Inspector General toothless. As we saw with the Special Investigating Committee involving Mike Madigan, they refuse to call out their own. With no accountability, it is inevitable that abusive practices will continue go unchecked.”
* NASW-IL has withdrawn its endorsement…
The Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-IL) was dismayed to hear of the allocations against Representative Johnathan Carroll this week. The NASW-IL Political Action Committee (PAC) has publicly endorsed Representative Carroll for the 2022 election, the serious public accusations have resulted in the PAC questioning the candidate’s alignment with social work values and, as such, feel it is important to rescind the endorsement. The representative has been notified of this action.
NASW-IL PAC supports women in sexual harassment allocations and women’s rights in the workplace. The endorsements of the PAC reflect those values.
…Adding… A question was raised in comments about Fawcett-Neal’s employment status when she left for the UK. She saw the comment and then reached out to confirm she “was still completing all my work while in the UK and was working 14 hour days in some cases due to time zones.” She also attached an email as an example.
*** UPDATE *** Gov. Pritzker’s spokesperson Emily Bittner…
These allegations are very troubling and the behaviors alleged are unacceptable. The Governor urges that these allegations be fully and quickly investigated. Anyone who has committed any wrongdoing should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
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Uber Eats Is Investing In Illinois Communities
Thursday, Oct 27, 2022 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Uber Eats & Visa partnered with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to create Grants for Growth, resulting in $1,000,000 total grants administered to local restaurants. Learn more.
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Morning campaign stuff
Thursday, Oct 27, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* A quick roundup to start your day…
* Bailey references ‘transphobic’, ‘antisemitic’ conspiracy theory at debate: During the second Governor’s debate, Darren Bailey deflected when asked about how he would change Illinois’ abortion laws. Instead of answering the question, Bailey changed the subject, referencing a conspiracy theory about current Governor J.B. Pritzker and his family foundation’s investments in healthcare.
* Beyond the heated rhetoric about bail, what else is in the SAFE-T Act?: But the elimination of cash bail is only one piece of the massive SAFE-T Act. Here are five more things the act did to change criminal justice in Illinois.
* Race Between Pritzker, Bailey May be Tightening as Voting Turnout Remains Sluggish: Early voting in Chicago is also off to a sluggish start compared to the 2018 election. At this point four years ago, there were 29,000 residents who had cast early ballots, compared to 19,000 this year, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. “I don’t see a lot of voter enthusiasm,” political strategist Thom Serafin told NBC 5.
* We Asked Every Republican in a Tight Race Whether They’d Denounce Alex Jones: More than 70 Republican candidates in competitive congressional and gubernatorial races across the country declined to denounce Alex Jones for popularizing the myth that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting never happened.
* Walker, Vrett Square Off In 53rd House District Forum: Discussing gun violence, both Walker and Vrett harkened back to their experiences in the military. Both men were Army soldiers. Vrett served in Afghanistan and Walker in Vietnam. Vrett said education about guns needs to be brought back to schools so students can learn to respect weapons and rules, such as keeping them under lock and key.
* Amendment ‘right thing’ for workers? Or ‘government union power play’? Proposal stirs debate on union rights, worker safety: Supporters say the amendment will enshrine collective bargaining rights as fundamental Illinois law and help workers bargain for measures that affect public safety. Detractors call it a power grab by organized labor that will raise the cost of government and, therefore, property taxes.
* More to come!
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Open thread
Thursday, Oct 27, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Chat amongst yourselves, but keep the discussion about Illinois please!
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Live coverage
Thursday, Oct 27, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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